Applications for Cancer Council SA's Research Program funding are now open.
Cancer Council SA will award funding through the following schemes:
- Early-Career Research (ECR) Fellowships
- Mid-Career Research (MCR) Fellowships
- Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship
- Metastatic Bowel Cancer Project Grants.
Funding will be awarded across the following research areas:
- basic science research
- clinical medicine and science research (including translational research)
- health services and public health research.
Funding schemes
Scheme |
Total funding amount |
Duration |
Key eligibility requirements |
Matched funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ECR Fellowship |
$290,000 |
3 years |
Less than 5 years post-PhD* |
Required |
|
MCR Fellowship |
$370,000 |
3 years |
5–10 years post-PhD* |
Required |
|
Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship |
$370,000 |
3 years |
Less than 10 years post-PhD |
Required |
|
Metastatic Bowel Cancer Project Grants |
$390,000 |
3 years |
Not applicable |
Not required |
*Career disruptions and years post-PhD relative to opportunity will be taken into consideration.
Application process
Cancer Council SA's research grant application process consists of two stages.
Stage 1: Expression of interest (EOI)
Applicants must complete an expression of interest application, including:
- a description of the proposed research
- community and consumer involvement
- milestones and high-level budget
- career mentorship and support.
Certification from the relevant research administration office is also required.
Stage 2: Full application
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full application requiring a detailed research proposal.
Successful applicants will be required to enter into a funding agreement with Cancer Council SA. The agreement includes reporting and publicity requirements, and obligations relating to acknowledgement of the funding source.
Key dates
Applications for the 2027 funding round are now open.
Milestone |
Date |
|---|---|
|
EOI opens |
9 June 2026 |
|
Online application portal opens |
15 June 2026 |
|
EOI closes |
5 July 2026 |
|
Full applications open (invitation only) |
18 August 2026 |
How to apply
Applications must be submitted through the online grants portal here.
Applicants will be required to upload their completed EOI application form and certification document through the online portal as part of the submission process. Applicants are encouraged to review the guidelines and prepare the required documents before the portal opens. Applicants will receive a confirmation email upon successful submission. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact us as soon as possible at grants@cancersa.org.au
For further information, please contact the Cancer Council SA Grants Team at grants@cancersa.org.au
Online grant portal
Submit your completed EOI application form and certification document through the online portal as part of the submission process.
Guidelines and expression of interest forms
Cancer Council SA Research and Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowships
Addendums
- ECR Fellowship Eligibility: The closing eligibility date for attainment of a PhD or equivalent qualification has been extended from 31 December 2025 to 31 December 2026.
- Section 7.3 of the ECR/MCR Fellowship and Peter Nelson Fellowship EOI Application Forms has been amended to reflect the correct funding amounts as published in the grant guidelines.
- Clarification for applicants applying for an ECR Fellowship who also wish to be considered for the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship: applicants are requested to submit a brief justification outlining how the additional funding would be utilised in the EOI Application Forms.
The updated application form and guidelines are available below. All other application requirements remain unchanged.
Metastatic bowel cancer project grant
Addendum
- The page limit for the Research Proposal section (Section 2) of the Metastatic Bowel Cancer Project Grant Expression of Interest (EOI) Application Form has been amended. The page limit has been extended to two (2) pages, excluding references.
The updated application form is available below. All other application requirements remain unchanged.
