Upholding the highest standards of ethics and/or integrity in Australian health and medical research.

The NHMRC Ethics and Integrity Award recognises an individual or an organisation who has made a significant contribution to supporting the highest standards of ethics and/or integrity in Australian health and medical research.

The award is intended to reinforce the importance of ethics and integrity in research to bolster the Australian community’s confidence in health and medical research.

An open call for nominations is held every 2 years.

Nominees will demonstrate their commitment and contribution to supporting the highest standards of ethics and/or integrity in research practices and leadership roles in the following areas:

  • Respect – fostering an open, honest and respectful research culture that supports the conduct of high-quality research
  • Rigour – commitment to a strong ethics and/or integrity framework that reinforces and promotes the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research and other relevant standards
  • Transparency – promoting community trust by fostering the responsible sharing and communication of research findings, supporting data and enabling methodologies
  • Leadership – upholding high standards for ethics and/or integrity that promote and deliver high-quality research and facilitate collaboration nationally and internationally.

The award winner is selected by the NHMRC CEO based on the above selection criteria. The CEO may seek additional nominations and/or consult others on the nominees in making their selection.

Past winners

  • 2025: Professor Fabienne Mackay
  • 2023: Reverend Kevin McGovern
  • 2021: Professor Ian Olver AM
  • 2019: Professor Wendy Rogers
  • 2017: Professor Nik Zeps
  • 2015: Associate Professor Ian Kerridge
  • 2013: Professor Jock Findlay AO
  • 2011: Dr Kerry Breen AM
  • 2009: Professor Don Chalmers
  • 2007: Associate Professor Sandra Egger and Dr Teresa Iacono