RACGP Foundation grant and award recipients

The RACGP congratulates the successful recipients of the RACGP research grants and awards.

The RACGP Foundation has been awarding grants, awards and scholarships for more than 50 years, and would like to thank our funding partners joining us in investing in GPs and GP registrars to build research evidence.



Medibank Better Health Foundation (MBHF) / RACGP Foundation Digital Health Grant

2023 - Dr Nancy Sturman, Ms Shauna Fjaagesund, A/Prof Jane Nikles, Dr Stefan Konigorski, Prof Michele Sterling, Dr Rachel Elphinston. Project title - StudyU: a pilot of digitally-enabled, personalised experiments in general practice settings to support self-management and shared decision-making in patients with persistent pain. ($125,000)

2023 - Prof Meredith Makeham, Dr Adeola Bamgboje-Ayodele, Prof Melissa Baysari, A/Prof Fiona Robinson, Prof Susan Kurrle, Mr Pan Teng. Project title - Optimising Virtual Care technologies between general practice and residential aged care: a Human Factors approach. ($124,998)



Therapeutic Guidelines Limited (TGL) / RACGP Foundation Research Grant

2022 – Dr Elizabeth Sturgiss, A/Prof Suzanne Nielson, Prof Helen Skouteris, Dr Taya Collyer, Prof Terry Haines, Ms Nilakshi Gunatillaka. Project title - Guidelines in the Deep End: an exploration of how GPs use clinical guidelines for patients from disadvantaged groups.   ($64,387.00)

2021 – Dr Jacqueline Frayne, Dr Thinh Nguyen and Mrs Tamara Lebedevs. Project title - GPs’ knowledge, utilisation of resources and guidelines in understanding prescribing issues with psychotropic medication use in pregnancy and breastfeeding: a mixed methods study. ($69,793.00)

2020 – Prof Lisa Amir, Dr Luke Grzeskowiak, Dr Sharinne Crawford and Dr Meabh Cullinane. Project title - Understanding antibiotic prescribing for mastitis in breastfeeding women: a mixed method study. ($45,000) 

2020 – Dr Mina Bakhit, Prof Tammy Hoffmann and Prof Chris Del Mar. Project title - Evaluating the usability and effectiveness of Therapeutic Guidelines’ additional features on antibiotic prescribing for acute infections in general practice. ($38,360) 

2019 – A/Prof Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis, Dr Ruby Biezen, Ms Rachel Ball, Dr Malcolm Clark and A/Prof Kirsty Buising. Project title – Guidance GP: A new quality improvement activity for antibiotic prescribing in general practice. ($80,246.80) 

2019 – Prof Nigel Stocks, Dr Samuel Whittle, Dr Robyn Clay-Williams and Prof Rachelle Buchbinder. Project title – Use of Osteoarthritis Guidelines in General Practice: An Analysis of Work-as-Done Using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method. ($19,968) 

2018 – Prof Mieke van Driel, Dr Laura Deckx, Prof Bogda Koczwara, Prof Paul Glasziou, Prof Marjan van den Akker and Prof Danielle Mazza. Project title - A toolkit that summarizes clinical guidelines for people with multimorbidity. ($71,163.34)



Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) / RACGP Foundation Research Grant

2023 - Dr Nancy Sturman, Dr Sam Hariri, Ms Shauna Fjaagesund,  A/Prof Jane Nikles,  Dr Stefan Konigorski,  Dr Rachel Elphinston. Project title - Identifying effective self-management options for individual patients with persistent neck and/or back pain following road traffic crashes: a general practice-based feasibility study. ($50,000)

2022 – A/Prof Katharine Wallis, Dr Geoffrey Spurling, Dr James Matthews. Project title - The 3-Domains screening toolkit for driving medical assessment in older drivers: Validation study in specialist driving assessment clinic. ($98,000)  

