Fuel Your RNA Innovation: Strategic Funding Opportunities
Applying for Strategic Funding?
Date: Next funding round announced soon
Strategic Fund
The NSW-RRTN Strategic Fund will allocate funding to special projects and initiatives in response to pressing need, enhance the Networks impact and emerging opportunities as the NSW-RRTN evolves.
Priority areas for funding include:
- Projects that incorporate activities across the Research and/or Training Programs within the NSW-RRTN.
- Projects that have a well-developed commercial strategy.
- Support for access to centralised facilities or specialised research capabilities to fast-track projects supported within the RNA Training or Research Program.
- Innovative projects and initiatives that bring researchers and educators together with other stakeholders and interest groups from other sectors and the public.
- Projects that map RNA related capabilities with focus on the NSW and ACT region
- Project that encourage gender diversity of researchers / students involved in NSW-RRTN activities.
- Projects that involve development of short courses designed to upskill the workforce in key areas of need within the sector.
The Strategic Fund is not limited to funding projects that align with these priority areas if the proposals received align with the overall objectives of the NSW-RRTN. This includes funding from the “non-STEM” sector, e.g., projects relating to law, ethics, arts, outreach and communication.
The Strategic Fund anticipates making up to two calls per year for projects that are valued at between $10,000 and $50,000 p.a. for a maximum of two years.
Projects that include partners from more than one research organisation within NSW+ACT will be favoured. Projects may include partners from outside NSW+ACT but those partners will be expected to make significant financial and/or people time (in-kind) contributions to the proposed work.
Eligibility
Lead CI Institution must be one of the 12 partner Universities of the NSW-RRTN (see below). There are no restrictions on collaborating organisations (note that funding must be spent within NSW and ACT and partners external to NSW/ACT are expected to make cash or in-kind contributions).
Funding
Project funding is expected to be between $10k-$50k/year for a maximum of 2 years. Projects seeking two years funding will be required to submit a progress report prior to receiving the second year of funding. All funded projects will be required to submit a final report.
List of successful applicants from last round 2025 Q4
A total of 11 out of 29 applications were funded with $966,712 awarded in grants.
- Jake Baum (UNSW Sydney) - $100,000
Developing and testing in vivo mRNA encoded anti-malarial Monoclonal Vaccine therapies - Andrew Care (University of Technology Sydney) - $100,000
Building a NSW-RRTN RNA Manufacturing pipeline to accelerate product scale up and translation - Edmund Chung (University of Sydney) - $100,000
In-vivo generation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells using lipid nanoparticles to treat kidney disease - Jonas Kaltbeitzel (UNSW Sydney) - $51,000
Engineering in an Inosine-Specific RNase for sgRNA Synthesis and RNA modification mapping - Daniel Mediati (University of Technology Sydney) - $89,462
Programmable non-coding RNA-based regulatory circuits to tune cell wall synthesis and degradation rates - Lezanne Ooi (University of Wollongong) - $50,000
Advancing Splice-Switching RNA Therapeutics for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Preclinical Development Toward Translation - Febrina Sandra (UNSW Sydney) - $100,000
Scalable Manufacturing of Nanobody Targeting Lipid Nanoparticles (tLNPs) for CAR-T and CAR-M Cell Therapy - Kurt Sengul (Macquarie University) - $100,000
Can the RNAissance Survive the Disinformation War? Emerging Threats, Transnational Challenges, Communicative Solutions - Jamie Triccas (University of Sydney) - $98,000
Development and Preclinical Validation of a Pulmonary RNA Vaccine Candidate for Tuberculosis - Rohan Walker (University of Newcastle) - $78,250
The Immunity Project: From Vaccine Production to Protection – Inspiring the Next Generation of Biomedical Innovators - Guoying Wang (Macquarie University) - $100,000
Transforming Glioblastoma Treatment through Targeted RNA Delivery and Blood–Brain Barrier Modulation
Applying for Engineering Biology Challenge Funding?
Date: Next funding round announced soon
Engineering Biology Challenge
The Engineering Biology Challenge will explore collaboration opportunities between computer science and biology, with a focus on AI-driven approaches to RNA and protein research.
Funding opportunities under this program will be announced at a later date.
Eligibility
- Projects must include cross-disciplinary teams (e.g. bioengineers, biologists, chemists, computer scientists, technologists).
- Partnerships with computer science/AI expertise are essential.
- Proposals must demonstrate the potential for high-impact solutions such as a commercial pathway.
- Lead CI Institution must be one of the 12 partner Universities of the NSW-RRTN:
- NSW-RRTN Partner universities
- Australian Catholic University
- Australian National University
- Charles Sturt University
- Macquarie University
- University of Canberra
- University of Newcastle
- University of New England
- UNSW Sydney
- University of Sydney
- University of Technology, Sydney
- University of Wollongong
- Western Sydney University
- There are no restrictions on collaborating organisations (note that funding must be spent within NSW and ACT and partners external to NSW/ACT are expected to make cash or in-kind contributions).
Assessment Criteria
- Innovative Impact – Novelty and potential to address real-world problems.
- Feasibility – Technical and scientific soundness of the approach.
- Collaboration – Depth of interdisciplinary engagement.
- Commercial Potential – Scalability, market relevance, and economic benefit.
Funding
Grants of up to $200,000 per project are available. There is a total of $1 million allocated in the Strategic Fund to the Engineering Biology Challenge.
List of successful applicants from last round 2025 Q4
A total of 2 out of 19 applications were funded with $399,753 awarded in grants.
- Selene Fernandez-Valverde (UNSW Sydney) - $199,753
Biomimetic AI design of RNA scaffolds for bioactive RNA delivery in plants - Rowena Bull (Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney) - $200,000
Using artificial intelligence to rationally guide mRNA HCV vaccine design