Frequently asked questions

In most cases, yes. You can use a codicil to add a gift to an existing Will, or to change an instruction in it. We recommend you use a solicitor to do this to make sure it’s legal and fits with the other provisions and gifts in your Will.

Yes. Most people leave their gift without specific conditions so it can be used wherever it will have the greatest effect. Given the nature of medical research, it can be hard to predict where that might be in the years ahead.

However, if there is a particular area of research that has special significance for you, we are more than happy to discuss the different options available.

Yes, you can direct your gift towards a specific disease area that WEHI is focused on or you can choose to support a specific lab. More information about how you can direct your gift can be found in our Donor Charter.

Not at all. All gifts received, no matter the size or amount, contribute to the important work and research conducted at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Whatever you can afford will be used for something important and tangible.

Including a gift to WEHI doesn’t affect how much money you need to provide for old age. Your estate is calculated on whatever is left after you die. And, if you specify your gift as a residuary gift, it will only be paid after all other gifts you leave to your loved ones have been fulfilled.

You don’t have to, but telling us provides us the opportunity to say thank you, and to keep you informed of our work. It also enables us to understand the reason behind your gift and how you’d like it to be used. Rest assured, your privacy will be respected.

Not yet – but watch this space, we are working on it!

Philanthropy is vital to making urgent discoveries to advance the understanding, prevention and treatment of disease so we can live healthier and happier lives.

We currently receive income/research support from a variety of sources including:

• Australian Government
• Victorian Government
• Donations and bequests, private donors
• Philanthropic grants – Australian and overseas trusts and foundations
• Research partners

We are grateful for the trust our supporters have awarded us and are committed to honouring that trust.
Detailed funding information is available in our annual reports.

To amend your contact details please contact our office on (03) 9345 2403 or fundraising@wehi.edu.au

Please contact our friendly fundraising team on (03) 9345 2403 or email us at fundraising@wehi.edu.au with your enquiry.

You can read WEHI’s Donor Charter here.

We have various ways that you can make your gift.

To make a credit card donation by phone, please call +61 3 9345 2403 (9am to 5pm AEST).

To donate by cheque, please download the donation form.

If you would like to make a donation via bank transfer, please call our fundraising team on (03) 9345 2403 or email us at fundraising@wehi.edu.au

To request donation envelopes to use at a fundraising event, please contact our fundraising team on (03) 9345 2403 or fundraising@wehi.edu.au.

If you are located in the USA, you can donate via the Chapel & York US Foundation, nominating The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research as a recipient.

WEHI also accepts donations of shares and you can contact our team directly with your enquiry.

Donations to WEHI of $2 or more are fully tax deductible.

Please contact our Bequests team directly for a confidential discussion.

Our online donation form only accepts gifts from Australia and New Zealand. US supporters can donate via the Chapel & York US Foundation, nominating The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research as a recipient.

For all other enquiries, please contact our office.

Yes, please contact our fundraising team for a copy of your receipt.

If you don’t have an affiliation to a particular disease area, but you’d love to support the work we do, you can make an untied or general support gift to WEHI. General support funds are vital to the life of our institute and enable us to support the labs most in need of funding. During times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, this support enables us to pivot our research and funding to where the focus is needed most. A general support gift to WEHI means that you can have a great impact through many disease areas and research technologies.

Yes, all donations of $2 and over are tax deductible. WEHI has Australian Taxation Office endorsement as a deductible gift recipient under subdivision 30-BA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

ABN: 12 004 251 423

Your Will is a reflection of what matters to you, and, for most people, that is their family and friends. We believe you should look after the people you care about before you consider a gift to WEHI or other charity.

Including a gift in your Will to WEHI doesn’t stop you doing that, especially if the gift is made from whatever remains after all your gifts to loved ones have been made.

You can view WEHI’s privacy policy here

Both options are great. Many people who leave a gift in their Will to WEHI also support our research through donations during their lifetime. Others use their Wills to support our scientists and their important research for the first time.

Our Masters of Biomedical Science program allows students to undertake a substantial research project while broadening their skills through coursework.

Students enrolled in certain University of Melbourne Masters of Science courses can also undertake the research component of their degree at the institute, usually in the fields of bioinformatics or computational biology. Masters students are part of our research teams and are physically located at, and conduct their research project in, the institute’s Parkville campus.

Prospective PhD students are expected to have achieved a high academic standard (H1 or greater than 80 per cent grade average), demonstrated potential for successful completion of research project, demonstrated interpersonal skills and strong referee support.

Honours candidates need to have a high H2A or greater discipline specific average grades (more than 78 per cent average across third year subjects) to be considered for our Honours program. In addition, candidates also need to satisfy the Honours entry requirements for the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne.

A list of potential student research projects are published on our website annually. Prospective students are also encouraged to contact laboratory heads directly to discuss these projects or raise potential new research questions, provided the questions fit with the existing institute research programs. The final project that is decided on by yourself and the supervisor may differ from the listed project as research is constantly evolving.

Honours applications for start of year commencement closes in October. The application has two phases, an application to the institute and an application to the University of Melbourne. Mid-year Honours applications closes in June.

Domestic and international students may submit their PhD applications at any time; however, please be aware of scholarship closing dates.

PhD students do require a scholarship. Applications for University and externally funded scholarships are awarded by merit and relevant experience. Students should discuss this with their prospective supervisor.

Honours students and Masters students at the institute are awarded the Alan W Harris Scholarship, an allowance of $5000 in total to support their studies, paid on a fortnightly basis for the duration of the course.