mRNA Victoria Research Acceleration Fund (mVRAF)

The mRNA Victoria Research Acceleration Fund (mVRAF) is administered by DJSIR as part of the mRNA Victoria initiative, which aims to position Victoria as an Asia-Pacific leader in mRNA technology. The program has funded 4 rounds totalling AUD 8.6M across 49 projects as of Round 4 (July 2025). Round 3 (September 2024) funded 15 projects at a typical AUD 100K, maximum AUD 500K per project. Round 4 (July 2025) disbursed AUD 1.7M across 6 projects, ranging AUD 113K–488K. Funded entities span universities (Monash, Melbourne, RMIT, Swinburne), research institutes (Florey, WEHI, Burnet, Peter Mac, Baker, Murdoch Children's), and biotech companies (RAGE Biotech, Messenger Bio, Mermaid Bio, Zitra Medicines). The broader mRNA Victoria initiative also includes the mRNA Activation Program (mAP — AUD 22M one-off, 14 projects) and an Agriculture mRNA Initiative (AUD 4.3M).

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.