Flinders' September Research Training and Development Intensive is now open for enrolments. Flinders Focus on Research Engagement and Impact will be run in the week of 24 September 2018. This initiative will bring Flinders research community together to discuss, explore and share knowledge on what engagement and impact means at our University.

Join us at presentations, workshops and peer-learning sessions to explore good practice examples of impactful research and how to build sustainable research partnerships.

Open to the entire research community, we welcome ECRs, MCRs, established researchers, research leaders and research support staff to participate. Rural and remote colleagues will be able to access and participate in sessions – please email the Researcher Professional Development team for further details.

Enrolments are now open - please book through ienrol Research and direct any queries to researcherpd.rds@flinders.edu.au.

Flinders Focus on Research Engagement and Impact session details

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Robert Saint is pleased to announce a new program of support schemes for ARC and NHMRC (category one) grant applications.

These programs can viewed on the new Research Development and Support webpage Flinders Grant Application Support.

Professor Saint says "A critical strategic aim of the University is to increase our research grant income. This new program of schemes through our Research Development & Support (RDS) team, aims to help support the development of high quality, competitive grant applications, as well as potentially contribute funding to support the implementation of successful grants awarded".

Many crimes result in deposition of DNA and body fluid stains that are invisible to the crime scene investigator. As a result, evidence collection is blind and hit and miss.

Professor Adrian Linacre (CSE) and Professor Paul Kirkbride (CSE) are aiming to take their breakthrough technique that currently allows visualization of invisible DNA (latent DNA) on "convenient" surfaces such as a glass microscope slide and turn it into into a quick and inexpensive prototype method ready for transferral to forensic casework.

This will allow DNA traces to be seen on crime items and will result in a greater "hit rate" in recovering latent DNA deposited during crime.

With the exception of fingerprint examination, DNA profiling is arguably the most important technique available to forensic science. It is employed by all forensic agencies in Australia and New Zealand and deals directly with who was involved in a crime, rather than providing circumstantial evidence.

This project will deliver an inexpensive and practical DNA collection capability that will lead to DNA evidence being available in more cases. Crime items that currently yield no genetic information will now be informative, assisting investigations of serious crimes or terrorist incidents.

Adrian and Paul’s project Visualisation of latent DNA was awarded $106,705 from the Australian Research Council (ARC) in the last Linkage Grant announcement. They will be working with industry partners Forensic Science SA and The Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency-National Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Forensic Science SA (FSSA) exists to provide cost-effective, efficient and independent, high quality expert scientific and medico-legal evidence, opinion and information to the justice system and community of South Australia. FSSA and Flinders have a long association, through co-supervision of Honours, doctoral and post-doctoral projects with direct relevance to FSSA.

The Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency-National Institute of Forensic Science (ANZPAA NIFS) is recognised as the peak body for forensic science in Australia and New Zealand and, amongst other functions, deals with innovation and education and training in the forensic sciences at the national level. ANZPAA NIFS also works with other national bodies, such as the Australia and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS) of which Adrian is the National President. Adrian and the ANZPAA NIFS Director work together to develop forensic science standards through Standards Australia. ANZPAA NIFS have developed a Research and Innovation Roadmap that will be used to guide future investment in forensic science across Australia and New Zealand. The Roadmap included stakeholder engagement (forensic science service providers, tertiary education institutions and forensic technology providers) in the creation of key areas of focus, including specific research questions including - Could a technique be developed to identify the presence of skin cells on large items/areas that could be sampled for DNA analysis?

Are you a postgraduate student with an interest in public policy, the environment, science & technology, natural resources, foreign affairs, social policy, law, statistics or economics? Would you like to apply your research skills in the parliamentary environment?

The Parliamentary Library offers two summer research scholarships for postgraduate students each year. Scholars work alongside specialist researchers in the Parliamentary Library in Canberra for a period of six weeks (January–February 2019) to produce a report on a topic of relevance to the Library’s research program.

The Parliamentary Library is a unique research environment: it provides high quality information, analysis and advice to senators and members of the House of Representatives in support of their parliamentary and representational roles, as well as to their staff, the staff of committees, and the Governor-General.

The Summer Research Scholarship allows scholars to understand and work within this important national institution. The scholarship also gives recipients the opportunity to:

• build research expertise
• contribute to scholarship on the Parliament and its work
• receive training and access the Library’s specialist collections and databases
• interact with subject-matter experts and
• be guided by a mentor who will provide advice during the scholarship.

