Professor Joanne Tompkins, Australian Research Council Executive Director for Humanities and Creative Arts, will be visiting Flinders on 28 August.

Register now to attend the event, 2 – 3 pm, at which Prof Tompkins will be presenting on major schemes and recent changes to schemes, including approaches to fellowships and the national interest test statement. Ample time has been allocated to open discussion and Q&A with the audience.

To complement the ARC visit, RDS has developed workshops to increase awareness, support planning and preparation, plus encourage dialogue between researchers and the Flinders’ research support team:

How to write your ARC ROPE, 20 August, 9:30-11:00 am.

Writing the front page of your ARC application, 11 September, 9:30-11:00 am.

ARC Discovery Project Information Session, 18 October, 12:30-1:30 pm.

Importing research outputs into your application, 22 October, 9:30-11:00 am.

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.

Drop-In Sessions: Social and Behavioural Research Ethics, Friday 16 August 2019

ARC Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence - How to write your ROPE, Tuesday, 20 August 2019

Drop-In Sessions: Industry, Government, International & Internal grants, Tuesday 20 August 2019

NHMRC: programs, timelines and strategies, Wednesday, 21 August 2019

ResearchNow - Researcher Training, Wednesday, 21 August 2019

Drop-In Sessions: ARC grants, Wednesday, 21 August 2019

Drop-In Sessions: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday 21 August 2019

ResearchNow - Researcher Training, Thursday 22 August 2019

ResearchNow - Researcher Training, Friday 23 August 2019

ResearchNow - Researcher Training, Tuesday 27 August 2019

Drop-In Session: ARC Grants, Tuesday 27 August 2019

ARC Visit by Prof Joanne Tompkins, Wednesday 28 August 2019

Drop-In Session: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday 28 August 2019

Research Finance, Thursday 29 August 2019

ResearchNow - Researcher Training, Friday 30 August 2019

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

The Morrison Government has announced a new $20 million commitment for innovative projects to grow our domestic recycling industry. This funding will be made available through Round 8 of the Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grants which open today.

In addition to the funding for projects in plastic recycling, $10.8 million is available for critical minerals projects. The round is also open to general applications from all industry sectors.

Note that applications must be led by industry and Flinders University can participate as the Australian research organisation.

Each CRC-P must include at least:

• two Australian industry entities including a least one SME, and
• one Australian research organisation

CRC-P grants are up to $3 million, over a period of up to three years.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding was part of his Government’s commitment to work with the states to establish a timetable to ban the export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres. “By engaging industry and researchers we can make sure we’re seeing these changes introduced in a way that cuts costs for businesses and ultimately even creates jobs.”
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the funding would create Australian jobs, while reducing global plastic pollution. “Boosting our onshore plastic recycling industry has the potential to create over three times as many jobs as exporting our plastic waste, ensuring a more sustainable and prosperous future.”
Recent figures suggest only 12 per cent of the 103kg of plastic waste generated per person in Australia each year is recycled, mostly overseas.

Applications for Round 8 will close at 5:00pm AEST, 24 September 2019. Internal closing date will be 10 September to allow for approval of co-investment where applicable and processing participant declaration forms. Please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IIGI), Research Development and Support with your intention to apply.

Information on how to apply, and details of previous grant recipients is available at www.business.gov.au/crc-p.

The 15th Indo-Australian Biotechnology Conference, "Contemporary strategies for the prevention and management of disease in the 2020s" will be held on 16-18 November 2019 in Adelaide. 

The conference is held under the aegis of the Indo-Australian Biotechnology Society, and it continues to be a significant platform for dialogue between Australian and Indian biomedical communities for developing collaborative linkages and for showcasing their research and technological advances through invited talks, poster presentations and networking events.

It will include an Opening Address by Professor Caroline McMillen, Chief Scientist South Australia, followed by presentations from leading researchers in Australia and India on the topic themes:    

• Developmental processes in disease: new roles for old friends
• Genetic diversity and health research
• Better models of human disease
• Stem cell therapy
• Omics and disease
• Epigenetics vs genetic drivers of disease
• Immune response and immunotherapy
• The disease micro-environment
• Realising precision medicine

The full program will be available shortly on the conference web site. Registration and Abstract Submission is now open! Abstract submission and registration close on 16 October 2019. 

For further information, please visit the conference web site - www.indoausbioconf2019.com or view the Conference flyer.

