Manna Institute
Manna Institute is a virtual research consortium of seven Regional Universities Network universities that conducts mental health research for rural, regional, and remote Australia, funded primarily through Australian government grants and offering mentoring and short-course programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersArmidale, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Manna Institute does
Manna Institute is a virtual research institute dedicated to improving mental health outcomes in rural, regional, and remote (RRR) Australia. Established in 2021 and publicly launched in October 2022, it operates as a collaborative initiative of seven universities in the Regional Universities Network (RUN), led by the University of New England. Its research is organised across five streams: Children, Youth and Families; Physical Health; Health and Wellbeing in Later Life; Distress and Suicide Prevention; and Healthy Planet Healthy People. The institute is virtual by design, coordinating its 75+ affiliated researchers through standard digital collaboration platforms (Microsoft Teams, Zoom) and a Squarespace-hosted public website. It supports PhD scholarships, the MIRM Research Mentoring Program, and Manna Short Courses as capability-building offerings.
The institute is funded primarily through Australian government grants rather than commercial revenue. It received an initial $3.66M from the Department of Education under the Regional Research Collaboration (RRC) program, supplemented by a $900K National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant. Membership for researchers and community members is free, and the institute employs approximately 17 staff. Governance embeds a First Nations Advisory Group and Lived Experience representation, formalising community co-design.
Manna's commercial monetisation is limited; its primary outputs are peer-reviewed research, workforce development (mentoring and short courses), and policy-relevant evidence for RRR mental health. Convening activity, such as the inaugural Sydney symposium in 2024, signals intent to expand its external profile. The model is best characterised as a publicly funded research consortium whose competitive position rests on institutional partnerships, geographic reach, and community legitimacy rather than proprietary technology.
Manna Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Manna Institute
- Legal name
- Manna Institute
- Website
- https://mannainstitute.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Manna Institute is a virtual research consortium of seven Regional Universities Network universities that conducts mental health research for rural, regional, and remote Australia, funded primarily through Australian government grants and offering mentoring and short-course programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Manna Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mental Health Research
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Educational Support Services (611710)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)
Keywords
Where Manna Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Armidale
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Manna Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Research Funding: Manna Institute is primarily funded through government grants, including a $3.66 million Commonwealth grant under the Regional Research Collaboration (RRC) program administered by the Australian Government Department of Education. The institute was established through this funding and continues to advocate for diverse funding sources to ensure continuation of its work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free membership for all participants |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Manna Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Manna Institute is a virtual research institute of the seven Regional Universities Network (RUN) universities that delivers coordinated mental health and wellbeing research, training, and community engagement programs targeted at rural, regional, and remote Australia. Its core offerings comprise five research streams, an HDR Community of Practice, a research mentoring program (MIRM), PhD scholarships, and professional development short courses, supported by webinars, town hall forums, newsletters, and fact sheets.
Product overview
Manna Institute is a virtual research institute that functions as a platform-plus-services model, comprising five distinct research streams focused on regional mental health: Children, Youth and Families; Physical Health; Health & Wellbeing in Later Life; Distress and Suicide Prevention; and Healthy Planet Healthy People. These research streams are supported by professional development services including the HDR Community of Practice (offering writing sessions and seminars), the 12-month Research Mentoring Program (MIRM), and Manna Short Courses. The institute also provides PhD scholarships to attract researchers to regional mental health topics, delivers educational content through webinars and fact sheets, and engages communities through Town Hall forums and the monthly Trunk Line newsletter. The institute connects seven Regional Universities Network (RUN) universities with industry partners including Everymind, Lifeline Direct, and ANU Centre for Mental Health Research.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HDR Community of Practice
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.5x higher suicide rates in regional vs metropolitan areas - Manna addresses this crisis with tailored interventions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Manna Institute
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Manna Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Manna Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- University of New EnglandcoreLead institution for Manna Institute. UNE Professor Myfanwy Maple serves as Manna Institute Director. Provides administrative home and coordinates activities across all RUN partners.
- Charles Sturt UniversitycoreRUN partner university contributing researchers and expertise across all five mental health research streams.
- Central Queensland UniversitycoreRUN partner university contributing researchers and expertise, particularly in First Nations mental health research.
