Victorian Future Leader Fellows for Clinical Trials – Fellowship Program

The Victorian Future Leader Fellows for Clinical Trials – Fellowship Program is delivered through the Victorian Research Translation Centre Collaborative (VRTCC) (MACH, Monash Partners Health Translation Network and the Western Alliance) with support from the Victorian Government.

15 Fellows will be appointed across two rounds of the program, with five Fellowships offered through each Research Translation Centre (RTC) over the life of the program.

Applications will be administered separately by each RTC and MACH applications will be processed through the Melbourne Centre for Clinical Trials (MCCT). The application guidelines on this page are specific to applicants from MACH partner organisations. Visit Monash Partners and Western Alliance to learn how to apply for their respective programs.

Fellowship Program Timeline

Round 1: Two Fellowships per research translation centre, commencing in September 2026 – September 2028

Round 2: Three Fellowships per research translation centre, commencing in October 2027 – October 2029

The Program is designed to support innovative, evidence-based approaches that increase participation and recruitment into both investigator-initiated and commercially sponsored clinical trials, supporting projects that contribute to one or more of the following priority areas:

• Increase patient awareness and recruitment in clinical trials
  Projects may focus on improving awareness of clinical trials and strengthening recruitment at clinical sites through local, community-based or promotional approaches.
• Strengthen digital approaches to participation
  Projects may explore innovative digital approaches to improve recruitment, including clinician alerts, AI-supported technologies for early patient identification and mobile recruitment strategies that reduce barriers to participation.
• Improve equity and access
  Applicants are encouraged to develop approaches that improve access to clinical trials for underrepresented and priority populations (as defined in the National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026 – 2036), including culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and rural communities.
• Build capability for consumer and community involvement
  Projects may focus on increasing workforce capability to meaningfully involve consumers and communities in the design and delivery of clinical trials and support shared learning across Victoria.

MACH Round 1 Fellowships

Two Fellowships are currently available to applicants from MACH partner organisations.

Each Fellowship is supported by up to 0.5 FTE funding over two years. Employers may use this funding to backfill the Fellow’s role or increase their FTE so fellowship activities can be undertaken alongside their existing position.

Funding

A maximum of $130,000 is available for each Fellowship to provide protected time to undertake the proposed activities. Up to $15,000 may be used for approved direct project costs.

Applicants must:

• Be employed at a MACH partner organisation with a minimum commitment of 0.3FTE.
• Be supported by a primary supervisor holding a research appointment at a MACH partner
• Have support from the applicant’s employer (e.g. manager, department head) confirming the partner organisation will provide the necessary infrastructure and support, and agree to release the applicant to undertake the Fellowship for the agreed timeframe

Please note: Applicants are not required to have a clinical background

Projects must:

• focus on one or more evidence-based approaches to increase recruitment into clinical trials (see priority areas above)
• demonstrate measurable metrics for increased trial recruitment
• show potential to be scaled and sustained across Victoria

Round 1 applications have closed.

Round 2 fellows will commence in October 2027. Applications to open in mid 2027.

All MACH applications will be processed through the Melbourne Centre for Clinical Trials (MCCT).