HRC Gateway - Funding - Ideas funding - 2025 Emerging Researcher First Grants

2025 Emerging Researcher First Grants

These grants provide research funds to develop the research skills and capability needed in areas of importance and priority for New Zealand – both now and for the future. They support emerging researchers who are seeking to establish independent careers in health research. Up to a maximum of $400,000 for three years is available.

Key changes

The scoring criteria for ‘Suitability of the applicant’ and ‘Rationale for research’ have been updated. All HRC investment must have a clear line of sight to improving health outcomes for all New Zealanders, with a focus on areas of highest health need and communities with the highest health needs.

Eligibility requirements

For these grants, an emerging researcher is defined as "someone who is at the beginning of their research career in health with a clear development path and is working in a strongly supportive research environment".

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following:

You are employed by a New Zealand host organisation, have New Zealand citizenship or a residency visa, and have New Zealand as your principal domicile and place of employment*

You have not previously held any individual competitive research grant as a first named investigator for research expenses greater than $105,000 from any source at the time of assessment (including institutional or internal funding).

You are no more than 6 years from attaining a postgraduate degree at the time of your application, although this period could be greater considering parental leave, caring responsibilities, career breaks, ill health, or other justified reasons. Time spent working in a career other than research is not considered a justified reason. Eligibility will be counted from the date of degree conferment, which should be confirmed in the application.

You are developing an independent research stream.

You are not studying for a PhD degree.

If you are applying for a Rangahau Hauora Māori Emerging Researcher First Grant, you must be of Māori descent. If you are applying for a Pacific Emerging Researcher First Grant, you must be of indigenous Pacific descent.

*Please refer to the HRC rules for the definition of ‘principal domicile’. Host organisations are responsible for ensuring that Aotearoa New Zealand is the applicant’s principal domicile and principal place of employment. By submitting an application, the host is satisfied that this condition has been met.

How do I apply?

Firstly, you’ll need to register your intention to submit an application for the Emerging Researcher First Grant. A registration must be completed online via HRC Gateway. You’ll then need to submit a full application online via HRC Gateway using the relevant 2025 Emerging Researcher First Grant Application Form for the category you are applying to (provided on this page). All full applications will be scored by assessing committees who will then make funding recommendations to HRC Council.

Choosing an Emerging Researcher First Grant category

You need to select one of the following categories (please see the 2025 Emerging Researcher First Grant Application Guidelines for further details):

General: Supporting excellent ideas and innovations proposed by researchers, designed to improve health outcomes for New Zealanders.

Health Delivery: Having the potential to directly inform changes to health delivery policy, practice or systems; and demonstrating a clear connection to a healthcare need.

Rangahau Hauora Māori: Supporting Māori health research that contributes to Māori health gains, upholds rangatiratanga and uses and advances Māori knowledge, resources, and people.

Pacific: Making significant improvements in, or developing knowledge contributing to, Pacific health outcomes.

Applications can only be submitted to one category. The HRC does not provide advice on which category you should choose. You may change your final choice of category by creating duplicate applications and deciding on the most appropriate category before the closing date for registration.

Important points to note

All HRC investment must have a clear line of sight to improving health outcomes for all New Zealanders, with a focus on areas of highest health need and communities with the highest health needs as outlined in the Government Policy Statement on Health 2024-2027.

The below link provides more information and examples of how to incorporate the Māori Health Advancement criterion into your research, together with the Māori Health Advancement guidelines.

Additional reading: Māori Health Advancement.

Guidance on the Research Impact assessment criterion and feedback for applicants can be found here: Research impact assessment slideshow notes.

Got a question?

If you've read through the documents below and the 'How to apply for HRC funding' section under 'Helpful links' and still have a question about Emerging Researcher First Grant funding, send an email to info@hrc.govt.nz and one of our team will be in touch.