Nine months of hard work from the Expert Working Group, the project team and the STEM community, was recognised early this month with the launch of the Women in STEM Decadal Plan.

The Australian Academy of Science extends a thank you to all who played a role in the consultation and development process.

Whether they took part in an interview, provided a written submission, attended a consultation event, responded to an exposure draft, or submitted a photo, the contributions helped create a strong and sustainable framework to guide the STEM ecosystem towards gender equity over the next 10 years.

The Women in STEM Decadal Plan outlines one vision and six opportunities for all organisations across the STEM ecosystem to harness and guide their own implementation strategies.

The plan can be downloaded from the Australian Academy of Science website.

The six opportunities are

• leadership and cohesion,
• evaluation,
• workplace culture,
• visibility,
• education and
• industry action.

Hard copies of the Plan can be requested from the Australian Academy of Science.

If you are interested in being involved in the implementation of Women in STEM Decadal Plan or wish to get in contact, contact the Women in STEM implementation taskforce via email or add yourself to the implementation mailing list.

ienrol research lists all training and development opportunities related to developing skills core to the research process and doing research at Flinders University. You can book to attend workshops, information sessions, and/or seminars that aim to facilitate the ongoing development of all researchers.

This regular posting in Inspiring Research will update you as to what’s on offer in the coming weeks, listing current opportunities that you can participate in and book into now.

Click on the links below to view the course details.

Planning your ARC Grant - timelines and strategies, Tuesday, 7 May 2019

ARC DECRA & Future Fellowship - How to write a successful application, Wednesday, 8 May 2019

ARC Discovery Projects - strategies for winning a grant, Thursday, 9 May 2019

ARC Linkage Projects - key considerations, Friday, 10 May 2019

Drop-In Sessions: ARC grants, Tuesday, 14 May 2019

Drop-In Sessions: NHMRC grants, Wednesday, 15 May 2019

Further courses scheduled for later in the month and beyond are available at ienrol research.

The CSL Florey Medal will be awarded to an Australian biomedical researcher for significant lifetime achievements in biomedical science and/or human health advancement for research conducted primarily in Australia.

In addition to the silver medal, the award carries a prize of $50,000 due to the generous support of CSL Limited.

Nominations close 28 June 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 14 June 2019 for a completed final draft application. For application advice and support, contact Dr Marina Delpin, Manager: Research Development, Training and Communications.

For more information, visit the Australian Institute of Policy and Science website.

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) that address research, development & extension (RD&E) priorities nominated by the FRDC’s Advisory Groups: Research Advisory Committees (RACs), Industry Partnership Agreements (IPAs) and FRDC Subprograms.

The nominated RD&E priorities for investment are outlined on the FRDC website.

EOIs that address multiple priorities are encouraged.

Applicants may also submit an EOI that does not address a nominated priority; however, it should be noted that preference may be given to applications that address nominated priorities.

If you do wish to submit an application that does not address one of these priorities, it is recommended that you first discuss your research concept with the relevant FRDC Advisory Group contact. Support can be demonstrated through formal letters of support, in-kind contributions and project cash contributions.

All EOIs MUST be completed via FishNet. Refer to the FRDC website for more information on the FRDC’s process for Applying for Funding.

Applications must be finalised in FishNet by 17 June 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 27 May 2019 for a completed final draft application. As letters of Support and/or matching or co- investment funding may be required.

For application advice and assistance, please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Officer (IGII).

The Georgina Sweet Awards for Women in Quantitative Biomedical Science were created by Professor Leann Tilley as part of her Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship program to promote and support female scientists who demonstrate excellence in the area of Quantitative Biomedical Science.

Quantitative Biomedical Science is Biological/Biomedical Research that employs a quantitative approach, particularly in areas such as Computational Biology, Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Biochemistry, Genomics, Structural Biology, Cell Biology etc.

Two new awards were established in 2016:

Georgina Sweet Award for Women in Quantitative Biomedical Science: Up to three awards of $25,000 each will be made each year to Australian female researchers who demonstrate excellence in the area of quantitative biomedical science. Applications for this year’s award will close on 31 May, 2019. The Flinders internal closing date for this Award is 17 May 2019 for a completed final draft application. For application advice and assistance, contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

Georgina Sweet Travel Support for a Female Keynote Speaker in Quantitative Biomedical Science: Up to three awards of $3,000 each are available each year to support the attendance of a female keynote speaker at an Australian conference. Applications are open at any time until awards have been allocated for the year. Applications are to be submitted via Research Development and Support, and queries should be directed to Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

For more information, guidelines and to apply please visit the website or contact: gslf-tilleyadmin@unimelb.edu.au

The Road Home raises awareness and provides funding for research into the health and wellbeing of veterans, emergency services personnel and their families.