The David and Valerie Solomon Award is a new early-mid career award for a science or technology graduate working in academia/research or industry R&D who demonstrates substantial ability to foster research-industry collaboration and knowledge transfer for the benefit of Australia.

The winner will receive a unique award, a cash prize of $15,000 and 12 months mentoring from a senior entrepreneur/industry Fellow of the Academy with $5000 travel expenses to enhance this mentoring experience.

The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) administers the award, which will be presented for the first time at the Academy’s Oration and New Fellows Dinner on 29 November 2019 in Melbourne.

The David and Valerie Solomon Award recognises and incentivises public sector researchers who are engaged with industry and engaged industrial researchers and drive collaborative activities to produce real-world impact.

Specifically the Award will:

• Highlight the importance of collaboration between industry and research, and the translation of research for economic, social and environmental benefit.
• Recognise the achievements of an early-mid career researcher who has worked across the research-industry divide, beyond purely academic research or only experimental development.
• Bring to the attention of policy-makers the key role applied science, technology and innovation play in the nation’s development.

Nominations for the Award close 26 August 2019. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 19 August 2019. Please inform Dr Marina Delpin, Manager: Researcher Training, Development and Communications, of your intention to apply.

For more information, including the nomination form and guidelines, visit the ATSE website.

Researchers are now able to nominate themselves to be considered for appointment to NHMRC expert review panels.

Self-nominations must be entered in RGMS by Wednesday 28 August 2019. 

Nominations are now open for:

• Investigator Grants
• Development Grants
• Ideas Grants
• Centres of Research Excellence
• Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Grants
• Partnership Projects
• MRFF Clinical Trials Activity (RCRDUN and ICTC)
• MRFF Targeted Health System and Community Organisation Research
• Postgraduate Scholarships

A guide to aid researchers in determining the most appropriate funding programs to which they might contribute their expertise and experience is available on NHMRC's website.

Instructions on how to nominate within RGMS are contained in the RGMS User Guide – Assessment Processes.

Even if not intending to self-nominate, NHMRC encourages all researchers to use this opportunity to ensure their RGMS Profile and CV are up to date.

The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) is providing a day of information sharing and networking in Adelaide for Early Career Researchers (ECR).

On 30 August 2019, ECRs will have the opportunity to meet representatives and academics from the sector, explore current issues, participate in discussions around best practice related to research outcomes, and foster collaboration, here in Adelaide.

The Empowering Early Career Researchers will be held at the City West Campus of UniSA from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

The program will include sessions on careers and employment, applying for research funding, and publishing research, and an interactive session on establishing a digital profile as a researcher.

Speakers include:

• Professor Joanne Tompkins, Australian Research Council
• Professor Matt Fitzpatrick, Flinders University
• Dr Tseen Khoo, Research Whisperer and La Trobe University
• Jonathan O'Donnell, Research Whisperer and The University of Melbourne
• Professor Alex Reilly, The University of Adelaide
• Vilija Stephens, Routledge/Taylor & Francis
• Associate Professor Anna Sullivan, University of South Australia
  

More details are available on the EventBrite page - chassecradelaide2019.eventbrite.com.au.

Registration costs $50 pp (+GST) and includes lunch and afternoon tea.

Established in 2004, CHASS promotes and provides advocacy services for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences in Australia. Supporting more than 75 member organisations in their relationships with policy makers and the broader community, CHASS is an important network for knowledge and skills, and serves as a coordinating forum for teachers, researchers, professionals, practitioners and policy makers in the sector. It provides a strong voice to the sector and helps members to contribute to public debate through programs for knowledge exchange and media awareness

The Clunies Ross Awards have a proud 28-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 - open to an individual winner only
• Knowledge Commercialisation award - open to an individual or a small team (normally up to 3 people)
• Innovation award - open to an individual or a small team (normally up to 3 people)

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

Nominations close by 9.00pm AEDT Friday 25 October 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 11 October 2019 for a completed final draft application. If you are interested in applying, please contact Dr Marina Delpin, Manager: Researcher Training, Development and Communication.

The Australian Society for Medical Researchers (ASMR) invites mid-career researcher (MCR) members to apply for the ASMR Peter Doherty Leading Light Award.

This award seeks to recognise the outstanding work of MCRs (5 – 12 year post-doctoral) in Australia.

