Many researchers are unaware of what to do once they have been awarded research funding. This session will lay out the administrative requirements, the support available and generally how the process works for researchers and higher-degree research students.

This one hour session on Tuesday 29 August 2017 will address how research funding awards are processed by the Research Services Office. Attendees will be provided with an opportunity to ask questions. Register at ienrol to attend this information session.

Thinkable allows funders and researchers a new way to source and fund the next breakthrough research idea in any field. Earlier this year we highlighted the Sun Foundation Peer Prize for Women in Science which is hosted via thinkable. Who can apply or vote for an award? Any researcher who has been verified by thinkable. Verification entails registering as a researcher, and then authenticating your current organisation email, select your field/s of study, and provide details of at least one recently published peer-reviewed article. Thinkable strongly encourage peers to engage and vote on entries beyond their own specialist field.

 

Awards currently open for applications include:

• the MedTechs Got Talent 2017 where $161,00 is available in Australia's largest medical device startup competition,
• the NASA World Wind Europa Challenge which is seeking to find the best & brightest teams to pursue innovative urban management solutions for the world's cities using NASA's open source virtual globe technology, WebWorldWind,
• the Bioinformatics Peer Prize 2017 II for papers published in Q2 2017 (April 1- June 30), and
  
• the Peer Prize for Climate, offered by the Thinkable Academy.

With over 60k members and 400 of the worlds top universities represented, thinkable allows researchers the ability to mobilise their scientific research and knowledge to reach a wider global audience, to find collaborators and funding partners from across the world to support their research, and to engage with more peers to learn about novel ideas to seed new projects. To keep updated on thinkable competitions or to find further information, visit thinkable.org.

ComBio 2017 will be bringing one of the most impressive lists of biologists ever assembled to Adelaide in October 2017. To be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre from 2 - 5 October 2017, and incorporating the annual meetings of Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Australian Society of Plant Sciences, and the Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology, ComBio is being Chaired by Flinders' Dr Michael Michael, Medicine and Public Health.

Speakers will include Anne Brunet from Stanford University (USA), Michael Hall from University of Basel (Switzerland), Cathie Martin from the John Innes Centre (Norwich, UK), Manel Esteller from IDIBELL (Barcelona, Spain), and John Mattick from the Garvan Institute for Medical Research (Australia). With eight conference streams, there is something for every biologist.

Late poster submission deadline is Friday, 18 August 2017, and the on site poster abstract submission deadline is Wednesday, 27 September 2017. To register for ComBio 2017 or for further information, see the ComBio 2017 website.

The Cell Screen SA (CeSSA) facility, located in the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer (FCIC), was established to provide high-throughput screening services to South Australian researchers.

CeSSA is equipped to conduct high-throughput assays and screening, using automated robotics, liquid-handling devices, plate readers and high-content imaging to rapidly conduct thousands of biological or chemical tests on cell cultures. Possible applications include functional genomics studies to understand the functions and interactions of genes and proteins, and investigating how cells respond to different chemicals or drugs, experiments which may provide starting points for drug design and discovery.

The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, focused around several Perkin Elmer instruments which can operate as an integrated, automated workflow or as individual instruments. Dedicated facility staff can provide assistance with assay development and screening-library selection. As an OGTR certified laboratory, the facility is able to handle a variety of nucleic-acid applications, such as RNAi libraries. For further information about available instrumentation, please see the Cell Screen SA webpage.

Hosted by the Defence Science and Technology Group, the Defence Human Sciences Symposium (DHSS) is the principal Australian forum for those interested in the application of human sciences research to enhance Defence capability. The theme for this year’s symposium is “Human Sciences Innovation for the Future”. The DHSS program will take place over two days. The symposium will include a number of keynote speakers as well as technical workshops and presentations. The full program will be made available closer to the date.

Abstract submissions are invited on a range of topics relating to enhancing Human Sciences Capability. Abstracts of no more than 500 words should be submitted via the DHSS website. Submissions will now close on 4 September 2017. This was previously the 18 August 2017 but has been extended.

