Photo credit: Flinders University, Maritime Archaeology. (Photo by Francis Stankiewicz)

Underwater Archaeology is a worldwide discipline regularly interfacing with universities, communities, governments and policy makers. Establishing international partnerships plus the co-operation and trust that leads to research collaboration is integral to further our understanding of cultural heritage.

One of the best ways to develop collaborative research is taking the opportunity to meet face-to-face and develop the rapport. This is exactly what Associate Professor Wendy Van Duivenoorde and Dr Jonathan Benjamin have achieved having become co-Chairs of the UNESCO University Twinning and Networking Programme for Underwater Archaeology (UNITWIN Network) in 2015, and this month they will be submitting an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant as a result.

The UNITWIN Network was established in 1992 with the aim to increase research capacity through international cooperation. It enhances the protection of, and research into underwater cultural heritage by formally connecting universities and professional training institutions working in underwater archaeology.

In April 2018, at their meeting in Paris, France, Wendy and Jonathan tabled a discussion to propose development of a joint ARC Linkage Project to build and capitalise on the links the Network has developed over the past three years. The project, 'Diving for humanity', aims to reveal how the field of underwater archaeology developed on a global scale and has generated new significant knowledge about our shared human past. It intends to capitalise on connecting with pioneers of underwater archaeology, many of whom are approaching the end of their academic careers. It will position the important contributions of Australian Maritime Archaeologists on the world stage, an aspect that is largely missing from the current narrative.

To assist in the proposal development Mr Narmon Tulsi, Senior Research Support Officer, Research Development and Support, for the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, was invited to attend the April meeting.

Narmon advised international partners on the ARC grant funding system, assisted in building relationships and provided an overview on what would be required from the international partners to develop a successful application.

“The experience was extremely valuable, and attending the meeting allowed good relationships to be built with key international academics,” said Narmon. “This has undoubtedly had a positive influence on many of the members…they have a willingness to engage with Flinders.”

It is anticipated that the proposal will be submitted in August.

In each issue of Inspiring Research we will be profiling recipients of the inaugural Flinders University Impact Seed Funding Grants – awarded July 2018.

Today we’re meeting Dr Catherine Attard, College of Science and Engineering, and highlighting aspects of her research project "Conservation genomics of the world’s largest animal, the blue whale" that has been awarded a 2018 Impact Seed Grant.

Catherine’s project will use cutting-edge genomic techniques to address ecological and conservation-orientated questions about the world’s largest animal, the blue whale. It aims to accurately determine the number, distribution, degree of connectivity and adaptive evolution of subspecies and populations in the species worldwide. The project will have a global impact by informing the national and international management of the species. Such scientific-based conservation is crucial to promote the recovery of blue whales from 20th century whaling.

More broadly, Catherine conducts genomic research to answer fundamental questions in ecology and evolution, and applies those answers to management and conservation. She is a key member of the Molecular Ecology Lab and the Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab at Flinders, where she works with research leaders Professor Luciano Beheregaray and Associate Professor Luciana Möller. Luciana and Catherine together developed a long-standing research program on endangered blue whales, with the Impact Seed Grant allowing Catherine to broaden its geographic scope and move it from genetic to more powerful genome-wide techniques. Among numerous other achievements, Catherine with the research team have developed and implemented advances to captive breeding and reintroduction programs; improved Australian fisheries management of the heavily-stocked and economically-important golden perch; and used DNA to uncover dangerous human impacts on multiple species.

Impact:

Catherine’s Impact Seed Grant research is expected to inform the management of blue whales by the International Whaling Commission, the Australian Government, and overseas nations. The latter includes management in the eastern Pacific and NZ through collaborations with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the US Government, Oregon State University in the US (who conduct blue whale research in NZ), and the Centro de Conservacion Cetacea in Chile. Her research benefits the environment and, consequently, humanity due to the recreational, health, and economic value of the environment.

