Funding Opportunities

CREATE is developing emerging researchers who will be future leaders in the field of pulmonary fibrosis.

Funding opportunities available through the CREATE program include:

• PhD scholarships for projects supervised by CRE-PF investigators
• Post-doctoral fellowships
• Collaboration grants-in-aid
• Travel grants

Grants are awarded via competitive application processes.

An initiative of the Centre of Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis (CRE-PF), supported by Lung Foundation Australia’s Hope Research Fund, CREATE Hope Fellowships in Pulmonary Fibrosis support research into pulmonary fibrosis in Australia.

The CRE-PF will allocate 2 fellowships to early career researchers over the period of one year.

Applications for 2026 will open mid 2026.

A key component of the CREATE program is to support travel. The CRE-PF CREATE program offers travel grants to CREATE Fellows, subject to availability of funding. Travel may include presenting at a conference, visits to a mentor’s research centre or for training/ short-term work in laboratories.

Funding to support trainees to attend and present at a conference will be considered based on individual circumstances and funds available. Preference for travel grant funding will be given to CREATE Fellows dependent on a PhD scholarship or a part-time salary.

Learn more about CREATE Travel Grants.

Applications for the February round will open early 2026. 

PACT Grant-in-Aid 2025

Dr Cheng Zhao from the University of Sydney was awarded the 2025 PACT Grant-in-Aid for Investigator-Led Pulmonary Fibrosis Clinical Research for  her project ‘Enhancing understanding of environmental causes of pulmonary fibrosis through geographically targeted air pollution monitoring.’

PACT Grant-in-Aid 2024

Dr Sionne Lucas from the University of Tasmania was the 2024 PACT Grant-in-Aid winner for Establishing the Pulmonary Fibrosis Variation Curation Database. Read more about Sionne’s work here. 

CREATE Hope Fellowships in Pulmonary Fibrosis Research 

• In 2024, we awarded CREATE Hope Fellowships to Dr Christian Aloe from RMIT and Dr Sionne Lucas from University of Tasmania. Learn more about their work.  
• In 2023 we awarded CREATE Hope Fellowships to Dr Caitlin Fermoyle from the University of Sydney and Dr Minh Dao Ngo from  the University of Queensland.
• In 2022 we awarded a CREATE Hope Clinical Fellowship to Dr Ingrid Cox from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research and University of Tasmania. 
• In 2021 we awarded a CREATE Hope Scientific Fellowship in Pulmonary Fibrosis Research to Dr Gang Liu from the University of Technology Sydney and the Centenary Institute. 
• In 2021 we awarded a CREATE Hope PhD Scholarships for Pulmonary Fibrosis Research to to Joanna Lee for Self-management for pulmonary fibrosis: what does it mean and how might it help? and Claudia Sim  for Targeting fibrosis with relaxin – a new therapeutic strategy for IPF and silicosis, both from Monash University.

CREATE Grants-in-Aid

These grants support new collaborations for pulmonary fibrosis research between emerging CREATE researchers from 2 or more institutions. 

• Dr Mariana Hoffman and Dr Leona Dowman from Monash University and Ms Debra Sandford from University of Adelaide for “Effect of a brief behavioural intervention to improve physical activity in people with pulmonary fibrosis”
• Dr Christian Aloe from RMIT University, Dr Alexandra Brown from University of Newcastle and Dr Lai-Ying Zhang from Metro North Hospital and Health Service for “Targeting iron-induced oxidative stress to preserve telomere health in lung fibrosis”
• Dr Laura Glenn and Dr Alan Teoh, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Dr Hayley Barnes, Alfred Health and Dr John Mackintosh, Prince Charles Hospital for development of a standard framework for ILD multi-disciplinary research meetings, 2021.
• Dr Gang Liu, UTS, Dr Ashleigh Philip, Garvan Institute and Dr Laura Glenn, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for development of a fingerprint of the proteins that are present in lung fibrosis, 2021.
• Dr Jade Jaffar, Monash and Dr Yet Khor, Austin Health for establishing a multi-pronged research program on the effects of hypoxaemia (low oxygen levels) and oxygen therapy in interstitial lung disease, 2020