Spotlight 2025-26 Rheumatic Heart Disease
The Spotlight program brings WA’s health and medical research and innovation sector together around one bold, uniquely Western Australian challenge each year, to drive lasting solutions with multi-year investment, cross-sector collaboration, and strong community engagement.
Each round will centre on a focus area identified as a strategic priority for WA. The Spotlight 2025-26 focus area is Rheumatic Heart Disease.
Up to $25 million will be provided on a competitive basis to one applicant supported by a Spotlight Coordinating Team, in 2-stages.
Part A will provide up to $1 million over a period of up to 9 months, to enable the Spotlight Coordinating Team to form partnerships and consult with community/consumers and stakeholders to develop a sector-wide Action Plan consisting of multiple research and innovation work streams, which aim to deliver transformative solutions for Rheumatic Heart Disease.
Part B will provide up to $24 million over a period of up to 48 months, to coordinate and implement with Spotlight partners, the defined activities set out in the approved Action Plan. The Responsible Entity will be responsible for forming appropriate agreements with the Spotlight partner organisations for their research and innovation activities.
The Spotlight 2025-26 Rheumatic Heart Disease program is open to all WA entities.
Program Status: Open for Applications
Applications Close: 1.00pm (AWST), Wednesday 11 March 2026
The Guidelines and Conditions can be accessed below.
The Application Form can be accessed and submitted via the Department of Health Grant Management System.
To view the application questions, after starting an application in the Grant Management System select ‘preview’ in the top right corner, which will download the application form questions (and your responses) as a Word or PDF document. For further instructions, please refer to page 9 of the User Guide ‘Downloading the application form’.
Spotlight on RHD Information Session
On 8 December we held a virtual information session on the Spotlight Program, addressing frequently asked questions about the scheme. Head to the event page for more information or click on the tile below to watch the session on demand.
Additional information:
- Funding partners can co-invest in future Spotlight programs or with potential applications. Further information on how to co-invest can be accessed here.
- A Spotlight 2025-26 Rheumatic Heart Disease communique is available here.
Queries related to the Guidelines and Conditions can be directed via email to DOH.OMRI@health.wa.gov.au with the subject line beginning with ‘Query – SpotlightRHD2025-26’.
Queries regarding the application process can be directed via email to DOH.GMS@health.wa.gov.au with the subject line beginning with ‘GMS Application Assistance – Spotlight RHD2025-26’.
Information on other FHRI Fund programs can be accessed by subscribing to updates or checking the FHRI Fund current opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Please note: applicants should refer to the official Guidelines and Conditions for full details and compliance requirements.
Question: How do I apply?
Answer:
The Spotlight Application Form is available via DoH Grants portal, the Department of Health’s online Grant Management System. To access the online form, follow the link provided on the FHRI Fund website. Please refer to the Application submission user guide provided for instructions on how to create an account and submit an application.
Question: How does the application process work for Spotlight?
Answer:
The application process for Spotlight seeks to identify a single Spotlight Lead and Spotlight Coordinating Team to be awarded the Spotlight grant.
Applicants must propose a sufficiently capable and experienced Spotlight Coordinating Team, and outline how they plan to consult and partner with key stakeholders during Part A (Develop Action Plan), should they be awarded the grant.
Part A applications should ONLY outline activities that would take place during Part A. A full spending and engagement plan for the $25 million grant is NOT required at this stage. Detailed partner identification and allocation will occur during the first 9 months after award (Part A Develop Action Plan).
Question: What needs to be included in the Part A application?
Answer:
The Part A application is part of a competitive process to identify the Activity Lead, the Spotlight Coordinating Team and Responsible Entity that will coordinate the Program over the next 5 years. Part A applications should demonstrate the Spotlight Coordinating Team’s:
- suitability to lead the Activity
- plan for consultation and collaboration during Part A
- plan for developing a comprehensive, sector-driven Action Plan to address all aspects of RHD
- plan for forming and managing partners during Part A
- plan for streams of research and innovation
- budget request for Part A
- consideration of cash and in-kind contributions.
Applications should provide sufficient detail to demonstrate capability and readiness to develop a comprehensive, sector-driven Action Plan, coordinate multiple partners and workstreams, and deliver strong governance, cultural engagement, and consumer involvement.
Eligible applications will be referred for full assessment and scoring by a review panel.
Figure 1: Part A application process for Spotlight 2025-26 RHD
Question: Will another proposal be submitted after 9 months for Part B?
Answer:Once selected, the awarded applicant will receive up to $1 million over a period of 9 months to consult widely, form partnerships, and prepare the Action Plan for Part B.
The Action Plan developed during Part A will be reviewed by the Grant Review Panel and approved by the Department of Health (DoH) before implementation funding (up to $24 million) is released.
Templates and guidance for developing the Action Plan will be provided to the successful recipient at the start of Part A.
