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.

IBM SPSS - Intermediate: T-tests and non-parametric equivalents, Tuesday, 26 March 2019

Drop-In Sessions: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday, 27 March 2019

IBM SPSS - Intermediate: ANOVAs and non-parametric equivalents, Tuesday, 2 April 2019

Systematic reviews methodology, Tuesday, 2 April 2019

Drop-In Sessions: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday, 3 April 2019

Biosafety Training, Thursday, 4 April 2019

NVivo - Advanced features, Thursday, 4 April 2019

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

There is no better time to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship as the Fulbright Commission has more than doubled their offering of scholarships in 2019!

Applications are now open for U.S. study and research opportunities for all academic career stages and will close on 15 July 2019.

The Australian-American Fulbright Commission offers Scholarships to Australian citizens to take part in a bi-lateral academic and cultural exchange, pursuing research or study in the USA with the aim to bring back knowledge and experiences to be shared with their Australian communities.

Rupali Saikia, Research Development and Support, can provide advice and assistance to research staff, including Flinders postdocs, who are looking to apply. The Flinders internal closing date for awards is 1 July 2019 for a completed final draft application. 

There are a suite of awards. For more information on the awards available, please visit the Fulbright website. In brief:

• Fulbright Scholar Awards are for academics (at Associate or full Professorial level) and mid-career professionals (with an undergraduate qualification and minimum 10 years work experience) to undertake research and/or training in the United States for 3-4 months in any discipline.
  
  
• The Fulbright Distinguished Chair award is for an exceptional individual at professorial level to carry out research in the United States for up to 6 months.
  
  
• Fulbright Postdoctoral scholarships allow individuals who have completed their PhD in the past 5 years, or who are in the last year of their completion, to undertake postdoctoral research in the U.S. for 3 – 10 months.
  
  
• Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarships allow postgraduate students undertaking their Australian PhD to conduct research in the U.S. for 3 months up to two- years. Please contact the Megan Prideaux in the Office of Graduate Research, for further information on how to apply as a Flinders student.
  
  
• The Fulbright Future Scholarships provides 100% funded opportunities for study and research program in the U.S., for projects that seeks to have a positive impact on the health, livelihoods and prosperity of Australians. Fulbright Future Scholarships are open to postgraduate students and researchers. Awardees will receive funding for full tuition/visiting researcher expenses at a US institution of their choice as well as travel and living costs.
  
  
• The Fulbright Distinguished Chair for US Applicants to carry out research at an Australian sponsoring institution is also currently open and will close on 16 September 2019.

For more information please visit www.fulbright.org.au.

The Australian Government is inviting applications via an open competitive process to apply to deliver services under the Indigenous Legal and Native Title Assistance Program, across Australia from 2019-20 to 2021-22.

The key focus of this funding is to increase native title anthropology capacity by assisting mid to senior anthropologists to become ‘exemplary’ anthropologists. This facilitates native title parties having access to qualified and experienced anthropologists, to support the resolution of native title claims and the effective management of native title.

The closing date for applications is 2 May 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 18 April 2019 for completed final draft applications. For application advice and support, contact Rupali Saikia, Research Grants Officer (IGII).

Further information, including guidelines, templates and a Q&A, is available on the Community Hub Grants website.

The Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund (RCSF) supports researchers, entrepreneurs and businesses to accelerate their progress with funding from the South Australian Government.

Due to popular demand a third information session on the RCSF will be held on 1 April 2019, 2 to 3pm at Tonsley Lecture Theatre 1.

Register for the session at Eventbrite.

The RCSF comprises three competitive funding streams:  

Stream 1: Strategic Research Initiatives*

Supports research initiatives that create innovative solutions or translate research into industry or commercial outcomes to address economy-wide challenges for South Australia.

Stream 2: Startup and Early Stage Company Incentive  

Provides entrepreneurs with funding to start and scale their innovative early-stage business.

Stream 3: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Initiatives* 

Supports programs, events and activities that have broad benefit to the startup community.

* Stream 1 and 3 - Calls for proposals to address specific initiatives will be announced time to time.

Funding is awarded on a competitive basis.

Find out more on the fund at the Department of Industry and Skills website.

Health Translation SA presents the Award Winning UK Connected Health Cities #datasaveslives Team in a seminar on Friday 29 March 2019.

The Connected Health Cities team will be presenting on how Connected Health Cities are linking local health data and advanced technology to improve health services for patients across the North of England.

They will discuss the planning of data-driven innovations and the implications for health systems across the globe, and how the learnings from Connected Health Cities could be used to support new opportunities for evidence-based continuous improvement.

Visit the Eventbrite page to register for the seminar to be held from 9 am - 11 am at the SAHMRI Auditorium, North Terrace, Adelaide. Morning team will be provided.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has commenced. As part of its Inquiry, the Commission has developed a research agenda, identifying areas where the Commissioners need more information and context.

