Investing in Australian Researchers
Bellberry’s unique Not-For-Profit model allows us to reinvest millions of dollars back into the research community. We invest in the careers of Australian researchers through fellowships, prizes and scholarships — supporting the people behind the science.
Bellberry-Viertel Senior Medical Research Fellowship
In 2016 Bellberry began collaborating with the Viertel Foundation to offer prestigious, high-value 5-year mid-career fellowships to the brightest medical research talent. The Bellberry-Viertel Fellowship, valued at $1.375 million over five years, supports outstanding mid-career researchers to pursue innovative medical research projects.
Bellberry’s involvement in this program means that three Fellowships can be offered each year instead of two, with the inaugural Bellberry-Viertel Fellowship awarded in 2017 to Professor Marnie Blewitt of the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI).
The Fellowship is an integral part of a program that provides salary and project grant support for outstanding Australian medical researchers.
Outstanding researchers who are medically qualified, or graduates of another scientific discipline with recognised post-doctoral achievements (less than 10 years post-doctorate), seeking to establish a research career in Australia and undertake research in an Australia academic institution are eligible to apply whether or not they are currently working in Australia.
Applications are judged on the basis of merit and excellence in competition with other applications.
Further information about the Viertel scheme can be found at http://viertel.org.au/
Bellberry-Viertel senior research medical fellowship
Associate Professor ZongYuan Ge
Dr Marcel Doerflinger
Revolutionising treatment for lung disease, in particular Tuberculosis (TB)
Dr Simon Foster
A/Professor James ‘Mac’ Shine
Professor Kim Good-Jacobson
Professor Di Yu
Professor Marnie Blewitt
Outstanding First Nations Researcher Medals
Outstanding First Nations Researcher Award 2026
Bellberry is proud to support initiatives recognising First Nations research excellence that contribute to advancing health and medical research in Australia. The Outstanding First Nations Researcher Medal is funded by Bellberry and awarded by the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
The Medal recognises outstanding mid-career Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers whose work is making an influential contribution to health and medical science in Australia.
The 2026 medals were awarded to Professor Gail Garvey AM and Professor Lisa Whop.
Professor Garvey has been recognised for her leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer research and her work to improve cancer outcomes across the cancer continuum.
Professor Whop has been recognised for her Indigenous-led research transforming cervical and lung cancer screening.
As part of the award, each recipient receives a $10,000 travel grant, supported by Bellberry. The grants will provide opportunities for research collaboration and knowledge exchange, helping to further strengthen the impact of their work.
Outstanding First Nations Researcher Award 2024
Professor James Ward, a Pitjantjatjara and Nukunu man, was named the inaugural winner of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS) Outstanding First Nations Researcher Medal at the Academy’s 2024 annual meeting.
Bellberrys $10,000 travel grant allowed Professor James Ward to undertake travel to support his valuable research.
Professor Ward, Director of The University of Queensland’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, has led groundbreaking work that has made a difference to adolescent health outcomes in the areas of sexual health, HIV, alcohol and other drugs through programs, research, community-led interventions and advocacy.
The 2025 recipient was Professor Ray Lovett FAHMS, Director of the Mayi Kuwayu Study and a senior researcher at the Yardhura Walani Centre, Australian National University, in recognition of his pioneering research into the cultural and social determinants of health, work that has redefined how evidence can be generated in service to community.
Professor Lovett’s research explores how culture protects health and wellbeing, and how historical and ongoing settler-colonial processes continue to shape health outcomes.
CT:IQ creates practical tools for better clinical trials
Bellberry established CT:IQ (Clinical Trials: Impact & Quality) in 2018, a member-led, Not-For-Profit organisation developing practical resources to improve the impact, quality and efficiency of Australian clinical trials.
Recent achievements include the new national InFORMed Participant Information and Consent Form (PICF) template, clinical research data sharing frameworks, and tools and frameworks to help people participate in research in less burdensome ways.
Thought Leadership helps experts share knowledge
Our Thought Leadership series brings together national and international experts to tackle complex challenges in research and the regulatory systems that underpin the development and distribution of innovative treatments and technologies.
A recent focus has been New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). In collaboration with ASCEPT, Bellberry has been working to develop national guidelines for the use of NAMs in Australia, progressed through a series of international workshops bringing together regulators, ethicists, researchers and industry.
Download Impact Report
Bellberry’s annual Impact Report brings together the key insights, data and achievements from across the past year — from ethics review and sector leadership to philanthropy and participant advocacy.