The project is anticipated to have widespread public and media impact. Testament to this is Catherine was recently granted a SA Tall Poppy Award for her extensive science outreach, and is a finalist for SA Tall Poppy of the Year with the winner to be announced at the SA Science Excellence Awards, Friday 10 August. Her outreach includes TV stories on 60 Minutes, ABC News 24 and children’s science show Scope, as well as numerous radio interviews. She has articles in The Conversation, popular science magazines Australasian Science, Wildlife Australia and Australian Geographic, and print newspapers The Australian, The Advertiser, and The Times. Altogether, her research has conceivably reached over one million people, and the Impact Seed funding will help continue this impressive research impact.

Flinders University Impact Seed Funding Grants provide an opportunity for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to develop their careers and enable key research projects or promotion of research outcomes. Flinders ECRs are in the right environment to breed success. Flinders University has partnered with our community of donors to provide the opportunity for ECRs to receive financial support to develop and fortify their skill sets. Our supporters want to make a difference by building our researchers’ capacity and capabilities to make a positive impact.

Researchers, policy makers, and older adults themselves agree that staying engaged with life represents a hallmark of ageing well. Various service providers and community organisations already provide a range of activity programs tailored towards older people. However the specific aspects of these programs that make them more or less effective are not well understood.

Dr Timothy Windsor’s (CEPSW) Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant Promoting engagement with life in older adulthood will investigate how activity programs can best promote engagement. Increasing older adults' engagement could directly benefit their social integration, well-being and improve their quality of life.

“Living the best life possible means engaging with life in ways that support connection with community, reduce social isolation and support self-determination. So, finding out how South Australia’s older people choose to engage with life is central to understanding how we can support them to maintain these activities throughout their lifespan,” said Leah Trotta, ECH’s General Manager Capability. 

Tim, Professor Mary Luszcz (CEPSW) and Dr Ruth Walker (CNHS) are collaborating with researchers from Oregon State University and Curtin University, as well as ECH Incorporated, the City of Onkaparinga, and the South Australian Office for the Ageing.

“We expect to generate new knowledge on what components of activity programs are key to their effectiveness, as well as evaluate a new tailored approach to promoting engagement that aligns with individuals' unique strengths, capabilities and values,” said Tim.

Expected outcomes of the project include an enhanced understanding of mechanisms contributing to the success of activity programs for older adults, and the development of a new activity program protocol and associated educational materials. The findings will provide benefits for community organisations and aged care service providers adopting innovative approaches to promoting ageing well.

Leah Trotta added, “ECH is excited to be partnering with Flinders and the City of Onkaparinga to learn about these activities and to develop an understanding of how to support or enhance engagement.”

The project is designed to create research and collaboration opportunities, producing academic outputs, and informing policy development.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has implemented a substantial restructure of its grant program for applications late 2018-early 2019, for funding commencing in 2020.

The changes were summarised in a presentation at Flinders University on the 24 July 2018 given by Dr Tony Willis, Executive Director, Research Strategy and Implementation Taskforce. The video recording of the presentation is available on the past presentations and workshop page, under the NHMRC section.

The new program will comprise four funding streams for which the NHMRC has now published the guidelines. They are:

1. Investigator Grants, which will provide the highest-performing researchers at all career stages with funding for their salary (if required) and a significant research support package
2. Synergy Grants, which will provide $5 million per grant for outstanding multidisciplinary research teams to work together to answer complex questions
3. Ideas Grants, which will support innovative and creative research projects, and be available to researchers with bright ideas at all career stages
4. Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies opportunity is to support high-quality clinical trials and cohort studies that address important gaps in knowledge, leading to relevant and implementable findings for the benefit of human health.

For more information, including information on timelines, guidelines and transition to the new schemes, please see the Research Development and Support website.

Professor Corey Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Fellow in Global Ecology, has shared his mistakes in a major part of academia in a new book The Effective Scientist – A Handy Guide to a Successful Academic Career.

To help younger scientists,  Corey focuses in on writing, communicating and storytelling. The Effective Scientist can be purchased from Cambridge University Press and is illustrated by Flinders University PhD candidate René Campbell.

As Corey says, "most scientists haven't had proper training in English literature. The understanding of grammatical structure and the subtleties of the English language and the beautiful array of terminology we can use while trying to remain precise and to the point such that we can clarify very complex concepts to not only our colleagues but also to the rest of the world is not included in science training. This ability to communicate effectively takes an exceptional command of the English language to do properly."

