Strategic Research Project Grants

The Leukaemia Foundation’s Strategic Research Project Grants are designed to drive transformative change in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship outcomes of people affected by blood cancer. These grants support clearly defined, high-quality research that address pressing and complex questions in blood cancer with a direct line of sight to improving patient outcomes.

These grants aim to:

• Drive high-impact discovery and translational research that advances new approaches to preventing, detecting, and treating blood cancers.
• Address critical gaps in knowledge that limit clinical decision-making, patient care, or long-term survivorship outcomes.
• Accelerate progress in underexplored or underfunded areas of unmet need, directing investment to research where breakthroughs could significantly improve outcomes.
• Support bold, innovative investigations that may not fit within traditional funding pathways but hold strong potential for transformative discoveries or rapid translation into practice.
• Generate robust evidence that informs clinical guidelines, models of care, and health system decision-making, improving the quality, accessibility, and effectiveness of blood cancer care.

By prioritising scientific excellence, translational relevance, and meaningful patient benefit, these grants support high-impact research that accelerates the translation of new knowledge into real-world improvements in blood cancer care and outcomes.

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Strategic Research Project Grant details

Funding:

• $200,000

Duration:

• 2 years

Project focus:

Projects can focus on any subtype of blood cancers and at any stage of the disease course (e.g. diagnosis, treatment and care, and survivorship). These grants are focussed on targeting areas of unmet need and driving translational research to inform clinical care and health system decision-making to provide tangible benefits to patients and their quality of life.

Examples can include:

• Advancing next-generation diagnostics for earlier, more accurate detection,
• Developing and trialling personalised treatment approaches to improve safety and efficacy,
• Designing and testing innovative models of care that address inequities in access,
• Embedding implementation science to ensure evidence-based practices are adopted widely and sustainably.

Eligibility:

Projects must:

• Align with at least one of Leukaemia Foundation’s strategic research priorities
  • Implementation Science
  • Prevention, early detection and diagnostics
  • Therapies and treatment
• Address critical gaps in knowledge or target underexplored or underfunded areas of unmet need in blood cancer detection, treatment, or care
• Demonstrate a clear line of sight to improving outcomes for people affected by blood cancer, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, or quality of life.
• Include consideration of equity in blood cancer care where appropriate, including improving outcomes for underserved or priority populations.
• Include meaningful engagement with relevant stakeholders and consumers.

Lead applicants must:

• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia
• Hold academic, clinical or research appointment at an eligible administering institution (e.g. Australian university, hospital, health service, or research institution), with institutional support for the duration of the project
• Hold a PhD or demonstrate equivalent research experience relevant to the proposed project.
• Demonstrate a track record appropriate to career stage and opportunity, reflecting their capacity to successfully deliver the proposed research.
• Demonstrate that the investigative team collectively has the expertise, experience, and access to infrastructure required to undertake the proposed project.
• Submit no more than one application as Chief Investigator.

Key dates:

• Applications open: 9 June 2026
• Applications close: 20 July 2026
• Applicants notified and project commencement: from late August/early September 2026

How to apply

For further information on the Strategic Research Project Grants, please view the Strategic Research Project Grant Guideline document below.

For any queries, please contact our research team via email at [email protected].