What NSW Health does

NSW Health, through its Office for Health and Medical Research within the NSW Ministry of Health, is the statutory body responsible for funding, coordinating, and translating health and medical research across the state of New South Wales, Australia. The entity operates a grant administration platform spanning the Medical Research Support Program (supporting 13 medical research institutes), the Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program ($150 million over 10 years from 2018), the Medical Devices Fund (grants of $500,000 to $5,000,000 per application), the Translational Research Grants Scheme, Early-Mid Career Grants, Elite Researcher Grants, and Aboriginal Heart Health Grants. It administers seven integrated Health and Innovation Precincts connecting hospitals, universities, and industry across metropolitan NSW, with the Randwick precinct alone delivering 1.8 million patient encounters per year.

The entity's core technology platforms include the Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS, mandatory for eligible trials since September 2023) built on Advarra's Clinical Conductor with optional eReg (electronic Investigator Site File, FDA CFR Part 11 compliant) and CCText SMS modules; the Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR); the NSW Health Statewide Biobank (first and largest in the Southern Hemisphere with 3 million+ sample capacity); and the Health and Innovation Navigator service that connects global stakeholders to NSW research opportunities. Research networks include VaxNSW Connect (vaccines), NAT-Net (non-animal technologies), the RNA Production and Research Network, and three Rural/Regional/Remote Clinical Trial clusters. The Critical Intelligence Unit produces weekly evidence digests and briefs supporting evidence-based decision-making.

The business model is fully government-funded: NSW Health does not generate commercial revenue and instead administers state budget allocations and competitive grant programs to researchers, clinicians, medical research institutes, and commercial innovators. The Office's value proposition centres on regulatory authority (the 2024 Policy Directive on Intellectual Property arising from Health Research, NHMRC-aligned ethics review), distribution through the precinct network, commercialisation support (delivered via partner Cicada Innovations), and end-to-end research lifecycle funding from basic science through to market entry. Geographic footprint is concentrated in NSW and the ACT, with international engagement via seven delegations to Saudi Arabia, Beijing, Oklahoma, Utah, Ontario, Delaware, and Minnesota.

Name

NSW Health

Legal name

Office for Health and Medical Research (NSW Ministry of Health)

Website

https://medicalresearch.nsw.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

NSW Health's Office for Health and Medical Research is a NSW Government entity that administers grant funding, clinical trial infrastructure, and commercialisation support across seven Health and Innovation Precincts, serving medical researchers, clinicians, and innovators across New South Wales and the ACT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Health Research Administration

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health Program Grants Management & Administration (HLAJALAC), Government Public Health Grantmaking & Program Offices (HLAJALAA), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Medical research funding
• Clinical trial management
• Health innovation precincts
• Research grant administration
• Translational health research

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants Administration: NSW Health is a government-funded organization that administers various grant programs to support health and medical research. The Office for Health and Medical Research provides funding to researchers, medical research institutes, and healthcare organizations across NSW. Programs include Medical Research Support Program, Medical Devices Fund, Translational Research Grants Scheme, and Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program ($150M over 10 years).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NSW Health's Office for Health and Medical Research administers government-funded grant programs and operates research infrastructure platforms supporting health and medical research across New South Wales. The organisation delivers funding, commercialisation support, clinical trial management systems, a statewide biobank, and research networks — underpinned by Australia's only integrated network of Health and Innovation Precincts.

