Professor Joanne Tompkins, Executive Director Humanities and Creative Arts (HCA), Australian Research Council, hosted a forum for HCA researchers and assessors in South Australia on 1 March 2019.

Following is a report detailing key points made by Professor Tompkins.

HASS (Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences)

There is an opportunity for HASS to submit more applications including Linkage Project applications. While the HCA have a different economic model to STEM research areas, the success rate of proposals received from HASS and STEM are very consistent. Whilst more applications were encouraged, it was with the caveat that applications need to be of good quality or it may cause reputational damage – to the researcher, the university and the discipline.

With regard to the Linkage Project scheme, success is not all based on Partner Organisation cash contributions. A good project that solves a problem for your partner organisation is required. Applicants need to explain in the narrative the reason for the lack of cash and the importance of the addressing problem of the organisation(s).

HCA researchers also need to think strategically about how they describe their discipline(s) and present a more united collaborative front.

What Assessors seek

ARC Assessors could be experts or non-experts in your discipline, and therefore seek and need a compelling project description. The project needs to:

• be significant,
• be ground breaking,
• be needed now,
• have sound methodology,
• provide strong performance evidence, closely aligned with the project (e.g. why is each member critical for the project and exactly how will they contribute to the project),
• have a robust budget properly justified (e.g. why is each item required), and
• demonstrate value for money.

Importantly, address the questions outlined in the Instructions to Applicants – make it easy for the assessors to score your project well.

Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE)

This is an important part of the application as it provides a context for the application and can assist to explain what has impacted on a researcher’s research performance. It is also the place that HASS researchers can describe the creative spheres that showcase the importance of their research. Keep descriptions of any career interruptions brief.

Interdisciplinary research projects (typically across two ARC panels) are supported but ensure that members of the project team represent each discipline so that the project can be articulated for, and understood by, both disciplines. The research and/or outcomes must be highly innovative to both panels.

National Interest Test

The National Interest Test Statement in an application needs to be clear, logical and realistic. The Minister receives the application title, application summary, National Interest Test Statement, the names of lead Chief Investigator and Administering Organisation, and recommended budget.

Call out to people to become Assessors

Assessors can be selected from people who are yet to have won ARC funding. This is a great way to understand the ARC assessment processes and to see what makes a great application. For further information, please visit the ARC website.

ARC College of Experts

If you are interested in being nominated for appointment to the ARC College of Experts, please contact Maya Roberts on 8201 7698 in the first instance. For further information, please visit the ARC website.

Further information

The ARC website contains useful information about funded research projects. Visit:

• ARC Grants Search – searchable database of ARC funded grants
• Grant Outcomes – selection reports by scheme

The RDS ARC team can provide support, guidance and advice. Email arc@flinders.edu.au to contact the team:

• Maya Roberts, Senior Research Grants Officer (ARC)
• Dr Melissa Gregory, Research Grants Officer (ARC)
• Dr Michele Lang, Research Grants Officer (ARC)

The RDS ARC team also hold regular drop-in sessions. Register at ienrol to attend a session.

Flinders Researcher Training and Development

‘Grants Evolution – category 1’ a program consisting of a series of one and half hour action-learning workshops will be run from April to October 2019 with the aim to get you ‘grant ready.’ These skills development workshops are presented in an order that will enable consideration, planning and action of your funding options, through to the development of your application and commencing your project.

You can access stand-alone workshops or participate in the entire series.

Details of this series can be accessed via the Research Training and Development Page.

To participate, please enrol through ienrol-Research.