Upon successful completion of the scholarship, an honorarium of $1,800 is paid.

Download the information kit at: www.aph.gov.au/library.

For further information, contact Georgina Watson — georgina.watson@aph.gov.au, ph: 02 6277 2721, or Lauren Cook — lauren.cook@aph.gov.au, ph: 02 6277 2547.

Applications must be submitted by 23 September 2018 to parliamentary.librarian@aph.gov.au.

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is currently accepting applications for its CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. The CRI Irvington Fellowship furthers career development and supports laboratory research for promising young scientists working under the mentorship of leading immunologists.

Letters of Intent are due 1 Ocotber 2018. The Flinders Internal closing date is 17 September 2018. For application advice and information, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

In recent years, significant advances in immunotherapy have yielded major breakthroughs in cancer treatment. CRI recognizes however that getting to the next great breakthrough will require continued investment in fundamental research and training. With this in mind, CRI is widening the scope of its fellowship program and will now accept applications from qualified young scientists at leading universities and research centers around the world who wish to receive training in fundamental immunology or tumor immunology.

The Institute is seeking hypothesis-driven, mechanistic studies in both immunology and tumor immunology that aim to directly impact our understanding of the immune system’s role in cancer.

Funding available is US$175,500 over three years

For more information, please visit the CRI website.

The Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, in conjunction with our client, the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (Victoria) is seeking expressions of interest for the following project - The human dimensions of environmental crime.

Research teams responding to this Call for Expression of Interest are required to submit their response, including:

• A draft project proposal (4-6 pages) clearly addressing the requirements of the specifications set out in this document. Proposals must include achievable timelines, which will be used to monitor progress. A statement of capability demonstrating the ability of the proposed project team to undertake the work. This statement of capability should include the names and experience of key team members and their proposed contribution to the project. (The capability statement should not exceed 4 pages)
• Project budget including details of any in kind contribution from the research organisation. A statement of acceptance of the terms and conditions of the proposed contractual arrangements. If such arrangements are not acceptable details of any changes must be included with the submitted response.

Applications must be submitted to: office@bnhcrc.com.au by 10 September 2018. The Flinders internal closing date is 27 August 2018. For application advice and information including further EOI documentation, please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grant Officer (IGII).

ERP19 Expression of Interest call

The Bupa Health Foundation has opened Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the 2018 Foundation Grants Program. This year they are looking to invest $1million in one or more research projects that focus on improving mental health models of care in Australia.

The call is for an alliance of organisations, who collectively have the capacity and capability to deliver bold and impact-focused research that leads to improvements in mental health models of care in Australia. This will ultimately result in better health for the Australian community.

The Foundation believes there is a need for progressive mental health models of care that are aligned with the health needs and care preferences of today’s population. They are keen to see approaches that take into account funding models and utilise the available data and technology of a modern health system.

The 2018 Foundation Grants Program is the first round of their renewed approach to administering health and medical research funding, where they are going to the health research and care communities with a targeted area of research.

This new approach has a two-stage evaluation process. This includes the initial EOI which is now open (stage one), followed by a full Request for Proposal to be completed by select applicants only (stage two). Submissions close - 9am Monday 17th September 2018 (AEST). The Flinders internal closing date is 3 September 2018. For application advice and information, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

To ensure research proposals are aligned with the objectives of the grant program as well as the strategic proprieties of the Foundation, they have developed detailed application guidelines that outline grant objectives and requirements, as well as application process and timelines. This information can be found on their website bupa.com.au/foundation.

RSVPs are now open for the Flinders Health Research Week which will be held 3 - 7 September.

Southern Adelaide is rich in world-class health and medical research and we are pleased to be able to shine a light on the passion, talent and achievements of the health professionals, scientists, clinical researchers and students based in the south.

Research over the last century has revolutionised the way we deliver health care. It is in that light we have come together to present an innovative program showcasing a broad cross-section of our current research.

The week sees three key partners unite. Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Flinders University and the Flinders Foundation to jointly support Flinders Health Research Week reflecting how we are united by research.

View the full program at the Flinders Health Research Week website.