2020 – A/Prof Katharine Wallis, Dr Geoffrey Spurling, Dr James Matthews, Dr Theresa Scott, Dr Rory Melville and Dr Kim Jackson. Project title - The 3-Domains toolkit for assessing older drivers: pilot study in general practices and validation study in driving assessment clinic. ($100,000) 

2019 – Dr Sean Black-Tiong, Dr Carla Bernardo, Dr David Gonzalez-Chica, Dr Oliver Frank and Dr Elizabeth Hoon. Project title – General Practice management of physical and psychological trauma resulting from road traffic accidents, 2011-18. ($99,189) 



HCF Research Foundation / RACGP Foundation COVID-19 Research Grant

2020 – Dr Danielle Butler, A/Prof Rosemary Korda, Prof Kirsty Douglas and Dr Grace Joshy. Project title - The effect of COVID-19 and the introduction of temporary telehealth items on use and costs of GP services: a whole-of-population linked data study. ($50,000) 

2020 – Prof Danielle Mazza, Dr Asvini Subasinghe, Dr Natalie Amos, Dr Dan Epstein and Dr Pallavi Prathivadi. Project title - Prioritising essential clinical services (ECS) in general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: an evaluation of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) guidance for the Australian context. ($50,000) 



RACGP Foundation / HCF Research Foundation Research Grant

2023 - Dr Gillian Singleton, A/Prof Hassan Hosseinzadeh. Project title - ePREVENT 360 - Enhancing PREVENTion and primary care efficiency through digital pre-visit patient assessment, empowerment and monitoring. A mixed methods feasibility and acceptability study. ($119,971)

2022 – Prof Tania Winzenberg, Dr Claire Morley, Miss Deidre McGowan, Dr Kelly Shaw. Project title - Right care, right time, right place: understanding high healthcare service utilisation in Tasmania: a data linkage study. ($60,000) 

2022 – A/Prof Joel Rhee, Prof Christopher Poulos, A/Prof Roslyn Poulos, Dr Andrew Montague, Ms Ebony Lewis, A/Prof Russell Pearson. Project title - Models of general practice care in people living in residential age care homes. ($60,000) 

2021 – Prof Mark Nelson, Prof John McNeil, Prof Andrew Tonkin, Prof Christopher Reid, A/Prof Robyn Woods and Dr Zhen Zhou. Project title - Understanding the impact of serum lipid profiles on disability-free survival, cardiovascular disease, and other major geriatric-related diseases in the healthy elderly. ($57,511.00)

2021 – Dr Elizabeth Sturgiss, A/Prof Lauren Ball, Prof Lauren Williams, Dr Pallavi Prathivadi, Dr Jenny Advocat and Prof Alex Clark. Project title - Change talk - supporting high quality behaviour change in general practice. ($59,887.00)

2020 – Dr Katrina Giskes, Prof Benjamin Freedman, A/Prof Charlotte Hespe, Dr Nicole Lowres, A/Prof Ruth Webster Ms Jessica Orchard and Ms Jailin Li. Project title - AF TRENDS- Atrial fibrillation treatment, recommendations, electronic decision support and screening. ($59,737) 

2020 – Prof Simon Willcock, Dr Claudia Rutherford, Prof Kate White, Dr Marguerite Tracy, Dr Janani Mahadeva and Mrs Julie Marker. Project title - Transition from acute to primary health care for early colorectal cancer survivors: using mixed methods to establish primary care providers opinions and current practices for managing symptoms and functions in the community. ($59,061) 

2019 – Dr Katrina Giskes, Prof Benjamin Freedman, A/Prof Charlotte Hespe, Dr Nicole Lowres and Dr Ruth Webster. Project title – AF SELF SMART- Atrial Fibrillation Self-Screening, Management And Guideline Recommended Therapy. ($59,760) 

2019 – Dr Matthew Grant, Prof Jon Emery, Prof Jennifer Philip, Dr Anna Collins, Prof Vijaya Sundararajan and A/Prof Joel Rhee. Project title – Establishing patterns of primary care usage at the end of life in cancer: using indicators of quality end of life care in linked administrative data. ($59,949)

