Avant Foundation Transformation Grant

The Avant Foundation Transformation Grant is our most prestigious. It is awarded to one applicant per year providing $1 million over three years to create transformational impact in healthcare through innovations in quality, safety or sustainability.

We prioritise ambitious projects that have:

• the potential to transform the practice of medicine
• novel technology or methodology or new applications for current technology or methodology
• an innovative hypothesis.

Projects should be well informed by literature and articulate clear outcome objectives that are aligned with our aims.

The Transformation Grant has a specific focus each year:

2025: Enhance patient safety (closed) 

2026: Improve quality in medicine 

2027: Improve sustainability in healthcare.

For more information about how we measure quality, safety and sustainability, see our impact goals.

The Transformation Grant is a fixed award of $1 million over three years for a specific research project. The successful recipient will receive $350,000 in the first and second years of their project and $300,000 in the third year, subject to satisfactory reporting.

Up to two runners-up each year will receive $100,000 unrestricted funding.

When assessing the project budget, we will consider whether the project represents value for money in relation to the activities proposed and the likely outcome.

Co-funding

We may consider funding projects that already have funding commitments from other sources, as long as:

• Avant Foundation is the primary funder of the project
• any other funding is disclosed in your application and already secured at the time of your application.

If there will be co-funding, we recommend you contact us to discuss your specific circumstances before applying.

The Avant Foundation Transformation Grant is open to universities, institutes and charities.

To be eligible, your research project must:

• demonstrate alignment with the aims of the Avant Foundation and the requirements for the Transformation Grant
• take place in Australia for the benefit of Australian communities
• not be a sponsorship request or fundraising appeal
• be majority funded by Avant Foundation and any other funding must have already been secured
• have a medical doctor as an adviser on the project team.

For full details, see the terms and conditions.

Avant Foundation Transformation Grants have a three-stage application process.

Stage one is an expression of interest so we can assess how your project fits with the objectives and priorities of Avant Foundation Transformation Grants. It requires a high-level outline of what the project intends to achieve, the timeframes and funding requirements. 

Stage two is for applicants shortlisted to progress from stage one. These applicants will be invited to submit a detailed application about the project design, budget, scalability of outcomes and how outcomes will be measured against Avant Foundation’s impact goals.

Stage three is for three finalists to present their project to Avant Foundation Committee. One project will be selected to receive the Transformation Grant and up to two runners-up will be awarded $100,000 each in unrestricted funding. 

Expressions of interest (EOI) must be made through our online form. EOIs for 2025 have now closed. Our 2026 round will be open soon. 

An independent panel of leading medical practitioners review all eligible applications. Projects are evaluated using a closed, weighted evaluation system. The results of judging are confidential and will not be shared with applicants. We provide visibility of selection criteria to guide applicants to submit projects with the best chance of success. Judges’ decisions are final.

Stage one criteria include:

• relevance of the project to the objectives and purpose of Avant Foundation
• project clarity (clearly defined research proposal)
• project impact (articulation of proposed impact and demonstrated benefit of the research)
• experience of the project team and applicant organisation
• reasonableness of the indicative budget against the proposed project.

Stage two criteria include the project’s:

• detailed design
• rationale and relevance
• scalability, impact and legacy
• timeframe
• budget.

Stage three criteria include:

• judge’s assessment of the presentation
• overall merit of the project.

Avant Foundation has three other grant programs to help fulfil our impact objectives.