Education Research Grant Program


Advancing General Practice Training

Education Research Grant Program


Advancing General Practice Training

Education > Research > Research > Education Research Grant Program

The Education Research Grants program is a Department of Health and Aged Care funded grant scheme dedicated to advancing medical education and training in general practice. It serves as a catalyst for innovation, providing funding and a collaborative platform for researchers committed to the future of Australian general practice training.

As part of the program, researchers can apply for a grant, aligning their chosen project with ERG research priorities (listed below). This strategic alignment ensures that the projects contribute meaningfully to the overarching goal of advancing general practice training.

How does it work?
 
  • Annual opportunities: The ERG program offers annual grants for researchers and teams to secure funding for eligible projects. These projects must focus on evidence-based research to enhance education outcomes in GP training.
  • Competitive process: The ERG application process is highly competitive, with a robust evaluation by an expert panel. Proposals are assessed for academic rigour, potential impact, and alignment with ERG objectives.
  • Research priorities: Every year, the ERG academic assessment panel selects research priorities to strategically align with the evolving needs of the Australian practice industry. These priorities help address critical challenges such as recruitment into GP training, integration of training environments, and exploring emerging technologies.
Why apply to the ERG program?
 

The ERG program offers more than just financial support. Recipients have the opportunity to positively impact the quality of GP training in Australia, build their networks and collaborate on vital research.

  • Funding support: Secure grants up to $150,000 (12-month projects) for your research.
  • Research capacity building: Attend workshops and support activities to build research skills.
  • Collaboration: Collaborate with regional GP training teams to understand challenges and solutions.
  • Dissemination of findings: Share your findings, contributing to the improvement of general practice training.
  • Recognition and visibility: Gain recognition for your successful projects.
  • Networking opportunities: Connect with a community of researchers, educators, and practitioners in general practice training.

We’re calling for expressions of interest that address one or more of the following 2025 Education Research Grant priority areas:

  1. Attraction and recruitment into General Practice training
  2. The integration of general practice vocational education and training with University, hospital, and post Fellowship spaces
  3. Enabling and building positive training experiences in current and evolving training environments
  4. Implementing and evaluating initiatives to support the International Medical Graduate/Migrant Doctor training journey
  5. Exploring the implications and impacts of emerging artificial intelligence technologies in General Practice Training
  6. Exploring best practice approaches to how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, ways of knowing, being and doing and a holistic worldview approach to health and healing are embedded across GP training, including content and pedagogical methods, to improve cultural safety
  7. Recruitment, selection, support, and retention of high-quality General Practice supervisors
  8. Assessment in General Practice Training, including trainee selection
  9. Understanding the implications for GP training of trainees, supervisors and/or medical educators working part-time.

There are up to eight $150,000 grants available for a 12-month project in 2025.

Please note: a proposal that does not fit within at least one of these broad priority areas may still be considered if a compelling case is presented.

Key Dates
Date Activity
8 April – 31 May 2024 (8 weeks) Expression of Interest (EOI) period

EOI submissions via SmartyGrants
Mid July EOI submissions advised of outcome
Mid July – Early September 2024 (8 weeks) Application period for successful EOI submissions

Applications via SmartyGrants
Mid-October 2024 Applicants advised of outcome
Mid-October – early December 2024 Contracts arranged
1 January 2025 ERG cohort commences research funded period

RACGP Education Research Grants are awarded through a competitive two-stage process. The first stage involves a research team submitting their EOI, and the second stage is by invitation only to the successful EOI applicants. Each application undergoes panel assessment based on academic rigour and potential impact, as well as alignment with the Education Research Priorities and program objectives.

Detailed information on the application process can be found in the 2025 Education Research Grant application guide.

 

Questions?

Please contact the education research unit at gpedresearch@racgp.org.au

Discover projects led by our 2024 ERG recipients below.