The Human Sciences Capability include but are not limited to:

Defence-focused themes

• Future technologies
• Health and Wellbeing
• Resilience
• Support to operations
• Trusted Autonomous Systems

Human Performance

• Anthropometry
• Cognitive enhancement and augmentation
• Cognitive performance: From Perception to Decision Making
• Food and nutrition
• Physical augmentation (assistive technologies)
• Physiology

Human Systems Analysis

• Ergonomics and Human Systems Engineering
• Human Systems Integration
• Training and Education

Human Sciences in National Security

• Cyber security
• Evaluation of software tools and techniques
• Mathematical and statistical modelling of social processes
• Social and cultural analysis of groups 
• Social media exploitation

Methodologies

• Ethics
• Measurements and Metrics
• Modelling and Simulation
• Multidisciplinary Research
• Tools and Techniques

Organisational Effectiveness

• Health and Safety
• Organisational Culture
• Personnel Selection and Retention

Have you considered that an established international conference, in one of the areas of life sciences, technology, and research and innovation, could have the potential to be held in Adelaide, South Australia? The Conventions Adelaide Grant Awards Program is now open for proposals for attracting major conferences to Adelaide. Up to 13 proposals will be awarded $7,500 to assist in bidding for the conference.

The Application guidelines are available from Nick Blight, Adelaide Convention Bureau. Nick can be contacted via phone: +61 8 8237 0100 or email nick@adelaideconvention.com.au. Submissions close Saturday 30 September 2017. Further information, including the Grants Award Program FAQ, is available at the Conventions Adelaide webpage.

The Conventions Adelaide Grant Awards Program is an initiative of the Adelaide Convention Bureau and industry partners, Adelaide Convention Centre and South Australian Tourism Commission.

The Federal Government's National Innovation and Science Agenda promises a whopping $1.1 billion to improving Australia's STEM education landscape. Australia's low-ranking research collaborations are a key target of this agenda. Long-term certainty for our world-class research infrastructure is fundamental for driving growth and creating the jobs of the future. Akolade’s Future-Proofing STEM Industries Summit is about improving partnerships between industry and education to drive engagement in STEM across the board. Bringing together Australia’s most influential thought-leaders this is a must attend event.

Bringing together Australia’s most influential thought-leaders in Sydney from the 19 - 21 September, this is the opportunity to hear about the best case studies, learn the best practices, and achieve the best outcomes. Akolade is aiming to create a platform of proactive discussion about how Australian Universities and Schools can harness relationships with industry to inspire, attract and retain our next generation of STEM-skilled innovators.

By attending this practical summit, attendees will gain insights into:

• Innovative strategies that drive higher involvement in STEM disciplines at all levels
• The critical role of Universities, VETs and RTOs in developing STEM talent for industry
• Effective models of collaboration, partnership and relationship between educators and industry
• Education-industry collaborations for increased STEM awareness, exposure and engagement
• Bridging the talent gap within STEM disciplines
• Future directions of STEM from Australia’s biggest thought-leaders

For more information on the Summit, visit the webpage or register here to attend.

This half-day event will present participants with the opportunity to meet representatives and leading academics from the HASS sector, explore current issues, participate in discussions around best practice related to research outcomes, and foster collaborations.

The event is being run by the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) is holding an event for Early Career Researchers on Thursday, 17 August 2017 at the RMIT University City Campus, Melbourne.

Sessions will include: Employment, Applying for Funding, Publishing, Engaging with your audience, and Peer-mentoring. Registration is $45 (+ GST) per person. Lunch and afternoon tea will be provided.

For more details on speakers and a FAQ about the event, see the event's Registration page.

Science is more dependent on interdisciplinary collaborations than ever before. Professor Tanya Monro will share her experience and tips establishing and managing these vital and valuable partnerships at the next ECR Network workshop to be held on Tuesday 15 August 2017.

Presented by RiAus (the Royal Institution of Australia), as part of their ECR Network which offers workshops and networking events for Early Career Researchers, this event is now open for booking.

The event will also be livestreamed at Australia's Science Channel - australiascience.tv

One way to engage with the community is through video stories. Two Flinders researchers have taken advantage of this with the assistance of Channel Ten. Scope is a fast, funny and informative children’s science show produced in association with the CSIRO and airs on Eleven.

A video clip featuring Associate Professor Karin Nordstrom's research into hoverflies is also available.

Research Engagement and Impact:Time to Scope your research - Hoverflies

If you have research that could be featured by Scope or other media outlets, see our recent article on Tips from a first time interviewee, which includes a list of areas / organisations that can provide assistance for researchers and the media.

Research Engagement and Impact:Tips from a first time interviewee

In our ongoing series around Engagement and Impact, we change tact from the focus on one-on-one/direct engagement with communities to the impact of getting one's research out via the media. Dr David Armstrong, Lecturer in Teacher Education: Special Education, was recently interviewed by Radio Adelaide on the final report from the South Australian Parliamentary Select Committee into Access to the Education System for Students with Disabilities.

One way to engage with the community is through video stories. Two Flinders researchers have taken advantage of this with the assistance of Channel Ten. Scope is a fast, funny and informative children’s science show produced in association with the CSIRO and airs on Eleven.

