IgnitED

Do you have a brilliant new idea that could be tested through research and will help us solve eating disorders?

The Australian Eating Disorders Research & Translation Centre is pleased to announce that applications for the second round of IgnitED Fund grants opened on October 13th, 2025.

IgnitED 2.0 will support the development of new ideas or concepts that have the potential to positively impact the health and social and emotional wellbeing of people with eating disorders, their families and/or supports.

We want to link eating disorder researchers, researchers with lived experience, and clinical or community expertise to produce genuinely co-designed and inspired ideas that have the potential to help solve eating disorders.

IgnitED 2025 will offer 5 x up to $10,000 grants to Australian resident applicants with great new ideas who are ready to work in a co-design process, to bring their idea to life, and to build new relationships and skills.

Applications close November 7th 2025.

The AEDRTC Hub

A key aim of IgnitED 2.0 is to promote new networks and connections within eating disorders research. The AEDRTC Hub provides many networking opportunities and useful tools to support forming your teams for your application:

• QuickStart Guide for Co-production in Eating Disorders Research - applicants are strongly encouraged to review the guidance prior to developing their response
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration Guidelines and Self Check Tool
• Networking opportunities
• Research and Training Hub

Application Details

Who can apply?

Anyone with a brilliant new idea can apply for an IgnitED grant! The IgnitED Fund is open to all Australian residents who are members of the AEDRTC Hub (join free here). Anyone with a compelling new idea is encouraged to apply – whether you are working in a community organisation; have a lived or living experience of an eating disorder; or come from a professional background such as research, teaching, sports, clinical practice, journalism, or as a family member, friend, or carer.

The successful applicant will need to submit their application as part of a co-design team, and your idea must be underpinned by a co-production approach.

Eligibility Criteria

To meet the intended principles of this funding, the lead applicant must:

• Be an Australian resident
• Be a member of the AEDRTC Hub

Eligible research teams must also demonstrate meaningful inclusion of people with Lived/Living expertise with clearly defined roles that support co-design. At minimum teams must include:

• Lived/Living experience expertise in a defined and resourced role. This may be demonstrated through leadership or co-leadership, a designated Lived/Living Experience workforce role (e.g., peer worker, advocate, researcher, educator), or a formal partnership with Lived/Living experience professionals.
• A researcher at a Higher Degree Research (HDR) level, Early Career Researcher (ECR), or another emerging researcher (including lived/living experience, clinical, community).
• Additional team members with clinical or community expertise.

All applications must show how co-design principles have been embedded in the methodology, planning, budgeting and timelines. Applicants are encouraged to refer to:

• QuickStart Guide for Co-production in Eating Disorders Research - applicants are strongly encouraged to review the guidance prior to developing their response
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration Guidelines and Self Check Tool
• Networking opportunities
• Research and Training Hub

Please note: If your idea is related to the lived experience perspective – whether that is from people who have experience of an eating disorder, their family or supports – the lead applicant must be someone with relevant lived experience expertise. Similarly, if your idea is related to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, the lead applicant must be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.

Ref: QuickStart guide for co-production in eating disorders research (AEDRTC Hub) adapted from Bellingham et al., 2022.

Ref: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration Guidelines

What sort of ideas will be funded?

The IgnitED Fund will support new ideas that have not previously been tested in the eating disorders field. Examples include:

• Targeted innovations: Ideas addressing a specific challenge or aspect within eating disorder research that has previously not been explored.
• Adaptations from other fields: Approaches that have shown effectiveness in other areas of health or mental health and could be applied to eating disorders.
• Community-informed concepts: Ideas developed through consultation with a particular group or community that you believe would make for a positive impact.
• Bold and inclusive proposals: Initiatives that reflect and respond to the diversity of our community.
• Collaborative approaches: Projects that bring people together in new and productive partnerships.
• Practical and achievable innovations: Creative ideas that are not only original but also realistic and capable of being implemented in practice.

Lived and Living Experience and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Co-Production

Lived and Living Experience and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Co-Production are central to the Centre’s work. By embedding these perspectives, the programme supports research that is inclusive, relevant and responsive to the needs of those most affected.

Reflective of the Centre’s commitment to supporting research leadership by those whose perspectives and expertise are essential to advancing meaningful and inclusive knowledge creation, applications led by people with Lived/Living Experience, and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, will be prioritised.

How will applications be assessed?

All eligible applications will undergo a double-blind review process, assessed by an independent Review Panel. Funding will be awarded to the five proposals that best demonstrate the key assessment criteria.

In line with the Centre’s priorities, applications led by people with Lived/Living Experience and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and communities will be given priority.

As funding is limited, not all applications will be funded in this round. However, we are committed to providing feedback to applicants where possible, highlighting areas that could strengthen future applications.

Key Assessment Criteria

All applications need to demonstrate our key assessment criteria:

What if I don’t know any researchers or people with lived experience expertise to partner with?

If you have an idea but do not yet have a co-design team, the AEDRTC Hub provides a range of resources to help you build the right partnership and strengthen your application. These include:

• QuickStart Guide for Co-production in Eating Disorders Research - applicants are strongly encouraged to review the guidance prior to developing their response
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration Guidelines and Self Check Tool
• Networking opportunities
• Research and Training Hub

A central aim of this funding is to foster new partnerships and collaborations. Actively seeking out and developing connections across research, lived and living experience, clinical and community expertise is an essential part of the program.

What happens if I am successful?

If your idea is selected for funding, you will enter into an agreement through your administering organisation with the University of Sydney. This agreement will stipulate funding arrangements and deliverables expected from your project.

All successful applicants will be asked to provide:

• A peer-reviewed journal article reporting on the funded work [publication costs for JOED will be covered separately by the AEDRTC].

• An executive summary describing the development of the idea.

• A forward plan, detailing the next steps, such as progression to larger grants (e.g., NHMRC New Ideas or Synergy grants) where relevant.

• A short awardee profile and video showcasing the funded idea, to be featured on the AEDRTC website and in IgnitED Fund promotions (see the 2022 Round Winners for example)

What are the funding Timeframes?

Projects are expected to be completed within 6-to-12-months. Please note that full financial acquittal of funds will be required by 30 June 2026. However, project activities and final reporting may extend beyond this date, provided they remain within the 6-to-12-month timeframe.

What if I have a question?

Please review our FAQs in the next tab.

We will be holding an optional webinar with some application preparation tips, after applications have opened. Be sure to have signed up to the AEDRTC Hub to recieve updates about the webinar.

If you still have questions, please email admin@eatingdisordersresearch.org.au, and we will continue to update the FAQs.

Acknowledgements

The Australian Eating Disorders Research and Translation Centre is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care, under the National Leadership in Mental Health program.