$85M funding to to boost health research, mRNA innovation in Australia

It targets serious health conditions with limited treatment options.

The Australian Government will provide up to $85m through the 2026 National Critical Research Infrastructure grant to support projects addressing serious health conditions where current treatments or diagnostics fall short.

The funding will support projects that develop or use new research infrastructure, including biobanks, tissue repositories, innovative platforms, and secure health data environments.

It will also back the integration of artificial intelligence technologies into health applications, providing potential benefits across multiple areas of healthcare.

Additionally, the program encourages the formation of co-investment partnerships to expand research capacity, enhance capabilities, and support studies using new platforms, systems, and services.

Finally, projects that advance and utilize mRNA technologies, platforms, and equipment to accelerate the development of mRNA vaccines and treatments will also be supported.