Research Awards
ASMR Research fund Awards 2026-2027
The Australian Society for Medical Research invites applications for “The ASMR Research Fund Awards”.
Each award ($7,500 international or $3,000 domestic) supports health and medical researchers in the final year of their PhD or up to five years post-conferral to undertake a short period (i.e., one to six weeks) of research with a research group outside their home city.
Eligibility – you must be an ASMR member who:
- is in the final year of your PhD or up to 5 years post-conferral (career disruptions will be considered).
- holds an invitation or letter of support from the proposed research group to be visited (this will need to be supplied with the application and a progress report re planning for the trip will also need to be supplied prior to payment if you are the successful applicant).
- is able to travel within the following 12 months (i.e., between 01/08/2026 and 31/07/2027).
Details of the application requirements can be found here.
You can join ASMR here, the cost is $170 per annum (students receive a 50% discount).
Applications close at 5pm on Friday, 31 July 2026 and results of the applications will be advised by email three weeks after the closing date.
Recipients of the ASMR Research Award 2025-2026
We are delighted to report that was a significant increase in the number of applications received for the ASMR Research Awards this year. We are delighted to announce that the successful applicants are:
Domestic: Dr Kanika Mehta, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, whose research focuses on the intersection of diabetes and dementia. Dr Mehta will use this award to support a short-term research visit to the University of New South Wales.
International: Dr Sonia McAlister, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Vaccine Trials Group at the Kids Research Institute Australia in Perth. Dr McAlister’s research focuses on optimising vaccination strategies across the life course to ensure timely and effective protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, with a focus on pertussis. This award will support Dr McAlister’s travel to the European Plotkin Institute for Vaccinology in Belgium, where she will receive training in Systems Serology.
We will share further details of Drs Mehta and McAlister’s progress in the ASMR eBulletin in the coming months.
Awards at the 65th ASMR National Scientific Conference
-
Dates: 16 to 18 November 2026
- Venue: Melbourne Connect, University of Melbourne
Great Awards for all career stages!
-
- Two ASMR Communication Excellence Awards – each award consists of a $2,000 cash prize plus more. All orals by ASMR members from Hons up to three years post PhD will automatically be considered for this award.
- great cash prizes for student and ECR ASMR members at all career stages.
- The ASMR Peter Doherty Leading Light Award – open to MCR ASMR Members are between 5 and 12 years post-doctoral (with career interruptions as per NHMRC definition taken into account) – this award includes free registration for the 64th ASMR NSC, $1,000 cash and an ASMR Medal. There is a special application process for this award, more details to come.
ASMR Peter Doherty Leading Light Award
Named in recognition of Nobel Laureate, Professor Peter Doherty, whose scientific achievements and commitment to science advocacy continues to inspire the research community, this award celebrates the achievements of mid-career researchers (5 – 12 year post-doctoral) in Australia. The award will recognise a single piece of work undertaken by a mid-career researcher within the past 5 years (i.e., after 6 October, 2020).
Applications are open to health and medical researchers working in Australia who are between 5 and 12 years post-doctoral (with career interruptions as per NHMRC definition taken into account). As ASMR is a multidisciplinary Society, applications are encouraged from all areas of health and medical research (including but not limited to clinical, basic, public health, etc.). Verifiable outputs may include publications, policy, guidelines, reports, etc. Download the application instructions here.
The winner will be required to give a presentation at the ASMR 64th National Scientific Conference (NSC) in Brisbane on 6-7 Novmeber 2025. Attendance in person at the NSC is a requirement for this award. The winner of this award will receive a free registration for the NSC, an ASMR medal and $1,000 cash.
Application deadline is 11:59pm AEST on Monday, 6 October 2025.
Donate to the ASMR Research Fund – help build strength in Australia’s Health and Medical Research Sector
The Australian Society for Medical Research is the peak body representing and supporting Australian Health and Medical Researchers. Supporting and encouraging early career researchers is an essential element in building and maintaining the Health and Medical Research sector in Australia. In order to facilitate and promote learning and collaboration in early career researchers, the ASMR offers two Research Awards each year, enabling early career researchers to travel to another laboratory either within Australia (Domestic Research Award) or overseas (International Research Award) to learn new techniques and establish research collaborations.
