Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Funds Australian health, disability, ageing, and care initiatives through national policy and grant programs.

The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing funds health and medical research through the Medical Research Future Fund, a A$25.4 billion endowment established in 2015. The department was renamed in May 2025 and uses the MRFF to set strategy and priorities across clinical trials, genomics, mental health, commercialisation, and Indigenous health.

Its tracked programs include MRFF BioMedTech Incubator, MRFF Indigenous Health Research Fund, and MRFF Frontier Health and Medical Research initiative. The BioMedTech Incubator carries a maximum award of A$33 million, while the broader MRFF system spans 21 active initiatives and missions and is operationally administered in large part by NHMRC, with non-MRFF support moving through the Community Grants Hub.

Applicants succeed here when the proposal matches a named MRFF mission, shows a clear clinical or commercial outcome, and is written for a competitive national round rather than a loose request for support. The department is strongest for teams that can combine research depth, translation, and a patient-facing or system-facing payoff, especially when the work sits close to service delivery or Indigenous health priorities.