This Research Grant Program 2024/25 to 2026/27 provides funding for research activity that will contribute to improving end of life and palliative care (EOLPC) services for patients, carers, and families in NSW.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $600,000
- Application opened: 14 February 2025
- Application closed: 23 March 2025, 5:00 pm
Program objective
The objectives of the Research Grant Program are:
- to contribute to the evidence base of service delivery that improves health, social and experience outcomes for people with EOLPC needs in NSW
- to support research projects that have potential to be translated into EOLPC policy and practice, providing broad benefits for patients, carers, families, and/or communities across NSW
- to build the capacity of collaborative EOLPC research involving research institutes, NSW Health agencies, non-government organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.
Applications will need to demonstrate how the proposed research activity meets the Research Grant Program objectives.
Funding details
Up to $2.7 million over three years is available for research that respond to Research Grant Program priorities and demonstrate potential to be translated into policy and practice, with broad benefits across NSW.
Eligible agencies will receive up to $300,000 over three years for smaller scale research projects, and up to $600,000 for larger scale research activity.
Priority research areas
Recipients of the funding will conduct research in the following priority areas:
- pharmacological and non-pharmacological symptom management for patients
- collaborative care models to improve patient, carer, family and community experiences and outcomes
- culturally and socially inclusive care for Aboriginal, culturally and linguistically diverse, and LGBTIQ+ patients, carers, families and communities
- psychosocial support for grief, loss and bereavement for patients, carers, families and communities.
This program is funded and administered by NSW Health.
Eligibility
The NSW Government’s commitment is to ensure high quality end of life and palliative care across NSW.
New funding is being invested in a range of initiatives to increase access and deliver services that respond to the needs of people with life limiting conditions.
The Research Grant Program is an initiative that will build the evidence base to support NSW Health to respond to EOLPC needs of patients, carers, families and communities.
Who can apply
- The lead agency is a NSW based research institute, university, local health district, specialty health network, non-government organisation (NGO), or Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO).
- Where the lead agency is a local health district, specialty health network, NGO, or ACCO, the research project is undertaken in partnership with or demonstrates formal affiliation with a NSW based research institute or university.
Additional Requirements
Applicants must:
- demonstrate that the Principal Investigator has relevant experience in palliative care research or related fields and is affiliated with a NSW institute or university
- identify a separate administering organisation if the lead agency is a NSW Health organisation, to manage funds across financial years. An administering organisation is only required when funds are held by a separate organisation from the lead agency
- ensure the research is conducted in NSW
- address one or more Research Grant Program priority areas in the EOI proposal
- clearly state the scale of the research project and ensure the proposed budget aligns with the funding limits available per annum
- schedule the research project for completion by June 2027.
Types of projects funded under this research grant program
The types of small and larger size research activity eligible to be undertaken as part of the Research Grant Program include:
- Translational research that takes existing evidence and applies it to improve EOLPC practice. This type of research bridges the gap between discovery and practical application in clinical settings.
- Implementation research which focuses on how to effectively introduce and scale evidence-based EOLPC interventions in real-world healthcare settings, ensuring they are practical, sustainable, and impactful.
- Health services research focused on optimising health systems to improve the integration of EOLPC across community and hospital-based services provided by NSW Health and partners.
- Population health research that addresses health and social disparities and explores strategies to improve access to EOLPC services for underrepresented and vulnerable populations, including in rural and regional communities.
- Applied research focused on solving practical challenges within EOLPC service delivery that can drive innovation and improve outcomes.
- Clinical observation research that monitors and analyse outcomes of existing EOLPC practices, helping to identify areas for improvement and optimisation.
Most recent recipients
What was approved
Approved for The University of Newcastle
The activity focuses on palliative care patients across all regions of NSW. It will test the stability and compatibility of commonly used medication combinations, aiming to support safer and more flexible prescribing. The findings will help reduce the need for daily syringe driver reloads, especially benefiting patients in remote, rural and regional areas where daily palliative care support is limited. This will improve patient comfort with home-based care.
$219,000 was approved by
Minister for HealthDate approved
June 2025Location of the project
AllLocation of the recipient
Hunter New EnglandAbout the grant
Applications approved
7
Applications received
24
End of Life and Palliative Care Research Grant Program
Agency funding this grant
NSW HealthProgram term
Invoices must be submitted by 15 June 2027What was approved
Approved for University of New South Wales
The activity focuses on people with intellectual disability receiving palliative care within South Eastern Sydney LHD, and the professionals and carers who support them.
