Latest COVID-19 Resources

The Medical Oncology Group of Australia this week released its position statement on COVID19 vaccination for patients with solid tumours. 

Visit the Victorian Government’s website for Victorian health service guidance and response to COVID19 risks

The Victorian COVID-19 Cancer Taskforce has launched the Got Cancer? Get Vaccinated social media campaign to communicate clear, very direct, evidence-based messages that provide both assurance and motivation to people with cancer about the safety, risks and benefits of the COVID19 vaccine. Help us to share the message and urge patients with cancer to get vaccinated.  Materials include a printable A4 poster for use in clinical areas.

Palliative Care Advice Service

The Palliative Care Advice Service (PCAS) is a free, confidential service available to all Victorian’s seeking information about life limiting illness, palliative or end of life care.

For healthcare workers, nurses and doctors PCAS offers guidance about prescribing, symptom management, locating appropriate services and decision-making. The Palliative Care Advice Service is available 7am-10pm, seven days a week. Call 1800 360 000 or visit www.pcas.org.au for further information.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Oncomine Clinical Research Grant program – NOW OPEN

GRANT SUBMISSION DATES: Submissions are open from June 14 to July 16, 2021.

TOPICS OF CALL: Immuno-Oncology

Apply for a grant of up to USD $200,000.

Proposals will be considered based on scientific merit as evaluated by independent and internationally recognised experts.

To apply, complete the grant proposal form attached and submit grant proposal HERE. For more information, including an overview, grant details, selection process and more, please click here:

Please note, there is an error in the Grant Official Rules document (Pg 2), which may come across as though groups from Australia are ineligible to apply. This is not the case. All ANZ researchers are absolutely eligible to apply for the grant! 

MRFF 2021 Rare Cancers Rare Diseases Unmet Need General – Grant Opportunity

Applications via NHMRC
Closing Dates:
Stream 2: 5.00pm Wednesday 7 July 2021
Streams 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7: 5.00pm Wednesday 18August 2021 
Please note there are 7 specific streams in this round of RCRDUN and min data dates vary across streams

Min Data
Stream 2: 5.00pm on Wednesday 23 June 2021
Streams 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7: 5.00pm on Wednesday 4 August 2021
Grants are a max of $5M, $10M or $15M depending on Stream.
Funding over 3 years. See guidelines for details

A person must not be named as a Chief Investigator (CI) on more than one application submitted to a Stream of this grant opportunity (i.e. a person may be named as a Chief Investigator on a maximum of one application per Stream).

MRFF – 2021 COVID 19 Health Impacts and Vaccination Schedules Grant Opportunity

Applications via NHMRC

Closing Date: 5.00pm Wednesday 18 August 2021 
Min Data 5.00pm Wednesday 4 August 2021 
Grants are a max of $15M
Funding over 3 years. See guidelines for details

Stream 2: conduct clinical trials to generate evidence on how individuals or populations with immunocompromising conditions respond to COVID-19 vaccination, to inform vaccine schedules

Stream 3: conduct clinical trials to generate knowledge on the efficacy of vaccine schedules that combine different COVID-19 vaccines.

A person must not be named as a Chief Investigator (CI) on more than one application submitted to a Stream of this grant opportunity.

Cancer Australia Priority-driven collaborative cancer research – for funding commencing in 2022

PdCCRS applications will only be accepted if an application has been submitted to NHMRC’s Ideas Grants or Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Grants schemes and a corresponding PdCCRS Questions application form has been submitted to Cancer Australia. For more information contact grants@canceraustralia.gov.au

Practical solutions for frontline clinical problems

Applications for the 2021 round of Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME) Seed Funding are now open! Apply HERE.

Seed funding is available to support partnerships with IT/digital health, engineering or design researchers to discover new medical solutions including technologies, devices and digital health.

Applications may request up to $50,000 per project with cardiac and big data themed proposals to be highly regarded.

Successful past applicants are invited to apply for top up funding. Previously unsuccessful applications can also be resubmitted for consideration.

Phase 1 applications are now open until Friday 23 July. Selected proposals will then be announced on the MIME website on Monday 2 August. 

2021 GSK Award for Research Excellence: Nominations Now Open

The GSK Award for Research Excellence (ARE) is one of the most prestigious and longstanding awards available to the Australian medical research community. Since 1980, the annual GSK ARE has been awarded to individuals or two-person teams with very significant existing track records who are well placed to further their contributions in the near future. A financial grant of $80,000 to the winner(s)’ institution supports this goal.

To nominate someone, complete the 2021 ARE Nomination Form. For further information about the nominations process view the Terms of Reference. Please direct queries regarding the award to are.arenominations@gsk.com

Nominations close at midnight on Friday 30 July 2021. The award will be presented at the Research Australia Awards Night, Thursday 9 December 2021 in Sydney.

My colleagues’ and my efforts to develop a screening test for the early detection of ovarian cancer capable of saving lives arrived at a sad moment last week. The final trial results of the research I’ve focused on for 36 years, published in The Lancet, found early ovarian cancer detection doesn’t save lives.