We will support the establishment of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team to develop a community-informed understanding of diabetes in First Nations children and youth and identify priorities for future activities towards improving diabetes care.
Important information for applicants
Applications open: 1 July 2026
Application deadline: 26 August 2026, 11:59pm AEST.
Background
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (hereafter referred to as First Nations peoples), experience a disproportionately high burden of diabetes. Challenges accessing timely diabetes care, heterogenous presentations and high rates of hospitalisation and diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) have been reported.
First Nations children and young people are notably affected, with some of the highest diabetes incidence rates globally, particularly in the northern and central regions of Australia. Distinct challenges they face include earlier onset, more rapid disease progression and complex disease patterns. Despite this, significant investment in diabetes care for First Nations populations has not adequately addressed the unique challenges affecting children and young people.
Delivering more personalised and culturally appropriate diabetes care for First Nations children and young people requires a deeper understanding of how diabetes presents and is experienced within communities. This need was reinforced by Breakthrough T1D’s engagement with healthcare professionals and clinicians working with First Nations communities, who identified gaps in culturally appropriate approaches to diagnosis and management of diabetes in this group.
Details of the grant
This RFA is intended to support the establishment of a collaborative team capable of building an understanding of current diabetes care in First Nations children and young people. The team will be tasked with identifying community driven priorities and needs to improve outcomes for First Nations children and young people living with diabetes. The insights are intended to inform future work towards more meaningful approaches to diabetes care including the potential development of sustainable models of care that better reflect community needs.
Specifically, the expert collaborative team will be required to:
- Demonstrate established and trusted engagement with one or more First Nations communities and capacity to build a mutual understanding of the current gaps and challenges in diabetes care for these communities.
- Establish and develop a community-informed understanding of the current state of diabetes and needs in First Nations children and young people.
- Outline community-informed recommendations for future initiatives, including a targeted model of care and research priorities, aimed at closing care gaps and improving diabetes outcomes for First Nations children and young people.
This RFA will provide funding for up to $300,000 over a period of 12 months, but we do not expect all applications to request the maximum funding amount. The outputs of the project are expected to provide a foundation for future activities aimed at improving diabetes care and outcomes for First Nations children and young people.
Eligibility
The multi-disciplinary team must fulfil the following criteria:
- The Principal Investigator (PI) must be affiliated with an Australian university, hospital, research institute, or other comparable institutions which may include for-profit entities.
- At least one Co-PI, Partner Investigator or collaborating organisation must demonstrate First Nations leadership and involvement in the project governance and decision making.
- Co-PIs and/or other collaborators must be affiliated with institutions/entities within or outside of Australia.
- There are no citizenship requirements for this support mechanism; however, the PI must be eligible to work in Australia for the duration of the project.
Letters of Intent (LOIs) must demonstrate a strong track record of trusted, sustained engagement with one or more First Nations communities through previous research, clinical practice or service delivery.
For full list of eligibility and exclusion criteria, download the RFA.
How to apply
Applications are to be submitted online using the online grants management system RMS360.
For any queries
For enquiries related to this RFA, please contact:
Laura Hill
Program Manager, Consumer Engagement
T: 02 8364 0204
E: [email protected]
Dr Miranda Xhilaga
Senior Scientific Program Manager, Discovery
T: 02 8364 0250
E: [email protected]
If you have any enquiries relating to using RMS360, please contact:
Elipsha Sharma
Grants and Research Operations Specialist
T:02 8364 0233
E: [email protected]