The Commission is currently working through its research priorities progressively and would like to identify leading researchers who can provide relevant information and research findings and/or undertake targeted research for the Commission.

If you would like further information or have expertise in research in relation to aged care and/or ageing, contact carmela.sergi@flinders.edu.au.

The Joanne Briggs Institute offer a number of education and training short courses for clinicians, managers, educators, academics and students from the fields of nursing, allied health, medicine, information science and the health sciences.

Upcoming courses include: Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program; Evidence-based Clinical Fellowship Program; Clinical Leadership Workshop; GRADE workshop; and a range of online courses.

Keep an eye out on the Joanna Briggs Institute website for updates and listing of courses on offer and how to register for them.

The Research Network-Undersea Decision Superiority (RN-UDS) is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) for innovative projects to conduct capability-developing research that aligns with the RN-UDS Strategic Investment Plan.

Funding of up to $500,000 over three years per project is available and the EOI call is now open and accepting applications until 14 April 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 8 April 2019.

For application advice and support, contact Tony Kyriacou, Defence Partnership Director. Applications are to be submitted through research.grants@flinders.edu.au.

The invitation to submit against the EOI is limited to Australian universities who are signatories of the Defence Science Partnering Deed. Flinders is a signatory to the Deed.

Universities are expected to match this funding with in-kind support (outlined in the membership information document). Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their application with their Dean (Research).

The major investment areas of interest are as follows:

Human Mental Performance -  Research to support the selection for, training and application for high mental function to enable optimal decision making in the submarine - including:

• Cognitive performance theories of learning and awareness to improve efficiency in during operation.
• Training for experience to accelerate the time to acquire skill and experience.
• Psycho-social well-being to improve submariner interactions and cohesion.
• Other research such as ensuring the right person for the right role and decision making.

Team Performance -  Research to support optimal team function to enable optimal decision making in the submarine including: 

• Team dynamics to improve team operation and interactions. 
• Technology in teams to improve the use of technology into team operations. 
• Work/life systems to improve team operational efficiency on and off duty. 
• Team effectiveness to improve overall performance of the team. 

Minor investment – (smaller pool of funding) are:

Human Physical Performance -  Research to support optimal individual physical function to enable optimal decision making in the submarine including:

• Environmental adaptation to improve submariner alertness and fatigue management including recovery, sleep, self-awareness and circadian rhythms. 
• Space and ergonomics to improve the way submariners operate and interact with the environment in a submarine. 
• Other research such as food and nutrition on board a submarine, maintaining and physical health. 

Data and Information -  Research to support more efficient collection, analysis and use of data and information to assist with optimal decision making in the submarine including:

• Data processing and translation to better support decision making . 
• Human centred design that integrates human perspective into the data and information management. 
• Cognitive systems engineering to improve the socio-technical system on a submarine. 
• Other research such as human machine interfaces and communication. 

Further details on the program and contact information can be found at Defence Science and Technology website.

The Cure Cancer Australia (CCA) grants for early-career researchers are available via Cancer Australia’s Priority-driven Cancer Research Scheme (PdCCRS) from within NHMRCs Ideas Grant process.

The documents are now available on Grantconnect. Minimum Data is due 10 April 2019 and full applications are due 8 May 2019. The Flinders internal date for compliance review is 9 April 2019 and 7 May 2019 for certification in RGMS.

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

Cure Cancer Australia offers ‘start-up’ funding, one and two-year project grants in any field of cancer (including prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, survival) to early-career researchers, up to 7 years post-doctoral or post MBBS. Applicants who are clinicians of long standing but have less than 7 years post-doctoral experience are eligible to apply for the relevant Category B, C and D grants.

The important points are:

• They remain sole-investigator grants
• The funds can be used for salary, staff salary and/or equipment and consumables.
• Grants are for up to $100,000 pa.
• Eligibility will be determined by Cancer Australia once the application reaches them. The additional questions form requests information about date of PhD and any career disruption

CCA will select for leadership and innovation as well as scientific excellence. They offer grants where the applicant is sole Chief Investigator of their project, so they can help them advance their research and to increase their competitiveness for funding from other granting agencies in the future. Please note that this funding cannot be used as part of a larger PdCCRS project grant application.

The grant funding is awarded purely on the basis of excellence. The applicants who are successful are those who have put forward a novel idea or approach to a problem, and at the same time have a particularly good track record relative to opportunity at this early stage of their career.

CCA offer three categories of grant: 

• Category B: one year of funding for people one, two or three years post-doctoral or post MBBS
• Category C: two years of funding for people four, five, six or seven years post-doctoral or post MBBS
• Category D: one year of funding for projects for bioinformatics for cancer research for people up to seven years post-doctoral or post MBBS

It is not uncommon for researchers to receive a one-year grant and then a two-year grant. Rarely, one person will even receive three. There is no limit to the number of grants awarded to any one institution; by definition, this cannot be part of CCA's consideration process.