Successful 2024 ERG research projects:

 Project title Principal Investigator(s)  Research team members
 
Telehealth and GP registrar education*
Dr Angelo D'Amore
(RACGP Training Services Pty Ltd)
Prof Parker Magin, Dr Katie Fisher, Dr Vanessa Moran, Prof Elizabeth Holliday, Prof Mieke Van Driel, Dr Michael Tran, Dr Ben Mitchell, Mr Tobias Morgan, Dr Chris Starling, Dr Linda Klein, Mr Hemi Robinson Kingi
 
 
Strengthening the recruitment, support and retention of women GP supervisors: a framework and implementation model*
 
 
Dr Samia Toukhsati
(General Practice Supervision Australia)
Ms Carla Taylor, A/Prof Belinda O'Sullivan, A/Prof Rebecca Kippen, A/Prof Jillian Benson, Dr Elisabeth Wearne, Dr Simon Morgan, Ms Jo-anne Chapman, Ms Leonie Chamberlain, Dr Jenna Lyttle, Dr Nicole Higgins, Dr Karen Nicholls, Ms Felicity Gemmell - Smith, Dr Srishti Dutta, Dr Madhu Tamilarasan, Dr Kate Manderson, Dr Candice Baker, Dr Jessica Wrigley, Dr Tina George, Ms Leila Greenfield
Community-based training for community-based care: Can implementation of a medical student longitudinal integrated clerkship in an outer metropolitan region improve GP
recruitment and retention, and a culture of academic practice in geographic areas of need?
 
 
 
Dr Denise Findlay (Curtin University)
Prof Carole Steketee, A/Prof Lewis MacKinnon, Mrs Felicity Roux, Dr Sammy Sharifeh, Dr Ramya Raman, Dr Katherine Bowron
Integrating Registrars as Clinical Teachers (INTERACT) Phase 2: Supporting GP Registrars as clinical teachers in the general practice training setting A/Prof Caroline Johnson
(The University of Melbourne)
Dr Rebecca Starkie, Dr Anneliese Willems, Dr Niroshe Amarasekera, Bianca Vardanega, Jane Henty, Dr Angelina Salamone, Dr Wonie Uahwatanasakul, Dr Hok Lim, Dr Daniela Ramirez Duran
 
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies by GP registrars and educators: the ‘what, when, where why and how’ of using AI and its implications for training
 
Dr Linda Klein and Dr Lyndon Walker
(RACGP Training Services Pty Ltd)
Prof Parker Magin, A/Prof Joel Rhee, Dr Skye Boughen, Dr Simon Morgan, Dr Tan Thien Quach, Dr Michael Tran, Dr Andrew Davey, Dr Alison Fielding, Dr Katie Fisher, Dr Angelo D'Amore, A/Prof Chinthaka Balasooriya, Dr Beth Turnbull, Ms Irena Patsan, Mr Hemi Robinson Kingi
Developing evidence-informed education modules to support safe and high-quality telehealth consultations in general practice* Dr Katelyn Barnes
(Australian National University)
Dr Stephen Martin, Dr Ashvini Munindradasa, Dr Komal Jaiswal, A/Prof Katrina Anderson, Prof Kirsty Douglas, Prof Christine Phillips, Dr Sally Hall Dykgraaf, Dr Danielle Butler
 
Increasing the rural and regional General Practitioner workforce through integrated pathways. A statewide approach.
Prof Lizzi Shires, Dr Sarah Prior, and Dr Sandra Coe
(University of Tasmania)
Dr Bradley Williams, Dr Allison Turnock, Prof Jan Radford, Nara Jones, Dr Kathryn Ogden, A/Prof Anthea Dallas, Dr Lisa Clarke, Dr Sarvin Randhawa, Ms Lyndal Bond
Using co-design to improve the GP Registrar experience: building locally for national improvement*

Prof Grant Russell, Prof Lena Sanci, Ms Jane London

(Monash University)
Dr Angelina Salamone, Dr Niroshe Amarasekera, Dr Taryn Elliot, Ms Jade Guitera, Dr Elizabeth Kennedy, A/Prof Chris Barton, Dr Catherine Kaylor Hughes, Dr Riki Lane, Dr Chavy Arora, A/Prof Jacqui Boyle, A/Prof Caroline Johnson
Improving supervision and learning of registrars, junior doctors and students in General Practice by developing an AI enhanced app-based nano- feedback tool

Prof Paul Worley

(Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network)
Dr Amy Mendham, Prof Lambert Schuwirth, Dr Rachel Crook, Dr Nyoli Valentine, Dr Hamish Eske, Dr Ken Wanguhu, Dr James McLeod, Ms Stephanie Clota, Mr Darryl Cameron
*24 months project

Success stories and academic news

Explore the contributions of ERG alumni, driving positive change in general practice education.

NewsGP article

EOIs for education research grants now open