The Prevention Research Support Program (PRSP) provides funding to NSW research organisations conducting prevention and early intervention research that aligns with NSW Health priorities.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $12,000,000
- Application opened: 6 June 2025
- Application closed: 14 July 2025
Program objective
Program purpose
The purpose of Round 7 of the PRSP (July 2026 – June 2030) is to fund the co-production of research and facilitate its timely application to policy and practice across the three priority research streams.
Recognising that the scope of research under each stream is broad and complex, collaboration between research groups via the formation of consortia is strongly encouraged.
To comprehensively address the scope of work required under the relevant priority research stream, each consortium should:
- have a strong track record in conducting prevention and early intervention research aligned with the NSW Health PRSP priority research streams
- possess the depth of methodological expertise and ability to utilise the broad range of research capabilities identified in the Grant Guidelines (PDF 266.15KB) for the applicable priority research stream.
Program objectives
- Generate high-quality research evidence that is relevant to the three nominated NSW Health prevention priority research streams and inform the implementation of prevention policies, programs and services in NSW.
- Support the translation of research evidence into prevention policies, programs and services in NSW.
- Build the prevention research capability of NSW Health staff and the NSW Health system to create, understand and use this knowledge and evidence in their work.
This program is funded and administered by NSW Health.
Eligibility
Criterion 1: The administering organisation must be a legal entity
Criterion 2: All funds must be allocated to NSW-based team members
Criterion 3: The administering organisation must be not-for-profit, a local health district, or other public health organisation.
Who can apply
- Incorporated not-for-profit organisations
- Universities
- Government agencies (for example local health districts)
Who can’t apply
- For-profit commercial organisations
Priority Research Streams
Three priority research streams have been identified for Round 7 of the PRSP:
Stream 1
- Embedding a population health and clinical preventive care approach to obesity and diabetes prevention and management in health service delivery, with an equity focus.
- Physical activity – primary and secondary prevention approaches for adults and children.
Stream 2
- Infectious disease capability, preparedness and response.
Stream 3
- Maternity and the first 2000 days (including preventive care, management of alcohol and substance use, and service interventions to prevent the primary causes of low birth weight).
What can’t you apply for
- Capital works
- General maintenance costs
- Telephone/communication systems
- Basic office equipment such as desks and chairs
- Rent
- The cost of utilities
- International travel for funded researchers
Research focus and capabilities - Stream 1
Research focus
- Interventions to improve physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in the community, particularly for children and adolescents aged 9-15 years, combined with healthy eating interventions
- Embedding a targeted and equitable approach to the identification and management of modifiable risk factors for diabetes and obesity in all clinical pathways, including optimising integration of and referral to statewide preventive health programs and provision of other evidence-based interventions
- Equitable use of new obesity-related medications – optimisation, coaching supports
- Harnessing workforce scope of practice, capability and willingness to deliver best practice preventive care as part of normal care
Research capabilities
- Behavioural science/social marketing (attitudes and value propositions for health coaching; clinician engagement in population health and clinical preventive care)
- Implementation science/health service research (translational research to design, implement and evaluate new models of care targeting multiple co-morbidities /risk factors with an equity lens, including integrated and holistic approaches using coaching and other tools)
- Clinical practice change/harnessing workforce (optimising workforce scope of practice, capability and willingness to deliver embedded best practice preventive care)
- Clinical workflow and digital integration (optimisation of identification, management and referral of modifiable risk factors in clinical pathways; clinical practice change, CQI, harnessing the Single Digital Patient Record)
- Investigation of new therapies (data-driven equitable and optimised models to maximise effectiveness of new medications, including coaching and other tools)
- Community-based interventions (designing and testing new physical activity interventions in community)
Research focus and capabilities - Stream 2
Research focus
- Resilient surveillance for respiratory viruses with human pandemic or epidemic potential
