Researcher development stream awards program

Our researcher development stream awards program aims to build skills, foster innovation, promote collaboration, and advance dust disease prevention and management.

Funding is offered for PhD Scholarships, Post-Doctoral and Prevention Fellowships, and Clinical Fellowships, supporting research scientists, occupational hygienists, others working in occupational health, health professionals, and clinicians at any career stage. This program fosters innovation, builds research capacity, promotes collaboration, and drives advancements in dust disease prevention and management, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life.

Key Dates FY26

 Event Date 
Application open 30 June 2025
Application close 4 August 2025 4:00 pm AEST
Anticipated announcement 12 - 23 December 2025
 Funding agreement executed 30 June 2026
 Funding Commenced 1 July 2026 - 31 December 2026

If you have any questions, please direct inquiries to your Research Office, which will reach out to us at ddcgrants@icare.nsw.gov.au, or if your organisation does not have a Research Office, you may contact us directly.

Researcher development stream awards program

PhD Scholarships

PhD Scholarships focus on capacity building, supporting early high-achieving career research scientists, occupational hygienists, and others working in occupational health, and health professionals, fostering innovation, interdisciplinary research, and translating findings into improved dust disease outcomes.
PhD Scholarships

Post-Doctoral and Prevention Fellowships

Post-Doctoral and Prevention Fellowships support exceptional early to mid-career early to mid-career researchers, occupational hygienists, and others working in occupational health, and health professionals, prioritising capacity building, fostering innovation, collaboration, and advancing dust disease prevention, treatment and care.
Post-Doctoral and Prevention Fellowships

Clinical Fellowships

Clinical fellowships focus on capacity building, supporting outstanding clinicians at any career stage, fostering innovation, strengthening collaboration, and advancing dust disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Clinical Fellowships

Read about the PhD Scholarships and Post-Doctoral Fellowships that were awarded research funding in FY23-24 or earlier.

Application process

We will only accept submissions from applicants that fully comply with the new guidelines and submission protocols.

  • Download and complete the relevant application form.
  • Adhere to word limits and answer all questions.
  • Include all required information, supporting documents, and prescribed templates.
  • Save the application as a single PDF document.
  • The Administering Organisation/Institution must submit the completed application via email to ddcgrants@icare.nsw.gov.au.
  • Deadline: 4:00 pm AEST on Wednesday 30 July 2025.
  • Late submissions will only be accepted under exceptional circumstances, communicated in advance. 

We look forward to receiving your submissions. 

Application documents

DDB Grant Strategy Guiding principles

The DDB has established a set of guiding principles that form the cornerstone of their grant strategy. These principles are essential criteria against which all grant/award applications are evaluated. Applicants must ensure their proposals align with one or more of these principles. For full details visit the Research funding page.