How to write a successful MRFF Grant Application
Prof Liz harry | June 2024
The following observations about how to write a successful MRFF Research Grant application are offered by Prof Liz Harry drawing on her career-long research funding success and supporting successful MRFF applicants as a Senior Associate with Outside Opinion.
Prof Liz Harry
The Medical Research Future Fund is a government initiative, started in 2015, to fund medical research that will provide health benefits to the Australian population. The Fund represents an excellent opportunity for health and medical researchers who, with their team, have the capability and reputation to deliver the required outcomes.
The key to success for these grants is to ensure that applicants address the project outcomes fairly and squarely. ‘Is the research we are proposing a good fit for this request’, is the first question to ask. And then ask yourselves, ‘Are we able to directly deliver outcomes that will make a difference in a reasonable time-frame’? Then ‘Why are we the team to do it?’ These questions might seem obvious but they are quite often not thought through well or realistically. This can save researchers a lot of time and effort in preparing a full application that doesn’t ‘nail’ the topic.
‘First-Page’ Strategy
We all discuss how crucial it is to excite the reader on the first page of a research proposal. Yet in my reviewing experience, this always needs more attention. For MRFF applications, simply start with defining the initiative you are applying for and the category/stream if relevant.
A simple, Why? What? How? and So What (or What If)? approach for the first paragraph or two is effective and ‘grabs’ the reader from the get-go. That is: Define the (health) problem both qualitatively and quantitatively up front. What is missing that hasn’t been addressed? How will the proposed research address this gap and solve a critical aspect of the problem? And what will it deliver for Australians? This creates a punchy introduction so the reader is curious and keen to read on. It’s critical to include here any aspect of novelty of your proposal and the strength of the team that will be able to achieve the intended outcome/s.
The Team
What I like about the MRFF scheme is that it refreshingly accepts investigators from all levels of career; sometimes there are specific calls for early- or mid-career investigators. There appears to be a broader and more open approach to team assessment than can be the case with other funders. So in addressing the capability of the team to achieve the project outcomes, there are less ‘traditional’ expectations. It is less about length of career; it is simply about clearly demonstrating that the team can deliver the desired outcome.
While many teams will be competitive for MRFF funding, what is often missing from the team Capability and Capacity section is the actual demonstration that backs up the statements. For example, the statement, ‘we are leading in research in this area’ needs to be backed up by evidence. Is it publication quality, awards won, comments made by esteemed professionals?
Project Feasibility
What needs to be addressed in this section is why the project is likely to succeed. Have the team worked together successfully before? Describe how the path to outcome is unimpeded, that the project is thoroughly planned, and that you have the resources and ability as a team to carry it out. Demonstrate this with evidence.
Measure of success, Risk Management, Milestones and Performance Indicators
These sections are specifically named for MRFF applications and are typically presented in tables. For risk management, one strategy is to consider the ‘strong’ points about your project and then identify the risks that relate to this. You then have a strong mitigation argument. Consider risks early on in your project design to optimize this section.
Good governance is relevant to these sections. Mention who will lead what, how the team will connect and communicate, monitoring progress, and ensure that all team members are made accountable. Will there be an advisory group? And how will partners be integrated in this way?
Be realistic about milestones and dates, which are critical to include. Ensure these statements have direct alignment with the budget, the aims/outcomes of the project and the timeline in the research plan.
An extra note
MRFF grants are generally fully funded. So don’t be shy about what you need for success.