Figure 2: Post-award – Spotlight Coordinating Team to plan and implement Spotlight 2025-26 RHD
Question: Is there any guidance on the expected size and composition of the “small Spotlight Coordinating Team”?
Answer:
The Guidelines and Conditions do not prescribe a specific size or composition for the Spotlight Coordinating Team – this is at the discretion of each applicant.
Spotlight Coordinating Team members should include those who will be involved in implementing Part A activities. It is not necessary to include partners who may be involved in Part B here, as all partners will be identified during the development of the Action Plan following award of Part A.
The number of members should be determined by the mix of skills, relevance, experience, track record of members ensuring suitability to collectively lead and manage large-scale initiatives.
Applicants should note that the Spotlight Coordinating Team will be assessed under Leadership and Capability (weighted at 25%) which considers skills, experience and relevance to the Program focus area, as well as track record in leading and managing large-scale, collaborative health initiatives.
Question: Should project managers or operational staff be included as part of the Spotlight Coordinating Team?
Answer:
Yes, they can be. Project managers and operational staff can be included in the Spotlight Coordinating Team if they have a clear role in coordinating Spotlight activities. This may include responsibilities such as:
- managing timelines, deliverables, and reporting
- supporting governance and compliance processes
- facilitating communication and collaboration across multiple partners
- ensuring consumer and community engagement activities are implemented effectively.
The Spotlight Coordinating Team is not expected to be composed solely of researchers or innovators. Including experienced operational staff may strengthen applications, particularly in demonstrating robust program management capability, which is assessed under Program Management and Feasibility (weighted at 20%).
Question: What level of commitment (e.g. FTE) is expected for the Activity Lead?
Answer:
The Guidelines and Conditions do not prescribe a specific FTE requirement for the Activity Lead. FTE commitment should be adequate to coordinate the activities for Part A.
Applicants should note that the Activity Lead and Responsible Entity carry the majority of contractual responsibilities, including:
- developing and submitting the Action Plan
- coordinating multiple activities and partnerships
- ensuring governance, compliance, and reporting obligations are met.
Question: Does the governance structure and members need to be fully confirmed prior to submission? If not, can roles be outlined without naming individuals?
Answer:
Governance is assessed under ‘Program Management and Feasibility’ (weighted at 20%). Part A applications should outline proposed governance structures; however, final governance arrangements are not expected to be established until the end of Part A, once the Action Plan is finalised.
Question: How will conflicts of interest be managed for researchers or clinicians involved in the application who are employed by WA Health?
Answer:
Conflicts of interest (COI) should be treated in accordance with the WA Health System Managing Conflicts of Interest Policy.
WA Health employees applying to the Program or who are partners in the Action Plan are required to fill in a COI declaration and, based on assessment of that declaration by their managers, put appropriate arrangements in place. These arrangements will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the responsible area.
Question: Do consumers need to be fully confirmed prior to submission? If not, can roles be outlined without naming individuals?
Answer:
Engaging consumers and community members is assessed under ‘Consultation and Collaboration’ (weighted at 25%). The level of information you provide at the Application stage has not been stipulated but should be adequate to convince the review panel of genuine involvement.
The Application Form requires you to describe your plan to partner and consult with consumers and community.
Question: How will partner organisations play a role in the Spotlight 2025-26 RHD Program?
Answer:
Partnerships are a core element of the Spotlight Program. There is no limit on the number of partnerships that can be formed. It is expected that partnerships will be extensive and cross-sector, involving research, innovation, healthcare, community, and government stakeholders.
At the time of the Spotlight application, the Spotlight Coordinating Team will be expected to provide evidence of established relationships and a clear plan to build new partnerships with key stakeholders should they be selected to develop the Action Plan. Further development of partnerships is expected once the Part A grant has been awarded and the process of developing the Action plan is commenced. We therefore do not expect an exhaustive and complete list of partners at this stage as the partnerships may change as the Spotlight lead conducts their planning over the first 9 months.
It is expected partner organisations will deliver key streams of research and innovation activities contributing to the overall solution to RHD. The Responsible Entity will be responsible for forming sub-contracts or other appropriate agreements with partner organisations for their research and innovation activities.
Question: Which organisations should applicants engage and partner with to ensure a collaborative and impactful Spotlight initiative?
Answer:
Applicants should consult and partner with organisations that bring diverse expertise and community representation to the initiative, however an exhaustive list of partners is not required at the time of application. Instead, it is expected that partnerships will be formed over the course of developing the Action Plan.
Part B Implementation of the Action Plan will require extensive partnerships with researchers, innovators, Aboriginal leaders, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, Aboriginal Controlled Organisations and government organisations including those outside of the health area, clinicians, researchers, innovators and communities to ensure a community-led, co-designed and system-wide approach.