- WHO Mosaic Respiratory Surveillance Framework domains
- support detection and assessment
- monitor epidemiological characteristics, and
- inform use of interventions
Research capabilities
- Epidemiology modelling (transmissibility, risk factors, now-casting/forecasting)
- Pathogen immunology (immune-based intelligence, functional virology, vaccine development)
- Genomics (diversity and evolution, diagnosis and surveillance, vaccines and therapeutics)
- Behavioural insights (acceptability of interventions, risk communication)
- Wastewater surveillance (novel/emergent pathogens, early warning)
- Harnessing technology (contact tracing, exposure tracking, use of artificial intelligence tools)
Research focus and capabilities - Stream 3
Research focus
- Preventive care: Identifying and managing potentially preventable risk factors in the antenatal period
- Identification and holistic, supportive management of alcohol and substance use in pregnancy
- Service interventions and integrated approaches to reduce the impact of the primary causes of low birth weight, in close collaboration with local services
Research capabilities
- Design and implementation of integrated health service interventions, including re-design and workforce programs
- Monitoring and evaluation of NSW Health programs and services
- Linked data analyses
- Clinical audits
What your application needs to include
You can download and read the full grant guidelines and an example of the expression of interest (EOI) form:
Address the assessment criteria
Criterion A
- Demonstrated skills, capacity and methodological expertise of the research team relevant to the priority research stream, including sufficient breadth to engage in multidisciplinary approaches and the full spectrum of research capability required.
- Weighing: 50%
Criterion B
- Proven ability to work in genuine partnership with NSW Health, supporting research capability development and generating evidence oriented to statewide population and public health policy and program priorities.
- Weighing: 20%
Criterion C
- Orientation to equity, expertise in Aboriginal health and cultural appropriateness considerations, track record in urban and regional settings.
- Weighing: 20%
Criterion D
- Strength of the partnerships underpinning the proposed research team and proposed governance.
- Weighing: 10%
Please see Grant Guidelines for specific information and evidence required to address each assessment criteria.
Start the application
The EOI Form can be accessed via the PRSP webpage. EOI forms are to be submitted via email to the Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence moh-prsp@health.nsw.gov.au. EOIs close on 14 July 2025 at 11:59pm.
Please download a copy of the PRSP Grant Guidelines (PDF 266.15KB) for detailed information on what needs to be included in the EOI:
- the mandatory eligibility criteria
- the assessment criteria, including the evidence required
- weighting allocation for the assessment criteria.
The information presented at the briefing session held for each of the priority research streams in May 2025 is available via the PRSP webpage.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: A selection panel consisting of the Executives and Policy Officers from representative NSW Health units will assess each eligible EOI on their merits against the assessment criteria.
The assessment of EOIs will involve the following steps.
Step 1: Eligibility check
Applications must first meet the eligibility criteria set out in section 2 of the Grant Guideline (PDF 266.15KB) document.
Any EOIs that do not meet all eligibility criteria will not progress to Step 2. Eligibility checks will be undertaken by NSW Ministry of Health staff, who may contact applicants directly to clarify any issues with their EOI.
Step 2: Review by selection panel
The selection panel will assess each eligible EOI on their merits against the assessment criteria.
Step 3: Presentation and interview
Following assessment of the EOIs, selected applicants will be invited to present to the selection panel and participate in an interview.
Further information about this step will be made available to applicants progressing to this stage of the application process.
Step 4: Funding decision
The selection panel will agree on the final ranking of all eligible applications and determine grant recipients and amounts.
Step 5: Notification and development of work plans
In August-September 2025, the preferred consortium for each priority research stream will be notified and will be invited for initial meetings with relevant policy teams and other key NSW Health stakeholders to determine a research plan for the coming year and associated key deliverables. This may also include developing governance structures and terms of reference.
Step 6: Grant Agreements
It is anticipated that grant agreements will be signed between NSW Health and each successful administering organisation in October-November 2025, following co-development of a workplan.
Publication of the successful recipients will be made on the Grants and Funding page of the NSW Government website.
Support and contact
Email: moh-prsp@health.nsw.gov.au