There are further grants for children’s cancers of low survival within the PdCCRS. Cure Cancer is not part of this funding.

Further information is available on the CCA website.

The Heart Foundation have a number of awards closing soon.

They are the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards, Health Professional Scholarships and Postdoctoral Scholarships.

See below for information on individual awards and the external and Flinders closing dates. For application advice and assistance, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards

The Heart Foundation acknowledges that there are health inequalities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples and believe that self-determination in research is a way to potentially help address some of these inequalities.   This expression of interest is designed to help facilitate this.

Although parameters are set below, the award/s will be given out at the discretion of the peer review committee and flexibility of awards will be considered (depending on applicant situations).

This award will be opened up to both individual or groups to submit an expression of interest (EOI) for research funding.

 The requested expression of interest could be in several formats including but not limited to:

• fellowships
• scholarships
• a project grant funding
• funding for collaboration activities
• a travel grant etc.

EOI’s will need to demonstrate how the requested funding will benefit both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and/or communities, as well as how it will benefit the development of knowledge for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cardiovascular health management.

This award will be peer reviewed by predominately Aboriginal and/or Torres Island peoples (preferably research experts).

Applications close 29 March 2019. For more information, visit the Heart Foundation website.

Health Professional Scholarships

Health Professional Scholarships are designed to encourage established health professionals to become active in research, however, recently graduated health professionals are also eligible. Applicants will be encouraged to continue their cardiovascular health practice during their PhD. 

Priority is given to health professionals working in cardiovascular healthcare, including allied health professionals, to further develop Australia’s cardiovascular health research capacity and encourage evidence-based health practice and research translation.

Health professionals who have a strong research background are uniquely placed to champion and lead the translation of research into practice, with the potential to produce immediate health outcomes.

Applications close 5 April 2019. For more information, visit the Heart Foundation website.

Postdoctoral Scholarships

The Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship encourages and supports early-career cardiovascular health researchers to develop research skills and independence. The Fellowship helps further postdoctoral researcher careers as funding becomes more competitive.

Fellowships are available to PhD graduates in the first three years after obtaining a PhD. By offering generous support to researchers through Postdoctoral Fellowships, the Heart Foundation is fostering future leaders of research, leading to the development of sustainable cardiovascular research in Australia.

Applications close 26 April 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 12 April 2019 for a completed final draft application. For more information, visit the Heart Foundation website.

The Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA) Research Grants Program is now open and will be accepting applications until 2 June 2019.

The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft is 10 days prior to application.

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

Since its launch in 2011, the Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA) Research Grants Program has committed almost $3.6 million to support world leading Australian researchers across 18 research projects.

The aim of the Research Grants Program is to fulfill MDFA’s objective to support research to reduce the incidence and impact of macular disease and ultimately to find cures.

MDFA Grants make significant contributions to Australian medical, social, low vision and nutritional research into macular disease. They are awarded following rigorous evaluation, based largely on the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) process, along with peer review, to ensure that the successful applicants meet the highest standards.

The successful recipients will be announced on World Sight Day – 10 October 2019. 

For more information, visit the MDFA website.

Alternatively, if you wish to register your interest in applying for a research grant in the future please complete the form here.

The Australian Research Council's Special Research Initiative in Excellence in Antarctic Science 2020 (SR20) Grant Guidelines have been released on GrantConnect.

The Special Research Initiatives scheme provides funding for new and emerging fields of research and builds capacity in strategically important areas.

Up to $56 million in total funding for up to seven years, will be available to support a range of research projects.

The objectives of the SR20 scheme are to:

• support excellent research in identified Australian Antarctic science priority research themes; 
• contribute to a coordinated and collaborative approach to Antarctic, Subantarctic and Southern Ocean research that builds on Australia’s existing capability in this area; 
• build Australian research capacity in this area by supporting researchers of the highest international standing as well as high quality postdoctoral researchers and research students; and 
• advance Australia’s capabilities and knowledge in Antarctic research.

For application advice and support, contact Maya Roberts, Senior Research Grants Officer (ARC).

The Productivity Commission has been asked to examine the effect of mental health on people’s ability to participate in and prosper in the community and workplace, and the effects it has more generally on our economy and productivity.

An issues paper has been released and feedback is being sought as part of the first stage of the Commission’s Inquiry. Responses to the paper are due by 5 April 2019.

For more information, visit the Productivity Commission website.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation has a request for Tender open on New knowledge and practices to address topsoil and subsurface acidity under minimum tillage cropping systems of South Australia.