2019 – Dr Oliver Frank, Dr David Gonzalez and Dr Carla Bernardo. Project title – Increasing immunisation in general practice against invasive pneumococcal disease and influenza in people under 65 years old whose chronic conditions put them at higher risk of and from these infections. ($56,859) 

2018Prof Lyndal Trevena, Dr Christopher Harrison, Dr Julie Gordon, Dr Carissa Bonner, A/Prof Simon Poon and Ms Niku Gorji. Project title - OCEAn - NETs (Occasions of care explained and analysed - Nominated Extra Topics) ($59,906.93)

2018 A/Prof Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis, A/Prof Michelle Dowsey, Dr Panagiota Chondros, Ms Sharmala Thuraisingam, Prof Peter Choong and Prof Jane Gunn. Project title - Developing a prediction model for total knee replacement surgery for people with osteoarthritis in general practice. ($58,570.59)



RACGP Foundation / Diabetes Australia Research Grant

2023 - Prof Nigel Stocks, Dr Susan Williams, A/Prof David Gonzalez Chica, Ms Antoinette Liddell, Dr Natalie Pink. Project title - Trends in diabetes monitoring and diabetes control among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attending general practice: a comparison between urban and rural locations in Australia. ($60,000)

2022 – Dr Hannah Woodall, A/Prof Kay Brumpton, Dr Robert Heffernan, Ms Elizabeth Mahon, A/Prof Kylie Vuong, Dr Janani Pinidiyapathirage. Project title - Person-centred care in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes in general practice: Collaborative goal setting for self-management. ($59,170.00)

2021 – Dr Soumya Soumya, Dr Habiba Jahan, Miss Mingyue Zheng, A/Prof David Gonzalez-Chica, Prof Nigel Stocks and Dr Carla Bernardo. Project title - Do patients with pre-diabetes managed with Metformin achieve better glycaemic control? A national study using general practice data. ($57,261.00)

2020 – Dr Rita McMorrow, A/Prof Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis, Dr Barbara Hunter, Dr Christel Hendrieckx, Prof Jane Speight and Dr Nana Hempler. Project title - Assessing and addressing diabetes distress in Australian general practice: a mixed method exploratory study of current practice. ($59,982) 

2019 – Dr Elizabeth Sturgiss, Prof Alexander Clark, Dr Lauren Ball, Dr Pallavi Prathivadi and Prof Lauren Williams. Project title – Improving Type 2 diabetes management in general practice: A realist evaluation of the 5As framework. ($60,000)

2018 – Prof Tania Winzenberg, Dr Emily Hansen, Dr Verity Cleland, A/Prof Emma Warnecke and Ms Aroub Lahham. Project title - Understanding the perspectives of general practitioners regarding sedentary behaviour management in primary care: a qualitative study. ($54,977.16)



RACGP Foundation Harry Nespolon Grant

2021 – A/Prof Jill Benson, Dr Penny Need and Mr Shaun Prentice. Project title - Finding meaning through diversity – exploring the role of career and job diversity in GPs’ wellbeing. ($59,187.00)



RACGP Foundation / BOQ Specialist Research Grant

2023 - Dr Renae Lawrence, Ms Sonia Markoff, Dr Sameera Ansari, A/Prof Nicola Burton, Dr Kerry Uebel, A/Prof Kylie Vuong. Project title - A general practice toolkit to promote physical activity among people living with cancer. ($20,000)

2020 – Clinical A/Prof Sanjyot Vagholkar, Dr Janani Mahadeva, A/Prof Melissa Kang and Ms Yang Xiang. Project title - A GP-Practice nurse team-based model providing sexual and reproductive health care for Mandarin-speaking university students. ($19,937.92) 