The Australian Academy of Science (AAS) is calling for nominations from Australian-based early career researchers to attend the 69th Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau (dedicated to physics), to be held in Lindau, Germany, 30 June – 5 July 2019.

The Science and Industry Endowment Fund is providing financial support through the Science and Industry Endowment Fund – Australian Academy of Science Fellowships to the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

Applications must be submitted to the Academy by Research Development and Support by 5 October 2018. Each institution is limited to applying for two grants on behalf of two early career researchers. If you are interested in applying, please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII) by mid-September.

The Science and Industry Endowment Fund – Australian Academy of Science Fellowships include:

1. A grant-in-aid of up to $3,500 (GST exclusive) towards the cost of an international return economy airfare from Australia to the international airport closest to Lindau.
2. Participation costs (including accommodation) for the Meeting of Nobel Laureates (up to $3,250).
3. A $500 travel grant and registration to attend Science at the Shine Dome, an annual celebration of science held at the Australian Academy of Science in Canberra. This is where the pre-Lindau briefing will be held.
4. Following the meeting, the delegation continue on a site-visit tour of relevant German laboratories and companies. The site visits will directly follow the Lindau meeting, and finish on the morning of 11 July 2019.

Further information and the application form can be found at the Australian Academy of Science website.

The Clunies Ross Awards have a proud 27-year tradition of recognising contributions by dedicated individuals who have shared their vision and knowledge with others to apply technology for the benefit of Australia.

The Awards provide a great opportunity for Flinders University to showcase, and be recognised for, its research-industry engagement and commercialisation impact.

The Clunies Ross Awards will be awarded in three categories, with a single winner in each category:

• Entrepreneur of the Year award
• Knowledge Commercialisation award
• Innovation award

For more information the Clunies Ross Award Online Nomination Portal Information and Nomination Guidelines are available at www.atse.org.au/cluniesrossawards Any additional queries please contact the Clunies Ross Awards coordinator via email clunies.ross@atse.org.au

Nominations close by 2.00pm AEDT Friday 26 October 2018. The Flinders internal closing date is 12 October 2018, and for assistance in preparing a nomination, please contact Dr Marina Delpin, Researcher Professional Development.

The British Academy is inviting proposals from UK-based researchers across all disciplines within the social sciences and humanities to develop international interdisciplinary research projects with development impact, in collaboration with colleagues from the natural, engineering and/or medical sciences.

The application deadline is Wednesday 3 October 2018 (17:00 UK Time), and the Host Institution deadline is Thursday 4 October 2018 (17:00 UK Time). The Flinders internal deadline is 20 September 2018. For application advice and assistance, please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

The purpose of each project will be to develop new ideas and methods to bear on existing international challenges and to deliver policy-relevant outputs. Projects will need to demonstrate an innovative and interdisciplinary partnership internationally (between researchers in the social sciences or the humanities on the one hand and counterparts in the natural, engineering and/or medical sciences on the other), yielding new conceptual understanding and policy-relevant evidence on questions of international significance.

The complexities of global change and the proliferation of diverse communities of knowledge, practice and intelligence highlight the necessity of collaborative engagement between communities of practice, disciplines, capacities and borders. The British Academy is keen to support and work with proposals that strengthen understanding of challenges in this context and engage with questions concerning the relationship between expertise, public understanding and policy delivery. We are interested in projects of interdisciplinary nature that examine encounters between academic, professional and lay knowledge, and how valid knowledge, knowledge associations and evidence are built and developed, communicated and disseminated, and the factors which can serve as barriers to this in different political or cultural settings.

The lead applicant must be based at a UK university or research institute, and be of postdoctoral or above status (or have equivalent research experience). International co-applicants are strongly encouraged.

Awards are of 18 months in duration and are available for up to £50,000. Funding can be used to support research and/or clerical assistance (postdoctoral or equivalent); research expenses and consumables; travel and subsistence; and networking, meeting and conference costs. Awards are not funded on a full economic costs basis, with contributions to overheads an ineligible cost.

Applications must be submitted online using the British Academy's Grant Management System (GMS), Flexi-Grant®. For the assessment criteria please see the detailed scheme notes.

Funding for the projects will begin on 31 January 2019.

