The Kids Research Institute Australia

What The Kids Research Institute Australia does

The Kids Research Institute Australia is an independent nonprofit pediatric health research organization founded in 1990 and headquartered within Perth Children's Hospital in Nedlands, Western Australia. It conducts research across six core domains: First Nations Health and Equity, Chronic Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Precision Health, Strong Beginnings, and Mental Health and Wellbeing. The institute operates a multi-program research portfolio rather than commercial products, with outputs spanning peer-reviewed research, clinical translation, and community-facing initiatives such as the CONNECT community engagement program and the Discovery Centre for public outreach. It also runs an education program hosting approximately 200 higher degree research students (PhD, Masters, Honours, Doctor of Medicine) in partnership with Perth Children's Hospital, the University of Western Australia, and Curtin University.

The institute maintains regional offices in Broome (Western Australia) and Adelaide (South Australia), extending its geographic reach across northern and southern Australia. Its revenue is sourced from donations, community fundraising (including a 35-year impact campaign), research grants, and government funding rather than commercial sales. The organization's go-to-market is community-led: it builds research participation through public engagement, recruits researchers via flexible workplace programs, and raises funds through a dedicated giving portal. In April 2026, Caroline Homer was appointed as the new Executive Director, marking a senior leadership transition. The institute participates in the Athena Swan Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot and has been recognized for leadership in flexible work arrangements.

Customer segments are diversified and include children and families (research participants), research students, researchers and staff, and community supporters/donors. The institute engages over multiple channels including its website, social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, LinkedIn), email newsletters, on-site events, and the Discovery Centre. Strategic partnerships anchor the operating model: Perth Children's Hospital provides clinical integration, while UWA and Curtin University provide academic supervision and student pipelines.

Name

The Kids Research Institute Australia

Legal name

The Kids Research Institute Australia

Website

https://thekids.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Kids Research Institute Australia is a nonprofit pediatric health research organization founded in 1990, headquartered at Perth Children's Hospital. It conducts research across infectious diseases, chronic diseases, mental health, and First Nations health, serving children, families, and the broader community through donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Health Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine Practices (HLAFAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood & Child Development Policy Research (EDADADAJ), Health Education & Parent Coaching (Sleep, Safety, Illness Management) (EDACAMAN), Maternal, Child & Family Health Program Funding (HLAJALAG)

Keywords

• Pediatric health research
• Child health studies
• Medical research institute
• Clinical translational research
• Community health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Nedlands

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The institute accepts donations and has fundraising campaigns. The website features a dedicated giving portal with various donation options and a 35-year impact campaign.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Kids Research Institute Australia conducts pediatric health research across six thematic areas (First Nations Health and Equity, Chronic Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Precision Health, Strong Beginnings, and Mental Health and Wellbeing) and operates community engagement, student training, and public outreach programs. It recruits research participants for clinical and population studies, supports higher-degree research students, and runs the Discovery Centre for public engagement. Revenue is generated through donations, grants, and fundraising rather than commercial product sales.

Product overview

The Kids Research Institute Australia is a research institute focused on child health research, operating as a multi-program portfolio rather than a single commercial product. The institute offers research programs spanning Indigenous Health, Chronic Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Precision Health, Strong Beginnings, and Mental Health and Wellbeing. Community engagement is facilitated through the CONNECT program, while educational programs include Student Opportunities for higher degree research and the Discovery Centre for public outreach. Research participation opportunities enable families to join clinical and health studies across various conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Programs Comprehensive child health research spanning Indigenous Health, Chronic Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Precision Health, Strong Beginnings, and Mental Health and Wellbeing, for the benefit of children, families, and the broader medical research community.
• CONNECT A community engagement program connecting families, volunteers, and community members with research opportunities, advocacy, and participation pathways for those who want to support child health research.
• Discovery Centre Educational outreach center offering visitors insights into child health research through interactive experiences and programs, located at the institute's headquarters.
• Student Opportunities Higher degree research opportunities including Honours, Masters, PhD, and Doctor of Medicine degrees with comprehensive student support programs, offered in partnership with the University of Western Australia and Curtin University.
• Participate in Research Programs recruiting participants for clinical and health studies across autism, diabetes, respiratory, vaccines, family wellbeing, and mental health research, for families and individuals in the community.
• Bone Protection in Leukemia Research Specialized research program focused on protecting bones and bone health in children with leukemia, developing new protective approaches with rapid results announced in May 2026.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Perth Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong affiliation with Perth Children's Hospital where the institute is physically located. This partnership enables close integration between research and clinical care.
• University of Western AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong affiliation with The University of Western Australia, primarily for student supervision and academic collaboration in child health research.
• Curtin UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong affiliation with Curtin University for student supervision and academic collaboration in child health research.
• SAGE (Science in Australia Gender Equity)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe institute is proud to be part of the Athena Swan Science in Australia Gender Equity pilot, demonstrating commitment to gender equity, diversity and inclusivity.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne: Major pediatric hospital closely integrated with MCRI. Comparable as the eastern-state counterpart of the Perth Children's Hospital ecosystem that anchors the subject institute, with overlapping research translation model.
• QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute: Large Queensland-based medical research institute. Comparable as a nonprofit, university-affiliated, multi-domain research organisation, though its focus is broader (including tropical diseases, cancer, mental health) rather than pediatric-specific.
• Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research: Australia's oldest medical research institute, with a broader biomedical focus but overlapping research domains in infectious disease, immunology, and cancer. Comparable as a nonprofit, hospital-affiliated, grant-funded research organisation of similar scale.
• Boston Children's Hospital (Research): Largest pediatric research enterprise globally, affiliated with Harvard. Comparable as a pediatric-research-focused hospital co-located organisation with broad domain coverage, though at vastly larger scale.
• Garvan Institute of Medical Research: Sydney-based biomedical research institute. Comparable in scale, nonprofit structure, and hospital affiliation, though its research domains are broader (genomics, cancer, metabolic) rather than pediatric-focused.

Emerging players

• Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health: Melbourne-based neuroscience and mental health research institute. Partial overlap with the subject's Mental Health and Wellbeing research domain, and comparable in nonprofit, hospital-affiliated operating model.

Others

• George Institute for Global Health: Australia-based independent medical research institute with global reach. Comparable as a nonprofit, university-affiliated research organisation with community engagement programs, though focused on chronic disease rather than pediatrics.

Direct peers

• Telethon Kids Institute: Perth-based pediatric research institute with near-identical mission, geography, and historical name association (the subject was previously branded Telethon Kids Institute). Directly comparable in research domains and hospital affiliation.
• Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI): Westmead-based pediatric research institute focused on genetic diseases, cancer, and birth defects. Comparable in nonprofit pediatric research model, grant-funded operations, and translational research focus.
• Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI): Australia's largest child-health research institute, based at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Directly comparable in mission, hospital co-location model, research domains (infectious disease, chronic disease, mental health), and university affiliations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thekids_au
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheKidsAU
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheKidsResearchInstituteAustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-kids-research-institute-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/thekidsau

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Kids Research Institute Australia