AgriFutures Thoroughbred Horses Program

AgriFutures Australia welcomes Preliminary Research Proposals, that address one or more of the strategies within the R&D objectives for the industry and outlined in the AgriFutures Australia Thoroughbred Horses 5-year RD&E Plan 2022-2027. The RDE Plan is structured around 4 key priority areas:

1· Thoroughbred horse welfare, workforce safety and environmental sustainability

2· Thoroughbred breeding

3· Workforce, industry and community engagement

4· Thoroughbred diseases and parasites

We also support and encourage proposals that address the following key areas:

•  Conduct baseline research on the carbon footprint of the Australian Thoroughbred breeding industry.
•  Investigate the extent of inbreeding within the Australian Thoroughbred population.
•  Undertake a Thoroughbred foal crop population analysis and scenario planning to forecast long-term trends and support informed, strategic decision-making for the sustainability of the Australian Thoroughbred breeding industry.
•  Investigate the effects of heat, transport and environmental factors on fertility in Thoroughbred mares.
•  Develop innovative approaches to improve breeding outcomes and efficiency in Thoroughbreds.

Proposals must address strategies, consider the justification, be linked to an indicative activity, and deliver on a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) listed within each Priority of the RD&E Strategic Plan.

This Open Call closes 1:00 PM (AEST) on Thursday, 23 April 2026.

Timeline

Activity: Open Call – Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP) applications open.

Date: Thursday, 5 March 2026.

Activity: End of period for questions or requests for information

Date: 1:00 PM AEDT Thursday, 26 March 2026

Activity: Open Call – applications close

Date: 1:00 PM AEST Thursday, 23 April 2026

Activity: Intended completion date of evaluation by Panel to progress to FRP submissions

Date: Late-May 2026

Activity: Open Call – Full Research Proposal (FRP) applications open

Date: Tuesday, 2 June 2026

Activity: Open Call – FRP applications close

Date: 1:00 PM AEST Wednesday, 8 July 2026

Activity: Intended completion date of evaluation of FRP submissions

Date: Mid-August 2026

Activity: Negotiations with respondents (if applicable)

Date: August – October 2026

Activity: Expected execution of contract or issue of agreement

Date: November 2026

Assessment criteria

The following criteria will be used to assess your application:

•  How relevant is the project to the research priorities of AgriFutures Australia?
•  How relevant is the project to the research priorities of the Program?
•  How much value do the benefits of this research provide to industry?
•  How important is this research to industry?
•  How important are the expected outcomes of this project to industry?
•  How important are the outputs/deliverables from this project to the industry?
•  The value for money for this project.
•  The project design – how conceptually sound and technically feasible is the project?
•  The potential for adoption in industry.
•  The potential for commercial pathways.(where applicable)
•  The value of any potential IP resulting from this project (where applicable)
•  The capability and experience of the Project Lead.
•  The capability and experience of the Research Organisation.

Proposals should clearly indicate the following:

•  The project benefits and impacts for the Australian thoroughbred breeding industry.
•  The objectives and outcomes of the proposed project and the link to the R&D objectives.
•  Who will be undertaking all aspects of the work, including statistical analysis (it must be clear if new staff and/or students are to be employed to undertake the work).
•  The plan for extension and adoption of research outcomes from the project activity work, i.e. beyond distribution of summaries, journal papers and conference presentations.
•  Where relevant, any proposed collaboration with experts in the field.
•  The researcher’s understanding of past research in this field.

Researcher submission checklist

The researcher must complete the checklist prior to the submission being accepted:

•  If the project requires statistical analysis, has a qualified statistician been engaged to undertake project design and data analyses?
•  Is the Principal Investigator an early career researcher (less than five years since postgraduate study completion)?
•  Have you checked the FAQ section on the AgriFutures website?
•  Has the proposal been discussed with people in the Program industry?
•  Does the proposal identify if the work potentially relates to the Program objective?
•  Does the proposal clearly identify who will be undertaking the bulk of the work (might not necessarily be the Principal Investigator)?
•  Does the proposal clearly articulate what the applied outcome and impacts for industry will be? (even if it is a long-term applied project there should still be a focus on an applied outcome).
•  Does the proposal clearly outline what the potential process might be for identifying extension opportunities? (Excluding publications and opportunities for presenting the work at conferences).
•  Does the proposal take into consideration where the international expertise is in the area of research?
•  The Principal Investigator must comply with the application process within K2

Submitting an application

Applications for this Open Call must be submitted online using the PRP application in K2.

New users need to register for access to the K2 platform, please note the provision of login details may take up to two business days.

Users must create a K2 account before submitting a proposal. To set up a secure account before submitting a proposal, please visit the login page below to access our new user or new company request forms.

Usernames and passwords will only be issued while the applicant round is open.

If you require assistance, please contact helpdesk@agrifutures.com.au

Terms of reference

AgriFutures Australia uses standard form contracts and agreements for projects and research procured by AgriFutures Australia (please refer to click here. These contracts and agreements set out the terms on which AgriFutures Australia will engage successful applicants to carry out the project.

Applicants must be familiar with the contracts and agreements before submitting a response, and are advised to seek legal advice beforehand.

These contracts and agreements have been developed to reflect AgriFutures Australia’s statutory and other procurement responsibilities.

If you require any amendments to the standard agreement please complete the statement of non-compliance for each of the relevant clause. AgriFutures will then assess those requests.

Applicants will be taken to have agreed to all clauses in the Research Agreement that are not referred to in a statement of non-compliance. The extent of any non-compliance will be a factor in AgriFutures Australia’s evaluation of the application.

If you require further information regarding these contracts and agreements please, contact:

•  Stephanie-Kate Bratton
•  General Counsel
•  Email: Stephanie-Kate.Bratton@agrifutures.com.au

Contact:

•  Mia Lorber-Hughes
•  Coordinator, Honey Bee and Pollination
•  Email: Mia.lorber-hughes@agrifutures.com.au