RAIL Seed Grants
The Monash Rehabilitation Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre funding scheme facilitates high-quality, collaborative research across our key research areas. We are excited to provide funding opportunities specifically for early to mid-career researchers with the RAIL EMCR research grants.
These research grants are designed to support early-mid career researchers by funding and piloting quality research projects on a competitive basis. Our scheme encourages cross-disciplinary research and provides experience in grant application and research mentoring.
The objectives of this scheme are to:
- Support early-mid career researchers with high research potential to progress their research careers by funding high quality research projects and pilot research projects on a competitive basis
- Encourage cross disciplinary research collaboration
- Enhance the staff member’s competitiveness in bidding for external research funds
- Provide experience in preparing a grant application for peer review
- Provide research funding for projects that are strategically aligned with RAIL’s research priorities
- Provide an opportunity for research mentorship
Given RAIL’s focus on building research on the Peninsula campus, projects need to include at least one researcher based at the Peninsula campus of Monash University.
2024 Grant recipients
In the 2024 round, a total of $30,000 was available with two successful applications funded. Congratulations to the two recipients of the 2024 RAIL EMCR grants:
Dr Jack Nguyen (Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre (MERRC), School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University and Epworth Healthcare) - Chief Investigator
August 2025 - Grant leadership transferred to Stephanie Antonopoulos (School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University)
Other investigators: A/Prof Adam McKay (Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre (MERRC), School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University and Epworth Healthcare), Prof Jennie Ponsford (Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre (MERRC), School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University and Epworth Healthcare), Mrs Katie Davies (Neurological Rehabilitation Group), Dr James Brennan (Epworth Sports and Exercise Medicine, Australian Football League), Dr Pamela Harvey (School of Rural Health, Monash University), A/Prof Natasha Brusco (Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Monash University), Sara Whittaker (Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Monash University), Prof Sean Drummond (Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University), Adjunct A/Prof Catherine Willmott (Australian Football League)
Project title: Pilot evaluation of a telehealth adaptation of the i-RECOveR interdisciplinary intervention for persisting post-concussion symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury
Total funding awarded: $14,990
Lead Investigator: Dr Denise Azar ( School of Rural Health, Monash University) - Chief Investigator
Other investigators: A/Prof Alison Beauchamp (School of Rural Health, Monash University), Dr Raphaëlle Guerbaai (Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Monash University), Prof Helen Rawson (Monash Nursing and Midwifery), Dr Matthew Carroll (School of Rural Health, Monash University), Dr Eli Ristevski (School of Rural Health, Monash University)
Project title: Understanding health literacy challenges among older adults living in urban and rural residential aged care