Assessment is based on the impact of a single piece of work, including advances in knowledge, improvements in clinical practice or broader policy changes. Applications are open to researchers from all fields of health and medical research.

The award is named in recognition of Nobel Laureate Professor Peter Doherty’s career achievements, scientific accomplishments, and ongoing support and mentoring of Australia’s next generation of researchers. Professor Doherty was the inaugural 1998 ASMR Medallist and continues to inspire the research community through his science advocacy.

Self-nominations and institute-led nominations are welcome. MCRs need to be current ASMR Members at time of Application. Applications close Friday 27 September 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 13 September 2019. Please contact Dr Marina Delpin, Manager: Researcher Training, Development and Communications, if you are applying.

For any further information on the award, visit the ASMR website.

Flinders University Visiting International Research Fellowships are now open, due 31 October 2019.

These fellowships aim to support engagement with high-performing international collaborators. 

Flinders University provides matching funds to Colleges to attract a visiting international researcher to initiate or extend collaborative research and contribute to the development of researchers and students at Flinders University.

The visitor, who can be at any stage of their career, must have a strong research record in an area of research strength at Flinders or of strategic importance to Flinders research development.

The duration of fellowship is a minimum of 3 weeks and a maximum of 12 weeks and awards would typically be $5,000 to $15,000. Up to three fellowships will be offered each year on a co-investment basis with the host College.

The application form can be accessed at the internal schemes webpage and submitted to dvc-research@flinders.edu.au by 31 October 2019. 

Partnership Projects will support connections, within the Australian context, that translate research evidence into health policy and health practice, to improve health services and processes.

Partnership Projects answer a specific research question to influence health and well-being through changes in the delivery, organisation, funding and access to health services.

Minimum data due date is 20 November 2019, and applications close on 4 December 2019. The RDS deadline for compliance review is 20 November 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact the NHMRC team at Flinders on nhmrc@flinders.edu.au.

The objectives of the scheme are to:

• meet the need for a more effective integration of research evidence into health policy and service delivery
• create partnerships among policy makers, managers, service providers and researchers
• provide support to answer often complex and difficult questions that policy makers, managers and service providers face when making decisions and implementing policies that affect Australians’ health and health care 
• be highly responsive to the priorities of government, the community and health professionals
• enable applicants to apply for funding at any time during the year to allow researchers and partner organisations to develop timely collaborations

Applicants should note the following changes to the Partnership Projects 2019 Guidelines:

• Additional funding may be available to support research to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with mental health issues through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Million Minds Mission.
• The Partnership Projects 2019 Guidelines incorporates documents previously referred to as the NHMRC Funding Rules and the Partnership Projects scheme-specific Funding Rules.

Applicants to Partnership Projects 2019 may also select from the following funding opportunity from the Department of Health - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Obesity Prevention Research Special Initiative. 

This Special Initiative will support collaboration between policy makers, program managers, service providers and researchers with experience or interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and provides the opportunity for community organisations that are contributing to health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People to develop a relationship with a researcher, to strengthen the evidence in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and obesity research. 

Successful applications will design and conduct research to augment evidence for prevention and appropriate responses to FASD and Obesity Prevention in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and families. Grants awarded under the Special Initiative will focus on integrating research evidence into health policy and health practice to improve health services and processes in key gaps identified in FASD or obesity research within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

For more information, visit the Partnership Projects page on the NHMRC website.

The Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation invites applications for 2020 Project Grants from 2 August 2019.

Project Grants aim to enable early-career researchers (3-10 years post-doctoral) conducting high quality research to take ownership of a discreet research project. The intention behind this funding scheme is to provide a stepping stone to independence for up-and-coming researchers.

The award will provide $50,000 per year for two years, commencing in 2020. Funding cannot be used to fund salary, salary-related on-costs, or institutional infrastructure/levies.

The external closing date for applications is 5pm AEST, 30 August 2019. The Flinders internal closing date for a final completed draft application is 16 August 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

Please refer to the Project Grant Application Guidelines 2020 for more information about eligibility and application requirements.  

Below is a list of eligible areas of medical research:

• Brain Sciences: Psychiatry or Neurology (excluding Dementias)
• Dermatology (excluding Skin Cancer)
• Endocrinology (excluding Diabetes)
• Geriatrics (excluding Dementias)
• Lung Disease (other than Cancer) 
• Rheumatology
• Vision Sciences

For more information, visit the Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation website.

