Introduction
Stillbirth Foundation Australia is an independent national charity that funds research, promotes education, raises public awareness, and advocates for policies that reduce the incidence and impact of stillbirth in Australia.
History and Background
Stillbirth Foundation Australia was established in 2005 by Emma McLeod OAM after her daughter, Olivia Kate, died in utero at 36 weeks in July 2002.
The absence of a clear explanation for Olivia’s death and the limited investigation into its cause led McLeod to establish an organization dedicated to stillbirth research, prevention, education, advocacy, and support for affected families.
The Foundation describes itself as Australia’s first organization dedicated specifically to stillbirth and baby loss. Since its establishment, it has developed into a national voice representing families affected by stillbirth and supporting researchers investigating its causes and prevention.
Mission and Purpose
Stillbirth Foundation Australia’s mission is to significantly reduce the incidence of stillbirth through research, education, and advocacy.
Its work is organized around three principal areas: funding research that generates knowledge about the causes and prevention of stillbirth, educating families and healthcare professionals about risk factors and preventive practices, and advocating for better policies and services for bereaved parents.
The Foundation also encourages researchers to translate scientific evidence into clinical practice, healthcare guidance, public education, and practical interventions.
Its public activities seek to address the silence and stigma surrounding stillbirth while ensuring that affected parents and families are recognized, heard, and treated with compassion.
Governance and Structure
Stillbirth Foundation Australia is an independent national charity with Deductible Gift Recipient status. It operates through a trust structure and is governed by a board of directors.
The board brings together experience in maternal healthcare, obstetrics, medical research, finance, corporate governance, communication, community engagement, fundraising, and stillbirth advocacy.
Associate Professor Sean Seeho, an obstetrician and researcher specializing in high-risk and complicated pregnancies, has served as chair since June 2021. The board also includes medical specialists, professional advisers, and parent advocates with lived experience of stillbirth.
An independent Scientific Assessment Committee evaluates applications submitted through the Foundation’s research grant rounds. The committee includes researchers, healthcare professionals, and community or consumer representatives.
Funding and Grants
Stillbirth Foundation Australia describes itself as a 100% community-funded organization. Its work is supported by individual donations, community fundraisers, events, corporate participation, partnerships, and contributions made in memory of babies lost to stillbirth.
Funds raised support scientific research, public education, awareness campaigns, advocacy, and initiatives intended to improve support for bereaved families.
The Foundation has allocated more than AUD1.2 million to rigorously designed research addressing stillbirth prevention and the experiences of affected families.
Its competitive research grant program supports Australian organizations and institutions investigating the causes, prevention, and management of stillbirth. Applications may request project support or support for researchers and other personnel.
Funding requests of different sizes may be considered. As a guide, previous successful applications have received grants of up to AUD100,000. The Foundation does not fund university surcharges, indirect institutional costs, conference travel, or building funds.
The 2026 research grant round is open to Australian bodies until 2 October 2026 at 5:00 p.m. AEST. Applications are assessed through an annual process.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Research funding is central to the Foundation’s work. Supported projects investigate placental health, fetal growth restriction, maternal risk factors, infection and inflammation, fetal movement, pregnancy care, bereavement support, and the experiences of healthcare professionals.
The Foundation’s research priorities include understanding the causes and pathways leading to stillbirth, identifying and implementing prevention strategies, strengthening health services, improving care following perinatal loss, and ensuring culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, migrants, and refugee communities.
Public education initiatives share evidence-based information about safer pregnancy practices. Key messages include recognizing changes in a baby’s normal movement patterns, attending healthcare appointments, seeking assistance to stop smoking, monitoring fetal growth, discussing the timing of birth with healthcare professionals, and going to sleep on one’s side from 28 weeks of pregnancy.
The Foundation participates in the Safer Baby Bundle, which promotes evidence-based clinical and public education measures intended to reduce late-pregnancy stillbirth.
Its advocacy activities have addressed parental-leave equality, bereavement payments, research investment, national data collection, clinical care, and the development of a coordinated national response to stillbirth.
The Corporate Registry recognizes Australian employers that provide specific paid-leave provisions for employees and families affected by stillbirth. It also encourages other businesses to introduce compassionate workplace policies.
The Foundation provides a Baby Registry through which families can commemorate and formally acknowledge babies who were stillborn. It also creates opportunities for parents to share personal stories, raise awareness, and participate in research and advocacy.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
The Foundation has supported studies examining the biological, clinical, emotional, social, and economic dimensions of stillbirth.
One funded project developed a mobile application to improve awareness of fetal movement and encourage pregnant women to report changes promptly. Other studies have investigated placental ageing, fetal growth restriction, infection and inflammation, cytomegalovirus, maternal ethnicity, sleep position, and potentially modifiable risk factors for late-pregnancy stillbirth.
In 2020, the Foundation funded a study into the endometrial environment of women who experienced preterm birth or preterm stillbirth. It also supported a population-level study of more than 1.5 million Australian women to identify pregnancies with a higher risk of early stillbirth.
A grant of AUD34,162 supported the “Caring for the Carers” project. This research examined the well-being of healthcare professionals caring for families following perinatal loss and sought to develop evidence-based resources addressing emotional stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.
The Foundation partnered with PwC to examine the economic impact of stillbirth. The research estimated that stillbirth cost Australian society approximately AUD680 million between 2016 and 2020 through direct, indirect, and intangible impacts.
Its advocacy contributed to national attention on stillbirth and supported calls for Australia’s National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan. Launched in December 2020, the plan addressed prevention and care, public education, bereavement support, data collection, and research.
The Foundation also advocated for parental-leave equality. In November 2020, federal legislation clarified that parents of stillborn babies could access the same unpaid parental-leave entitlement of up to 12 months available following a live birth.
Conclusion
Stillbirth Foundation Australia combines community-funded research, evidence-based education, family participation, and policy advocacy to address a significant maternal and public health issue. Its work supports scientific discovery, safer pregnancy practices, improved bereavement care, compassionate workplace policies, and greater recognition of families affected by stillbirth.
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