The Science Show on Radio National interviewed Corey on exploring the importance of writing, communication and story-telling for academics, particularly scientists. You can hear the podcast on the ABC Radio website.

There is a great breadth of internship opportunities currently available for PhD students in Adelaide through the APR Intern program.  Create real world impact through research projects in quality assurance, regional development, business analytics, data science and engineering, while receiving a stipend of $3,000 a month.  

The internships range from three to five months in duration and are a great way for students nearing submission of their PhD to gain workplace experience, develop networks and identify potential career options.

For more information about the APR Intern program and the opportunities available, including eligibility criteria, visit APR Intern or contact Megan Prideaux, Partner Engagement and Pathways Officer, Office of Graduate Research megan.prideaux@flinders.edu.au.

Registrations are now open for Space and Place: Conceptions of movement, belonging, and boundaries, the 2018 Gender, Sex and Sexualities Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Conference, It will be held on 19-20 September at the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, North Terrace campus.

This is a is a two-day single-stream event that is free for all and open to everybody including established academics and scholars, undergraduate students, and interested members of the public.

Registrations are for one of two days and include morning and afternoon tea and lunch. Register at eventbrite here.

Over twenty early career researchers, postgraduate students and honours students will present their research over two days. There will also be two keynote addresses from early and mid- career researchers, and a panel session exploring the dynamics of diverse place-making within marginalised communities including Indigenous, migrant and POC experiences in Australia.

More information about the keynote and panel sessions, along with the conference program, can be found on the website.

There will also be a creative partner event on the Thursday evening after the conference close where presenters and attendees are invited to join artists and the wider community in a creative and dynamic exploration of the conference theme. Information about this event will be available soon.

People tend to think about politics as the realm of ideas and opinions. Everyone in a contemporary democracy engages with politics, makes political decisions, and has the right to contribute to the affairs of the nation.

Politics, however, can be studied scientifically. Some even attempt to design “laws” similar to those of the physical sciences.

'The Science of Politics' will enable attendees to have the opportunity to play a number of games and engage in a number of activities that will show some interesting ways that science can help understand politics, voting and political behaviour in general. The event will be held as part of National Science Week 2018 on Monday 13 August 2018, from 5:00pm to 7:30pm at Flinders in the City, Level 1, 182 Victoria Square, Adelaide.

This event is open to the general adult public or young adult public interested in politics and in understanding how science can play a role in the realm of politics. There is no prior knowledge necessary or assumed. Activities will be carried-out individually and in small groups.

To register, please visit the event page at Flinders.

The Summer Foundation has announced a new competitive research grant, with Expressions of Interest (EOIs) open from 8 August 2018. The aim of the Summer Foundation is to resolve the issue of young people in nursing homes.

The $1 million competitive research grant will fund high quality research that provides an evidence base to improve the lives of young people in aged care or at risk of entering aged care. This research will inform systems change related to aged care, disability, housing, hospitals or primary and community health systems.

Research Topics:

• Housing for people with disability
• Aged Care
• Discharge from hospitals to RAC
• Slow Stream Rehabilitation
• Indigenous people with disability
• Primary & Community Health

Applications will be assessed on their scientific merit as well as their ability to affect meaningful change to the systems that admit younger people to aged care and leave them there. Development grants that seed fund high quality and strategic research that is positioned to secure substantial grant funding will be considered positively. Applications that demonstrate a strong opportunity for translation of research outcomes into practice and policy change will also be looked upon favourably.

The EOI closing date is 21 September 2018, 5.00pm AEST. The Flinders internal closing date is 7 September, 2018. For application advice and information, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

EOIs forms available at the Summer Foundation website. 

Cancer Council SA are calling for applications for the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship from researchers involved in any aspect of leukaemia research.

The closing date is 5 October 2018. The Flinders internal closing date is 22 September 2018. For application advice and information, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

For College of Medicine and Public Health applicants who are considering applying, please also contact Rebecca Keough, Centre Manager, Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer (FCIC). As matched funding is required and all applications must have the approval of FCIC Director, Professor Bogda Koczwara.