2019 A/Prof Gillian Gould, Miss Tabassum Rahman, Dr Michelle Bovill and Prof Amanda Baker. Project title – Step towards incorporating smoking relapse prevention in smoking cessation care for Indigenous Australian women: Detecting predictors and drivers of relapse in the women of reproductive age and exploring their quitting experience. ($20,000) 

2018 – Dr Karyn Alexander and Prof Danielle Mazza. Project title - Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) in general practice: a feasibility study of preventive health for young children. ($20,000)



RACGP Foundation / ANEDGP Innovation Research Grant

2023 - Dr Kerry Hancock, Prof Shyamali Dharmage, Mrs Jacqueline Genesin,  Dr Christopher Barton,  Dr Paul Molyneux,  Dr Jennifer Perret. Project title - "Precursor”: detecting and preventing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in “young” middle-aged adults – a preliminary pilot in general practice. ($20,000)

2022 – Dr Rodney Pearce.  Project title - General Practitioners engagement in breast screening and women's health ($20,000.00) 

2021 – Dr Stephanie Daly and Dr Patrick Daly. Project title - Timely Diagnosis of Dementia in Primary Care - improving your practice performance. ($20,000.00)

2020 – Dr Cate Howell, Dr Neil Jensen, Dr Gemma Skaczkowski, Dr Kate Gunn and Prof Deborah Turnbull. Project title - Bridging the gap between primary care and mental health professionals: Scoping review to inform the development of an e-mental health solution. ($20,000) 



RACGP Foundation Family Medical Care Education and Research Grant

2023 - Dr Kathleen O'Brien. Project title - Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Australia - an update. ($12,480)

2023 - Dr May Su, Prof Penny Abbott, Prof Kelsey Hegarty. Project title - Identifying and engaging with people who use interpersonal abuse and violence who present in Australian general practice. ($19,340)

2022 – Dr Brent Venning, Prof Jon Emery, A/Prof Richard De Abreu Lourenco, Dr Rebecca Bergin, Dr Meena Rafiq, Dr Alex Lee. Project title - Exploring patient preferences for the investigation of cancer symptoms in general practice. ($19,882.00)

2022 – Dr Chavy Arora, Prof Grant Russell, Dr Chris Barton. Project title - Diagnosing Doctor Google: investigating clinician perspectives on older Victorians accessing vaccine-related information online. ($18,432.00) 

2021 – Dr Hayley Thomas, Dr Johanna Lynch, Dr Nancy Sturman, Dr Lauren Ball and Dr Elizabeth Sturgiss. Project title - Exploring Security in the GP-Patient Relationship: A Qualitative Study. ($20,000.00)

2021 – Dr Kylie Vuong, Dr Kerry Uebel, Marie Agaliotis, Dr Sundresan Naicker, Dr Alexandra Hawkey and Mr Christopher Chan. Project title - Building mutual trust in general practice. ($19,555.00)

2020 – Dr Marguerite Tracy, Prof Lyndal Trevena and Dr Heather Shepherd. Project title - Patient journeys to health information and the role of question prompt lists – a longitudinal qualitative study. ($20,000) 

2020 – Dr Bianca Perera, Dr Chris Barton and Dr Christian Osadnik. Project title - Enhancing care of patients by effective general practice follow up after an acute exacerbation of COPD. ($16,750) 

2019 – Dr Hilary Gorges, Dr Leanne Hall and Prof Clare Heal. Project title – Comparison of topical antibiotics with topical antiseptics and inert ointment for treatment of impetigo – protocol for a pilot prospective randomised double-blinded controlled trial for the topical treatment of impetigo in Australian general practice. ($19,512) 

2019 – Dr Michael Wright and A/Prof Kees van Gool. Project title – Exploring methods to evaluate and compare primary care spending. ($19,299) 

2018 – Dr Elizabeth Sturgiss, Prof Kirsty Douglas and Prof Grant Russell. Project title - Exploring effective general practice consultations for disadvantaged adults living with obesity. ($20,000)

