Cancer Council NSW Project Grants 2027

Purpose and Program Overview

The Cancer Council NSW Project Grants 2027 program provides funding to support high-quality cancer research that delivers meaningful benefit to the Australian cancer community. Administered by Cancer Council NSW, the program funds discrete research projects spanning the full cancer continuum — including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, quality of life, and health service delivery. The program operates in alignment with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Ideas Grant framework.

Project Grants are open to cancer researchers from all Australian states and territories and are awarded for up to three years. Funding decisions are reached through a national, two-stage assessment process that integrates scientific merit with community value. Applications are first submitted through the NHMRC Ideas Grant scheme and assessed by NHMRC peer review. Applications that are ranked as fundable but do not receive NHMRC funding then proceed to a Lived Experience Review conducted by Cancer Council NSW.

The Lived Experience Review accounts for 50% of the final application score. It evaluates how well the proposed research addresses community benefit, equity, and the meaningful involvement of people affected by cancer. Inclusion of at least one named and qualified person with lived experience is a mandatory requirement of all applications.

Key Grant Details

• Grant amount: $300,000 to $600,000 over three years (maximum $200,000 per annum)
• Application closing date: 22 May 2026
• Project activity period: 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
• Eligible applicants: Cancer researchers from any Australian state or territory
• Co-contribution required: Not specified; however, more than 50% of grant funds must be spent in Australia
• Location applicability: Australia-wide (NSW, SA, and WA researchers may also apply to their respective state Cancer Councils)

Priority Sectors

The Cancer Council NSW Project Grants 2027 does not restrict funding to specific industry sectors. The program is focused on cancer research and is open to projects addressing any aspect of cancer, including:

• Causes and mechanisms of cancer
• Prevention and early detection
• Diagnosis and treatment
• Cancer care and survivorship
• Quality of life for people affected by cancer
• Health service delivery and cancer control systems

The program applies to the medical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare research sectors, as well as public health and research institutions.

Funding Scope

• Minimum grant amount: $300,000 (over three years)
• Maximum grant amount: $600,000 (over three years)
• Annual maximum: $200,000 per annum
• Project duration: Up to three years
• Activity period: 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
• Funding stream: Single stream (Project Grants); supplementary to NHMRC Ideas Grant funding
• Funding mechanism: Cancer Council NSW funds applications that are assessed as fundable through NHMRC peer review but are not awarded NHMRC funding (commonly referred to as “near-miss” applications)

There are no separately defined sub-categories or streams (e.g. feasibility, capital works) within this program. All grants are awarded as project research grants.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must satisfy all of the following requirements to be considered for funding:

• The applicant must be a cancer researcher based at an eligible Australian institution.
• The Chief Investigator A (CIA) must reside in Australia and be either an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or hold a valid Australian working visa.
• The project must be administered by an eligible Administering Institution (e.g. a university or recognised research institute approved by NHMRC)
• More than 50% of grant funding must be expended in Australia.
• The application must be submitted through the NHMRC Ideas Grant scheme via the Sapphire system, with Cancer Council selected as a funding option.
• A supplementary Cancer Council NSW application must also be submitted through the Cancer Council NSW online grants portal.
• At least one named and qualified person with lived experience of cancer must be actively involved in the research design, delivery, and reporting.
• Applicants must comply with limits on concurrent Project Grant holdings as set by NHMRC.
• Researchers or institutions with links to the tobacco or alcoholic beverage industries are ineligible.
• Duplicate funding for the same research purpose is not permitted.

Eligible Activities and Expenses

The Cancer Council NSW Project Grants 2027 supports the following categories of expenditure, consistent with NHMRC guidelines:

• Personnel costs, including justified Chief Investigator salary support
• Research services and consumables
• Equipment that is essential to the research project
• Ethics and governance costs
• Travel is essential to the conduct of the project
• Remuneration and reasonable expenses for lived experience involvement
• Open-access publication costs

Expenditure must be directly related to the approved research project. General institutional overhead or administrative costs not directly attributable to the project are not supported.

Assessment Process

The Cancer Council NSW Project Grants 2027 is a competitive grant program. Applications are assessed through a two-stage national process:

Stage 1 — NHMRC Peer Review Applications are submitted through the NHMRC Ideas Grant scheme and undergo NHMRC-standard scientific peer review. Applications assessed as fundable but not awarded NHMRC funding proceed to Stage 2.

Stage 2 — Lived Experience Review (Cancer Council NSW) Applications that pass Stage 1 are reviewed by a Lived Experience panel convened by Cancer Council NSW. This review accounts for 50% of the final score.

Key assessment criteria include:

• Scientific merit: Quality, innovation, and feasibility of the proposed research (assessed by NHMRC peer reviewers)
• Community benefit: The extent to which the research addresses meaningful outcomes for people affected by cancer
• Equity: Whether the research considers diverse and underserved communities
• Lived experience involvement: The quality and meaningfulness of lived experience participation in the research design and delivery
• Strategic alignment: Consistency with Cancer Council NSW priorities and the national cancer research agenda

Recent Program Updates

• The 2027 round of Cancer Council NSW Project Grants is currently open, with applications closing 22 May 2026
• The program continues to align with NHMRC Ideas Grant timelines for funding commencing in 2027
• The mandatory Lived Experience Review requirement reflects Cancer Council NSW’s ongoing commitment to embedding community perspectives in funded research
• Applicants based in NSW, SA, and WA may now submit a single supplementary application to be considered for funding across their respective state Cancer Councils, reducing the administrative burden of multi-state applications

Application Tips

Applicants are advised to consider the following when preparing a submission:

• Confirm full eligibility early. Ensure compliance with both NHMRC and Cancer Council NSW eligibility criteria before commencing the application. Both sets of requirements must be satisfied.
• Identify a qualified lived experience contributor. Locate a suitable person with lived experience of cancer who meets Cancer Council NSW’s criteria and can be meaningfully involved across the research lifecycle — not just named on the application.
• Submit via both systems. The NHMRC Sapphire application and the Cancer Council NSW supplementary portal submission must both be completed. Failure to submit both components may result in ineligibility.
• Align with national cancer research priorities. Applications that clearly address areas of community concern — including equity, underrepresented populations, and care quality — are likely to score more competitively in the Lived Experience Review.
• Prepare financial and project documentation in advance. A clear budget breakdown, project milestone plan, and delivery timeline are essential components of a strong submission.
• Demonstrate capability. The research team’s track record, institutional support, and capacity to deliver the project within the three-year timeframe should be clearly articulated.
• Review NHMRC minimum data requirements. Applications must meet NHMRC minimum data standards and be submitted before the NHMRC Ideas Grant deadline.

Where to Get Help

Consider consulting a grant specialist like Pattens Group for a personalised eligibility assessment and expert assistance in preparing a strong, compliant, and competitive application. Contact us today and get connected with Australia’s best grant specialist, boasting over 35 years of experience in the industry and a 100% success rate. For official guidelines, application details, templates, and further information, visit the official website of the Cancer Council NSW Project Grants 2027 and other associated Australian government and health research websites.