It is expected that partnerships will be multisectoral and span prevention, diagnosis, control and treatment for Group A Streptococcus infection, Acute Rheumatic Fever and RHD.
Partners may include:
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to ensure culturally safe and locally relevant approaches.
- Research institutions and universities with expertise in rheumatic heart disease, public health, and translational research.
- Hospitals and clinical service providers for implementation and integration of evidence-based interventions.
- Commercialisation and innovation partners to ensure innovations can be sustainably implemented across WA.
- Community groups and consumer advocacy organisations to embed lived experience and co-design principles.
- Government agencies and policy bodies to align with health priorities and enable system-level impact.
- Relevant non-government organisations (NGOs) and peak bodies.
Question: What type of organisations will be ideal/desired to coordinate activities?
Answer:
The Office of Medical Research and Innovation (OMRI) welcomes applications from all organisations that meet eligibility criteria outlined in the Program Guidelines and Conditions. Ideal coordinators will be those with the capacity to manage complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives and deliver program objectives effectively.
Question: For partnerships with ACCHOs, communities and government organisations, what level of commitment is required at submission of the Application Form (e.g., Letters of Commitment, Memoranda of Understanding, in-principle agreements)?
Answer:
Partnerships with ACCHOs, ACCOs and Government are mandatory and partnerships will be assessed under ‘Consultation and Collaboration’ (weighted at 25%) which requires ‘evidence of established relationships and a clear plan to build partnerships with key stakeholders’. The level of information required has not been stipulated but should be adequate to convince the review panel of genuine plans for partnership/co-design.
Question: Do partners need to have a physical presence in WA?
Answer:
The Guidelines and Conditions do not omit partners or subcontracting outside of WA; however, page 8 of the Guidelines and Conditions states: ‘The intention is that funding will be spent within WA unless goods and services expenditure items are not available in WA and/or it is beneficial to WA if goods or services are procured from outside WA. Expenditure outside WA should be justifiable.’
Question: If the Responsible Entity subcontracts activities, do subcontracted organisations also need a physical presence in WA?
Answer:
As above – an organisation’s physical presence in WA is not mandatory, but expenditure outside WA must be justified.
Question: Will salary oncosts be limited and/or capped?
Answer:
Salary on-costs can only include superannuation, payroll tax and workers compensation, up to a maximum of 30%, noting that salaries paid by a WA public health system entity can only include superannuation as a salary on-cost (this includes WA public health system invoices for salaries paid by the Responsible Entity).
Question: Will infrastructure costs be capped?
Answer:Infrastructure costs will be capped at 10%. Overhead charges such as indirect/infrastructure costs may be requested up to a maximum of 10% of the total Activity (direct) costs and must be justified/described.
WA public health system Responsible Entities cannot claim overhead charges or charge overheads on invoices paid by the Responsible Entity for grant expenditure in accordance with the WA Health Financial Management Manual (FMM) s522. The FMM does not allow WA Health to include overheads when funding is provided by an exempt organisation such as OMRI.
Question: Can honoraria for community members, Elders, Aboriginal community members or lived-experience representatives be included in the budget and are there recommended rates?
Answer:
Yes. Honoraria for community members, Elders, and lived-experience representatives can and should be included in the budget as part of consumer and community involvement activities. Please see section 11 of the Guidelines and Conditions, which outlines expectations for consumer involvement.
Applicants are advised to use rates set by their internal policies or refer to the Health Consumers Council WA Consumer Representative Policy. For WA public health system Responsible Entities, refer to the Department of Health’s Consumer, Carer and Community Paid Participation in Engagement Activities Policy.
Question: Should funding requests for both Part A and Part B be included in the initial application?
Answer:
The budget in the Application Form is for Part A (develop the Action Plan) only (up to $1 million over 9 months). FTE commitment for Part A application should be adequate to coordinate the activities for Part A activities.
Question: Guidelines state, ‘travel will not be approved unless strongly justified as being essential to the undertaking of the Activity’. Will approval need to be ad hoc, or can we allocate funding in the budget request and justify upfront?
Answer:
Travel approval is determined at the Application Form stage for Part A (develop the Action Plan) and in the Action Plan for Part B (implement the Action Plan), not on an ad hoc basis. All anticipated travel costs for Part A should be included in the initial budget request and strongly justified in the Application Form.
Once the grant is awarded, funding recipients will be expected to outline the plan for allocation of funds during Part B of the Program, including travel and related justifications, in their comprehensive Action Plan.
Question: Who will the Spotlight Coordinating Team be meeting with from FHRI Fund/WA Health during the 9-month consultation period, and how often are these check-ins expected?
Answer:
It is anticipated regular meetings will be put in place with members from OMRI. The frequency can be proposed by the applicant in the response to ‘Program Management and Feasibility’.