FHRI Fund supports globally significant WA cohort studies
The Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund has awarded $2 million in grants to support the operational costs of 13 Western Australian cohort studies.
The WA Cohort Studies – Operational Support Program (WACS-OSP) 2026 has awarded operational funding to eligible cohort studies based on competitive excellence, to support delivery of improved clinical outcomes, changes to health policy, and translational health outcomes.
The FHRI Fund WACS-OSP program grants can be used for up to 12 months of operational costs, including salaries of core personnel, consumer consultation and collection of new data and biospecimens.
Recipients were assessed based on merit and received a share of a $2 million funding pool.
The WACS-OSP 2026 recipients are shown below:
| Cohort study | Responsible entity | Funding awarded |
| Advancing Respiratory health in Western Australian Youngsters born Preterm (AIRWAY-Preterm) | University of Western Australia | $111,336.55 |
| AERIAL (Airway Epithelium Respiratory Illness and ALlergy) | University of Western Australia | $62,137.34 |
| Busselton Health Study | Busselton Population Medical Research Institute | $202,326.11 |
| Cancer Blood Biomarkers Cohort Study | Edith Cowan University | $109,362.74 |
| ORIGINS | University of Western Australia | $260,618.66 |
| Perkins Cancer Biobank Cohort Studies | Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research | $83,304.17 |
| Perth Demyelinating Diseases Cohort | Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science | $274,369.51 |
| PLAYCE Cohort | University of Western Australia | $33,330.22 |
| PRECISE Precision Medicine in Childhood Muco-obstructive Lung Disease Cohort | University of Western Australia | $56,752.92 |
| The Raine Study | University of Western Australia | $315,927.42 |
| The WA CIRCA DIEM Cohort | University of Western Australia | $30,193.38 |
| WA Asbestos-Related Disease Longitudinal Cohort (ARP–NCARD) | University of Western Australia | $73,357.54 |
| Western Australian Paediatric Oncology Cohort | University of Western Australia | $386,983.44 |