The 2026 NHMRC Investigator Grant round has come to an end, and the RIA team is regrouping and debriefing by reflecting on what worked well, what we learned from this year’s applications and how we can better support researchers moving forward. One section that continues to challenge applicants is the Leadership section, worth 15% of the total score. This section is the applicant’s chance to demonstrate what they’ve done and how their leadership has made a real difference.
After reviewing and refining nearly 1,000 applications over the past 7 years, we’ve narrowed down the most common areas for improvement. So, what separates a mediocre leadership section from a standout one? In this blog, we’ll walk you through the top 5 mistakes researchers make when writing their leadership section and share example text excerpts to help you craft a stronger, more compelling case for next year’s round.
1. Mistake: Trying to include absolutely everything by writing a list of titles instead of a narrative.
Trying to include every leadership role, committee, mentorship and achievement can clutter your application and weaken your message. If NHMRC wanted an applicant’s CV, they would have asked for it! Instead, they ask applicants to write about their leadership experience. A list of disconnected activities isn’t a demonstration of leadership – it’s just a timeline, and this makes it very difficult for reviewers to see what and how you have led or shown leadership.
What to do instead:
It’s more powerful to focus on key leadership contributions that show your strengths. Give an overview statement of your experience in the area (e.g. total number of committee roles), then use a narrative to highlight specific exemplar roles, actions and the difference you made with 1-2 key leadership achievements.
Replace this:
– My institutional leadership includes the following roles:
– Member, Research Committee
– Chair Equity and Diversity Committee
– Co-chair, Internal Seminar Organising Committee
– Member, Graduate Student Mentorship Program
With this:
Since 2020, I have served on x institutional committees, including as Chair of the xxx committee. In this role, I led the co-design and implementation of a new xxx Strategy in 20xx, which introduced xxx and xxx. As a result, all senior leaders completed xxx training within x months, and xxx has increased by x%.
2. Mistake: Making generic claims without ‘evidence’
A confusing element to the leadership section is that leadership ‘evidence’ does not mean references or citations, nor does it mean the same thing as it does in the impact section, where evidence is the proof of your impact claims e.g. like policy documents and other researcher’s papers.
A common point of feedback from reviewers about ‘evidence’ in the leadership section is that it is lacking. Evidence in this case means examples which demonstrate an applicant’s claims about their leadership. Vague claims like “I demonstrated strong leadership” or “I have mentored widely” won’t cut it. The reviewers want to see clear examples.
What to do instead:
Anchor every statement in something tangible. Details beat generic every time – even small details e.g. names of programs, committees, or metrics of success add credibility to your leadership statement. Reviewers want to see what you did, how you did it and what happened as a result.
Replace this:
I’ve held several leadership roles on national and international boards and committees.
With this:
Over the past 10 years, I have shaped research policy through my roles on 3 national committees and 4 international working groups (e.g. role, committee & role, committee). Of note was my role as xxx, where I was able to influence xxx, resulting in xxx.
My professional leadership extends to over 5 conference organising committees (e.g. name, year, # attendees). Recently I was the steering committee co-chair for the world’s first xxx (name, location), where my role involved securing x speakers and creating the program schedule.
3. Mistake: Leaving Out Details Like Dates, Numbers, and Names
Using vague timeframes like “in recent years” or general phrases like “numerous collaborations”, “several projects” or “multiple students” weakens the clarity and impact of your leadership story. Specificity not only builds credibility, but it also shows you understand the scope of your own contributions.
What to do instead:
Use numbers, names, and timeframes to make your leadership more tangible.
Replace this:
I mentor NHMRC and MRFF applicants from my institution each year. I also mentor students outside my research team from other organisations.
With this:
In the past 10 years, I have supervised x PhDs, 7 Honours and 10 Masters research projects. Through my mentorship, x have secured NHMRC Fellowships, 3 have won awards (e.g. xxx and xxx) and x secured new academic positions (e.g. xxx and xxx).
Beyond my institution, I supported (name, institution) to publish in a Q1 journal for the first time (journal name, year) and to secure a prestigious scholarship position at xxx. This mentee is now employed as xxx at xxx
4. Mistake: Poor structure and scattered content
Leadership statements can often be written as a list of disconnected roles, achievements or responsibilities. For example, mixing committee roles with mentoring examples and international collaborations can confuse reviewers and make their job of assessing your application much more difficult.
What to do instead:
We suggest using the four headings from the guidelines to organise your content (i.e. Research mentoring, Research Programs and Team Leadership, Policy and Professional Leadership and Institutional Leadership). Review the NHMRC Investigator Grant Guidelines information about what content fits where, and check that you have your information in the right place.
Whilst the guidelines state that you can choose which of the four to cover, in 2025 we saw most researchers write something under each heading.
Bonus tip – Organise your content strategically by starting with your strongest examples within each section
5. Mistake: Not writing for your leadership level
Applicants often miss the mark by not aligning their leadership narrative with their career stage. For example, EL1 and EL2 applicants shouldn’t overstate their experience – reviewers are looking for emerging leadership potential, not polished senior-level leadership portfolios.
In contrast, senior (i.e. L2 & 3) leaders are expected to provide strong, concrete examples across all leadership areas – without any fluff.
What to do instead:
Early career applicants should highlight their potential and progress with specific examples of leadership development and initiative. Give examples where possible and then focus on how you are developing your leadership skills where gaps may remain. Provide clear examples of growth and learning.
Senior leaders must demonstrate depth and breadth of experience, showcasing specific outcomes and high-level leadership contributions. Reviewers will be looking for clear evidence of strategic impact, decision-making and sustained influence that matches the seniority of your level.
EL Levels
Replace this:
My exceptional leadership across all categories means that I am already operating at a level well beyond my current career stage, with a demonstrated track record of strategic influence, capacity building, and impact at institutional, national and international levels.
With this:
As an ECR I am strategically building my institutional leadership skills by focusing on collaboration and seeking out opportunities to contribute to institutional initiatives. For example, in 2023 I sought out a role on the Early Career Researcher Committee, where I led a 12 month peer-mentoring initiative that paired 25 ECRs with senior researchers across the university. This improved cross-departmental collaboration, leading to 5 new projects.
L Levels
Replace this:
My program of research is internationally recognised. I have published over 100 journal articles in the last 10 years and established several collaborations.
With this:
I founded my research program in 20xx, focusing on xxx. Since then, I have built a team of x professionals (including xxx and xxx), published >x papers (e.g. in xxx and xxx), given over x presentations (e.g. xxx and xxx). I have been cited >x times and secured over $xM as CI in funding from x sources, including xxx, xxx and xxx.
Download our free leadership checklist!
We’ve put together a checklist to help you write your Investigator Grant Leadership section. For each of the four NHMRC leadership categories, our handy checklist summarises the NHMRC guidance and outlines our practical suggestions for what to include.
Our final tip? Don’t leave it too late!
If you’re planning to apply for an NHMRC Investigator Grant next year, get in touch early so we can help you shape a clear leadership narrative that highlights your strengths. Through our NHMRC Investigator Grant Consultation service, we provide tailored feedback and hands-on support to help your application stand out.
Visit our NHMRC Investigator Grant Consult page to learn more and join the waitlist for 2027.