NSW Cancer Council NSW Project Grants 2027

Grants are valued between $300,000 and $600,000 over three years, with a maximum of $200,000 per annum
Activities are expected to run from 01 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
Applications close May 22nd, 2026

The Cancer Council NSW Project Grants 2027 program provides funding to support high‑quality cancer research that delivers meaningful benefit to the cancer community. Administered by Cancer Council NSW, the program funds discrete research projects across the full cancer continuum, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, quality of life, and health service delivery.

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

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

Key Requirements

High‑quality cancer research Research must address any aspect of cancer, including causes, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care, survivorship, quality of life, or cancer control systems.
Mandatory lived experience involvement Applications must include at least one named and qualified person with lived experience who is actively involved in the research design, delivery, and reporting.
National peer review process Applications must be submitted via the NHMRC Ideas Grant process and meet both NHMRC and Cancer Council eligibility requirements.
Australian‑based research delivery More than 50% of grant funding must be spent in Australia and administered by an eligible Australian institution

What is eligible for funding?

Personnel costs (including justified CI salary support)
Research services and consumables
Equipment essential to the research project
Ethics and governance costs
Travel essential to the project
Remuneration and expenses for lived experience involvement
Open‑access publication cost

What companies are eligible for funding?

Australian researchers from any state or territory
Projects administered by an eligible Administering Institution (e.g. university or research institute)
Chief Investigator A must:
- Reside in Australia
- Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or hold a valid working visa
- Meet limits on concurrent Project Grant holdings

Additional Considerations

Applications from NSW, SA and WA researchers may also be submitted to state Cancer Councils
Duplicate funding for the same research purpose is not permitted
Researchers or institutions linked to the tobacco or alcoholic beverage industries are ineligible

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

Industry analysis presentation
Competitor Analysis Presentation
Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.

This grant is open

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