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2026 Education Research Grant program


Expressions of interest for the 2026 Education Research Grant program will open in April 2025.

Download the 2026 Application guide
Preview the EOI form
Register for the information webinar

2026 Education Research Grant program


Expressions of interest for the 2026 Education Research Grant program will open in April 2025.

Download the 2026 Application guide
Preview the EOI form
Register for the information webinar
Education > Research > General Practice Research > Education Research Grant Program > 2025 Education Research Grant program

Selection of 2026 education research priority areas

The RACGP invited both internal and external stakeholders to help determine the education research priority areas for the 2026 Education Research Grant round. Stakeholders were asked to rate the relevance and importance of several potential research topics, and were invited to nominate new topics. This process ensures that the Education Research Grant program is addressing the most important educational research questions at a regional and national level.

Responses were reviewed and ranked by a selection panel in November 2024. The panel determined 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.

The 2026 Education Research Grant (ERG) round will adhere to the following schedule:
 
Date Item
7 April – 30 May 2025 (8 weeks) Expression of Interest (EOI) period

Applications to be submitted via Smarty Grants (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 to be submitted via Smarty Grants
Mid-October 2025 Applicants advised of outcome
Mid-October – early December 2025 Contracts arranged
1 January 2026 ERG cohort commences research funded period

How to apply

RACGP Education Research Grants are awarded through a competitive process, where a panel assesses applications based on their academic rigour, as well as the likely outcomes and impacts on improving training quality, progressing defined Education Research Priorities, and building research capacity in the GP training and education sector.

  1. The proposal must be submitted by an eligible research team, that includes at minimum the following members/expertise:
    • Medical Educator with expertise in GP training
    • Expertise in education research
    • Expertise in academic general practice
    • Novice or early career researchers (e.g., PhD candidates and current or recent Academic Registrars)

    Research teams must have active, collaborative relationships with regional GP training teams, which will facilitate the regional delivery and translation of research projects.

    Research teams must also have active, collaborative relationships with a university department of general practice or equivalent (including a rural clinical school).

    Also strongly encouraged:

    • Inclusion of GP registrars, recent Fellows, medical students, GP supervisors and/or training practices.

  2. Each EOI must demonstrate that it meets the ERG program objectives. These are to:
    • Build research capacity and skills in medical educators, GP registrars, GP supervisors, and training practices.
    • Promote a culture of academic critique and the use of evidence in general practice training.
    • Facilitate collaboration between researchers, training practices, and universities.
    • Promote and support the dissemination of Australian general practice education research and implementation of findings to improve general practice training programs.
  3. The applicant must demonstrate that they address one of the 2026 Education Research Priorities.

Prior to submitting an expression of interest, please ensure that the medical educator in the project team discusses the research proposal with the Director(s) of Training in the relevant region/s, and/or with the National Clinical Leads or National Director of Training for projects with a national scope. Applicants are strongly encouraged to make contact in the early stages of project conception, and no later than 3-4 weeks before the EOI closing date, to ensure that the Directors of Training and/or National Clinical Leads have sufficient time to review and respond. 

Applicants are encouraged to allow plenty of time to prepare for the application.

The application guide for the 2026 round is available here.

The 2026 Education Research Grant information webinar will be held on Tuesday, 15 April 2025. 
Please register your attendance via this link.
If you have any questions, please contact us at gpedresearch@racgp.org.au.

 

Applications will open in April 2025. Preview the Expression of Interest form.

 

Please contact the Education Research Unit at gpedresearch@racgp.org.au.

Helpful resources

Have a read through the research projects of current ERG projects and past ERG projects.

Helpful resources

Have a read through the research projects of current ERG projects and past ERG projects.

Find out more

Contact us


Should you have further questions, please contact
Education Research Unit
gpedresearch@racgp.org.au