2018 – Dr Kirrliy Ellerton, Dr Rimma Medres, Dr Harishan Tharmarajah, Ms Amanda Dolphin, Ms Sue McKellar, A/Prof Simon Craig. Project title - The VRIMM study. Virtual Reality for Immunisation Pain: A Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial in General Practice. ($18,792.60)



RACGP Foundation Chris Silagy Research Scholarship

2023 - Dr Ben Mitchell, Prof Mieke Van Driel, A/Prof Geoffrey Spurling, Prof Parker Magin. Project title - Qualitative analysis of GP registrar use of, and beliefs about, the role of POC tools in clinical care. ($13,288)

2022 – Dr Karyn Alexander, Dr Nabeela Amien. Project title - Do you mind if I stand? An evaluation of GPs' use of sit stand desks. ($15,000.00)

2020 – Dr Winnie Chen - Project title - Using clinical decision support for chronic diseases? A systematic review of the past decade. ($14,954.57) 

2019 – Dr Kylie Vuong, Dr Michael Tam, Mr Bala Anandasivam, Dr Andrew Knight, Prof John Hall and A/Prof Kevin McGeechan. Project title – Melanoma risk perceptions among Australian general practitioners. ($14,996) 

2018 – Dr Lucy Gilkes, A/Prof Nahal Mavaddat, Prof Stephan Schug, Prof Gary Hulse and Prof Peter O’Sullivan. Project title - Devising a computerised chronic pain care plan tool (Pain-T) for General Practice. ($15,000)



RACGP Foundation Indigenous Health Award

2023 - Dr Talila Milroy, Dr Jacqueline Frayne, Dr Kate Smith. Project title - Aboriginal women’s perspectives on menstrual health and modes of engagement with primary care providers. ($9,000)

2020 – Dr Annapurna Nori, Prof Vivienne Moore, Dr Odette Pearson and Prof Megan Warin. Project title - The Care Project - Improving the wellbeing of older Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri women. ($8,973) 

2019 – Prof Parker Magin, Dr Linda Klein, Dr Alison Fielding, Dr Anthony Paulson, Mr Christopher O’Brien and Prof Mieke van Driel. Project title – The Diploma in Practice Management in Aboriginal Medical Services - Impact on professional and personal development of graduates. ($8,989)

2018 – Dr Geoffrey Spurling, Dr Prabha Lakhan, Prof David Johnson, Ms Anna Cooney, Dr Gary Torrens, Mr Antonio Martinez Ortiz and Dr Dharmenaan Palamuthusingam. Project title - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons attending an urban Indigenous primary health care clinic and their experiences of living with chronic kidney disease. ($6,535)



RACGP Foundation Walpole Grieve Award

2022 – Dr Brent Venning. Project title - Collaborating on primary care cancer research in the UK. ($5,000.00)

2021 – Dr Oliver van Hecke. Project title - Co-designing a data-enabled brief intervention to optimise antibiotic prescribing for children. ($4,955.00)

2020 – Dr Rita McMorrow - Project title - International collaboration with Steno Diabetes Centre, Copenhagen. ($5,000)

2019Dr Melinda Choy - Project title – Understanding how GPs can effectively influence and build State/Territory health policy: a research and experience exchange to help form a Community of Practice. ($5,000)

2018 – Dr Lena von Schuckmann - Project title – Conference travel. ($5,000)



RACGP Foundation Charles Bridges-Webb Memorial Award

2023 - Dr Sonia Srinivasan, Dr Sharon James, Prof Danielle Mazza. Project title - Supporting primary care provision of contraception and abortion: an evaluation of digital content from an Australian virtual community of practice. ($1,000)

2021 – Dr Katie Fisher, Prof Parker Magin, Prof Mieke van Driel and Ms Amanda Tapley. Project title - The prevalence and associations of telehealth consultations in GP registrars' practice: a cross-sectional study nested within the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) study. ($1,000.00)