- Federation UniversitycoreRUN partner university contributing researchers across research streams.
- Southern Cross UniversitycoreRUN partner university contributing researchers and expertise in physical activity and mental health.
- University of Southern QueenslandcoreRUN partner university contributing researchers and expertise in digital mental health solutions and child/adolescent mental health.
- University of Sunshine CoastcoreRUN partner university contributing researchers and expertise in healthy ageing and physical health.
- EverymindcoreFoundation partner providing expertise in suicide prevention and mental health. Director Dr Jaelea Skehan OAM contributes to Manna governance and research streams.
- Lifeline DirectcoreFoundation partner contributing crisis support expertise and community engagement capabilities. General Manager Susan King participates in research governance.
- ANU Centre for Mental Health ResearchcoreFoundation partner providing global leadership in community-focused solutions to complex mental health challenges. Professor Phil Batterham and Professor Alison Calear contribute as foundation partners.
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing, Mental Health, and Suicide Leadership BodymajorProject partner providing First Nations leadership and guidance on social and emotional wellbeing approaches to mental health.
- Centre for Rural and Remote Mental HealthmajorProject partner focused on the wellbeing of regional, rural and remote communities through mental health expertise.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Manna Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Brain and Mind Centre: University of Sydney-affiliated research centre delivering large-scale mental health and neuroscience research. Broader in scope (urban, neuroscience-heavy) but a comparable Australian academic mental health research platform.
- Telethon Kids Institute: Major Australian child health and mental health research institute. Overlaps with Manna's Children, Youth and Families stream and translational research model, though larger and based in Perth.
- Movember Foundation: Global philanthropic funder of men's mental health and suicide prevention research. Adjacent as a large-scale mental health research funder and convenor, particularly relevant to Manna's Distress and Suicide Prevention stream.
Direct peers
- Everymind: Australian institute focused on suicide prevention and mental health, and a Manna foundation partner. Directly comparable in mission around mental health research translation and workforce capacity building in Australia.
- Black Dog Institute: Major Australian medical research institute translating mental health research into clinical services, education and resources. Comparable as a translational mental health research institute though focused nationally rather than regionally.
- ANU Centre for Mental Health Research: Australian National University-based research centre producing global leadership in community-focused solutions to mental health challenges. Comparable as a foundation partner and as an academic mental health research centre.
- Lifeline Research Office: Research arm of Lifeline Australia generating evidence on crisis support and suicide prevention. A Manna foundation partner and directly comparable in distress prevention research translation.
- Australian Institute of Family Studies: Australian Government-funded research agency conducting family and mental wellbeing research with translational outputs. Comparable as an Australian federally-funded research-to-policy institute.
- Orygen: Australia's flagship youth mental health research and translation organisation. Comparable as a research-into-practice institute with strong university affiliation, though focused on young people rather than regional populations.
- Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health: Queensland-based organisation dedicated to the wellbeing of regional, rural and remote communities through mental health research and service delivery. Highly comparable in target population, mandate and research-to-practice focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Manna Institute social profiles
Digital presenceManna Institute compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Manna Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Manna Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Manna Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Manna Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Manna Institute
What does Manna Institute do?
Manna Institute is a virtual research institute of the seven Regional Universities Network (RUN) universities that delivers coordinated mental health and wellbeing research, training, and community engagement programs targeted at rural, regional, and remote Australia. Its core offerings comprise five research streams, an HDR Community of Practice, a research mentoring program (MIRM), PhD scholarships, and professional development short courses, supported by webinars, town hall forums, newsletters, and fact sheets.
Is Manna Institute a public or private company?
Manna Institute is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Manna Institute founded?
Manna Institute was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Manna Institute based?
Manna Institute is headquartered in Armidale, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Manna Institute make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Research Funding.
Who are Manna Institute's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Brain and Mind Centre, Telethon Kids Institute and Movember Foundation. Direct peers are Everymind, Black Dog Institute, ANU Centre for Mental Health Research, Lifeline Research Office, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Orygen and Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health.
Does Manna Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Manna Institute.
What industry is Manna Institute in?
Manna Institute's product category is Mental Health Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHALAK, Online Nonprofit Universities. Its NAICS code is 54172.