How to prepare a strong application for the Commissioned Research Project

NDRP
Oct 27
7 min read

A simple step-by-step guide

In a nutshell

We’re funding three disability-led research projects (up to $190,000 each) to explore how systems and organisations can better support young NDIS participants (15–25) to move from education and training into meaningful careers.

These are advanced funding opportunities for highly experienced teams with strong policy and systems knowledge and a track record in working with people with disability in research leadership and governance roles.

We’re looking for projects that turn existing evidence into systemic change, not individual programs or interventions, and show genuine disability leadership, collaboration and policy impact.

Ready to know more?

Here’s everything you need to know to prepare a strong application.

Applications are now open for NDRP’s Commissioned Research Project to improve how young people with disability move from education and training into careers that fit their goals.

This round is about turning existing evidence into action. It builds on what people with disability, Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) and research partners have already told us.

We’re funding three disability-led projects (up to $190,000 each) to explore how systems and organisations can better support young NDIS participants aged 15–25.

These funding opportunities are designed for highly experienced research teams with strong policy and systems knowledge.

We welcome partnerships that bring together policy expertise, lived experience and inclusive research practice.

Please note: It's important that applying teams are confident in leading complex, multi-organisation projects that deliver demonstrated systems change.

Use this guide to get your team ready and put forward a strong application.

Step 1. Check if you’re ready to apply

Before you begin, take a moment to reflect on whether your team is ready for this work. These are advanced research opportunities that require experience working at a policy and systems level.

What the community told us...

We’re tired of research that doesn’t lead to change.

This opportunity is for teams who can help turn ideas into action. DROs and community leaders made it clear that research needs to influence policy and systems, not just add another report to the shelf.

Ask your team:

Have we influenced policy or system change before?
Do we understand how government uses research to make decisions?
Are we committed to implementation, not only discovery?

If policy work is new for your team, that’s okay, but consider how you can strengthen your mix of skills and experience.

For example, you could:

Partner with organisations or people who have a track record of shaping policy.
Involve team members who bring both lived experience and policy understanding.
Think about how your project can use your team’s policy and system’s building capacity as part of the process.

Step 2. Build your team with genuine disability leadership

What the community told us...

People with disability must be in real decision-making roles, not only consultation ones.

Strong applications will show that people with disability are leading the work, especially those with direct experience of the issues being researched.

Your core team needs to include:

Disability leadership: people with disability in named, paid leadership roles with genuine decision-making power.
Relevant lived experience: For Project 2 and Project 3, ensure leadership and decision-making reflect the experiences of those most impacted: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, and people with complex support or communication needs.
Policy expertise: team members who understand how government works and have influenced policy before.
Research skills: researchers experienced in inclusive disability research methods.

Plan your partnerships

Confirm your core partners (DROs/DPOs, youth organisations, First Nations researchers).
Choose organisations whose work aligns with your project.
Set up formal agreements that share power and intellectual property.
Make sure funding is distributed fairly across partners and organisations.
Build on existing trusted relationships wherever possible.

Plan for accessibility from the start

Line up communication access support early, i.e., AAC practitioners, Auslan interpreters, captioners, Easy English writers, or communication partners.
Budget for accessible participation and fair pay for all contributors.
Consider which accessibility supports your team members may need throughout the project.

What strong applications will show

People with disability have genuine decision-making power.
Intellectual property is shared across all partners.
Collaborative and transparent governance structures.
Evidence of established, trusted relationships.

Red flags to avoid

People with disability are only listed as advisors or consultants.
Community members are unpaid, while academics are salaried.
Partnerships that sound vague or don’t show genuine power-sharing.

Step 3. Define your focus using community insights

What the community told us...

We know what works. The question is how do we make it happen?

Across our lived experience review, DRO consultations, and stakeholder roundtable, the message we were told is that the gap isn’t knowledge, its implementation.

Strong applications will focus on putting what already works into practice.

Focus on implementation barriers

Look at why proven approaches aren’t being adopted
What stops providers from delivering best practice, and
How successful models can be expanded within existing systems.

Address intersectionality and exclusion

Young people with disability experience overlapping forms of discrimination. Research needs to focus on those most often left out of current supports.

Think systems, not individuals

Our roundtable called for research that looks beyond personal factors to system-level enablers like funding models, organisational culture, and accountability.