These ASMR Research Awards are made possible by the generosity of ASMR members who make donations to the ASMR Research Fund. The ASMR Research Fund was established by ASMR in 1990 with the sole purpose of providing research awards to ASMR members, in particular early career members. Without the continued generosity of ASMR members, the ASMR would not be able to continue to build strength and expertise in Australian Health and Medical Researchers, via its support of early career researchers with the ASMR Research Awards.
If you would like to make a contribution to the ASMR Research Fund, and support the development of Australian Health and Medical Researchers, please click below. (note all donations to the ASMR Research Fund are tax deductible).
Recipients of the ASMR Research Award 2025-2026
We are delighted to report that was a significant increase in the number of applications received for the ASMR Research Awards this year. We are delighted to announce that the successful applicants are:
Domestic: Dr Kanika Mehta, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, whose research focuses on the intersection of diabetes and dementia. Dr Mehta will use this award to support a short-term research visit to the University of New South Wales.
International: Dr Sonia McAlister, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Vaccine Trials Group at the Kids Research Institute Australia in Perth. Dr McAlister’s research focuses on optimising vaccination strategies across the life course to ensure timely and effective protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, with a focus on pertussis. This award will support Dr McAlister’s travel to the European Plotkin Institute for Vaccinology in Belgium, where she will receive training in Systems Serology.
We will share further details of Drs Mehta and McAlister’s progress in the ASMR eBulletin in the coming months.
Awards at the 65th ASMR National Scientific Conference
-
Dates: 16 to 18 November 2026
- Venue: Melbourne Connect, University of Melbourne
Great Awards for all career stages!
-
- Two ASMR Communication Excellence Awards – each award consists of a $2,000 cash prize plus more. All orals by ASMR members from Hons up to three years post PhD will automatically be considered for this award.
- great cash prizes for student and ECR ASMR members at all career stages.
- The ASMR Peter Doherty Leading Light Award – open to MCR ASMR Members are between 5 and 12 years post-doctoral (with career interruptions as per NHMRC definition taken into account) – this award includes free registration for the 64th ASMR NSC, $1,000 cash and an ASMR Medal. There is a special application process for this award, more details to come.
ASMR Peter Doherty Leading Light Award
Named in recognition of Nobel Laureate, Professor Peter Doherty, whose scientific achievements and commitment to science advocacy continues to inspire the research community, this award celebrates the achievements of mid-career researchers (5 – 12 year post-doctoral) in Australia. The award will recognise a single piece of work undertaken by a mid-career researcher within the past 5 years (i.e., after 6 October, 2020).
Applications are open to health and medical researchers working in Australia who are between 5 and 12 years post-doctoral (with career interruptions as per NHMRC definition taken into account). As ASMR is a multidisciplinary Society, applications are encouraged from all areas of health and medical research (including but not limited to clinical, basic, public health, etc.). Verifiable outputs may include publications, policy, guidelines, reports, etc. Download the application instructions here.
The winner will be required to give a presentation at the ASMR 64th National Scientific Conference (NSC) in Brisbane on 6-7 Novmeber 2025. Attendance in person at the NSC is a requirement for this award. The winner of this award will receive a free registration for the NSC, an ASMR medal and $1,000 cash.
Application deadline is 11:59pm AEST on Monday, 6 October 2025.
Donate to the ASMR Research Fund – help build strength in Australia’s Health and Medical Research Sector
The Australian Society for Medical Research is the peak body representing and supporting Australian Health and Medical Researchers. Supporting and encouraging early career researchers is an essential element in building and maintaining the Health and Medical Research sector in Australia. In order to facilitate and promote learning and collaboration in early career researchers, the ASMR offers two Research Awards each year, enabling early career researchers to travel to another laboratory either within Australia (Domestic Research Award) or overseas (International Research Award) to learn new techniques and establish research collaborations.
These ASMR Research Awards are made possible by the generosity of ASMR members who make donations to the ASMR Research Fund. The ASMR Research Fund was established by ASMR in 1990 with the sole purpose of providing research awards to ASMR members, in particular early career members. Without the continued generosity of ASMR members, the ASMR would not be able to continue to build strength and expertise in Australian Health and Medical Researchers, via its support of early career researchers with the ASMR Research Awards.
If you would like to make a contribution to the ASMR Research Fund, and support the development of Australian Health and Medical Researchers, please click below. (note all donations to the ASMR Research Fund are tax deductible).