Associate Professor Karin Nordstrom's research into hoverflies, how they see the world and how this could help pilot autonomous drones was featured on Scope. Karin presented the July Flinders Investigator free public lecture on 19 July 2017.

Seminars Conferences and Workshops:Why hoverflies? - Inspiring Research @ Flinders

Hoverflies have a lot to tell us, especially why they could be better pollinators than bees, and Associate Professor Karin Nordström's research group at Flinders with the Motion Vision group from Uppsala University, Sweden, have started to reveal their secrets.

A video clip of Flinder's FAST team's research into creating a family solar car to participate in the upcoming World Solar Car race is also available.

Research Engagement and Impact:Time to Scope your research - FAST

If you have research that could be featured by Scope or other media outlets, see our recent article on Tips from a first time interviewee, which includes a list of areas / organisations that can provide assistance for researchers and the media.

Research Engagement and Impact:Tips from a first time interviewee

In our ongoing series around Engagement and Impact, we change tact from the focus on one-on-one/direct engagement with communities to the impact of getting one's research out via the media. Dr David Armstrong, Lecturer in Teacher Education: Special Education, was recently interviewed by Radio Adelaide on the final report from the South Australian Parliamentary Select Committee into Access to the Education System for Students with Disabilities.

Hoverflies have a lot to tell us, especially why they could be better pollinators than bees, and Associate Professor Karin Nordström's research group at Flinders with the Motion Vision group from Uppsala University, Sweden, have started to reveal their secrets.

Karin, Senior Lecturer in Anatomy & Histology, has spent the majority of her research life looking into hoverflies and other insect's visual abilities and behaviours. One of the main projects that she and her group have focused on is what makes hoverflies visit certain flowers and not others. With the world's bee and bumblebee populations declining, this is creating an issue for crop pollination. In Europe, 80% of their crops are directly dependent on insects for pollination. In understanding how and why hoverflies are attracted to certain flowers, this could lead to new ways of pollination, and keep the supply of crops at sustainable levels in spite of the loss of bee and bumblebee populations.

Flinders Investigators lectures are free lectures bringing the University's world-leading research to the community. Register online to attend the lecture.

In our ongoing series around Engagement and Impact, we change tact from the focus on one-on-one/direct engagement with communities to the impact of getting one's research out via the media. Dr David Armstrong, Lecturer in Teacher Education: Special Education, was recently interviewed by Radio Adelaide on the final report from the South Australian Parliamentary Select Committee into Access to the Education System for Students with Disabilities. His interview can be heard on the Radio Adelaide site. The Research Services Office approached David to share his experience on being interviewed by the media. Below is the interview we conducted with David.

 

How do you go about getting an interview?

Journalists from the media typically contact me for comment on a news story or to request a written submission about an issue. It’s important, I think, to have a strategy for developing your media profile as a researcher. My strategy has been to be available for ongoing comment in my areas of research (special and inclusive education, mental health in schools, dyslexia) to SA outlets (Adelaide Advertiser; local radio, InDaily) but with a view to establish myself interstate as a stepping stone to access to the national media. This is starting to pay off with radio interviews for interstate outlets and contact with national print media.  

 

Were you contacted first?

Colleagues very kindly forwarded my name to local journalists if the enquiry was in my area. I have reciprocated. It’s important to work as a team in sharing opportunities.

 

What assistance did you get beforehand?

When I came to Flinders I had assistance from the excellent Flinders education journalist (Tania Bawden) who facilitated interviews. In the past I led a funded education initiative (European Social Fund) with the homeless and in association with a major charity.

 

This initiative was innovative and high-profile, so the local and national media/celebrities/politicians were in contact on a regular basis. HRH Prince Charles visited, for example, and we spoke with the media present, so I am probably unusual in the amount of experience I have had in this respect. Interviews on the Radio and on TV require a different skillset from writing articles for the print media. I would recommend asking for assistance and advice from the Office of Communication and Engagement for anybody who is asked to appear in TV or undertake a radio interview and if it’s their first time.

 

Did you seek any out?

Yes, I have sought out journalists and taken a proactive approach. Registering for The Conversation is necessary – if you wish to write for it. I have recently had success engaging with politically influential state stakeholders in my field and by using Twitter but this needs to be carefully planned and executed.

 

What was the overall experience like?

It’s been positive and exciting. I enjoy communicating my research and saying why it’s designed to help improve the lives of children or young people with disabilities.