The Fellowship package is for three years and awarded on a competitive basis to scientists working in South Australia. The Fellowship is $100,000 per annum for three years for a full-time position, with the value of the award adjusted pro-rata.

The selection criteria include the merit of the research project, the researcher's track record and evidence of support from the relevant host institution.

Further Information is available at the Cancer Council SA website. 

The Mineral's Research Institute of Western Australia has adopted the Research Priority Plan (RPP) to guide their Board’s decisions on research grant applications.

The closing date for submitting an Application is two months prior to the date of a targeted Board meeting. The next two closing dates are 17 August 2018, and 12 October 2018. For application advice and assistance, please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

The RPP identifies key challenges and opportunities in the WA minerals industry and provides the remit within which the Board will consider Applications for research grants.

For an Application to MRIWA to be successful the applicant(s) must show that the work proposed will directly benefit the Western Australian economy, is directed to the mineral deposits in WA and is within the remit of the RPP.

An application can take a minimum of 2-3 months to process (refer Flowchart for a MRIWA Application) depending on the timing of the submission and the completeness of the Application.

More information, including links to the RPP and the application details can be found at the MRIWA website.

The Cancer Research Institute funds research aimed at furthering the development of immunological approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer. The Institute's mission is to bring effective immune system-based therapies to cancer patients sooner.

To this end, CRI offers its Clinic and Laboratory Integration Program (CLIP) Grants to qualified scientists who are working to explore clinically relevant questions aimed at improving the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. The program supports basic, pre-clinical, and translational research that can be directly applied to optimizing cancer immunotherapy in the clinic.

Letters of Intent are due 1 November 2018. The Flinders Internal closing date is 18 October 2018. For application advice and information, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

The CRI established CLIP to support investigators who are studying critical topics at the intersection of laboratory and clinical research. CLIP grants provide up to $200,000 over a two-year period.

For more information, please visit the CRI website.

The Wellcome Innovator Awards support researchers who are transforming great ideas into healthcare innovations that could have a significant impact on human health.

There are no deadlines for this scheme - applications can be received at any time. For application advice and assistance, please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

An Innovator Award provides up to £500,000 of funding and usually lasts up to 24 months. For multidisciplinary collaborations, awards are up to £750,000 and have a duration of up to 36 months.

Innovator Awards are open to researchers who are developing healthcare innovations that could have a major and measurable impact on human health. Individuals and teams from not-for-profit and commercial organisations can apply.

Work can be in any scientific discipline, including a discipline outside life sciences. Any type of technology can also be proposed. Examples of technologies include:

• therapeutics (small molecules or biologics)
• vaccines
• devices
• diagnostics
• digital technology
• regenerative medicine. 

The work that is proposed must be essential for developing the healthcare innovation. Proposals must include researchers from at least two different scientific disciplines and at least one researcher from a discipline outside life sciences, such as (but not limited to) engineering, physical science or data science.

For more information, please visit the Wellcome website.

The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) and the National Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia (NBCF) are collaborating on a joint new biomedical research funding opportunity - the Ovarian and Breast Cancer Research Collaboration Initiative. For the first time, this jointly funded high impact translational research will span both ovarian and breast cancers to improve outcomes for women. 

Proposals are now being accepted via the SmartyGrants platform. Applications will close strictly at 5pm (AEST) Friday 28 September 2018.

For application advice and information, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

The goal of this funding opportunity is to tackle and answer the most critical clinical questions affecting women diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer, with the potential to transform the clinical management of these conditions by delivering high impact patient outcomes significantly faster than existing funding mechanisms.

The total amount available for this funding opportunity is AUD $1 million over 3 to 5 years to fund one or two research projects.

For more information, please visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation website. The OCRF have now uploaded the Funding Agreement onto the NBCF website- click here to view the agreement.

The Australian Academy of Science invites applications from Australian researchers for the Australia–India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) Early- and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Fellowships 2019.

