2025 Indigenous Health Award

This award is supported by a fund established by our Foundation Patron, Professor Michael Kidd AO, with contributions from RACGP member donations.

Grant/award amount: One or more grants or awards valued at a combined total of $10,000 (excluding GST)

Funding period: 12 months

Focus area: Financial support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students, general practice registrars and early-career GP researchers OR research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

Objectives: This funding initiative aims to support the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through two distinct pathways:

• Award - To provide financial support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students, general practice registrars or early-career GP researchers to assist with their training and education, professional development, or research endeavours.
• Research grant - To support research projects that contribute to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, by building the evidence base and encouraging culturally appropriate, community-informed research.

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Applications open Monday, 12 May 2025 at 9:00am (AEST) and close on Friday, 20 June 2025 at 5:00pm (AEST).

To be eligible for the Indigenous Health Award, the applicant/principal investigator must be:

Award pathway

• an Aboriginal or Torres Strait islander medical student, general practice registrar or early career GP researcher
  
  For details on the definition of an early career researcher, please refer to the Information for Applicants handbook (page 6).

Research grant pathway

• a general practitioner or general practice registrar
  
  We encourage applicants at all stages of their research career to apply, and particularly invite more experienced researchers to consider including early career researchers within their teams to continue to build general practice research capacity. 

Applications will be assessed against the following selection criteria:

Award pathway

• Demonstrated need and potential benefit (40%)
  The proposal should demonstrate need for the funding to support the recipient’s professional growth and impact in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
  
  
• Relevance and potential for impact (30%)
  The proposal should align with the award's focus area and demonstrate relevance to general practice, demonstrating a strong commitment to improving health outcomes and cultural safety in general practice or broader healthcare settings.
  
  
• Contribution to building capacity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health (30%)
  The proposal should demonstrate potential to build capacity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health whether through skill development, training, fostering collaborations, or expanding networks.

Research grant pathway

• Scientific quality of the proposal and methodology (20%)
  The proposal should demonstrate strong scientific foundations, including a clear research question, robust and culturally appropriate methodology, and sound approach to data collection and analysis.
  
  
• Innovation and originality of the project (20%)
  The project should demonstrate originality in its approach, incorporating innovative ideas to address identified unmet needs or gaps in general practice research and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
  
  
• Relevance and likelihood for translation and impact (20%)
  The proposal should align with the grant objectives and focus area and showcase potential for practical, meaningful outcomes that improve patient care, healthcare systems or community health outcomes.
  
  
• Feasibility of the project (20%)
  The project must be realistic and achievable within the given timeline, budget, and resources, supported by a clear research plan and the necessary expertise and support to ensure successful completion.
  
  
• Contribution to building research capacity in general practice (20%)
  The project should enhance research capacity within general practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, whether through skill development, training, fostering collaborations, or expanding networks.
  

You may begin anywhere in this application form. Please ensure you save as you go. If you need more help using this form, download the Help Guide for Applicants or check out Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).

On every screen (page of the form) you will find a Form Navigation contents box, this links directly to every page of the application. Click the link to jump directly to the page you want. You can also click 'next page' or 'previous page' on the top or bottom of each page to move forward or backward through the application.

If you wish to leave a partially completed application, press 'save' and log out. When you log back in and click on the 'My Submissions' link at the top of the screen, you will find a list of any applications you have started or submitted. You can reopen your draft application and start where you left off. You can also download any application, whether draft or completed, as a PDF. Click on the 'Download' button located at the bottom of the last page of the application form.

You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it, by clicking on 'Submit' at the top of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the compulsory questions are completed.

Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible. You will receive an automated confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email you used to register.

If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email then you should presume that your submission has NOT been submitted.

For queries about the guidelines, deadlines, or questions in the form, please contact us on 03 8699 0335 during business hours or email foundation@racgp.org.au and quote your application number.