One important new organisation which has helped me is the Media Centre for Education Research Australia (MCERA): they have facilitated contact with the media so that it seems a less random and more positive experience.

 

What challenges were there?

A phone call will arrive when I have just arrived home or when I am in the middle of a meeting. If you don’t pick up the call often the journalist will ring another contact and you won’t be asked for comment or a story. If you pick up the phone you have an opportunity: you can help dispel myths; communicate key findings of your important research; and share knowledge with the community. The only other problem is that this takes time away from the everyday demands of the job (teaching, research etc.) so it’s important to find balance in media engagement.

 

The RSO thanks David for his time in sharing this information with the Flinders community.

 

Where to go if you are contacted by the media?

The Office of Communication and Engagement at Flinders offers media training in group and one-on-one sessions.

Registration with the Australian Science and Media Centre is encouraged. They provide training and advice and are very helpful in gaining access to mainstream media coverage.

Science Media Savvy provides some excellent top tips for researchers.

The Conversation has experienced journalists and editors who can provide assistance and advice to those wanting to start out or improve their writing communication skills in respect to print media. Flinders is a supporter of The Conversation and encourages our academics to get involved.

RiAus, based here in Adelaide, and Science in Public run workshops on media training throughout the year around Australia.

 

ACSPRI, the Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research Incorporated, delivers regular training courses in social research methods and research technology. Courses cater for researchers across many disciplines - in the social and political sciences, behavioural, health and medical sciences, policy research, education, economics, epidemiology, law, management, marketing, public relations and human resource management.

Suitable for researchers and higher degree students, all courses are small group, hands-on intensives that run across 5 days. They range from Fundamentals (level 1) courses that require little or no prior experience, to very advanced Level 5 courses.

Courses in the 2017 Spring Program, delivered at Macquarie University 25 – 29 September, include:

Class	Level
Data Envelopment Analysis for Management and Non-economists	1
Foundations of Qualitative Methodologies, Data Collection and Analysis	1
Fundamentals of Statistics	1
Introduction to Social Network Research and Analysis	1
SPSS for Researchers	1
Applied Statistical Procedures	2
Fundamentals of Structural Equation Modelling	3
Multi-level analysis using Mplus	5

Flinders researchers can access ACSPRI training courses at a reduced cost.  Flinders University is a member of ACSPRI.

ACSPRI also runs a survey research centre, Academic Surveys Australia, specialising in data collection for academic social science research, and the development and maintenance of free, open-source survey software.

Please contact Flinders’ ACSPRI representative, Dr Marina Delpin, if you have any queries.

If your research involves biological or other materials, then it is more than likely that you will require a MTA to send or receive such materials. A Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) is a legal document that is required when material is being transferred between institutions. The MTA sets out among other things, arrangements for permitted uses and ownership or sharing of ownership of the material and any associated intellectual property (IP).

This one hour session will provide an overview of what a MTA is, why and when you need a MTA, and how to set one up here at Flinders Uni. Register at ienrol to attend this information session.

Would you like to gain a better understanding of the biomedical research core facilities that are available for you to access?

The Robinson Research Institute and SAHMRI are co-hosting a Core Facilities Showcase, where facility leaders will be available to discuss how they can help to facilitate and optimise your research projects.

At this showcase, meet the Facility Leaders from:

• ACRF Cancer Genomics 
• ACRF Cellular Imaging & Cytometry 
• Adelaide Biofilm Test
• Adelaide Microscopy
• AHTA and Biostatistics
• Australian Genome Research
• Bioinformatics Hub
• Bioresources, Research Support Services
• Cell Screen SA
• Centre for Cancer Biology Advanced Imaging Resource
• Cryogenic Facility & Histology Laboratory
• David Gunn Genomics
• Flinders Microscopy
• Gene Silencing and Expression
• Non-Invasive Biomarker Engineering Centre
• Preclinical, Imaging & Research Laboratories
• SA Genome Editing
• SAHMRI Confocal Microscopy & Laser Capture
• South Australian Metabolomics 

Event Details
Monday 17 July
2:00pm - 3:30pm
SAHMRI Auditorium
Light refreshments provided

Registrations Essential

 

Want to help research and conservation efforts for 'Nemo' while eating at one of South Australia's top restaurants? Then the Saving Nemo at the Star of Greece is the upcoming event for you.

Researchers and Science Educators at Flinders set up the Saving Nemo Conservation Fund for the sole purpose of funding nursery-breeding programs to stop the demand for wild caught fish, establishing research projects that help conserve wild populations and running education programs that enable people to learn how to protect, breed and care for marine ornamental fish.