Product overview

NSW Health, through the Office for Health and Medical Research, operates a platform-and-grant ecosystem spanning research strategy, clinical trial infrastructure, biobanking, commercialisation, and grant funding. The NSW Health Research and Innovation Navigator serves as the central digital access point, connecting stakeholders to the broader portfolio. Core platforms include the Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) for statewide trial oversight (with components Clinical Conductor, eReg, and CCText), the NSW Health Statewide Biobank, and the Critical Intelligence Unit providing evidence-based insights. Research is facilitated through networks for vaccines (VaxNSW Connect), non-animal technologies (NAT-Net), and RNA therapeutics (RNA Production and Research Network). Infrastructure includes ethics and governance services and a genomics translational pipeline tool. The Commercialisation Training Program supports health tech innovators. Research funding is channelled through programs including Aboriginal Heart Health Grants, Medical Devices Fund, Translational Research Grants Scheme, Early-Mid Career Grants, Elite Researcher Grants, and the Medical Research Support Program, underpinned by the NSW Health Research and Innovation Strategy 2025–2030. The portfolio is further supported by Australia's only integrated network of Health and Innovation Precincts across seven locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NSW Health Research and Innovation Navigator Central navigation service that strategically qualifies and connects domestic and international industry, government agencies, academia, and clinicians to NSW health research opportunities, resources, and precincts.
• Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) Statewide web-based software for managing clinical trials across NSW public health organisations, providing financial management, participant management, forecasting, and reporting. Supports National Clinical Trials Governance Framework accreditation and FDA CFR Part 11 compliance via eReg.
• NSW Health Statewide Biobank State-of-the-art biospecimen storage facility operated by NSW Health Pathology, the first and largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere with large-scale robotic technology and capacity for over three million samples. Provides collection, transport, processing, storage, and access services.
• Critical Intelligence Unit Provides rapid, evidence-based insights about clinical innovation through systems intelligence, clinical intelligence, and evidence integration. Produces a weekly evidence digest and maintains a living evidence table on AI in healthcare.
• Health and Innovation Precincts Australia's only integrated network of Health and Innovation Precincts, including seven precincts (John Hunter, Liverpool, Macquarie Park, Randwick, St Vincent's Sydney, Sydney North, Westmead) driving research translation and innovation.
• NSW Health Research and Innovation Strategy 2025-2030 10-year strategy launched in May 2025 defining the strategic direction for advancing research and innovation to improve health outcomes across NSW, developed with input from 400+ stakeholders.
• Rural, Regional and Remote Clinical Trial Enabling Program Program expanding access to clinical trials across rural, regional and remote NSW and the ACT, with three geographical clusters (Northern, Western, Southern), each hosting a Clinical Trial Support Unit to facilitate trials, support start-up and close-out, coordinate recruitment, and build workforce capacity.
• VaxNSW Connect Statewide vaccine research network enhancing collaboration, accelerating vaccine development, and supporting rapid deployment of effective vaccines across NSW.
• Non-Animal Technologies Network (NAT-Net) Research network established in 2024 through a $4.5 million NSW Government investment to develop alternatives to animal testing in medical research. Operates under infrastructure, research, and regulatory pillars.
• RNA Production and Research Network Network established in 2021 to build RNA-based therapeutics capabilities in NSW, enabling scientists to access materials, services, and support to translate RNA therapeutics from bench to pre-clinical studies. Supported by $4.9 million NSW Health funding.
• Genomics Translational Pipeline Resource Navigation Tool Interactive digital tool providing a directory of resources to help researchers progress genomic technologies through the translational pipeline, searchable by technology type, research stage, and resource type.
• Commercialisation Training Program Program delivered by Cicada Innovations to nurture early-stage health tech innovators, building skills in commercialising medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, and software-as-a-medical-device.
• NSW Health Intellectual Property and Commercialisation Support Central Support Service providing IP protection, obligations guidance, and commercialisation support for NSW Health employees under the 2024 NSW Health Policy Directive on Intellectual Property arising from Health Research.
• Ethics and Governance Services Services including ethical and scientific review, site authorisation, research handbook, policies and guidelines, and ethics and governance metrics for health research conducted within NSW, aligned with the NHMRC National Statement.
• Aboriginal Heart Health Grants Grants funding high-impact Aboriginal-led cardiovascular research to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal peoples, part of the $150 million Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program.
• Medical Devices Fund Competitive technology and commercialisation program for medical devices and related technologies in NSW, with grants from $500,000 to $5,000,000 per application (excluding GST). Currently in Round 14, with four ground-breaking medical technology device entrepreneurs receiving $7.4 million in 2026.
• Translational Research Grants Scheme Funding for research projects translating into better patient outcomes, health service delivery, and population health. Round 10 open with full applications due September 2026.
• Early-Mid Career Grants Grants supporting early-mid career researchers to build and lead multidisciplinary teams, fund research excellence, and embed innovative research in the NSW health system.
• Elite Researcher Grants Grants attracting highly talented research leaders from overseas to relocate to NSW and strengthen capacity in priority research areas, with relocation funding up to $30,000.
• Medical Research Support Program NSW Government's flagship infrastructure funding program for eligible independent medical research institutes, providing support for indirect research costs based on NHMRC grant success. Supports 13 medical research institutes across NSW.
• Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program NSW Government investment program worth $150 million over 10 years into cardiovascular research to rapidly convert breakthroughs into better treatments for patients with heart disease.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64% of budgeted grant funding dispensed FYTD with 13 medical research institutes supported
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VaxNSW Connect Partner InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative network including University of Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, and Westmead Institute for Medical Research aimed at enhancing collaboration and accelerating vaccine development.
• Cicada InnovationscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDeep tech incubator that delivers the NSW Health Commercialisation Training Program, designed to nurture innovative early-stage health tech solutions and help innovators build sustainable businesses in NSW. Supports medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, and Software as a Medical Device products.
• Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-animal models regulatory working group formed in partnership with TGA as part of NAT-Net Regulatory Pillar. Addresses national regulatory framework for increased use of human cell models within regulatory approvals for therapeutic and medical devices.
• Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in NAT-Net regulatory working group addressing regulatory pathways for non-animal technologies and their implementation in medical research.
• ACT GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Rural, Regional and Remote Clinical Trial Enabling Program, expanding access to clinical trials across rural, regional and remote NSW and the ACT, supported by Medical Research Future Fund.
• NAT-Net Founding Member InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's Medical Research Institute, Hunter Medical Research Institute, UNSW, University of Wollongong, UTS, University of Sydney, University of Newcastle, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute working together to reduce and replace animals in medical research.
• Northern, Western, and Southern Clinical Trial ClusterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborative networks of local health districts delivering Rural, Regional and Remote Clinical Trial Enabling Program. Each cluster hosts a Clinical Trial Support Unit to facilitate trials, support start-up and close-out, coordinate participant recruitment, and build skilled workforce.
• Sydney Local Health DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating partner with NSW Ministry of Health in the NSW Health Statewide Biobank - the first and largest biobank facility in the Southern Hemisphere with capacity for over 3 million samples.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC): Australia's peak federal health and medical research funding agency. Operates as the direct federal counterpart to the Office for Health and Medical Research, distributing NHMRC grants and shaping national research priorities that complement (and compete with) NSW's state-level research funding.
• Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF): Australian federal government's endowed fund for health and medical research, currently over $20B. The MRFF is a primary upstream funder/co-funder of NSW Health programs (e.g., the Rural, Regional and Remote Clinical Trial Enabling Program) and the strongest direct counterpart in role and scope.
• National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR): UK's primary funder of clinical, translational, and applied health research. Comparable in mission (state-funded health research funding/coordination) to OHMR, though scaled to a national UK population and globally influential on trial-enabling infrastructure design.
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): Canada's federal health research funding agency. Functions as the federal analog to OHMR, distributing multi-year health research grants and coordinating the national research strategy — comparable role and stakeholder model.