Flinders University is delighted to host representatives from The Road Home for a presentation to introduce current research programs and opportunities.

Please join The Road Home and Flinders to hear from Ms Anna Shead, Senior Manager, The Road Home; Ms Karen May, Associate Director of the Australian Centre for Post-Traumatic Stress; and Mr Mark Reidy, Wellbeing Program Co-ordinator at the Road Home. Dr Elaine Waddell, a Flinders University researcher will talk on the support from The Road Home she has received.

Date: Wednesday 15 May

Location: Studio Room 2, Ground Floor PSB (behind Grind & Press)

Time: 10am – 11am with networking to 11:30am.

Please RSVP your attendance to engage@flinders.edu.au

Flinders University’s Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) is an ideas incubator - fostering collaborations between researchers, industry, end-users and government to develop medical technologies with global market potential.

Anyone with an idea for a medical device or assistive technology, needing R&D assistance, can apply for up to 250 hours R&D assistance and 30 hours market opportunity assessment.

MDPP is unique in its focus and the way that it operates. It works at the very early stage, turning ideas into proven concepts. Rather than ‘push’ technology towards applications, the Program invites inventors, clinicians and researchers to submit ideas for new medtech innovations.  

It has reliable processes and tools that enable partners to rapidly work together under low risk conditions. It is able to leverage a diverse range of expertise to contribute to product conceptualisation, including health professionals, manufacturers, engineers and service providers. The focused scale of a 250-hour project, combined with a product opportunity assessment, delivers tangible outcomes for clients.

If you have a medical device or assistive technology or idea that could benefit from research and development assistance, contact the MDPP today. You can enquire through their online form or phone 08 8201 5029.

Applications have opened for Wine Australia travel bursaries for travel commencing between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020. 

Applications close 31 May 2019 at 5pm (Australian Central Standard Time). The Flinders internal closing date is 16 May 2019 for a completed final draft application. For application advice and assistance, contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

Travel bursaries

Travel bursaries can fund travel, study tours or conferences to develop your knowledge and skills in your area of research, and to network with the international research community. See Wine Australia's application guidelines for further details.

Visiting scholar bursaries 

Wine Australia invites and assesses applications for visiting scholar bursaries throughout the year. Visiting scholar bursaries can bring international experts to Australia to participate in workshops, meetings, conferences, symposia or research projects. See Wine Australia's application guidelines for further details.

To apply for a Wine Australia travel bursary, you must complete an application online through the Clarity Investment Management System (CIMS).

If you have not used CIMS before, a log in and password can be obtained by emailing your full name, address, contact phone number and name of affiliated organisation to applications@wineaustralia.com.

Wine Australia will consider applications that support international travel for conference attendance and/or study tours that align with our RD&E priority areas, with the two-fold purpose of:

• demonstrating benefit to the Australian grape and wine sector and/or existing research, and
• supporting careers for grape and wine researchers in the sector and academia by providing opportunities to broaden their professional development, particularly early in their career. 

Please consult the Wine Australia Strategic Plan 2015–2020 and the application guidelines for both the travel and visiting scholar bursaries when developing applications.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) is conducting a public consultation as part of its review of the National Science and Research Priorities as they apply to the ARC National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP).

The ARC has published a brief Discussion Paper setting out the scope of the review and providing a number of questions to guide discussion.

The Discussion Paper can be downloaded in PDF format and Word format, as can the supporting document, Research Priorities in Australia – PDF format and Word format.

Submissions are now open and will close at 11.59pm on Thursday, 16 May 2019, should you wish to provide an individual response.

For further information, please visit the ARC website.

The Endeavour Foundation Disability Research Fund aims to benefit Australians with disability, especially people with an intellectual and/or developmental disability.

Two grants are available for researchers to undertake projects that will advance the health, well-being and life experiences of people with disability.

Both grants have a closing date of 27 May 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 13 May 2019 for a completed final draft application. For application assistance and advice, contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

Research Award

This award targets applicants with appropriate research qualifications, who are employed by an Australian host institution, at which they will conduct the proposed research project. The host institution can be a university, a university-affiliated research centre or institute, or an appropriate independent research centre or institute.

In 2019, the Endeavour Foundation Disability Research Fund will make one award of $70,000 to fund research to advance the health, wellbeing and life experiences of people with a disability, in particular people with an intellectual disability.

Inclusive Research Award

In 2019, the Endeavour Foundation Disability Research Fund will make one award of $20,000 to fund an inclusive research project to advance the health, wellbeing and life experiences of people with a disability, in particular people with an intellectual disability.

