Education Research Grant Program

Advancing General Practice Training

Apply for 2026 

Education Research Grant Program

Advancing General Practice Training

Apply for 2026 
Education > Research > General Practice Research > Education Research Grant Program

The Education Research Grants 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.

There are nine education research priority areas for 2026.

  • Supervision: Recruitment, selection, support and retention of high-quality general practice supervisors
  • Artificial Intelligence technologies in general practice: Exploring the implications and impact of emerging artificial intelligence technologies in GP training
  • Education and Assessment: Educational and assessment strategies in GP training: effectiveness, implementation, quality improvement and innovation
  • Career pathways: Career paths and types of practice of recent fellows, and implications for GP training
  • Training environments: Enabling and building positive training experiences in evolving training environments
  • Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, knowledge, practice and worldview: Exploring best practice approaches to how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, ways of knowing, being and doing, and a holistic worldview of health, healing and cultural safety are embedded across GP training, education and assessment
  • Rural general practice training: Supporting quantity, quality and attractiveness across rural GP training
  • Research capacity: Developing research skills and culture in general practice training environments
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander general practitioners: Pathways to success for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GP trainees and GPs

There are up to eight $150,000 grants available for a 12-month project in 2026.

Please note that 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
7 April – 30 May 2025 (8 weeks) Expression of Interest (EOI) period

EOI submissions via SmartyGrants (link will open from 7 April)
Mid July EOI submissions advised of outcome
Mid July – Early September 2025 (8 weeks) Application period for successful EOI submissions

(Only successful EOI applicants will be invited to submit a full application)

Applications via SmartyGrants
Mid-October 2025 Applicants advised of outcome
Mid-October – early December 2025 Contracts arranged
1 January 2026 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 about this year's Education Research Grant application process can be found here.

 

Questions?

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

Successful 2025 Education Research Grant projects

 Project title Principal Investigator(s)  Research team members

Exploring a culturally safe, comprehensive, Indigenous led and controlled GP registrar training program in South East Queensland.

Dr Richard Mills

Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd (IUIH)

Dr Mary Martin, Ms Renee Brown, Mr Gordon Langton, Prof Christine Phillips, Prof Sally Hall Dykgraaf, A/Prof Katrina Anderson, Dr Danielle Butler, Dr Claudia Collins, Dr Claire Brolan, Dr Rebecca Bear

Optimising the satisfaction and progression of International Medical Graduates in rural GP training: a national framework for collective action.

A/Prof Belinda O'Sullivan

General Practice Supervision Australia

Dr Kim Omond, Dr Neysan Sedaghat Najafzadeh-Tabrizi, Dr Karin Jodlowski-Tan, Dr Ronda Gurney, Dr Rebecca Stewart, A/Prof Susan Wearne, A/Prof Rex Prabhu, Dr Raymond Lewandowski, Dr Sonia Singh, Dr Jyothi Vardhi, Dr Tahira Saeed, A/Prof Ayman Shenouda

Collaboratively addressing the language and communication challenges for IMGs in primary care.

Prof Robyn Woodward-Kron

University of Melbourne

Dr Emma Hodge, A/Prof Christina Johnson, Dr Crystal Zhao, Dr Kayty Plastow, Dr Suzanne Grasso, Dr Niroshe Amasekera, Dr Jaclyn Brown

Reinvigorating General Practice Career Interest: A Pilot Observership Program for Pre-Vocational Doctors in Western Australia

A/Prof Lewis MacKinnon

Curtin University

Dr Adam Thomas, Dr Jacquie Garton-Smith, Prof Carole Steketee, Dr Keith McNaught, Dr Denise Findlay, Ms Caroline Rhodes, Dr Daniel Nguyen, Mr Aadhikar Sharma, Ms Navya Venkata, Ms Eleanor Spencer

How are the experiences of part-time (PT) Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) registrars influenced by clinical and program factors?

Dr Talia Follett and

Dr Jenna Lyttle

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Training

Prof Parker Magin, Prof Gary Rogers, Dr Angelo D'Amore, Prof Steve Trumble, Dr Dave Runciman

Navigating GP training: Understanding the training experiences of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse registrars on the RACGP’s Fellowship Support Program

Dr Srividya Kota

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Training

Dr Srividya Kota, A/Prof Belinda O’Sullivan, Dr Gerard Ingham, Dr Niroshe Amarasekera

Exploring the factors that influence prevocational doctors to choose General Practice as their specialty training program.

Dr Chris Dickie

Australian National University

Prof Katrina Anderson, Prof Sally Hall Dykgraaf, Dr Melanie Dorrington, Dr Komal Jaiswal, Dr Katelyn Barnes, Dr Kathleen O’Brien, Dr Ashvini Munindradasa,

Conversations inviting change: Guided reflection by medical educators in workplace-based assessment of GP registrars

Dr Beth Turnbull

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Training

Dr Gerard Ingham, Dr Sharmila Jayaram, Dr Erin Waters, A/Prof Caroline Johnson, Dr Sugantha Jagadeesan

Discover projects led by our 2024 ERG recipients below.

2024 ERG projects (12 months research)

 Project title Principal Investigator(s)  Research team members
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
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
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
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
 

2024 ERG projects (24 months research)

 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, Irena Patsan
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
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, Petya Fitzpatrick
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 Elsa Ibanez Prada, 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
*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

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