This grant seeks to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal families and strengthen the Aboriginal Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) research workforce across NSW.
Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Up to $2,000,000
- Application opened: 4 December 2025
- Application closes: 4 March 2026
Program objective
The Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant aims to:
- generate policy-relevant evidence to improve system responses for Aboriginal families experiencing AOD harms
- support prevention, early intervention, and family-focused strategies
- build Aboriginal research capacity and strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge translation.
The objectives are to:
- Form a new consortium, separately branded, to lead the NSW based Aboriginal research work in AOD. The consortium will have to have its own new name, branding and website, separate from its lead and participating organisations.
- Build research programs and/or assets that will generate high-quality research evidence that is relevant to the focus area and can directly inform the implementation of health and community system policies, programs and service in NSW.
- Support the translation of research evidence into sustainable AOD policies, programs or services in NSW. The consortium will achieve this by developing an annual workplan in partnership with the NSW Ministry of Health.
- Build the capability and capacity across ACCHOs and NSW Health to create, understand and use this knowledge and evidence in the delivery of services.
This program is funded and administered by NSW Health.
Eligibility
Who can apply
- An Aboriginal person must lead the consortium as the Lead Chief Investigator
- The administering organisation must be a NSW based legal entity and an ACCHO, university or public health research agency.
For more details, please refer to the grant guidelines.
Who can’t apply
- Individuals or groups of individuals
- Unincorporated organisations
- For-profit commercial organisations.
Types of projects funded under this grant
- The Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium should draw on the strengths of Aboriginal people, and focus on self-determination and embedding cultural determinants of health and wellbeing into services, evaluation and research.
- The formation of a consortium that builds partnerships between Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal organisations, research groups, Local health Districts and non-government organisations is required to achieve research that is Aboriginal-led, to answer research questions that are important to Aboriginal people, and create sustainable improvements to services.
- The consortium will support evidence generation, build research capacity, and foster collaborative research and implementation in the grant focus area.
Projects undertaken by the consortium will promote
- co-design and co-implementation of holistic, integrated health service interventions. This may include re-design and continuous quality improvement
- translation of evidence-based preventive care into culturally appropriate care and support models in the NSW health system; and
- strengthening Aboriginal-led monitoring, evaluation , and research capability in NSW.
Grant funding may be directed towards:
- Research infrastructure support (i.e. essential institutional resources underpinning research, that is not covered by research grants)
- Capability building strategies
- Research translation strategies
Please refer to the grant guidelines for the full list of inclusions.
What can’t you apply for
- Capital works, general maintenance costs, telephone/communication systems, basic office equipment such as desks and chairs, rent and the cost of utilities
- University or other infrastructure levies
- International travel for funded researchers
- Domestic conference/seminar attendance fees and associated accommodation/travel expenses, if not presenting research findings.
What your application needs to include
You can download the full guidelines and EOI form here:
File
Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant guidelines (PDF 604.04KB)File
Aboriginal-led Research Consortium EOI Form (DOCX 108.53KB)
A sample grant agreement and standard grant funding conditions document are also available for download:
Briefing session
Register here for an optional online information session being held on Wednesday 17 December 2025 (2.30-3.30 pm): Information session for the Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant opportunity – Fill out form
Prepare your application with this checklist
Prior to your application, you will need to:
- Read the grant guidelines and confirm that you are eligible
- Review the sample grant agreement and standard grant funding conditions
- Download the EOI response template
- Consult with your networks to determine how best to address the assessment criteria
- Direct any questions about the grant opportunity to moh-aod-researchandevaluation@health.nsw.gov.au
- Continue to check the NSW AOD webpage for any updates
- An optional information webinar will be held on 17 December 2025 (2.30-3.30pm). Register your interest here (Information session for the Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant opportunity – Fill out form)
- Slides and Q&A from the webinar will be made available on the NSW AOD webpage: NSW Health: Alcohol and other drugs
Address the eligibility criteria
Applicants are only eligible for consideration if they submit a complete Expression of Interest form and meet all the eligibility criteria.
An Aboriginal person must lead the project as the Lead Chief Investigator. The administering organisation must be a NSW based legal entity and an ACCHO, university or public health research agency.
See the Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant guidelines for more information:
File
Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant guidelines (PDF 604.04KB)
Address the assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed and competitively ranked against the assessment criteria below:
Criterion A: Demonstrated skills, capacity and expertise of the research team relative to the focus area of supporting Aboriginal families. This includes skills in multidisciplinary research approaches and evidence translation.
Criterion B: Demonstrated ability to work in partnership with NSW Health, supporting research capability development and generating evidence oriented to improving NSW AOD policy and programs.
Criterion C: Expertise in Aboriginal health and cultural appropriateness. A demonstrated track record of working with Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations.
Criterion D: The governance structure and partnerships underpinning the proposed research team which highlights its strengths, transparency and accountability. Evidence that the consortium is Aboriginal-led with internal governance structures that prioritise Aboriginal leadership and collaboration across the consortium members.
See the Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant guidelines for more information about the assessment criteria:
File
Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant guidelines (PDF 604.04KB)Start the application
Your application needs to include
- a completed EOI form
- including 1 page CVs for consortium members.
Download the Expression of Interest (EOI) form (DOCX 108.53KB) and email the completed form to moh-aod-reserachandevaluation@health.nsw.gov.au.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: A selection panel. The panel will make its recommendation on the preferred Applicant to the Decision Maker, Chief Health Officer and Deputy Secretary Population and Public Health, who will consider the selection panel's recommendation for approval. Applicants may be asked to provide additional information in order to reach a final decision.
- NSW Health staff will determine if each EOI has satisfied the eligibility criteria.
- The selection panel will assess each eligible EOI on their merits against the assessment criteria.
- Selected applicants will be invited to give a presentation to the selection panel and participate in an interview.
- The selection panel will determine the successful grant recipient and submit their recommendation to the Chief Health Officer for approval
- Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified of the outcome.
See the Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant guidelines for more information about the assessment process:
File
Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant guidelines (PDF 604.04KB)Support and contact
CAOD aims to work collaboratively with the grantee to ensure a shared understanding of the objectives and intended outcomes and benefits of the grant, and the approach to monitoring these. Enquiries can be directed to the CAOD team by email: moh-aod-researchandevaluation@health.nsw.gov.au
Responses to questions that may impact equity and transparency of the application process will be published on FAQ section on the Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium page on the NSW Health AOD webpage: Alcohol and other drugs.
Please continue to check the website to ensure you remain updated on information and direct any questions regarding the grant opportunity to the above email address. The Ministry of Health's low activity period is from Saturday 20 December 2025 to Sunday 11 January 2026 inclusive, any questions sent during this time will be responded to after the 11 January 2026.
Program evaluation
The Aboriginal-led research consortium will be monitored to ensure it is meeting the funding objectives. This will be done in collaboration with the funding recipient. Administering organisations and consortium members may be required to supply information and meet with the NSW Health staff to support this monitoring activity.