Melbourne Disability Institute interdisciplinary disability research seed funding

The application period for the 2025 seed funding round is now closed.

The Melbourne Disability Institute (MDI) runs an annual Seed Funding program where grants of up to $35,000 are available to support new, collaborative and interdisciplinary projects that deliver real impact for people with disability.

In 2025, applicants chose from two dedicated funding streams, depending on the academic level of the chief investigator:

• Academic Levels A to C: designed to support early and mid-career researchers to lead collaborative, community-engaged projects and build their research track record.
• Academic Levels D and E: aimed at established researchers who can leverage their expertise and networks to drive interdisciplinary disability research that has policy or practice impact.

Both streams offer up to $35,000 in funding for projects that make a real difference for people with disability.

Successful projects are small to medium-sized (discovery or pilot stage) and must:

• Address an issue that matters to people with disability.
• Be interdisciplinary, with researchers from at least two different faculties.
• Involve people with disability, their families and/or disability representative organisations at every stage.
• Show practical outcomes with a clear pathway to further research and funding.

Eligibility
Applicants must hold a salaried academic position of at least 0.4 FTE at the University of Melbourne. Projects may include external partners, graduate students, and honorary or casual researchers. Funds will be provided at the start of 2026 and are expected to be spent within the 2026 calendar year.

Funding Priorities
This year priority is given to projects that:

• Are based within or support work in rural and remote communities – for example challenges around access to services, workforce shortages, transport, and digital exclusion
• Explore disability and climate change or the changing environment – for example responses to extreme weather, disaster preparedness, climate adaptation, energy transitions, and accessible infrastructure
• Examine the experiences of Indigenous or culturally and linguistically diverse people with disability, focusing on equity and inclusion

Priority projects will be weighted more heavily in the review process. However, we encourage applications for projects outside these areas, as all proposals will be considered.

Please review the guidelines and selection criteria carefully to confirm your eligibility and check the timeline before applying.

Drop-in Sessions

Have questions about applying? Join MDI’s Program and Project Manager, Courtney Yam, and Dr George Disney, lead of MDI’s NDIS Research and Data Insights Hub for an informal drop-in session. These sessions are a great opportunity to ask questions, learn more about the seed funding requirements and guidelines, and check your eligibility before applying.

Register for a drop-in session here: https://calendly.com/yam-c/2025-mdi-seed-funding-drop-in-sessions

Find out more and apply

You can read all about our selection criteria and application process, and submit your application through Microsoft Forms. We’ve kept the process as simple and accessible as possible, but if you run into any difficulties, please reach out to MDI’s Program and Projects Manager, Courtney Yam, at yam.c@unimelb.edu.au — we’re happy to help and would love your feedback.

Download the information pack and access the application form using the links below.

Information Pack (Microsoft Word)

Information Pack (Pdf)

Application for Academic Level A-C (Microsoft Forms)

Application for Academic Level D-E (Microsoft Forms)

Questions? Contact Courtney Yam at yam.c@unimelb.edu.au.