WA researchers get a second chance as Near Miss Awards fuel national funding push
Western Australia is backing 39 health and medical researchers with $3.9 million through Near Miss Awards, helping strong ideas stay competitive for future national grants.
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Western Australia is giving 39 health and medical researchers a new shot at national success, with the Cook Labor Government backing them through $3.9 million in Near Miss Awards funding. The program supports high-quality projects that narrowly missed out on Commonwealth grants, helping researchers strengthen future applications and stay in the race for national funding.
The funding is split between 13 early and mid-career researchers under the Ideas Grants round for 2025-26 and 26 recipients under the Investigator Grants round for 2026-27. Officials say the scheme is designed to keep strong talent in WA while building a pipeline of research that can later win support from the NHMRC, the Medical Research Future Fund and the Australian Research Council.
Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson said the program is meant to stop strong ideas from being lost after a narrow miss. “Western Australia's researchers are delivering world‑class science, and the WA Near-Miss Awards are ensuring that strong ideas don't fall by the wayside,” he said. “This program helps our researchers stay competitive, continue their work, and ultimately secure national funding that brings benefits back to the WA community.”
Among the highlighted researchers are Professor Christopher Blyth, who is working on better prevention of paediatric respiratory infections, Dr Lauren Blekkenhorst, who is studying the role of diet in heart health, and Dr Luke Garratt, whose research focuses on immune cell function and disease. The government also pointed to strong showings from Dr Ziming Chen, Dr Omar Elaskalani and Dr Tao Wang, saying the early results show the value of bridging support at a critical stage.
The announcement also ties into the State Government’s broader WA Grants Success Frame work, which aims to strengthen Western Australia’s ability to compete for national research funding. In practical terms, that means promising projects get a second run at success rather than being abandoned after one competitive round.
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