Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​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.   

Why is an Ab​​original-led consortium needed?  

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.   

Aims  

​Foc​​us 

​Fun​​ding 

Who ca​n apply?

• An Aboriginal person must lead the project as the Lead Chief Investigator.  
• The administering organisation must be a NSW based legal entity and an ACCHO, university or public health research agency.  
• Please see the Aboriginal-led AOD research consortium grant guidelines below for more information.  

​Key d​a​​tes

• Briefing session: 17 Dec 2025 (slides and recording available below) 
• EOI opens: 4 December 2025 
• Last date for questions: 22 February 2026
• Last date for posting answers to questions: 25 February 2026
• EOI closes: 4 March 2026 at 11:59pm AEST 
• Shortlisted applicants invited to panel presentation and interview: March /April 2026
• ​Refinement and co-design of research plan and key deliverables: April/May 2026 
• Agreement signed: June 2026 

* Dates provided are indicative and may change as the grant process progresses.

How to app​ly​

Before starting your application, please review the Aboriginal-led AOD Research Consortium Grant Guidelines to ensure you meet all eligibility and compliance requirements.

Related links

• ​NSW Health Sample Grant Agreement
• NSW Health Standard Grant Conditions​

Identifiable information has been removed. 

Received 15/12/2025

Alternatively, could our [Aboriginal Directorate] establish a new brand and governance model with partners across AH&MRC, NDARC, AMS/ACCHOs, Aboriginal Community Council etc as the lead agency for this grant opportunity under the Public Health Research Agency category.

The [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

Can you advise if people and/or organisations can be listed on multiple consortia applications?

 There is nothing in the grant guidelines to say that people and organisations cannot be listed on multiple applications.

Received 18/12/2025

I just wanted to check whether an individual (CI) and/or organisation is able to be included on more than one application for the consortium grant.

 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

What if there were an Aboriginal man and an Aboriginal woman who are both interested in this area and they wanted to co-lead the project?

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.

How will you determine that someone is Aboriginal? Will you use the national identification process?

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:

• Descent - the individual cites that a parent is of Aboriginal descent
• Self-identification - the individual identifies as an Aboriginal person and
• Community recognition - the individual is accepted as such by the Aboriginal community in which he/she lives or works.

Received 30/01/2026

We are currently completing the EOI for the NSW Health Aboriginal Consortium Grant and we're seeking clarification regarding the criteria section.

We note that there is no dedicated section within the EOI to describe the proposed research. We wanted to confirm whether the intention is for applicants to provide context about the proposed focus of the research by weaving the project aim and planned work throughout the responses in the CI and Sections A–D, rather than describing it separately.

We want to ensure we are interpreting and addressing the EOI as intended.

You are correct in noting that there is no dedicated section within the EOI to describe proposed research, so any mention of planned work would need to be raised in the assessment criteria A-D or in describing the investigator roles (Section 1, part C).

Please note that, as indicated on page 15 of the Grant Guidelines: "Applicants are not required to submit a detailed workplan or budget template as part of the EOI form. The focus is on applicants demonstrating:

1. track record in generating relevant high-quality research, and
2. ability to bring together the required expertise and work in partnership with NSW Health, to address the focus area."

If shortlisted for interview, applicants will have the opportunity to discuss the type of work they are planning.

Annual workplans and deliverables will be determined with the successful applicant, and relevant NSW Health policy teams and stakeholders (as per page 19 of the Grant Guidelines).

​Received 05/02/2026

I wanted to ask about the CV requirements. Each investigator must provide a 1-page CV summarising their relevant track record for the last five years.

Track record statements may include: 

• ​Career summary – including qualifications, employment and appointment history, funding awarded. 

• Significant engagements or collaborations with NSW Health, LHDs, NGOs, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO) and university or research agencies.

• Impact on policy and practice

• Up to five relevant publications from the last 5 years

Our consortium plans to have a few key Aboriginal people who work in service delivery, for example in child health and welfare. These people are critical to the consortium given the subject area, but they may not have publications because they have not been in an academic role. They will, however, be extremely important and should have positions of authority in this consortium as listed investigators. What would you suggest?

That is understandable. In such cases, please just put “Publications: Not Applicable – service delivery role”.  You are also encouraged to provide details of that service delivery role and the relevant skills, knowledge and experience the person brings to the consortium. ​

Received 13/02/2026

Just wanted to check something else about publications -  Up to five relevant publications from the last 5 years

Given that the EOI is March 2026 are we allowed to put in publications from 2020 onwards? Or is it only 2021 to 2026?

Please include publications from 2021 onwards (i.e. 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and any from early 2026)