TLDR
WEHI has secured a $7 million federal grant to expand its National Drug Discovery Centre in Melbourne, with $3.6 million in co-investment bringing the total program to $10.6 million. The three-year partnership with the Bio21 Institute and Therapeutic Innovation Australia will support at least nine screening projects.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
WEHI has received a $7 million grant from the Australian Government's Medical Research Future Fund to expand the National Drug Discovery Centre in Melbourne.[1] WEHI is co-investing $3.6 million, taking the total program to $10.6 million.[1]
The project runs for three years across WEHI, the Bio21 Institute at the University of Melbourne, and Therapeutic Innovation Australia.[1] The funding falls under the MRFF's 2026 National Critical Research Infrastructure program, which provides Stream 3 grants of up to $7 million per project.[3]
Since opening in 2020, the National Drug Discovery Centre has screened over 10 million compounds across more than 30 research projects.[1] The centre runs ultra-high-throughput robotic screening platforms for biochemical and cell-based assays at WEHI's Parkville campus, giving researchers and small businesses access to industry-standard drug candidate identification tools.
The expanded centre is expected to support at least nine nationally selected screening projects over the next three years.[1] Access will be open to Australian researchers and small-to-medium enterprises.
Professor Guillaume Lessene, Division Lead and Associate Director of Therapeutic Discovery at WEHI, said the investment addressed a long-standing gap. "Our researchers deserve better access to the advanced tech needed to turn their promising discoveries into future medicines," Lessene said.[1]
Associate Professor Jeff Mitchell, Joint Head of the NDDC, said the centre would lift the odds of Australian discoveries reaching patients. Mitchell said it will play a critical role in ensuring first-of-its-kind discoveries made in Australian laboratories have the best possible chance of turning into treatments made on Australian soil.[1]
The Medical Research Future Fund is administered by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Department of Health, drawing on investment returns to fund health and medical research infrastructure.[2] The three-year program begins immediately following the 26 August 2026 grant announcement.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Caleb Reed covers breaking news and sport. He works to the rhythm of a story as it unfolds, and he is happiest when the facts arrive faster than anyone can spin them.
