A report on how the Medical Research Future Fund is supporting Indigenous health research and researchers to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It includes funding insights, facilitators and barriers to research, and impact stories. It highlights examples of Indigenous sovereign governance and community-led innovation, and identifies opportunities to strengthen the long-term impact of these investments for communities and the broader health system.

The Australian Government provides direct support for health and medical research through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).The MRFF is a $24.5 billion (as at 30 June 2025) long-term investment supporting Australian health and medical research.

The insights in this report highlight the importance of sustained, long-term investment that aligns with Indigenous governance, supports community-controlled research and strengthens the sovereign capability of Indigenous organisations and researchers. The insights also signal opportunities for structural reform – particularly in data governance, ethics processes, contracting cycles and infrastructure investment – to further embed Indigenous leadership in national research systems.

Key findings

• 32% of funded Indigenous health grants have an Indigenous lead investigator and 80% have an Indigenous researcher on the team.
• 10% of total MRFF funding has gone to Indigenous health research.
• New South Wales administering organisations have the highest number of funded Indigenous health research grants.
• 51% of grants with an Indigenous health focus had an intersectional focus on regional, rural and remote health.