The Rebecca Cooper Fellowship (“Fellowship”) is a prestigious award named in honour of the late Rebecca Lillian Cooper, who generously endowed her entire estate to establish The Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation. The Fellowship is targeted at Mid-Career researchers who have established a strong research program and are on track to become leaders in their chosen area of Medical Research.
Funding
The award of The Rebecca Cooper Fellowship provides a salary component of $220,000 per annum (exclusive of GST) and a Research Support Package (“RSP”) of $80,000 per annum (exclusive of GST), for a period of five years commencing 1 January 2026.
The Fellowship supports salary and direct research costs; the two cannot be separated.
The Administering Institution (“Institution”) must agree to meet any additional employment-related expenses for the recipient, as well as the normal overhead and operating expenses of the Institution, as required to support the Fellow’s research.
Successful applicants must commit minimum 0.8 Full Time Equivalent to the Fellowship. Where the Fellowship is accepted on a part-time basis, the Fellowship will be paid pro-rata.
Applicants must not be the beneficiary of an award, fellowship or grant:
• held concurrently with the Fellowship that would preclude them from working less than a full time equivalent of 0.8 during ordinary working hours in the carrying out of their research;
• which provides a salary or a contribution towards the payment of their salary in addition to the salary component of the Fellowship.
Proposals must align with the Foundation’s mission: enhancing medical practice and patient outcomes in Australia, often via pilot or exploratory projects (e.g., biomarker discovery in Alzheimer’s)
Ideal for early-phase studies that could seed larger grants.
Having preliminary data (even small-scale) strengthens applications, as the Foundation favors projects that show potential for clinical translation (e.g., Dr Muenchhoff’s biomarker work)
Success often correlates with tangible outputs or clinical relevance.
Applicants must be affiliated with an eligible Australian research institution.
Early engagement with Foundation staff (via stage 3 in their process) helps confirm institutional suitability and application timing .
Clearly specify the project’s purpose, budget, intended patient or clinical impact, and success metrics .
Projects registered in quarterly cycles (Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec); applicants are advised to plan 1–2 cycles ahead
Applicants should engage Foundation staff early, discuss alignment and resourcing, and potentially present their idea during the review window
Successful applicants typically go through a discussion-based review after submission.
Final decisions are made at the Board of Trustees level, often within one week after their quarterly meeting
Attend to deadlines and ensure full compliance early in the cycle.
📋 Summary Table
Success Predictor | What You Should Do |
---|---|
Mission Alignment | Confirm your project improves patient care or medical practice |
Pilot Data Demonstrating Feasibility | Include preliminary results or clear feasibility plan |
Institutional Support & Fit | Confirm with your university; talk to Foundation beforehand |
Clear Project Plan | Articulate goals, budget, metrics, and clinical impact |
Engagement with Foundation | Consult staff early; prepare for discussion/interview |
Compliance & Timing | Submit in quarterly round with full documentation on time |
🛠 Pro Tips
Reach out early to the Foundation team to clarify alignment and submission suitability.
Position your project as a seed opportunity, ideal for later-scale grants.
Include concrete pilot results or compelling indicators of feasibility.
Prepare a clear metrics plan: patient benefit, workflow efficiencies, proof-of-concept.
Be ready to discuss your idea live during the board review phase.
Plan your submission around quarterly deadlines and allow buffer time.
To apply you must be qualified as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in a Medicine-related field of Science or a Doctor of Medicine (MD) with a postgraduate PhD equivalent. The Foundation will not accept qualifications including a MBBS, Masters degrees and MD as a research degree.
Eligible Countries:
Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation
Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit
Address: PO Box 1021 Edgecliff NSW 2027 Contact us Phone : + 61 2 9327 5771 E-mail : info@cooperfoundation.org.au
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Aug 29, 2025
Aug 29, 2025
$143,811
Affiliation: Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation
Address: PO Box 1021 Edgecliff NSW 2027 Contact us Phone : + 61 2 9327 5771 E-mail : info@cooperfoundation.org.au
Website URL: https://www.cooperfoundation.org.au/rebecca-cooper-application-guidelines/
Disclaimer:It is mandatory that all applicants carry workplace liability insurance, e.g., https://www.protrip-world-liability.com (Erasmus students use this package and typically costs around 5 € per month - please check) in addition to health insurance when you join any of the onsite Trialect partnered fellowships.