The popularity of the Pixar film Saving Nemo increased demand for clownfish around the world, but at that time the supplies of the fish to local aquarium stores were only from wild populations, mostly from the Philippines and the Great Barrier Reef here in Australia. This demand led to dramatic decreases in the wild populations, including them disappearing completely from some reefs. The Saving Nemo Conservation Fund set up nursery breeding programs to supply local aquarium stores and a series of research projects around conservation ecology and behaviour, aquaculture and sustainable fisheries, and using host anemones as bioactive products in anticancer research.

As part of their conservation and research fundraising efforts, a dinner will be held at the Star of Greece on Saturday, 5 August 2017 from 6:30 PM. Included in the ticket price is a two course meal, with two drinks. A Silent Auction will be held during the dinner and the guest speaker will be Associate Professor Karen Burke da Silva, Biology, and Founder of the Saving Nemo Conservation Fund. All proceeds will go directly to supporting education and awareness programs and vital monitoring and research of clownfish and their habitats.

Book by the 30 July to reserve your seat!

More information on the fund can be found at savingnemo.org.

MTPConnect is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to accelerate the rate of growth of the medical technologies, biotechnologies and pharmaceuticals sector to achieve greater commercialisation and establish Australia as an Asia-Pacific hub for MTP companies. It was formed in November 2015 as part of the Federal Government’s $250 million Industry Growth Centres Initiative.

The 2017 round of the Project Fund Program is now open for applications until 4 PM AEST Thursday 31 August 2017. They are looking for collaborative, industry-led projects through a dollar-for-dollar matched Project Fund Program. The aim is to invest in big, bold ideas to improve the productivity, competitiveness and innovative capacity of the MTP sector; to deliver results on a national scale that have sector-wide impact, including for SMEs.

MTPConnect ran a 2017 Project Fund Program webinar on Wednesday 21 June at 2 PM AEST providing an overview of the program, key priority areas for projects, the application and approvals process, and how to strengthen your application - view it on YouTube now. The Director of Major Projects, Elizabeth Stares and one of the MTP Connect General Managers are providing one-on-one sessions across Australia on the 2017 Project Fund Program. The Adelaide sessions will be held at the Medical Device Research Institute at Tonsley on 25 July 2017 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. To register for the Adelaide session, please do so here.

Further information on the Program, including project guidelines, template agreement and the EOI application form are available on the MTP Connect 2017 Project Fund Program webpage.

There is only one day left to nominate your colleagues or your project in the Award for Excellence in Research category in the 2017 Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) Excellence Awards. Applications close on Friday 14 July 2017.

These awards recognise outstanding achievements and acknowledge the importance of the SALHN staff as they strive to provide the standard of health care that we desire for our own families and friends.

Applicants are encouraged to refer to the SALHN Awards 2017 eligibility and conditions of entry available on the Inside Southern Health intranet prior to completing the form.

2017 SALHN awards program application form

ON Prime:Defence is a part-time pre-accelerator experience designed for science and technology that has the potential to deliver real impact for Australia's national security and defence. Delivered in partnership by the CSIRO and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DST), ON Prime:Defence gives researchers a unique opportunity to fast-track their science or technology proposition with expert guidance from those who've been there and done it before.

In a similar approach as the ON Prime program, participants will test paths for their IP, know-how or technology through a process of customer discovery and market validation, and build their entrepreneurial and business model capabilities to ensure they are working on the right problems, targeting the right markets and capitalising on the best opportunities. In the recent ON Accelerate round, the joint Flinders, CSIRO, and Flinders Partners group, SeaNU was one of the successful groups. Eligible ON Prime:Defence teams will be invited to participate in the ON Accelerate program.

ON Prime are looking for innovative technologies that have the potential to deliver game-changing capabilities for Australia's national security and defence. Each team must have at least one research employee from the CSIRO, Australian Universities, or Australia's publicly funded research agencies. Teams working on technologies that address the following priority areas with the potential for dual-use applications in the commercial market are highly encouraged to apply.

• Integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
• Space capabilities
• Enhanced human performance
• Medical countermeasure products
• Multidisciplinary material sciences
• Quantum technologies
• Trusted autonomous systems
• Advanced sensors, hypersonics, and directed energy capabilities

Professor John Coveney, Health Sciences, and his team, who are looking to set up the Research Centre for Food, Culture and Health, were involved in the last ON Prime:Defence round and took away some valuable lessons from the experience. Health research areas are encouraged to consider participating in the next ON Prime:Defence round.

Applications are now open and will close on 28 July 2017. More information on the program can be found at the ON Prime:Defence web page.