$590,000 was approved by
Minister for HealthDate approved
June 2025Location of the project
South Eastern SydneyLocation of the recipient
South Eastern SydneyAbout the grant
Applications approved
7
Applications received
24
End of Life and Palliative Care Research Grant Program
Agency funding this grant
NSW HealthProgram term
Invoices must be submitted by 15 June 2027What was approved
Approved for University of Sydney
Project is for bereaved families and carers supported by Nepean Blue Mountains LHD palliative care services. Health staff and volunteers delivering this care will also benefit from improved systems and support. The District covers Penrith, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, and Lithgow (urban and semi-rural communities).
$400,000 was approved by
Minister for HealthDate approved
June 2025Location of the project
Nepean Blue MountainsLocation of the recipient
SydneyAbout the grant
Applications approved
7
Applications received
24
End of Life and Palliative Care Research Grant Program
Agency funding this grant
NSW HealthProgram term
Invoices must be submitted by 15 June 2027What was approved
Approved for University of Technology Sydney
The activity targets resettled refugee communities living in South Western Sydney LHD, with particular attention to those accessing or in need of end of life and palliative care services.
$299,000 was approved by
Minister for HealthDate approved
June 2025Location of the project
South Western SydneyLocation of the recipient
SydneyAbout the grant
Applications approved
7
Applications received
24
End of Life and Palliative Care Research Grant Program
Agency funding this grant
NSW HealthProgram term
Invoices must be submitted by 15 June 2027What was approved
Approved for University of Technology Sydney
Project will develop a culturally tailored support model for Arabic- and Chinese-speaking communities receiving end of life or palliative care. It will also support families, carers, and health professionals. Activity will focus on four clinical sites in South Western Sydney LHD and Sydney LHD, two areas with high cultural and linguistic diversity.
$596,000 was approved by
Minister for HealthDate approved
June 2025Location of the project
South Western SydneyLocation of the recipient
SydneyAbout the grant
Applications approved
7
Applications received
24
End of Life and Palliative Care Research Grant Program
Agency funding this grant
NSW HealthProgram term
Invoices must be submitted by 15 June 2027What your application needs to include
Applicants may apply for more than one research grant by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) Applicant and Partner Details schedule and an EOI Proposal schedule for each application.
- EOIs can be submitted anytime between the 14 February 2025 and the EOI closing date 23 March 2025
- EOI files must be saved using the following format in the email subject line: EOLPC Research Grant EOI [NAME of ENTITY]
- applications must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) or Microsoft Excel format (.xls or .xlxs) and/or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf).
The application forms are available at NSW Health website.
All EOI applications should be submitted by email to MoH-PalliativeCare@health.nsw.gov.au by 5pm on 23 March 2025.
For more information and application forms, please refer to the NSW Health Website.
Refer to the research grant opportunity guidelines:
Start the application
Applications must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- the lead agency is a NSW based research institute, university, local health district, specialty health network, non-government organisation (NGO) or Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO)
- where the lead agency is a local health district, specialty health network, NGO or ACCO, the research project is undertaken in partnership with, or demonstrate a formal affiliation with, a NSW based research institute or university
- research is to be conducted in NSW.
The Ministry of Health will undertake entity eligibility checks.
Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not progress to assessment.
Refer to the research grant opportunity guidelines for more information:
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: The Minister for Health is the final decision maker on successful research grant applications and its intended that applicants will be notified of the outcome of this opportunity.
The Ministry will provide confirmation of each received application via return email to the applying lead agency.
Lead agencies that do not receive confirmation of receipt of application are to consider the application incomplete and are responsible for contacting the Ministry at MoH-PalliativeCare@health.nsw.gov.au
Following this, the Research Grant Program team and assessment panel will convene to assess all eligible Expression of Interest (EOI) applications via the assessment process outlined in the grant opportunity guidelines:
EOI applications will be assessed and all applicants will be notified of the outcome.
Those meeting the eligibility criteria and threshold score for each requirement will be invited to submit a full application.
Support and contact
For further support or enquiries regarding this research grant opportunity, please contact Community Care and Priority Populations, Health and Social Policy Branch, NSW Ministry of Health.
- Email: MOH-PalliativeCare@health.nsw.gov.au
- Postal Address: 1 Reserve Road, St Leonards, New South Wales 2065