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Australian Academy of Science
GPO Box 783
Canberra ACT 2601
Phone : +61 2 6201 9433
The Theo Murphy (Australia) Fund was established to further scientific discovery and supports activities that aim to provide tangible benefits to Australia’s early- and mid-career researcher (EMCR) community. The fund is administered by the Academy on behalf of the Royal Society and provides grants for activities and events that support the fund’s purpose.
A Melbourne solicitor, Mr Theo Murphy, left a substantial bequest to the Royal Society – the scientific academy of the United Kingdom. Mr Murphy died in Victoria in 2006 and directed the bequest to be held in a trust to be invested and managed in perpetuity as the Theo Murphy Fund. The income of the fund is used for activities that further scientific discovery in the fields of medicine, science, technology, and engineering.
A portion of the fund, known as the Theo Murphy (Australia) Fund, is retained in Australia and is administered by The Royal Society (Australia) Pty Ltd Board as trustees under a proviso that the fund earnings be spent by the Australian Academy of Science.
From 2002 to 2017, the Australian Academy of Science hosted annual events called High Flyers Think Tanks. These Think Tanks bring together 50 to 100 of Australia’s brightest minds, including EMCRs and senior experts from a broad range of disciplines, to address matters of significance in Australia. From 2008, Think Tank events were funded through the Theo Murphy (Australia) Fund. In addition, from 2010 to 2019 the fund supported the Academy’s Frontiers of Science program which brought together top-tier young Australian scientists from across multidisciplinary areas of science. Through this initiative, participants engaged in discussions on emerging technologies, identifying opportunities for collaborations and charting pathways for advancements in their respective fields.
In recent years, the Academy redesigned the grant-making model as the Theo Murphy Initiative Australia (TMIA), providing funding support to EMCRs through three streams: Flagship activities offering grants up to $50,000; Amplify activities providing up to $15,000; and Participation Support, which extends support to individuals up to $5,000.
On the recommendation of the Australian Academy of Science, the Royal Society (Australia) Pty Ltd Board determines the activities to be supported with the Theo Murphy (Australia) Fund.
At least three grants of between $15,000 and $50,000 each are available for delivering activities designed to provide tangible benefits to EMCRs in Australia. Activities must benefit EMCRs across more than one Australian organisation and include sponsorship support from additional event partners. The Academy provides some support to the event where required, such as event website hosting, event registration and publicity.
Guidelines and application form
Up to 10 grants of between $5,000 and $15,000 are available for activities that bring additional benefits and opportunities to conferences or symposiums. Amplify grants do not support core event arrangements. The activity being funded by an Amplify grant must be an add-on event complementary to the main activity or be provided to attendees as a scholarship to cover event participation costs, such as conference registration fees, training workshop enrolment costs or to pay for consumable materials required to participate in the event.
Guidelines and application form
Australian EMCRs can apply for a Participation Support grant to assist with the cost of attending and participating in an event or activity. Participation Support grants provide funding to offset the cost of caring, accessibility and mobility needs for EMCRs to enable their attendance at an event or activity that will support career development, such as a conference or training workshop. Applicants can request up to a maximum $5,000 per person towards expenses for a single event, once per 12-month period.
Guidelines and application form
Flagship activities
34
24
Amplify activities
Participation Support
43
53
Universities and institutions engaged
EMCRs benefited
3,000+
17
High Flyers Think Tanks and Australian Frontiers of Science
| 2024-25 grant round | Academy announces 2024–25 recipients of Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia) grants |
|---|---|
| 2023-24 grant round | Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia) grant funding recipients for 2023–24 announced |
| 2022-23 grant round | Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia) grant funding recipients for 2022–23 announced |
The Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia) program is supported by theRoyal Society.
© 2025 Australian Academy of Science