Are you looking for opportunities to further develop your skills and create a support network to help you build a successful career in science?

The Mentoring and guidance in careers workshop (MAGIC 2019) is an opportunity to explore the many facets of forging a career in academic, government or industry settings, and to discuss how to create building blocks for success and resilience. Selected attendees will be fully supported to attend the program.

Participation is limited to at most 50 early career researchers who will have the opportunity to develop a variety of skills; and to create a support network that will allow them to forge a successful career in science.

Applications are open and will close midnight 16 August 2019. Please inform Dr Marina Delpin, Manager: Researcher Training, Development and Communication, of your intention to apply.

The MAGIC program involves actively interacting with your fellow participants and seeking potential collaborations. Applicants should have an ongoing commitment to making a positive contribution not only to their research but also to the broader scientific community.

To be eligible to attend MAGIC you should:

• be an early career researcher 0-7 years post PhD (excluding career interruptions)
• be female or of diverse gender identity
• have a PhD in chemistry or mathematical or physical sciences (i.e. the disciplines of chemistry, mathematics, physics and cognate disciplines)
• currently be based in Australia

Details of how to apply are on the website: http://wp.maths.usyd.edu.au/MAGIC/

The 2019 workshop, to be held at ANU House, Canberra, 18-22 November 2019, is organised by Professors Michelle Coote (ANU), Mahananda Dasgupta (ANU) and Nalini Joshi (The University of Sydney). The organising committee includes Dr Merryn McKinnon from the Australian National Centre for Public Awareness of Science, ANU.

MAGIC2019 is supported by funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Future LowEnergy Electronics Technologies (FLEET), the Australian National University, the Australian Research Council, the Payne-Scott initiative of The University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne, The University of Queensland, and The University of Sydney.

Please any direct questions to mentoring.guidance.careers@gmail.com.

The Commonwealth Fund is pleased to invite applications from Australia for the 2019-2020 Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice.

The Harkness Fellowships provide a unique opportunity for mid-career professionals—academic researchers, government policymakers, clinicians, managers, and journalists—from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, to spend up to 12 months in the United States conducting a policy-oriented research study, working with leading U.S. health policy experts, and gaining an in-depth knowledge of the U.S., Australian, Canadian, Dutch, German, New Zealand, and U.K. health care systems.

Applicants must demonstrate a strong interest in health policy issues and propose a study within the scope of The Commonwealth Fund’s principal areas of focus:

• health care system performance—including access to care and insurance coverage, quality and patient safety, efficiency, and equity;
• quality of care for vulnerable populations, e.g., low income families, children, the elderly, and minorities; and
• patient-centered primary care.

The deadline for applications from Australia is Monday 7 October 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 23 September 2019 for a completed final draft application. For application advice and assistance, contact Amanda Wright, Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

Each fellowship will provide up to US$130,000 in support, which covers round-trip airfare to the United States, a living allowance, project-related travel, travel to fellowship seminars, health insurance, and U.S. federal and state taxes. A family supplement (i.e., approximately $60,000 for a partner and two children up to age 18) is also provided to cover airfare, living allowance, and health insurance.

For application materials, eligibility criteria, and more information about the Harkness Fellowships, please visit www.commonwealthfund.org/fellowships.

The Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program supports industry-led collaborations between industry, researchers and the community. In its 28-year history, it has proven to be an effective model for linking researchers with industry to address R&D challenges with commercial outcomes.

Bidding for a CRC is a highly competitive process requiring cross-disciplinary teams to come together and collaborate. This takes planning, time and patience. Developed by the CRC Association and Collabforge, this workshop (two half-days - 29 - 30 August 2019) will combine practical bid-creation content with a deep dive into the theory and practice of collaboration.

The workshop will teach participants what makes a great bid, what the process of bid development entails, the roles of all bid participants, and how to build effective relationship/communication between researchers and industry to develop a compelling bid. Participants will be provided with the opportunity to develop their ideas in conjunction with guidance materials and feedback, finishing with substantive parts of their bid concepts being fleshed out (these can be hypothetical CRCs, bids planned for submission, or even ARC Linkage type concepts).

Attending this workshop will significantly increase the likelihood of a successful CRC or CRC-P application.

