Minimising Antimicrobial Resistance Stream

The Minimising Antimicrobial Resistance Stream provides grant funding of up to $500,000 (per project) to support the development of new and emerging technology-based interventions with commercial potential to help prevent, discern, and control antimicrobial resistance (AMR), aiming to prevent the evolution and spread of resistance, and to maintain and extend the effectiveness of antimicrobials for longer.

This program, supported by CSIRO, focuses on minimising the likelihood of AMR emergence, prevalence and spread. Projects should design, develop and/or test a technology/prototype for an AMR solution that fits within one or more of the following challenge areas:

• Design, development and/or production of vaccines in Australia against for drug-resistant bacteria to lower the social, economic and health burden from these infections and reduce the use of antibiotics
  • Development, formulation, and validation of pre/probiotic solutions and medical technologies that support decolonisation of drug-resistant gut pathogens and/or increase immune resilience
  • Development and testing of technologies to assess and remove antimicrobial residues from healthcare and hospital waste-streams
  • Establishment of a cost-effective, sustainable system to monitor the antimicrobial supply chain and/or support use forecasting
  • Development of novel therapeutics to treat antimicrobial resistance or prolong the efficacy of existing antimicrobials
  • Identification and licensing of existing medicines with antimicrobial activity (drug repurposing) including the application of novel delivery platforms
  • Design and implementation of systems that support rapid point-of-use diagnostics and therefore antibiotic stewardship in primary and community healthcare settings

Successful projects that meet their milestones may be eligible for top-up funding and may attract further interest from the CSIRO.

CSIRO will have the option, but not the obligation, to contribute further funding to the recipients of Health Security Stream funding to accelerate project development, which may include further research grants and/or to seek commercial investment.

Funding guidelines regarding this stream can be found here.

All Minimising AMR stream awardees are invited to apply for additional grant funding through this stream (up to an additional $500,000) upon successfully meeting key milestones and project outcomes.

The goal of top-up funding is to further support the de-risking and maturation of projects towards successful commercialisation outcomes. Applicants are not guaranteed top-up funding. Top-up funding is awarded through a competitive, multi-stage process:

1. Application: CUREator awardees will be invited to submit an Additional funding application to CUREator, to be assessed by the CUREator Investment Review Committee (IRC), including a nationally representative sub-committee of the Brandon BioCatalyst IRC, CSIRO representative and independent members with significant sector expertise.
2. Presentation: If shortlisted for top-up funding, applicants will be required to address feedback from the CUREator IRC in written format and will be invited to present to the committee.
3. Due Diligence and execution: If selected for funding, the CUREator team will work with the company including the legal and business development team to complete corporate due diligence, IP (Intellectual Property) review, project planning, timing, budgets and milestones.

Top-up funding for the Minimising AMR Stream is offered through one competitive funding round. The top-up funding round is planned to open in early 2025.