The Aboriginal-led alcohol and other drug (AOD) research consortium to support better outcomes for Aboriginal families is a new, competitive, closed grant opportunity.
The grant is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health and administered by the Ministry’s Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs with strategic advice from the Centre for Aboriginal Health and the Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence.
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, answers research questions that are important to Aboriginal people, and creates sustainable improvements to services.
* Dates provided are indicative and may change as the grant process progresses.
Before starting your application, please review the Aboriginal-led AOD Research Consortium Grant Guidelines to ensure you meet all eligibility and compliance requirements.
Ensure all sections are completed, including details of:
Watch the briefing session recording
If you experience a problem accessing the recording please notify the CAOD team.
Identifiable information has been removed.
Received 15/12/2025
No, a Public Health Research Agency is an agency specifically established for the conduct of research.
The XXXX Aboriginal Directorate may partner with an ACCHO, university or public health research agency, but cannot be the administering organisation. As per eligibility criterion 4, the administering organisation must be an ACCHO, university or public health research agency.
Received 17/12/2025
There is nothing in the grant guidelines to say that people and organisations cannot be listed on multiple applications.
Received 18/12/2025
There is nothing in the grant guidelines to say that individuals and/or organisations cannot be listed on multiple applications.
Received at the briefing webinar 17/12/2025
The guidelines already allow for Co-Investigators to be put forward as the research team. Having Co-Leads under the existing eligibility and assessment criteria is possible but with conditions.
Eligibility Criterion 1 states that: The Lead investigator must be employed by the administering organisation.
The standard grants funding agreement is with one organisation. So if Co-Leads were to be put forward, they would need to be from the one organisation.
Assessment Criterion D states that: The consortium will appoint one lead organisation in a NSW based ACCHO, university or research agency, which will be responsible for administration and funding. It should have an identified lead investigator and a project manager.
Those applicants which have co-leads will need to outline how they would make this work in terms of the governance under Criterion D.
NSW Health aligns with the principles outlined on the Stepping Up website regarding Aboriginality. The selection panel will centre its approach on respect, self-determination, and Stepping Up's social definition of Aboriginality. The selection panel will not apply any one single verification method. The selection panel may seek further information from applicants at the interview stage.
The Stepping Up principles emphasise that 'respectfully, each and every Aboriginal person has the inherent right to cite their Aboriginality as they choose' and is based on the recognised "Aboriginal Three Point Identification" social definition:
