Auckland Medical Research Foundation

What Auckland Medical Research Foundation does

Auckland Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) is an independent charitable foundation established in 1955 in Auckland, New Zealand, and operates as the country's largest independent funder of medical research across the spectrum of all diseases and disorders. The foundation distributes competitive grants, including project grants, doctoral scholarships, fellowships (such as the Douglas Goodfellow, Ruth Spencer, Gavin and Ann Kellaway, and Repatriation Fellowships), travel awards, and Covid-specific grants, to researchers primarily based at New Zealand institutions. It is governed by a Board of Trustees and a Medical Committee, with Sue Brewster as Executive Director and Katie Noble as Board President following a 2025 leadership transition from long-serving Board Chair Richard Taylor.

AMRF's core technology consists of a web-based grant application and distribution platform, complemented by funded research outputs including the Whitu mobile well-being application and Associate Professor Amy Chan's AI-powered asthma risk prediction tool, the latter developed in collaboration with Oxford. Donor-facing infrastructure includes online donations via Windcave payment processing, bank transfer, physical mail, and paid digital advertising through Google Ads and Meta. The foundation holds compliance certifications under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and PCI-DSS via its payment partner.

The business model is donation-driven: AMRF receives contributions from individuals, families affected by disease, corporate sponsors (including JMI Wealth, AUT, University of Auckland, and Blue Star New Zealand), bequests, and community fundraising events, alongside a membership subscription tier. A distinctive structural feature is that 100% of donations reach research because administrative expenses are covered by an external benefactor. The foundation awarded 67 grants in 2025 (15 Research Projects, 6 Fellowships and Scholarships, 30 Travel Awards), bringing cumulative research investment to over $100 million since 1955, and has launched the $6 million Futures Fellowship Fund to support mid-career researchers.

Name

Auckland Medical Research Foundation

Legal name

Auckland Medical Research Foundation

Website

https://medicalresearch.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Auckland Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) is an independent charitable foundation established in 1955 that funds medical researchers across New Zealand through competitive grants, fellowships, and scholarships, supported by individual donations, corporate sponsors, and bequests, with 100% of donations going directly to research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Research Grantmaking

NAICS

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAL

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPAGAKAI

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Medical research grants
• Doctoral scholarships research
• Research fellowships funding
• Charitable health foundation
• Travel grants conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: AMRF receives donations from individual supporters, families who have been affected by diseases, corporate sponsors, and through bequests and legacies. The foundation also benefits from community fundraising events such as marathons and musical theatre performances.
2. Membership: The foundation offers membership options for supporters who wish to maintain ongoing involvement with the organization's activities and mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Auckland Medical Research Foundation is a charitable foundation that raises donations from individuals, families, and corporate sponsors and redistributes them as competitive grants to medical researchers in New Zealand. Its grant portfolio covers Doctoral Scholarships, Fellowships (including named fellowships such as Douglas Goodfellow, Ruth Spencer, Gavin and Ann Kellaway), Project Grants, Travel Grants, and Covid-19 Research Grants, supporting researchers across all career stages.

Product overview

Auckland Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) is New Zealand's largest independent funder of medical research, established in 1955. The organization provides grant funding programs supporting researchers across all diseases and disorders, including Project Grants, Doctoral Scholarships, Fellowships, and Travel Grants. Notably, 100% of donations go directly to research as administrative expenses are covered by an external benefactor. The Foundation has invested over $100 million in medical research over 70 years. Research funded by AMRF has produced outcomes including the Whitu mental well-being mobile application for youth and an AI-powered asthma risk prediction tool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Whitu: A mobile phone app developed with AMRF funding, aimed at providing young New Zealanders with tools to help them improve well-being, reduce anxiety and depression, and deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Available on Google Play and Apple Store.

Products and services

• Research Grant Programs Umbrella funding program covering all medical research grants offered by AMRF, including Doctoral Scholarships, Fellowships, Project Grants, Travel Grants, and Covid-19 Research Grants, supporting researchers at all career stages.
• Doctoral Scholarships Funding support for doctoral candidates undertaking medical research, including named scholarships such as the Helen Goodwin Doctoral Scholarship.
• Fellowships Career-stage research fellowships including the Douglas Goodfellow Medical Research Fellowship, Ruth Spencer Fellowship, Gavin and Ann Kellaway Medical Research Fellowship, and Douglas Goodfellow Repatriation Fellowship.
• Project Grants Direct funding for specific medical research projects across various diseases and disorders, supporting researchers at universities and research institutions in Auckland.
• Travel Grants Travel Awards enabling early-career researchers to present at conferences and collaborate internationally. 30 Travel Awards were granted in 2025.
• Covid-19 Research Grants Special funding for research projects affected by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Quantifiable outcome

• 67 total grants awarded in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• University of AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Primary institutional partner for medical research; hosts Centre for Cancer Research and multiple AMRF-funded researchers; collaborator on 70th anniversary celebrations and Futures Fellowship Fund
• Auckland University of Technology (AUT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Institutional partner collaborating on medical research initiatives and 70th anniversary celebrations
• University of OxfordflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Global collaboration with Associate Professor Amy Chan on AI-powered asthma risk tool and digital therapeutics advancement; site of Dr Marta Seretny's fellowship studies at Uehiro Institute
• JMI WealthminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Corporate sponsor of AMRF's 70th anniversary celebrations
• Blue Star New ZealandminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Print partner for AMRF's 70th anniversary commemorative materials
• WindcavecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing provider for online donations; protects personal information to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards; AMRF does not store credit card information

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wellcome Trust: UK-based global charitable foundation funding biomedical research at massive scale. Comparable in grantmaking model (independent, donation/endowment-funded) but operates at far larger scale with global footprint.
• The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: US-based nonprofit driving cystic fibrosis research via competitive grants. Comparable as a donation-funded medical research grantmaker, though focused on a single disease and operating at much larger scale internationally.
• Australian Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF): Australian government fund financing medical research grants. Comparable as a large-scale medical research grantmaker in a neighbouring market; regional peer given geographic focus differs.
• Lottery Grants Board (New Zealand): Statutory body distributing Lottery Profits-funded grants across community, health, education and research. Comparable as a NZ grantmaking entity with much broader mandate and substantially larger capital base.

Direct peers

• Neurological Foundation of New Zealand: NZ charitable foundation funding neurological research via grants and fellowships. Direct peer in grantmaking structure and disease-specific funding model, though narrower in disease scope than AMRF.
• Cancer Society of New Zealand: NZ's largest cancer-focused charity, funding cancer research grants alongside support services. Comparable in donation-driven research funding model, though narrower disease mandate.
• Heart Foundation of New Zealand: NZ charity funding cardiovascular research and related fellowships. Comparable as a donation-funded research grantmaker, though more disease-focused (cardiovascular only).
• Cure Kids: NZ's largest charitable funder of child health research. Cure Kids is a direct peer because it accepts donations and funds competitive medical research grants within NZ, overlapping with AMRF's grantmaking model and researcher pool.
• Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC): New Zealand's primary government-funded health research council. HRC is the closest direct peer because it distributes competitive research grants across career stages and disease areas within NZ, directly competing for the same researcher pipeline and donor mindshare.

Regional players

• Maurice Wilkins Centre: NZ Centre of Research Excellence hosting and funding translational biomedical research. Comparable as an NZ biomedical research funding/hosting entity, though primarily a hosted research network rather than a pure grantmaking charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/medresearchnz.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@amrf
• Facebookfacebook.com/AMRFnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auckland-medical-research-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/medresearchnz

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Auckland Medical Research Foundation