Education Research Grant Program

 

ERG 2027 

Education Research Grant Program

 

ERG 2027 
Education > Research > General Practice Research > Education Research Grant Program

Advancing excellence in general practice education and training

The Education Research Grant (ERG) Program supports research that improves the quality, impact and efficiency of general practice education and training in Australia.

Delivered by the RACGP through the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program, the ERG Program funds research that addresses real-world challenges in GP training. It brings together researchers, educators, supervisors, registrars, training sites and universities to generate evidence that informs educational practice, program design and policy development across the sector.

History of the program

The ERG Program has played an important role in advancing evidence-informed general practice education in Australia.
 
The program began in 2011 when General Practice Education and Training (GPET) established the Education Integration Projects to support innovative responses to education and workforce challenges in GP training. The success of these projects demonstrated the value of bringing together practical training challenges and academic research expertise, helping to lay the foundations of the ERG program.
 
In 2015, responsibility for the ERG Program transferred from GPET to the Australian Government Department of Health as part of the Rebuilding General Practice Training initiative. In late 2016, administration of the program was transferred to the general practice colleges, with the RACGP assuming responsibility for its delivery.
 
Under the AGPT Program, the ERG Program supported regional training organisations (RTOs) to undertake education research in partnership with universities and other academic institutions.
 
The transition of the AGPT Program to the general practice colleges – announced in 2017 and implemented from 2023 – marked the next stage in the evolution of the ERG Program. Building on the success of the RTO-led model, the program adopted a more nationally coordinated approach to education research, strengthening connections between research, educational practice and GP training delivery.

Program objectives

The ERG Program aims to improve GP education and training in Australia by:

  • supporting research that improves the quality, impact and efficiency of general practice education and training
  • developing research skills among medical educators, GP supervisors, GP registrars and training organisations
  • promoting a culture of research, critical evaluation and evidence-informed practice
  • encouraging collaboration between researchers, universities, training sites and educators
  • supporting dissemination and implementation of research findings across the GP training sector
  • building research capability within partnering organisations and the broader general practice research community.

Collaboration and capacity building

A key strength of the ERG Program is its focus on collaboration and research capability building. Since its establishment, the program has fostered partnerships between training organisations, universities and researchers, while creating opportunities for supervisors, educators, registrars and training sites to participate in education research. Current AGPT Program requirements reinforce this focus by promoting collaboration between researchers, training sites and universities, and by encouraging project teams to include medical educators, GP supervisors, registrars and others with experience in GP training.

Impact

The ERG Program has helped build a strong culture of education research within Australian general practice.
 
Funded projects have informed educational practice, contributed to research publications, strengthened research capability and generated evidence to support innovation across GP training.
 
By supporting research that is relevant to training and practice, the ERG Program continues to improve general practice education and contribute to the development of a skilled and sustainable GP workforce for Australian communities.

How does it work?
 
  • Annual funding opportunities: Funding opportunities are offered annually for eligible research projects that improve general practice education and training.
  • Competitive selection process: Applications are assessed by an expert panel against criteria such as quality, feasibility, impact and alignment with program priorities.
  • Research priorities: Priority areas are identified to ensure funded projects address current opportunities and challenges in GP training.
  • Collaboration: Applicants are encouraged to work with universities, educators, supervisors, registrars and training practices to strengthen project design and impact.
Why apply to the ERG program?
 

The ERG Program provides funding and support for research that addresses important questions in general practice education and training. Successful applicants have the opportunity to contribute to improvements in GP training, build research capability, collaborate with experienced researchers and educators, and generate evidence that informs future policy and practice.

  • Flexible funding opportunities: Receive support for projects of variable size and duration, helping maximise research impact and contribute to endorsed priorities in general practice education and training.
  • Research capacity building: Strengthen your research skills through project experience, mentorship, workshops, and engagement with a community of researchers.
  • Collaboration and partnerships: Work with medical educators, GP supervisors, registrars, training providers, universities, and other stakeholders to address important questions in general practice training.
  • Influence practice and policy: Generate evidence that informs the design, delivery and continuous improvement of general practice training programs.
  • Dissemination of findings: Share your research through presentations, publications and sector engagement activities, contributing to the broader evidence base for GP training.
  • Recognition and visibility: Raise the profile of your work and gain recognition for research that advances general practice education and training.
  • Networking opportunities: Engage with a national community of researchers, educators, supervisors and practitioners committed to improving GP education and training.

There are nine education research priority areas for 2027.

  • 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

For the 2027 ERG round, applicants may submit a proposal for either a 12‑month project (up to $150,000) or a 24‑month project (up to $300,000).

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 – 31 May 2026 Expression of interest (EOI) period

EOI submissions via SmartyGrants (link will open from 7 April)
Mid-July EOI submissions advised of outcome
Mid-July – first week of September 2026 (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 2026 Applicants advised of outcome
Mid-October – early December 2026 Contracting period
1 February 2027 – 31 January 2028 ERG cohort 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 2026 Education Research Grant projects

 Project title Principal Investigator(s)  Research team members

Healthcare access for rural General Practitioners in WA

Dr Emma Griffiths and A/Prof Kirsty Freeman

Dr Hanh Ngo, A/Prof Bronwyn Peirce, Mr Iain Stephen (Steve) Pratt , Ms Bianca Butera, Dr Candice Simpson, A/Prof Andrew Kirke, Dr Emma Jamieson, Dr Uttara (Tara) White, Ms Helen Godwin.

Crafting GP careers: A choose-your-own-adventure career typology for the next generation of GPs working in rural and metropolitan areas

A/Prof Matthew McGrail and Professor Belinda O'Sullivan

Dr Kim Omond, Wasana Jayarathne, Prof Riitta Partanen, Dr Chris Dickie.

Understanding the training experiences and career aspirations of registrars and recent fellows who were first in their family to attend university

A/Prof Caragh Brosnan and Professor Parker Magin

A/Prof Steven Threadgold, Dr Andrew Davey, Dr Michael Tran, Dr Sarah Bird, Dr Celine Farkash, Dr Sonja Kauffman, Ms Sarah Pietsch Liddell, Dr Verity Reeves, Dr Dave Runciman, Dr Justine Groizard.

Mapping review to aggregate and inform resources to induct and professionally develop medical educators and supervisors overseeing international medical graduates (IMG) and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) trainees in rural general practice

Dr Srividya Kota and Dr Lisa Hall

Dr Rebecca Stewart, Dr Kim Omond, Dr Gorata Mosweu, and Professor Belinda O'Sullivan.

Understanding the impact of generative artificial intelligence in postgraduate general practice education

Dr Michael Tran and Professor Lambert Schuwirth

Professor Parker Magin, A/Prof Margo Lane, Dr Andrew Davey, Dr Jitendra Jonnagaddala, A/Prof Joel Rhee, Dr Sonja Kauffman, Dr Celine Farkash, Dr Emma Clarke, Anika Deva, Chloe Montague, Isobel Funnell, Adele Kincses, Diane Harland.

The experience and impact of medical uncertainty in the transition of general practice registrars to independent clinical practice

Dr Michael Tran and Professor Parker Magin

Professor Elizabeth Holliday, Professor Wendy Hu, Irena Patsan, Amanda Tapley, Professor Boaz Shulruf, A/Prof Joel Rhee, Dr Shaun Prentice, Dr Sonja Kauffman, Dr Celine Farkash, Dr Emma Clarke, Bavithra Maheswaran, Ashley Blowes.

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

Read more