2021 – Dr Brent Venning. Project title - A Discrete Choice Experiment: Preferences and willingness-to-pay for a DNA test to assess cancer risk. ($1,000.00)

2020 – Dr Antony Bolton - Project title - Barriers & enablers to the provision of structured healthcare to people who regularly use methamphetamine in General Practice: A qualitative study. ($1,000) 

2019 Dr Roisin Bhamjee - Project title – Adolescent Health Provision in the Australian School Setting: Perspectives of Primary Care Physicians on their preparedness. ($1,000) 

2018 – Dr Pallavi Prathivadi, Dr Christopher Barton and Prof Danielle Mazza. Project title – Qualitative insights into the opioid prescribing practices of Victorian GP registrars. ($1,000) 



RACGP Foundation Peter Mudge Medal

2023 - Prof Jane Gunn. Project title - 20 years of Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes of Depression in Primary Care (diamond) study ($500)

2022 - Prof Mark Nelson – Project title - LDL-C and mortality outcomes amongst healthy older adults not taking lipid-lowering agents ($500)

2020 – A/Prof Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis - Project title - Guidance GP - Pilot of an antimicrobial stewardship quality improvement activity. ($500) 

2019A/Prof Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis - Project title – Simulation of a tool for antibiotic prescribing. ($500) 

2018 – Dr Daniel Aronov - Project title – Social media video improves informed choice for breast cancer screening. ($500)



RACGP Foundation Alan Chancellor Award

2023 - Dr Marguerite Tracy. Project title - Healthcare professionals should encourage people to bring question prompt lists - find out why! (Findings from a longitudinal qualitative study) ($500)

2022 - Dr Catherine Pendrey – Project title - Is climate change exacerbating health-care workforce shortages for underserved populations? ($500)

2020 – Dr Isaac Tranter - Project title - Immunising older Australians - Perspectives from GP training. ($500) 

2019 Dr Rita McMorrow - Project title – Does r-CGM affect health service utilisation? ($500) 

2018 – Dr Daniel Aronov – Project title - Social media video improves informed choice for breast cancer screening. ($500)



Rhee Family Award for Research in Aged Care

2023A/Prof Anthea Dallas. Project title - Connecting students and primary healthcare providers to improve quality of RACF care in Tasmania: a mixed-methods study of stakeholder engagement ($500)



RACGP Foundation Best Poster Prize

2023 - Dr Javiera Martinez Gutierrez. Poster title -  Failure to follow-up abnormal test results associated with cervical cancer in primary care: How are we doing? A systematic review ($350)



RACGP Foundation Best General Practice Research Article in the AJGP Award

2021 – Dr Jessie Andrewartha – Escape to the country, Lessons from interviews with rural general practice interns. (Penny Allen, Lynn Hemmings, Ben Dodds and Lizzi Shires)  AJGP, Volume 49, Issue 9, September 2020. (Award)

2020 – Dr Belinda O’Sullivan – Project title - Factors related to rural general practitioners supervising general practice registrars in Australia: A national cross-sectional study. (Deborah Russell, Matthew McGrail, Marisa Sampson, Allyson Warrington, Glen Wallace, Michael Bentley & Danielle Couch) AJGP, Volume 48, Issue 1-2, January – February 2019. (Award) 

2019 – Dr Grace Kim - Project title – The CRISP-Q study: Communicating the risks and benefits of colorectal cancer screening. (Grace Y Kim, Jennifer G Walker, Adrian Bickerstaffe, Nadira Hewabandu, Marie Pirotta, Louisa Flander, Mark Jenkins & Jon D Emery) AJGP, Volume 47, Issue 3, March 2018. (Award) 

2018 Dr Lisa Crossland - Project title - Successfully implementing a diabetic retinopathy screening service in general practice: What does the evidence tell us? (Lisa Crossland, Claire Jackson) Australian Family Physician, Volume 46, No.7 Pages 529-535. (Award)