Deadline for applications is 9am (AEST) Wednesday 12 September 2018. The Flinders internal closing date is 29 August 2018. For application advice and assistance, please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

These EMCR Fellowships provide support of up to A$16,500 for Australian researchers to travel to India and work with leading researchers at major Indian science and technology organisations for a period of between 1 and 3 months.

They are intended to facilitate long-term science, technology and innovation collaboration between Australia and India by:

• developing researchers’ expertise in international collaboration and fostering long-term relationships between Australian and Indian researchers
• increasing Australian researchers’ understanding of Indian culture, particularly the science and research practices and systems
• developing the researchers’ leadership skills as future ‘science ambassadors’ for Australia
• providing a catalyst for future Australia–India research collaboration.

Candidates should have between 3 and 10 years of research experience since the award of their PhD degree or equivalent, with the degree having been conferred no more than 15 years prior to submitting the grant application. Candidates should be research active in any field of the natural sciences (basic and applied), engineering science, mathematics, statistics or health.

Candidates engaged in multidisciplinary research are invited to apply but should note that proposals for research solely in the humanities, social or behavioural sciences are not eligible.

For more information and application forms, please visit the Australian Academy of Science website.

The program for the Australian Rural & Remote Mental Health Symposium 2018 has now been released. The Symposium will be held on 15-17 October 2018 in Hobart, Tasmania.

Early bird registration is now available until 3 September 2018.

Panels and workshops will include:

• Challenges for Rural & Remote Suicide Panel,
• Implementing Evidence-Based Integrated Approaches to Suicide Prevention in Remote Locations,
• How Do Australia’s Rural and Remote Mental Health Services Stack Up?,
• Social and Cultural Determinants of Physical and Mental Health,
• Digital and Low Intensity Mental Health Programs, 
• Social Determinants of Health, 
• Mentally Healthy Workplaces, 
• Suicide and Self Harm Prevention, and
• Supporting Mental Health Workers

Visit the Symposium website for more information.

The Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research Incorporated (ACSPRI) are offering a weeks of courses at Macquarie University, NSW, in their 2018 Spring Program. ACSPRI courses are intensive, small group and 'Hands on' (between 10-20 people), ensuring quality attention from instructors.

The week runs from 24 - 28 September. Enrol early (by 15 August) to take advantage of the early-bird discount on course fees, particularly if you are a full time student. Flinders is a member of ACSPRI, so all staff and students are eligible for the member discounts.

All courses run across 5 days, from 9am to 5pm through the week (with breaks throughout and an early finish on Friday). The courses will cover the following topics: Fundamentals of Statistics, Introduction to Qualitative Research, Applied Statistical Procedures, Qualitative Research: Design, Analysis and Representation, Network Analysis in Social, Business and Political Research, Using R for Advanced Statistical Analysis, and Applied Structural Equation Modelling using AMOS.

ACSPRI courses:

• are for researchers and higher degree students
• are all small group (max 10-20 people)
• are intensive - a semester worth of information packed in 1 week
• are 'hands on', practical and applied and come with course notes that you can keep as a handy reference.
• cover a wide range of social science research and methodology from statistics to data management, survey design and analysis

The Ecological Society of Australia (ESA) and the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment have extended the deadline for applications for round 2 of the postgraduate research grants.

The new deadline is 31 August 2018. Applications must be made via Research Development and Support, not by students or supervisors. The Flinders internal closing date is 17 August 2018. For application advice and assistance, please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

Preference is given to students at an early stage of a doctoral programme.

Grants are worth up to AUD 7,500 per year for two to three years. The total conference travel budget for the project is AUD 3,000.

These grants enable postgraduate students to conduct research on ecology, wildlife management or natural history. Applications in three general areas are especially encouraged:

• field work on Australian native plants and animals to gain understanding of ecological interactions, population dynamics, animal behaviour and species distribution;
• conservation biology and biodiversity, studies relating to the management of protected areas and rare or threatened species in Australia;
• wildlife management relating to sport, hunting, harvesting, pest control, management of non-game animals, and the effect of land management on native species.

For further information, including application guidelines and application forms, please visit the ESA website.