Menzies School of Health Research

What Menzies School of Health Research does

Menzies School of Health Research is a non-profit medical research institute established in 1985 and headquartered at the Royal Darwin Hospital Campus in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, with additional offices in Alice Springs and Dili (Timor-Leste). The institute conducts research across three principal divisions — Indigenous health, global and tropical health, and the Centre for Child Development and Education — serving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in northern and central Australia as well as international partners across 10+ countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Tanzania.

Its core technology portfolio consists of a suite of free digital health applications co-designed with end-user communities: the Dangudbila pregnancy education app (launched 2025), Stay Strong, Weathering Well, and AIMhi-Y mental health apps, the Hep B Story patient education app, and the Digital Stay Strong Plan care-planning tool. These applications are built on Firebase (Google Cloud, australia-southeast1 region) for user data storage with HTTPS encryption. The institute also operates a physical laboratory and produces peer-reviewed publications, multimedia resources (Ask the Specialist podcast), and public health campaigns (See, Stop, Scan).

Menzies generates revenue primarily through competitive government research grants (notably from the National Health and Medical Research Council and AusAid), charitable donations (it is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission), and academic affiliations — principally with Charles Darwin University. Digital health products are distributed free of charge with no commercial monetization. The organization is governed by an independent Board, employs 251–500 staff, and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025 with a refreshed brand identity introduced in 2024.

Name

Menzies School of Health Research

Legal name

Menzies School of Health Research

Website

https://menzies.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Menzies School of Health Research is a 40-year-old non-profit medical research institute headquartered in Darwin, Australia, conducting health research on Indigenous health, tropical diseases, and child development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and international partners across 10+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Public Health (EDAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real-World Data (RWD) / Real-World Evidence (RWE) & Observational Research Platforms (HLACAOAM)

Keywords

• Health research services
• Indigenous health research
• Tropical medicine research
• Digital health applications
• Higher degrees research

Headquarters

HQ city

Darwin

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants: Primary revenue from competitive research grants including National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding for various health research projects.
2. Donations and Charitable Support: Donations from supporters to fund core research activities and programs. Menzies is a charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ABN 70 413 542 847).
3. International Development Aid: Funding through AusAid for international health research collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Menzies School of Health Research is a non-profit medical research institute that conducts health research focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, global and tropical health, and child development. It delivers a portfolio of free, co-designed digital health mobile applications and educational resources, supported by laboratory, clinical, and genomic research capabilities, and offers Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) and postgraduate training in partnership with universities.

Product overview

Menzies School of Health Research operates as a health research institute offering a portfolio of digital health applications and resources. The core offerings include mobile health applications for mental health support (Stay Strong App, Weathering Well App, AIMhi-Y), disease-specific education tools (Hep B Story App, Dangudbila App), and digital care planning tools (Digital Stay Strong Plan). These are complemented by multimedia resources including the Ask the Specialist podcast and health campaigns like See, Stop, Scan. The organization also conducts laboratory research and publishes scientific reports and papers. Most digital products are provided free of charge without commercial intent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dangudbila App: A first-of-its-kind digital pregnancy education app co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women across the Top End, bringing together evidence-based pregnancy information and Indigenous knowledges.
• Stay Strong App
• AIMhi-Y App
• Weathering Well App
• Hep B Story App
• Digital Stay Strong Plan

Products and services

• Dangudbila App A first-of-its-kind pregnancy education app co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women across Darwin, Palmerston and Wurruimyanga (Tiwi Islands). It delivers evidence-based pregnancy information combined with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges using local ways of understanding to help Top End mums feel informed and confident throughout their pregnancy journey. Available free of charge.
• Stay Strong App A free digital mental health support app designed to improve the reach and utilisation of digital mental health supports, particularly in rural and remote areas and for First Nations people. The app is available at no charge with no commercial model.
• AIMhi-Y (AIMhi for Youth) A free mobile application providing mental health support services for youth, including wellbeing tracking, goal setting, and culturally appropriate content for young people. Available at no charge with no commercial model or intent.
• Weathering Well App A free digital mental health support app designed to improve reach and utilisation of digital mental health supports, particularly in rural and remote areas. The app is available at no charge with no commercial model.
• Hep B Story App A visual, interactive app designed for patients living with chronic hepatitis B (hep B) and their families. It explains the hep B virus, transmission, disease progression, testing, and management details.
• Digital Stay Strong Plan An interactive digital version of the Stay Strong Pictorial Care Plan, providing a holistic, strengths-based and person-centred approach to discussing wellbeing. The tool assists with rapport building, goal setting, and self-management.
• Ask the Specialist Podcast A podcast that answers doctors' questions about working with First Nations peoples at hospitals across the Northern Territory, featuring Larrakia, Tiwi and Yolŋu stories to inspire better healthcare.
• Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) Research training program offering PhD and Masters by research degrees in health research, conducted in affiliation with Charles Darwin University and supported by scholarships such as the Fakhrul Islam Scholarship and Menzies 40Y40K Scholarships.
• Postgraduate Degrees Postgraduate coursework degrees in public health and related disciplines delivered in partnership with Charles Darwin University.
• Health Research Services Health research services across Indigenous health, global and tropical health, and child development, supported by clinical and laboratory infrastructure, genomic sequencing capability, and partnerships with universities, government health services, and international agencies.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lowitja Institute: Australia's national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research institute. The closest peer to Menzies' Indigenous health research mandate, with shared focus on community-led research and policy translation.
• Telethon Kids Institute: Perth-based children's health research institute. Comparable to Menzies through its Centre for Child Development and Education portfolio, Aboriginal child health programs, and translational research into Indigenous health outcomes.
• Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute: Australian medical research institute of similar scale focused on chronic disease. Comparable on grant-funded operating model, translational digital health tools, and cardiovascular/diabetes research relevant to Indigenous health disparities.
• Burnet Institute: Australian medical research institute with a strong global and tropical health focus. Directly comparable to Menzies on infectious disease research (malaria, TB, viral hepatitis), Asia-Pacific partnerships, and the non-profit/grant-funded operating model.
• The George Institute for Global Health: Global health research institute with offices in Australia, India, China, and the UK. Directly comparable on international tropical and chronic disease research and the grant/donor revenue model.
• QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute: Queensland-based medical research institute with comparable scale (500+ staff), tropical disease portfolio, and translational pipeline. Comparable on operating model, grant dependency, and disease focus areas.
• South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI): Adelaide-based health and medical research institute with a comparable thematic focus on Indigenous health and chronic disease. Shares the non-profit model, state-government relationships, and translational research mandate.

Others

• Charles Darwin University: Menzies' academic affiliate and major stakeholder. Comparable as the degree-granting partner for Menzies' HDR and public health programs and as the co-deliverer of the 'Come study public health with Menzies at CDU' offering.

Broad incumbents

• Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI): Australia's oldest medical research institute with a much larger scope across immunology, cancer, and infectious disease. Comparable as a fellow non-profit, NHMRC-funded institute, but significantly larger and broader than Menzies' niche focus.
• Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI): Australia's largest child health research institute. Comparable on child development research portfolio and the pediatric/Indigenous health focus, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader disease coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MenziesResearch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@menziesschoolofhealthresea7348
• Facebookfacebook.com/MenziesSchoolOfHealthResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1966616?trk=tyah

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Menzies School of Health Research