This program area is closed until 2025 to allow for review.

The health and wellbeing of a population are fundamental for a successful, sustainable and equitable society. Whilst Australia is a global leader in public health, with many successes, there are still many challenges and inequities in health outcomes. More sustained investment in effective prevention will be of considerable national benefit.

The Foundation will consider applications for research projects or programs in the following areas:

  • Improving health outcomes for Indigenous Australians
  • Prevention of anxiety, depression and substance abuse in older Australians
  • Prevention of chronic ill health and disease including obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes through the amelioration of common determinants and risk factors.
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Funding Guidelines

The Ian Potter Foundation is seeking to support outstanding tertiary institutions, medical research institutes or suitably qualified public health organisations which conduct translational public health research. 

In assessing this research, the Foundation is particularly interested in the applicant’s plan to involve and support outstanding individuals that will strengthen the public health research workforce, including in the areas of biostatistics, health economics and modelling.

Preference will be given to proposals which are preventive in nature, aspirational in scale and seek to improve health outcomes using public health approaches at the population level.

The Foundation will consider applications for research projects or programs in the following areas:

  • Improving health outcomes for Indigenous Australians
  • Prevention of anxiety, depression and substance abuse in older Australians
  • Prevention of chronic ill health and disease including obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes through the amelioration of common determinants and risk factors.

Priority will be given to applications that demonstrate a clear commitment to:

  • Early and mid-career researcher involvement in the research project, detailing the intended duration of support for nominated individuals (i.e., the extent of tenure security)
  • Cross-institutional collaboration, as appropriate
  • Community consultation and engagement in the design and delivery of the project or program.

The Foundation will consider grant applications for 3 to 5 years of funding support in the order of $80,000 to $120,000 per annum over this timeframe, with the expectation of matched funding from the institution and/or other sources.

The Foundation will only support research endorsed strongly by the host institution or organisation, where the project/program objective(s) is strategically aligned to the broader institution's mission.  All EOIs must be discussed with your institution's advancement/research or development office prior to submission. There are specific requirements for EOIs/ Application from research institutes and universities.

Important to Know

Application process for research institutions
  • University/research institute applicants should contact their Advancement/Research Office prior to submitting an EOI or Application See specific instructions if you are from a university or research institute.
  • Please note that existing projects may not be eligible. Occasionally the Foundation will support an innovation or development to an existing project but please contact the relevant program manager before proceeding.
  • The Foundation prioritises applications with evidence of collaboration. 
  • In the case of multiple applications from one institution within a given grant round, the research office/advancement team must provide a priority ranking of all such applications. A maximum of three applications may be submitted by an organisation within a grant round.
  • Prior to applying, please ensure that your project has additional proposed providers of funding and that your application clearly considers any possible grant from the Foundation in this context. We are unlikely to fund 100% of a project cost.
  • Please also refer to the Funding Principles section for further information.

Specific Exclusions

The Foundation will not normally support requests for funds for:

• Equipment and services which should properly be provided for in the usual operation of the hospital or health facility.

General Exclusions

Projects that fall into any of the following categories will not be considered for funding:
  • Retrospective funding – projects which are already underway, or which will commence prior to the date indicated in our online application information are not eligible for consideration.
  • Recurrent expenditure for which there is no future provision.
  • Capital or endowment funds established to fund a chair or to provide a corpus for institutions.
  • Research for undergraduate, masters or doctoral students
  • Auspicing* is not permitted – the organisation applying must be the one that will run the program or project.
  • Applications for public charitable purposes outside the Commonwealth of Australia**
  • Applications for projects that have previously been declined by the Foundation cannot be resubmitted.
  • Applications will not be accepted from organisations that have not successfully acquitted previous grants from the Foundation.
  • We do not directly support schools.

Auspicing refers to the practice of an ineligible organisation (one that does not have DGR and TCC status) applying to the Foundation via an eligible organisation. Auspicing arrangements are excluded under the Foundation's guidelines. The organisation applying to the Foundation must be the organisation that will run the project or program for which a grant is being sought.

The Foundation is limited to providing money, property or benefits for public charitable purposes in the Commonwealth of Australia. However, the Foundation is able to provide a grant for activities outside the Commonwealth if the grant is made for a public charitable purpose in the Commonwealth. For example, a grant might be made to an Australian university to enable it to fund an overseas study tour by an Australian researcher engaged by the university.

Application Process (2-stage)

Application process for research institutions
Grant requests for this program area are considered via a two-stage Expression of Interest process.  

Please note if you are from a research institution there is a specific process you need to follow.

For all other not-for-profit organisations:

  1. Check your organisation’s Eligibility 
  2. Read ALL the information on this program area page to ensure your project meets the program area objectives and to see when applications are open.
  3. Attend the Information Session held prior to the funding round.
  4. Speak with the relevant Program Manager before preparing an Expression of Interest (EOI).
  5. If your proposal meets the Foundation's criteria, you will be sent a link to complete an Expression of Interest form. 
  6. You then need to log in to our grant management system by either entering your username and password (if you have applied for a grant previously) or creating an account by clicking New Applicant?.
  7. Complete the Expression of Interest online form (Stage 1). After you save and close the online form, you can re-access your Expression of Interest via the Login link (see header or footer) using your username and password. 
  8. If your Expression of Interest is approved, you will be invited to submit a full application. Complete your full application (Stage 2) online. We require all supporting documents to be submitted as part of the online application by 5:00 pm AEST on the closing date. 

What happens next?

All grant applications are considered by the Board of Governors at the Foundation’s board meetings, which are held three times a year in line with the Funding Rounds.

You will be advised of the outcome of your application by phone or email.

Preparing to Apply

Tips & hints FAQs Standard Grant Conditions

To assist your organisation with the application process, we have provided Word templates of the EOI and full application online forms below. 

Expression of Interest (Stage 1)

Full application (Stage 2)

  • Public Health application form template (currently being updated)
  • Public Health application form template - research institutions only (currently being updated)

Please note these are NOT the live application forms. All EOIs and full applications MUST be completed online via our grant management portal. A link will be sent to you to access the appropriate forms if your proposal meets the Foundation's criteria after you've spoken to the Program Manager.