This award targets applicants with appropriate research qualifications, who are employed by an Australian host institution. The host institution may be a university, a university-affiliated research centre or institute, an appropriate independent research centre or institute, or a non-profit organisation which regularly undertakes research.

This award is also open to postgraduate students conducting Masters or PhD programs of research at an Australian university, under the supervision of suitably qualified supervisors.

For more information, visit the Endeavour Foundation website.

£2.5m is available to fund solutions that inform future capability and understanding of the utility of extra-large unmanned underwater vehicles (XLUUVs).

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is looking for innovative solutions that inform future capability and understanding of utility of XLUUVs.

This competition is part of the Royal Navy’s efforts to better understand and shape cutting edge capabilities; a strategy of exploration and analysis has been adopted to inform capability and requirements of ‘Maritime Autonomous System’ use for future Royal Navy operations.

A total of £2.5m is available to fund one proposal in a 2 stage process consisting of an initial research, design and re-fit stage and a subsequent testing and trialling stage.

Proposals must be submitted by midday (BST) on 11 June 2019. Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk. For advice and assistance in applying, please contact Tony Kyriacou, Defence Partnerships Director.

Learn more at the gov.uk website.

The AMP Tomorrow Fund is now calling for applications.

It is open to individuals of all ages and abilities – including health and medical researchers.

Grants of up to $100,000 can cover a range of activities including training, travel and equipment, living expenses and research.

The closing date for applications is 4pm 27 May 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 13 May 2019 for a completed final draft application. For application advice and assistance, contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

The AMP Tomorrow Fund website’s Tips and tools section includes FAQs and useful resources such as downloadable posters, fact sheets and a sample application. The site also features profiles on past AMP Tomorrow Makers, as well as short videos.

For more information visit the AMP Tomorrow Fund website.

The Alzheimer's Disease grant round from the National Foundation for Medical Research and Innovation (NFMRI) is now open.

Expressions of Interest for the round will close on 13 June 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 30 May 2019 for a completed final draft. For application advice and assistance, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

As part of their partnership with The Mason Foundation (managed by Equity Trustees), NFMRI is seeking EOIs for projects investigating potential treatments and/or cure for Alzheimer’s Disease. 

The NFMRI’s funding seeks to support the translation of biomedical research projects that have strong potential in addressing unmet community needs.

Funding provided by NFMRI is very different from other foundations and traditional funding sources, which is why they ask that applicants read more about the Foundation prior to submitting a proposal.

Those interested in applying for NFMRI funding should read more about their strategy and portfolios prior to making a submission. Their success stories and current grants also provide a good indication as to the types of projects they normally support.

Research portfolios one, two and three will be considered. Preference may be given to portfolios two and three.

For more information, visit the NFMRI website.

The College of Medicine and Public Health  is calling for projects and potential supervisors for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Advanced Studies students.

Advanced Studies (AS) is a compulsory research and scholarship theme integrated across all four years of the Flinders MD program as required by the Australian Medical Council for our students to graduate.

Advanced Studies aims to provide Flinders MD graduates with a solid understanding of medical research and practical research skills, including coursework options providing a pathway to a graduate certificate in a chosen area, and to interconnect clinical medicine and research groups within the college and the broader community.

The intended impact of Advanced Studies is to enhance the quality of medical care by producing doctors who are both knowledgeable and skilful, with an understanding of self-directed learning, and a broad perspective of the art and science of medicine that facilitates leadership and advocacy for the benefit of the community. Please find the information sheet that explains Advanced Studies in each year of the MD program in greater detail, research expectations, supervisory responsibilities and other important information.

We are now calling for projects to offer the 2019 MD cohort who will begin their research in 2020. You and your colleagues can either offer a research project (or multiple projects) or can be listed as potential supervisors who students can get in touch with to develop a research project idea. You are invited to submit your research project details. Supervisors of potential clinical projects are encouraged to have early engagement with the Southern Adelaide Clinical Human Research Ethics Committee.

If you and your department colleagues have any questions on Advanced Studies or would like to discuss any potential research project ideas to offer to MD students, please do not hesitate to contact md.advancedstudies@flinders.edu.au

Applications close 1 June 2019.

First awarded in 2011, the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships provide tax-free grants of $160,000 over two years to individual artists, arts managers and thought leaders in the humanities.

Specific outcomes for the Fellowships are not required.

The two criteria used to select Fellows are: outstanding talent and exceptional courage. Specifically, this talent and courage relates to the artistic practice of the Fellows and not to cases of personal hardship.

Nominations are welcome for artists and arts managers across the entire spectrum of the visual, performing, interdisciplinary, new media and literary arts. Consideration is also given to arts managers and thought leaders in the humanities. Applicants to the program may not self-nominate and must include two referees who are not the nominator.