Applications close on 2.00 pm AEST Thursday 11 April 2019. For advice, documentation, and tender application assistance, please contact Daniela Tyson, Senior Contracts Officer (Research).

Soil acidity has been a constraint to crop production in Australia for many decades, especially on sandy soils where pH drops rapidly. Low pH directly impairs root growth and creates highly toxic forms of aluminium and manganese in soils. In addition, the rhizobial symbiosis in most pulses is particularly sensitive to acidity.

General increases in crop productivity due to improved genetics and management, plus the expansion of pulses and increased fertiliser nitrogen inputs are expected to increase soil acidification rates, especially in intensively cropped areas growing acid-sensitive lentils, chickpeas, faba beans and barley. About 2.0M ha of cropping land in South Australia (SA) currently has surface soil acidity (0-10cm < pH 5.5) or is considered acid prone, and this area is expected to double over the next 40 years if remedial action is not taken.

More information is available at the GRDC website. 

The Safeguarding Australia Summit is hosting a Technology Surprise Forum on 9 May 2019 and are calling for submissions for working papers for presentation to the forum.

The closing date for submissions is 28 March 2019.

The Forum aims to highlight a range of high impact, but currently unexpected, future technologies that could influence the Australian national security landscape over the next 5 to 10 years.

The Forum will bring together Science & Technology (S&T) practitioners and researchers from across academia, industry and government to build communities of interest that will generate further research on technology and national security issues.

The National Security College and Defence Science and Technology are coordinating submissions that address the following:

• What emerging technological innovations and convergences could surprise government in the medium to long term?
• How can government harness emerging civilian and military technologies to support national security?

Papers could be related to national security issues such as: (further information attached)

• Cyber security technology
• Disruption of serious and organised crime
• Counter Terrorism
• Child exploitation
• Countering foreign political and social interference/espionage
• Enhancing the integrity and efficiency of trade and travel systems
• Persistent monitoring of Australian Maritime Borders and Exclusive Economic Zone
• Emergency management coordination
• Impactful technology

To be competitive, proposals should be 200 – 400 words in length, clearly outline what’s new about your research (it could be material you’ve already been working on for some time) and its implications for national security policy.

Nine submissions will be selected for further development into 5-10 page working papers for presentation at the 9 May Forum. Selected reports will be funded at a fixed rate of $15,000.00 (GST inclusive). Submissions should be emailed to futureshub.nsc@anu.edu.au by 28 March. Please ensure that your name and contact details are included.

Successful candidates will be advised within a week of the close of submissions and the conference paper submission deadline is 3 May. For further information, please contact lachlan.wilson@anu.edu.au.

Research Australia is currently planning their annual Research Australia Opinion poll. As the voice for Australia's health and medical research participant sector, Research Australia's poll captures public attitudes to, and knowledge of, research, philanthropy, and the roles health and medical research and innovation play in healthcare.

They are calling for question ideas to be included in the 2019 poll, which will be conducted in the middle of the year across a representative sample of the Australian population.

"Australians are major stakeholders in health and medical research and Research Australia believes that what Australians think of health and medical research is important. The opinions of Australians continue to shape our strategies and priorities and assist us to ensure that a healthy population and healthy economy go hand in hand," said Nadia Levin, CEO of Research Australia.

"Ensuring that we know the views of Australians on health and medical research (HMR) and its role in our society is the reason we have conducted annual opinion polling since 2003."

Contact Greg Mullins, Head of Policy, Research Australia at greg.mullins@researchaustralia.org if you have an idea for a question.

Previous polling results are available at the Research Australia website.

The 2020 Australian Academy of Science (AAS) Awards are now open.

The Awards recognise excellence for career, mid-career, and early-career researchers. Nominations/applications are also sought for research conferences, research awards and travelling fellowships.

The closing date for nominations for honorific awards is 1 May 2019 and nominations/applications for research conferences, research awards and travelling fellowships are due by 1 June 2019.

The Flinders internal closing date for honorific awards is 17 April 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Dr Marina Delpin, Manager: Research Training, Development and Communications.

The Flinders internal closing date for research conferences, research awards and travelling fellowships is 17 May 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Rupali Saikia, Research Grants Officer (IGII).

For further information you can download the awards fact sheet. Information on eligibility criteria and nomination or application process is available on the website www.science.org.au/opportunities.

The Solution Room is a dynamic and interactive half-day designed to provide pragmatic solutions to your challenges in getting evidence into practice.

The free Joanna Briggs Symposium - The Solution Room, will be held at the National Wine Centre on Thursday 4 April, from 9.30 am.

The esteemed panel of speakers will give 'real-world' insights during their presentations. As a 'think tank' they will then respond directly to questions around challenges during the panel discussion. Their aim is to provide practical solutions for clinical settings.

For further details and to register, please visit the eventbrite page.