Cancer Council Victoria and the Victorian Government acting through the Victorian Department of Health, are working together to deliver Cancer Research Fellowships Victoria. By combining resources, this collaboration strengthens Victoria’s cancer research landscape, fosters innovation, and accelerates the translation of research into improved outcomes for people with cancer.
Cancer Research Fellowships Victoria supports early-career and mid-career researchers to undertake high-quality translational cancer research that will improve the prevention, detection, treatment and care for people affected by cancer. Fellowships are available to researchers who have not previously received significant research funding, helping to establish them as future leaders in cancer research.
There are two Fellowship streams available for both Early-Career Research Fellowships and Mid-Career Research Fellowships: biomedical research and non-biomedical research.
2026 Key dates
Expression of Interest: CLOSED
Full Applications (via invitation only) open/close: 8/6/2026 – 7/7/2026 5:00pm AEST
Outcomes advised: October 2026
Available funding
Early-Career Fellowships are available with a maximum of $150,000 available per year, per fellowship, for three years (maximum $450,000 per Fellowship). Applicants can apply for either the Biomedical Research Stream or the Non-Biomedical Research Stream.
Mid-Career Fellowships are available with a maximum of $175,000 available per year, per fellowship, for four years (maximum $700,000 per Fellowship). Applicants can apply for either the Biomedical Research Stream or the Non-Biomedical Research Stream.
Further details on available funding are available in the Applicant Guidelines.
Funding components
Fellow salary support: Fellow salary support: The majority of the total requested funding must be for salary support for the Fellow and the salary must be in line with salary and employment status.
Direct research costs: Includes costs such as animal housing, consumables, software, participant recruitment, equipment, imaging and diagnostic fees, transcription fees, renumeration and training costs for people with lived experience of cancer and travel to conduct the research (e.g., data collection) and may include cost recovery for research personnel (e.g., research assistant) and specialised expertise (e.g., statistician support) with justification.
Dissemination support: Travel (economy), conference registration fees for the Fellow to present work directly related to this Fellowship and publication fees to publish work directly related to this Fellowship (e.g. article processing charges where an institution does not have an agreement in place with publisher).
Further details on funding components and ineligible expenditure items are available in the Applicant Guidelines.
Application and assessment process
Assessment and selection are via a two-stage, competitive process comprising an Expression of Interest and Full Application.
Further details on the application and assessment processare available in the Applicant Guidelines.
Selection criteria for Early-Career Fellowships
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Criterion 1 Significance and scientific quality [weighting 30%]
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Criterion 2 Achievements, contributions and research impact [weighting 20%]
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Criterion 3 Potential for career development and research support [weighting 25%]
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Criterion 4 Impacts, benefits and involvement of people affected by cancer [weighting 25%]
Selection criteria for Mid-Career Fellowships
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Criterion 1 Significance and scientific quality [weighting 30%]
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Criterion 2 Achievements, contributions and research impact [weighting 20%]
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Criterion 3 Potential for leadership in cancer research [weighting 25%]
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Criterion 4 Impacts, benefits and involvement of people affected by cancer [weighting 25%]
Further details on the selection criteria are available in the Applicant Guidelines.
Enquiries and feedback
Specific eligibility queries not listed here will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should contact Cancer Council through their Research Administration Office for eligibility queries or questions about the application process (see cover page of Grant Guidelines for closing dates).
Fellowship recipients
2025 Early-Career Fellowship recipients
Dr J. Balic, University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr S. Chima, University of Melbourne
Dr A. Irving, Monash University
Dr R. Morris, WEHI
Dr C. Scheffler, University of Melbourne
Dr K. Sek, University of Melbourne
Dr T M. Steiner, University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr B. Werner, University of Melbourne
2025 Mid-Career Fellowship recipients
Dr D. Ait Ouakrim, University of Melbourne
Dr A. Dutta, University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr A. Di Pietro, University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr S. Freytag, WEHI
Dr A. Guirguis, La Trobe University and ONJCRI
Dr M. Peate, University of Melbourne and Royal Women's Hospital
Dr C. Schilling, University of Melbourne
Dr R. Smith, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research
Dr T. Weber, WEHI
Dr R. Yip, WEHI
Further information
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Alternatively, please contact the Research Governance Unit by emailing grants@cancervic.org.au.
Cancer Research Fellowships Victoria is supported by the Victorian Government and Cancer Council Victoria.