Broad incumbents

• Wellcome Trust: A major UK-based independent foundation funding health and biomedical research globally. Although privately endowed rather than government-funded, it shares OHMR's grantmaking, translation-supporting, and research capacity-building roles at scale.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH): The largest public funder of biomedical research globally. While vastly larger, NIH shares OHMR's role of distributing government research funding, ethics/governance frameworks, and clinical trial infrastructure, providing a benchmark for the function NSW Health performs within Australia.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): A large US biomedical research organisation and funder. Functions similarly to OHMR in supporting investigator-led research, providing research infrastructure, and investing in early-mid-career researcher capacity.

Regional players

• Victorian Department of Health: The equivalent Australian state-level health department. Operates its own research translation and precinct programs (e.g., Melbourne Biomedical Precinct), competing with NSW for talent, federal co-funding, and industry partnerships.
• Queensland Health: Another Australian state-level health department with comparable research funding, clinical trial, and translation functions, often partnering with federal MRFF and competing for biotech investment that NSW's strategy is also targeting.

Emerging players

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Global Health): The world's largest philanthropic health research and translational funder. While globally focused and philanthropically rather than governmentally funded, it operates an analogous role in catalysing high-priority health research (vaccines, RNA, infectious disease) and shaping grantmaking infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MedResearchNSW
• LinkedInau.linkedin.com/company/medresearchnsw

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about NSW Health