Through our research funding we aim to discover new ways to prevent, detect, treat and support people affected by cancer, to improve cancer outcomes and save lives.

Cancer Council Victoria awards funding via different grant programs. Some of these are annual programs and others are less frequent.

Grant assessment is conducted by an independent panel of grant assessors, comprising of scientific assessors (researchers and clinician-researchers) and community assessors (people affected by cancer).

All grant assessors have relevant expertise to ensure equity of evaluation across different research areas and cancer types and come from a variety of Victorian and interstate organisations.

Our grants

Grants Dates

Cancer Research Fellowships Victoria

Cancer Research Fellowships Victoria is a collaboration between the Victorian Department of Health and Cancer Council Victoria to support early-career and mid-career researchers to undertake high-quality cancer research that will improve the prevention, detection, treatment and care for people affected by cancer. These fellowships will replace Cancer Council Victoria’s previous Postdoctoral Research Fellowships. 

Expression of Interest: CLOSED

Full Applications (via invitation only) open/close: 8/6/2026 – 7/7/2026 5:00pm AEST

Outcomes advised: October 2026

Grants-in-Aid

Our Grants-in-Aid program funds research teams in Victorian universities, hospitals and medical research institutes.

Expression of Interest open/close: NOW OPEN - CLOSE 19/05/2026 5:00PM AEST

Full Applications (via invitation only) open/close: 03/08/2026 - 01/09/2026 5:00PM AEST

Outcomes advised: October 2026

Summer Vacation Studentships  

We offer undergraduate biomedical, medical and basic science students an opportunity to experience working in cancer research. 

Applications open: 10/08/2026

Applications close: 05/09/2026 5:00PM AEST 

Outcomes advised: October 2026

Postdoctoral Fellowships

These Fellowships support  early career researchers  who have not  received significant research funding  to  undertake  research focused on discovering and improving prevention, detection, treatment, and care for people affected by cancer.

Not offered in 2026

Venture Grants

These grants support innovative researchers with courageous ideas who would not be able to attract conventional funding.

Not offered in 2026

Cancer Trials Management Scheme Competitive Grants

Cancer Council Victoria and the Victorian Government through the Victorian Cancer Agency have committed $1.5million to improve equity of access to clinical trials through capacity building.

This funding will be offered to projects that address an unmet need and build capacity to conduct and recruit to cancer clinical trials in supportive care and/or survivorship.  

Not offered in 2026

Lyall Watts Mesothelioma Research Grant   

Funding for mesothelioma research in Victorian universities, hospitals and medical research institutes.

Not offered in 2026

Sir Edward Dunlop Research Fellowship

A five year Fellowship for mid-career researchers who are at least 2 and less than 10 years from the date that their PhD (or equivalent qualification) was passed

Not offered in 20256

Colebatch Clinical Research Fellowship 

The Colebatch Fellowship invests in the most outstanding mid-career cancer researchers in Victoria with the drive and aspiration to become a leader and the vision to achieve the next cancer breakthrough supports.

Not offered in 2026

Research grants investment

Between 2020-2024, Cancer Council Victoria awarded $26.9 million to support 157 research projects across a wide range of cancer types and scientific areas.

To learn more about our governance process, success rates for the various grant rounds and the distribution of our research funding, see the Cancer Council Victoria Extramural Grants fact sheet via the button below.

View the fact sheet

Further information

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Alternatively, please contact the  Research Governance Unit by emailing   grants@cancervic.org.au.