Portfolio — 26 June 2026

Minister for the NDIS Jenny McAllister announced $11.1 million over three years to establish the Australian Autism Knowledge Hub at La Trobe University's Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, with the university contributing a further $3.8 million to bring total investment to almost $15 million [TA-260625-ndis-0bb9c4f75701]. The Hub is designed to coordinate a national approach to autism research, translating evidence into practical tools, frameworks and guidance for the autism community [TA-260625-ndis-0bb9c4f75701].

A defining structural feature of the Hub is that all activities will be jointly led and co-designed by Autistic people, embedding lived experience at the centre of its research agenda [TA-260625-ndis-0bb9c4f75701]. A dedicated First Nations advisory council will represent First Nations Autistic people and carers, providing culturally appropriate engagement and community control over data.

Work is scheduled to begin in July 2026.

The funding is part of the Australian Government's National Autism Strategy 2025–2031. This announcement follows a $900,000 grant to the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network announced on 24 June, and together the two tranches signal a deliberate sequencing within the Strategy — moving from targeted employment and advocacy support toward large-scale research infrastructure and capability building [TA-260625-ndis-0bb9c4f75701].

Minister McAllister framed the investment as part of a commitment to "investing in groundbreaking autism research" to improve lives across Australia. The portfolio's use of a hub model — aggregating research, community co-design, and culturally specific governance under a single institutional home — reflects an approach that prioritises systemic capacity over discrete service-level grants.