The Fellowships are intended for artists in their ‘early mid-career’ – to be eligible, nominees must be in the first seven to fifteen years of their creative practice. They are also intended for artists who will primarily be resident in Australia for the two years of their Fellowship.

Nominations for the 2019 Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships will close at midnight AEST on Sunday 2 June 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 17 May 2019 for a completed final draft application. For application advice and assistance, contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

For more information, visit the Myer Foundation website.

Research training and development in the week of 6 May will focus on key programs funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC). Join us at workshops that will kickstart your ARC grant-planning and -development for the 2020 round and beyond.

Read more for bookings and details of these workshops led by Research Development and Support. Workshop places are limited so please book now.

Planning your ARC Grant - timelines and strategies

Tuesday 7 May 2019, 9:30 am to 11:00 am.

This session will prepare you for an ARC grant application by providing information about how to:

• Choose the right grant, including understanding project limits,
• Boost your chances by choosing the best time,
• Understand the support offered by Flinders through the EOI process, DVCR strategies, internal deadlines and review processes, and
• Understand the Flinders certification form and infrastructure levy.

Panel members will provide advice about:

• How to choose the best team
• Developing your project
• Addressing the assessment criteria

For more information and to register, visit ienrol - research.

ARC DECRA & Future Fellowship - How to write a successful application

Wednesday 8 May 2019, 9:30 am to 11:00 am.

This session will prepare you for an ARC fellowship application by teaching you how to:

• Benchmark yourself against other successful fellowship applicants,
• Build your track record,
• Understand career interruptions and how they impact your eligibility, and
• Design a competitive project

It will address how to choose Field of Research codes and write applications sections including:

• The National Interest Test Statement
• ROPE, and
• Budget and Justifications

For more information and to register, visit ienrol - research.

ARC Discovery Project - strategies for winning a grant

Thursday 9 May 2019, 9:30 am to 11:00 am.

This session will provide you with information about:

• Choosing your team - benchmarking and project limits,
• Understanding different section requirements,
• How to present your project as innovative, with benefit and impact to researchers and the broader community,
• ROPE, including Research Outputs,
• Budgets and justifications

In addition, a panel of DP recipients will provide insight into how they prepare successful applications.

For more information and to register, visit ienrol - research.

ARC Linkage Project - key considerations

Friday 10 May 2019, 9:30 am to 11:00 am.

This session will provide you with information about Linkage Project:

• Objectives and opportunities,
• Requirements and recommendations in regards to partners, financial contributions, project design and innovation,
• Budgets and justifications

In addition, a panel of LP recipients will provide insight into how they prepared successful applications.

For more information and to register, visit ienrol - research.

Please contact the Researcher Training, Development and Communication team at researcherpd.rds@flinders.edu.au if you have any queries.

The Hospital Research Foundation (THRF) has opened applications for its 2019 Early Career Fellowships.

Early Career Fellowships are designed to support medical researchers who have held their PhD or equivalent research doctorate for less than 5 years, allowing them to undertake high quality medical research.

The maximum amount that can be requested is $120,000 per annum, up to a total of $240,000 over 2 years.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 26 May at 11:59 pm ACST. The Flinders internal closing date for a final completed draft application is 10 May 2019. For application assistance and advice, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

All submissions are to be through Smarty Grants.

Please visit THRF Early Career Fellowships webpage for more information.

The Hospital Research Foundation (THRF) has opened applications for its 2019 Mid Career Fellowships.

Mid Career Fellowships are designed to support medical researchers who have held their PhD for between 5-10 years, allowing them to undertake high quality medical research.

The maximum amount that can be requested is $160,000 per annum, up to a total of $480,000 over 3 years.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 26 May at 11:59 pm ACST. The Flinders internal closing date for a final completed draft application is 10 May 2019. For application assistance and advice, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

All submissions are to be through Smarty Grants.

Please visit THRF Mid Career Fellowships webpage for more information.

The Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research Incorporated (ACSPRI)'s 2019 Winter Program is now up open for enrolments.

The Program will be held in Brisbane, at the University of Queensland over 2 weeks; 24-28 June and 1-5 July.

ACSPRI's courses are:

• small group, capped at 20 people;
• applied, with 'hands on' exercises;
• taught by experienced instructors;
• run across 5 days
• cover qualitative and quantitative methodologies;
• range from fundamentals courses (level 1) right through to very advanced (level 5);
• include lunch, morning and afternoon tea

Information on the Winter Program is available at the ACSPRI website. For further information, call or email ACSPRI on 03 8376 6496 or info@acspri.org.au.