Australian research has been boosted by a $10 million grant that will hopefully result in cheaper, better malaria treatments.

Australian scientists will be able to fast-track the Aidevelopment and testing of new malaria medicines thanks to a $10 million research grant.

Scientists at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane will accelerate development of the drugs with the support of the investment from the Medicines for Malaria Venture, based in Gevena, Switzerland.

The funding will enable testing of candidate antimalarial drugs in healthy volunteers injected with a small number of malaria parasites, without putting them at risk.

Speaking from the Northern Australia Investment Forum in Darwin, Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb said investment in treatments for diseases such as malaria and dengue fever was a major focus for the region.

"The economic burden of malaria alone reaches into the hundreds of millions of dollars each year and the human cost, of course, can be much greater," Mr Robb said on Sunday.

He also announced an $8.5 million Australian Tropical Medicine Commercialisation grants program to help commercialise research on new tropical therapies, vaccines and diagnostics.