What strong applications will show

Build on existing evidence about what works.
Focus on scaling and sustaining proven approaches.
Centre people who face the greatest barriers.
Examine structural factors, such as funding, performance measures and organisational culture.
Show understanding of how systems like education, employment and the NDIS connect.

What we’re not looking for

Projects that re-test ‘what works’ or create new interventions.
Resource or training development projects.
Approaches that ignore intersectional needs.
Individual-focused solutions that overlook systemic barriers.

Step 4. Design trauma-informed, accessible methods

What the community told us...

Research must be trauma-informed, culturally safe, and genuinely accessible.

Our consultations highlighted that research methods must never re-traumatise participants or extract knowledge without giving something back.

Strong projects will plan for safety, accessibility, and shared benefits at every stage.

Build these elements into your approach

Trauma-informed practice: have clear plans to support the wellbeing of everyone involved.
Cultural safety: important for all projects and especially critical for Project 2 (First Nations focus). Involve First Nations researchers and community guidance from the start.
Accessibility: essential for all projects and particularly relevant for Project 3 (complex support needs). Include the right supports such as communication partners, captioners, Easy Read or Easy English materials, or Auslan interpreters.
Benefit sharing: show how the research will give back to the communities involved.
Ethical oversight: outline your ethics approval process and ongoing safety measures.

Questions to guide your planning

How will you keep participants and team members safe, especially those who may have experienced the impact of systemic failure or trauma?
What accessibility supports will your team and participants need?
How will you share the benefits and outcomes with the communities involved?
Do you already have trusted relationships, or do you need time to build them?

Step 5. Plan for policy impact and turning knowledge into action

What the community told us...

Research should lead to real change, not just sit on a shelf.

Every consultation reinforced that research must make a practical difference in people’s lives. That means planning from the start as to how your findings will influence policy and practice.

Plan for impact

Map out your policy audience: who will use your findings, and how.
Identify the decision-makers most relevant to your research.
Understand how government decisions are made on this topic nationally and across states and territories.
Communicate your findings in accessible formats for different audiences, i.e. government, service providers, and community.
Include a realistic timeline for how your work could lead to change.
Show that you understand how change happens in the systems your research connects with, whether that’s the NDIS, education, or employment.

Work collaboratively with government

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA) and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will be involved throughout your project to provide policy context and help share what you learn.

Plan how you’ll collaborate with government partners while maintaining your research independence and community leadership.

Step 6. Prepare your application materials

Before you start writing, take time to get your materials and evidence in order. This will make your application stronger and smoother to complete.

Before you write

Gather examples of your team’s policy impact that referees can verify.
Document existing relationships and trust with relevant communities.
Develop a detailed budget that ensures fair payment for everyone involved.
Create governance structures that show shared decision-making and power.
Identify data access or ethics needs early and plan realistic timelines for approval.

Check your readiness

Ask your team:

Does our team include people with disability in genuine leadership roles?
Can we show concrete examples of the policy changes we’ve influenced?
Do our methods prioritise safety, cultural respect, and accessibility?
Are we building on existing evidence?
Will our findings help improve how systems operate?
Have we centred people most excluded from current supports?

Remember, we’re looking for research teams who have the experience to manage large, collaborative research projects that can influence policy and practice.

What to include in your application

Clear role definitions matched to each person’s skills and lived experience.
Evidence of policy impact with referees who can verify it.
Inclusive governance plans that demonstrate shared power and ownership.
Trauma-informed, culturally safe research methods suited to your population.
Realistic budgets and timelines, including risk management plans.
Knowledge-sharing and mobilisation plans that link research to real-world change.

Common red flags to avoid

Disability leadership that’s tokenistic or unpaid.
Claims of policy experience without proof of impact.
Methods that overlook trauma, culture, or accessibility.
Generic approaches that ignore diversity or intersectionality.
Proposals focused on inventing new solutions instead of scaling what already works.
Partnerships without genuine power-sharing or clear roles.

Ready to apply?

These steps come directly from our community consultations; what people with disability, DROs and stakeholders told us research needs to do, and how it needs to be done.

Strong applications will align with these priorities and show a clear plan to deliver high-quality, impactful research within 12 months.

Take your time with each step.

The strongest applications will come from teams that have built genuine relationships, share power, and understand the policy landscape.

Deadline: Applications close 5:00 PM AEDT, Friday 21 November 2025.

Next steps: