COVID-19 National: Business, Non-Profits – MRFF Coronavirus Research Response

This program aims to enable Australian researchers to drive innovation and contribute to global efforts to control the COVID-19 outbreak. It forms part of the Australian Government's $2.4 billion Coronavirus (COVID-19) National Health Plan which seeks to support the health system to manage the outbreak of novel coronavirus in Australia.

The package provides support across primary care, aged care, hospitals and research which includes the Coronavirus Research Response comprising vaccine, antiviral and respiratory medicine research.

The current grant opportunity is Vaccine Candidate Research Grant:
- The objective of this grant opportunity is to accelerate the development of promising COVID-19 prophylactic vaccine candidates for which research and development is already underway.
- Grants of up to $3 million are available. The project must be completed by 30 June 2023.
- A total funding pool of up to $13.65 million is available in 2020-21.
- Applications opened on 15 June 2020. The closing dates are:
a) Round 1: Expressions of interest closed 5pm on 15 July 2020. Applications closed 5pm on 23 September 2020.
b) Round 2: Expressions of interest closed 5pm on 11 November 2020. Applications closed 5pm on 27 January 2021.
c) Round 3: Expressions of interest close 5pm on 10 March 2021. Applications close 5pm on 5 May 2021.

A total funding pool of $30 million is available over two years from 2020-21.

Eligible applicants must:
- Be an NHMRC approved Administering Institution (except for Communication Strategies and Approaches During Outbreaks Grant).
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Be incorporated in Australia.
- And in accordance with s20 and s24 of the Medical Research Future Fund Act 20153, be one of the following entities:
a) A medical research institute
b) A university
c) A corporate Commonwealth entity
d) A corporation (including businesses and not for profits)
e) A state or territory government (for Immunological Studies only)
f) A state or territory government entity (for Immunological Studies only)

Joint applications are encouraged, provided they have a lead organisation who is the main driver of the project and is eligible to apply.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete eligibility requirements.

Eligible activities must clearly demonstrate their criticality in meeting objectives of the grant opportunity. Applicants can only spend grant funds to pursue the research activities described in the grant proposal. The grant money can be used to pay costs that arise directly from these activities.

Please refer to the individual Guidelines for the list of eligible costs/expenditure of each grant opportunity.

The main assessment criteria include:
- Project impact
- Project methodology
- Capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project
- Overall value and risk of the project

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of the assessment criteria and specific weighing percentage of each grant opportunity.

The following are ineligible for funding:
- Airline club memberships
- Computers, computer networks, peripherals and software for communicating, writing and undertaking simple analyses
- Communications costs (mobiles, telephone calls)
- Conference attendance, and associated travel
- Entertainment and hospitality costs
- Ethics approval costs
- Furniture
- Health insurance, travel insurance, foreign currency, airport and related travel taxes, passports and visas
- Institutional overheads and administrative costs
- Non-project related staff training and development

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of ineligible activities/costs.