The Judith Jane Mason & Harold Stannet Williams Memorial Foundation (‘the Mason Foundation’) is a charitable trust that supports medical and scientific research on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

The 2018 Mason Foundation ME/CFS research grant round is now open and will close on Monday, 10 September. The Flinders internal closing date is 27 August 2018. For advice and information, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

The goal of The Mason Foundation is to achieve enduring, positive impact in the areas of ME/CFS through funding medical research principally into the causes, prevention and/or management of this disease. To deliver on its goal into the future, The Mason Foundation has identified the need to enhance its current ME/CFS grants program.

Please refer to the Equity Trustees website for more information on the enhancements to the grant program and if you wish to apply.

In addition to the 2018 ME/CFS call for research grant applications, it is also the intention of The Mason Foundation to issue an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the establishment and operation of a patient registry/database for ME/CFS research and a limited scale biobank. Research grant applications leveraging these resources in future will be a priority. It is anticipated that EOIs will be sought towards the beginning of 2019.

Australian Rotary Health invites applications from individuals holding a PhD looking to build a research career in the "Prevention of Mental Illness".

The external closing date is Friday 14 September 2018. The Flinders internal closing date 31 August 2018. For advice and information, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

Value: Max $75,000 p.a. (funded for one year in the first instance and will be extended for up to three years dependent on the receipt of satisfactory annual progress reports).

The Australian Rotary Health Postdoctoral Fellow is expected to conceive of and carry out research independently or as part of a team of researchers. The Fellow is expected to make independent and original contributions to research and to continue to develop relevant research expertise and leadership.

Leanne Marchington from Flinders' Philanthropic Gifts / Alumni & Development Office has offered help in drafting applications.

For further Information, please visit the Australian Rotary Health website.

The CRC Association is always helping businesses and researchers meet up. Their annual Business-Research Match-Up provides a speed-dating scenario to help find the right partners. A number of companies are currently looking for research expertise, particularly in artificial intelligence.

Opportunity 1: Exciting start-up looking for proven AI expertise:

XY Sense is building a cutting-edge AI IoT sensor and cloud analytics solution. Our IoT sensor uses Deep Learning at the edge to anonymously identify people, position them on a floor-plan, and even understand their behaviour.

"We’re pushing the bounds on embedded AI at the edge; with our own quantisation and pruning techniques to reduce large networks to run on ultra-low power devices. We also deploy state of the art tracking and assignment algorithms at a cloud scale.

We’re looking for a research partner with proven expertise in one or more of the following areas to help us continue to push the bounds and build a world first product:

• Optimisation of state of the art custom convolutional neural networks to minimise operations while maintaining accuracy
• Quantisation of neural networks to low bit widths while maintaining accuracy
• Embedded implementation of neural networks on ultra low powered devices, such as, but not limited to, FPGAs, special purpose neural chips, DSPs, embedded SoCs, etc.
• Online person tracking algorithms"

Opportunity 2: large multinational with multiple sensing and data interests.

A large supplier of cloud services is interested in forming deeper relationships with customers and potential customers through common research interests. This company may provide research credits as in-kind support, cash support for research as well as international distribution and exposure. CRCA Members, Supporting Members and Associate Members with significant data needs or expertise may wish to engage with this business as a potential research partner. May make an excellent collaborator for a future CRC-P or ARC Linkage project for example.
If either of these opportunities are of interest, please provide a very brief statement of your expertise and/or interest to the CRCA (via tpeacock@crca.asn.au) and we will pass it on to the companies involved.

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Technology Impact Award provides seed funding of up to $200,000 to be used over 12-24 months to address the gap between technology development and clinical application of cancer immunotherapies.

Letters of Intent are due 15 November 2018. The Flinders Internal closing date is 1 November 2018. For application advice and information, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

These grants aim to encourage collaboration between technology developers and clinical cancer immunologists and to generate the proof-of-principle of a novel platform technology in bioinformatics, ex vivo or in silico modeling systems, immunological or tumor profiling instrumentation, methods, reagents and assays, or other relevant technologies that can enable clinician scientists to generate deeper insights into the mechanisms of action of effective or ineffective cancer immunotherapies.

Award winners will be selected based on the novelty, creativity, technical sophistication, and transformative potential of the technology to impact cancer immunotherapy research around the world. The ultimate aim of this program is to advance technologies that can speed up the entire field’s efforts in addressing one of the most defining challenges of our time—developing immunotherapies that are effective for all cancer patients.

For more information, please visit the CRI website.