MRFF 2024 Cardiovascular Health

Key dates for MRFF 2024 Cardiovascular Health

Proposals open in Sapphire: 7 February 2024
UQ R&I NOI Close: 3 July 2024
Minimum data requirements in Sapphire: 5pm ACT time 3 July 2024
Applications due to UQ R&I: 10 July 2024
Applications close: 5pm ACT time 31 July 2024

Overview

The objective of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) - Cardiovascular Health Mission – 2024 Cardiovascular Health Grant Opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support medical research and medical innovation projects that:

Stream 1 (Priority area 1.2, Targeted Call for Research): reduce the number of Australians experiencing cardiovascular disease and stroke by developing and implementing early, more effective preventive health interventions, by developing, optimising and implementing clinical pathways that embed evidence-based treatment, including for risk factors.
Stream 2 (Priority area 2.1, Targeted Call for Research): conduct research to foster uptake of best-practice care, including to reduce care inequities, by improving uptake of evidence generated from the program into acute care guidelines or policy.
Stream 3 (Priority area 3.3, Targeted Call for Research): conduct a large-scale project that builds on the development projects (i.e. the short-term, small-scale development projects under Priority area 3.3 that were supported through the 2020 Cardiovascular Health grant opportunity) that are focused on new models of rehabilitation and recovery support that increase equity of access for all people (e.g. digital or online delivery of services like tele-rehab for heart and stroke).
Stream 4 (Priority area 3.3, Targeted Call for Research): conduct research to support effective national adoption and best-practice use of rehabilitation and recovery programs.

Stream 1 (Priority area 1.2, Targeted Call for Research): There is no minimum grant amount and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $5 million.
Stream 2 (Priority area 2.1, Targeted Call for Research): There is no minimum grant amount and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $5 million.
Stream 3 (Priority area 3.3, Targeted Call for Research): There is no minimum grant amount and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $3 million.
Stream 4 (Priority area 3.3, Targeted Call for Research): There is no minimum grant amount and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $5 million.

How to Apply

Internal notice of intent process

All researchers intending to submit an MRFF application are required to submit an internal Notice of Intent. NOIs will be collated centrally and distributed to Faculties and Institutes in order to provide maximum support to the UQ research community.

Step 1. Sapphire updates and scheme reading

Register for Sapphire and update your full profile 'My Profile and CV'. The Grant Opportunity will be run through the new National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants management system, Sapphire, which replaces RGMS. If any team members are new to Sapphire and need a login/password, start early. The NHMRC require at least three working days to create new Sapphire accounts.
Familiarise yourself with the key MRFF, NHMRC and The University of Queensland (UQ) documentation.

Step 2. Completing the application

Log into Sapphire and complete the application

Step 3. UQ R&I internal review and feedback

Ahead of internal review, ensure all online components are complete and valid in Sapphire and CIA has initiated the Certification process. Application errors will be signalled and can be corrected during the Certification stage.
To initiate internal review, email your completed Funding Application Coversheet to UQ R&I at mrffgrants@research.uq.edu.au.
Internal review by UQ R&I/feedback provided (compliance/eligibility/grantsmanship).

Step 4. Final submission

Final submission by UQ R&I to NHMRC.

Letters of Support

Signing for all letters of support from UQ is co-ordinated through the Research Office. All Letters of support for MRFF applications, including those led by other institutions, must be accompanied by a completed Funding Application Coversheet (see below) and authorisations of any enumerated contributions or additional UQ staff beyond the lead CI listed in the letter. We strongly recommend working with your local school/institute research professionals to complete this process.

To provide time for review and signature, we ask that UQ researchers submit draft letters to mrffgrants@research.uq.edu.au no later than two weeks before the external closing date.

Partner Letters

We would encourage applicants to provide drafts of partner letters of support for review by the Research office before organising their final signature to ensure eligibility and compliance. A template Letter of Support is provided below.

Non-UQ Lead Applications

The administering organisation should provide you with a draft letter of support. UQ information from the CEO letter below may assist you in completing the letter.
Complete a generic Funding Application Coversheet, and get it countersigned by your Head of School/Institute.
Submit both to mrffgrants@research.uq.edu.au, along with evidence for any additional co-contributions.

Readership and researcher support

Before applying, we recommend you:

Contact your faculty or institute research manager for advice on peer readership programs.
Join the UQ R&I Mailer to stay up to date with round developments.
Access the UQ R&I Grants Library, a helpful resource of past successful proposals.
If offered, attend UQ R&I information sessions and access PowerPoint presentations from presentations and slides.

Key documents

Before applying, please review the full suite of documents available from GrantConnect, the Australian Government grants information system and:

Grant Connect GO6777
MRFF Webpage
MRFF Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Strategy 2020-21 to 2023-24