Who should attend:

• Researchers who have the responsibility for or interest to develop CRC and CRC-P bids.
• Administrators who have the responsibility for helping coordinate, develop, approve and or administer CRC and CRC-P bids (eg from Commercialisation, Research, Scholarships, etc)
• Interested industry representatives

For more information and to register for the workshop, visit the eventbrite page.

Flinders University is a member of the CRC Association. Interested attendees are to contact Jordan Gardner, Engagement and Policy Manager at the CRC Association, on 02 6260 4177 or at Jordan.Gardner@crca.asn.au for the discount code before registering for the workshop. 

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation has identified the need to understand how diet affects IBD, particularly at the individual patient level, as a critical gap in the understanding and management of IBD, and as an area of opportunity to make a significant impact on the quality of life of patients.

The long-term goal of the Precision Nutrition initiative is to be able to answer the IBD patient’s key question, "what should I eat," based on the patient’s personal response to different foods, so that diets can be tailored to the individual clinical, biological and lifestyle characteristics of the patient. This Request for Proposal (RFP) aims to address this key question.

Scope

P​​​​​​roposals submitted to this RFP should focus on one or both of the following approaches to advance the emerging field of precision nutrition in IBD:   

1. Patient-based prospective studies to identify signatures and/or mechanisms of response to food in IBD patients and their correlation with disease outcomes.  These studies will integrate one or more ‘omics’ derived data together with physical activity, food/food component(s) challenge, and clinical outcomes, in order to identify and measure the response of patients to different beneficial or deleterious food/food component(s) exposures.  
2. Preclinical model-based studies to identify signatures and/or mechanisms of response to food and their correlation to IBD pathophysiological readouts. Preclinical studies utilising state of the art humanised in vitro and/or in vivo IBD models will identify biological responses to food/food component(s) challenge and their mechanisms of action (MoA); by integrating humanised model-derived ‘omics’  data related to food/food component(s) challenge and their correlation with  relevant IBD pathophysiological readouts. 

Multidisciplinary proposals that incorporate both approaches, patient-based prospective studies and preclinical MoA studies, are highly encouraged.   

It is expected that at the end of the funding period, these studies will provide significant advances to inform future evidence-based design of precision nutrition interventional clinical trials.

Funding Terms

Option 1 – Individual agreement

The Foundation will grant 3 independent awards for 3 years with a maximum budget of USD $320,000 per year/per project, inclusive of all direct and indirect expenses.  The proposal can be submitted by a multicentre consortium or by an individual research group. 

Option 2 – Collaboration agreement

To leverage the expertise and resources of the multidisciplinary research teams, and to maximise the use of the funds, the Foundation may select several complementary studies, among the selected investigators and negotiate a collaboration agreement. In this case, a 1 year funding of USD $160,000  will be allocated for a pilot study, integrating the complementary study arms, to provide the grounds for a revised harmonised multi-centre proposal, for additional three-year period with a budget of up to USD $900,000 per year, inclusive of all direct and indirect expenses.  

Progress Oversight: The Foundation will follow the progress of the individual or collaborative projects through oversight meetings to ensure harmonisation of research efforts, effective funding utilisation, and successful achievement of milestones.

Application Process

Key Dates

Letter of Intent (LOI) submission deadline is 3 September 2019. The Flinders internal closing date for the draft completed LOI is 20 August 2019. The invitation to submit full proposal will be 13 September 2019, and the full proposal submission deadline is 14 October 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Amanda Wright, Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

Before submitting a LOI or a Full Proposal, please read the RFP's guidelines and policies. All submissions should be done via proposalCENTRAL (https://proposalcentral.altum.com). Please refer to Appendices A and B of the RFP guidelines for detailed instructions for electronic submission.

The program is made possible through a generous donation from Jonathan D. Rose, MD, PhD, Chair, Intestinal Pathology Research Program.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia (NBCF) and the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) have come together to jointly fund high impact translational research that spans both ovarian and breast cancers to improve outcomes for women. 

The goal of this funding opportunity is to tackle and answer the most critical clinical questions affecting women diagnosed with breast and/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.

Please note that as this opportunity is co-funded by both NBCF and OCRF, submitted applications must address both breast and ovarian cancer.

The application deadline is 5pm AEST Friday 27 September 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 13 September 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Amanda Wright, Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

For more information, visit the NBCF website.