Melbourne Research Excellence Awards
2026 Awards
The Melbourne Research Excellence Awards recognise outstanding contributions towards the delivery of high-impact research and the building of a world-leading research community. They are a celebration of the research that helps achieve the goals of Advancing Melbourne, including recognition of mid-career researchers, external partnerships, collaborations across disciplinary boundaries, and graduate research supervision.
These awards complement other forms of research recognition that arise through publications, external grants, early-career grants, fellowships, and academic societies. Except where indicated otherwise, the Melbourne Research Excellence awards are open to both teams and individuals.
Award for Excellence in Enabling Research
Nominees will have led transformative initiatives at institutional or local level that build research capability or provided support that was essential to the success of a research activity. This award recognises activity that is designed to enable research outcomes, rather than recognising the research itself. This award is open to both professional and academic staff.
Award for Excellence in Graduate Researcher Supervision
Nominees should have a sustained record of high-quality graduate researcher supervision at the University, relative to opportunity and disciplinary norms. For this award, which is open only to individuals, the awardee will have demonstrated supervision practices that develop their graduate researchers’ skills both in research and more broadly, and which lead to them becoming rounded, independent, and successful in their chosen fields.
Award for Excellence in Indigenous Research
This award recognises outstanding achievement in Indigenous research, including published research or non-traditional research outputs that have significant impact for, or benefit to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The award particularly acknowledges Indigenous research leadership and exemplary research practices, including those aligned with the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research.
Award for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Research
Nominees will have been collaborators in interdisciplinary research of outstanding influence, that is, the establishment of new, or advancing of existing, collaborations and programs that draw on multiple disciplines typically involving multiple faculties or schools.
Award for Excellence in Mid-Career Research Achievements
Nominees will have accomplished an outstanding research achievement at mid-career evidenced by a single or small suite of connected publications reporting work predominantly undertaken at Melbourne. This award is for individuals who are five to ten years, or equivalent, post-PhD.
Award for Excellence in Research Programs with External Organisations
Nominees will have been instrumental in creating or developing research programs and initiatives with outstanding influence involving other institutions, industries, or external organisations such as governments or community groups. This category excludes activities that are supported by major external competitive funding from research councils.