A fund with purpose
The John Brumby Impact Fund is a flagship philanthropic initiative of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, created to support transformative cancer research at its earliest and most critical stages. By investing in high-potential projects, the Fund helps bring bold new ideas closer to clinical trials, partnerships and real-world application.
These innovation grants provide the support needed to generate early evidence, validate concepts, and accelerate progress towards outcomes that matter to patients. Projects are selected for their potential to make a tangible difference by improving survival, minimising the burden of treatment, or expanding access to care for more people, in more places.
The Fund supports science with a purpose; research with the ambition to move beyond the lab and improve lives in clinics and communities. Every dollar committed fuels work that brings us closer to a future where cancer is not only more treatable, but where care is tailored, equitable and within reach for all.
Honouring a visionary leader
The John Brumby Impact Fund has been established to celebrate the significant contributions of The Hon. John Brumby AO, whose leadership has helped shape Victoria’s innovation economy, public health system and medical research landscape.
Throughout his distinguished career, John Brumby has served as Premier of Victoria, Treasurer, and the state’s first Minister for Innovation. He championed major investment in health and science, including the Bio21 Institute, the Australian Synchrotron, and the Olivia Newton-John Centre, which is home to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI), the Institute this Fund supports.
As Founding Chair of ONJCRI, John Brumby played a key role in establishing the Institute’s mission to embed research directly within clinical care. Under his leadership, ONJCRI has become a recognised leader in immuno-oncology and personalised medicine.
Today, he continues to drive innovation as Chair of Breakthrough Victoria and Chancellor of La Trobe University. Naming this Fund in his honour acknowledges his enduring commitment to translating research into real-world outcomes that improve lives.
Why it matters
Cancer remains one of Australia’s most pressing health challenges, with almost one in two people diagnosed by the age of 85. While research continues to deliver hope, the path from discovery to treatment is complex, expensive and often delayed. The John Brumby Impact Fund makes a difference by closing early funding gaps that can stall progress and delay access to lifesaving innovation.
The Fund is aligned directly with ONJCRI’s mission to improve the effectiveness, tolerability, and accessibility of cancer care. It enables researchers to gather crucial data and validate their approaches, and helps transform emerging discoveries into real-world solutions that reach patients sooner.
Our objective is to create better outcomes for patients by accelerating the discovery and development of new therapies, refining existing treatments to reduce side effects, and ensuring advances reach communities that have historically been left behind. With the support of donors, this Fund becomes a catalyst for meaningful cancer research with the potential to deliver lasting change in how cancer is treated and experienced.
Join the journey
We invite you to take part in a shared mission to transform the future of cancer care. Your support helps talented researchers pursue bold ideas and generate the evidence they need to move from theory to therapy. It fuels innovation, empowers research leaders and opens pathways for new diagnostics and treatments to reach those who need them most.
The Fund is a platform for impact; a way for individuals, families, foundations and partners to directly support the work that empowers real progress for people facing cancer.
This is your opportunity to be part of a story that is still being written; a future where breakthroughs are possible, and where your support helps make them happen.
To learn more, please contact our Philanthropy Team. Email philanthropy@onjcri.org.au