Specific ARC workshops include:

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

ARC DECRA & Future Fellowship application process & considerations, Wednesday, 8th May 2019

ARC Discovery Project application process and considerations, Thursday, 9th May 2019

ARC Linkage Project application process and considerations, Friday, 10th May 2019

Grants budgets - ARC, Thursday, 15th August 2019

How to write your ROPE - ARC & NHMRC, Tuesday, 20th August 2019

Writing the front page of your ARC grant application, Wednesday, 11th September 2019

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: ARC grants, Monday, 1 April 2019

Drop-In Sessions: Industry, Government, International & Internal grants, Tuesday, 2 April 2019

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

Biosafety Training, Thursday, 4 April 2019

Drop-In Sessions: Social and Behavioural Research Ethics, Friday, 5 April 2019

Drop-In Sessions: ARC grants, Tuesday, 9 April 2019

Drop-In Sessions: Social and Behavioural Research Ethics, Wednesday, 10 April 2019

Drop-In Sessions: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday, 10 April 2019

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

Registrations are underway for the first South Australian networking event of 2019 for AusBiotech, SA BioCheers to be held at SAHMRI on Thursday 11 April 2019.

Hosted by Adelaide BioMed City and sponsored by Flinders University, BioCheers is an opportunity to share ideas and build relationships in South Australia's vibrant biotechnology community.

Come along to meet new people and potential partners, and to catch up with old friends and colleagues. The evening also gives you the chance to meet your South Australia-based AusBiotech Committee. 

Drinks and appetisers will be provided at the event.

Registration from 5 pm with a networking event from 5.30 pm - 7.30 pm.

Register at the AusBiotech website.

The 2020 Diabetes Australia Research Program Grant Round is now open for applications and will close Friday, 3 May 2019.

The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft is 19 April 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

Diabetes Australia Research Program grants are available to researchers concerned with the promotion of health care, education and / or medical research in the area of diabetes.

Application guidelines, the application form and questions and answers document are available at the Diabetes Australia website.

Share your research, projects or experience with an audience passionate about making a difference to rural and remote mental health.

The Australian Rural & Remote Mental Health Symposium currently has availabilities for oral, poster, workshop, and 90-minute panel presenters.

The Symposium will be held in Adelaide from 28 - 30 October 2019. Abstracts close 28 June 2019.

Topics for 2019 include:

• Suicide and Self Harm Prevention
• Child and Youth Mental Health
• Mental Health Policy
• Supporting Rural and (Very) Remote Mental Health Workers
• Digital Health
• Community Effectiveness and Involvement 
• Low Intensity Mental Health Programs 
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, Aging Population, Farmers 
• Mental Health, AOD and Health Considerations
• Service Design and Access 
• Cultural Considerations 
• Open Topic 

More information, including on how to apply, details on presenter requirements and important dates, is available at the Australian Rural & Remote Mental Health Symposium website.

The Ian Potter Foundation is accepting Expressions of Interest (EOI) in the areas of Community Wellbeing, Education, Environment and Conservation, and Science. Grant Applications in the area of Medical Research are also currently open.

The Medical Research grants support the provision of equipment and capital infrastructure to support outstanding medical research groups.

The Community Wellbeing program supports organisations delivering early intervention programs in the community such as:

• transitioning from detention under the justice system;
• reducing long-term unemployment with a focus on youth; and
• assisting families at risk of, or experiencing, family violence to improve financial skills and maintain suitable, safe accommodation.

The Education program supports:

• innovative programs delivered to young children (ages 0–8) that aim to improve school readiness (as measured by the AEDC) and/or foster parental engagement in their children's learning
• the development of evidence and shared measurement tools for the early childhood sector.

The Environment and Conservation program considers large grants (over $100,000) within two themes:

• fostering biodiversity
• water and/or land management.

The Science program support high quality scientific research programs led by post-doc researchers with preference for research relating to the fields of environmental science and renewable energy.

The closing date for EOIs is 17 April 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 3 April 2019 for a completed final draft application. For application advice and support on EOIs, contact Rupali Saikia, Research Grants Officer (IGII).

The closing date for Medical Research grants is 4 June 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 21 May 2019 for a complete final draft application. For application advice and support on Medical Research grants, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

The Ian Potter Foundation rarely awards the full amount of any project. Applicants are encouraged to ensure that they have alternative providers of funding available, and that the application clearly considers any possible grant from the Foundation in this context. 

The Arts program EOIs will open 4 November 2019.

For more information, visit the Ian Potter Foundation website for hints and tips, FAQs, and how to apply.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) Investigator Initiated Research Scheme (IIRS) is now open. 

The scheme is an amalgamation of the numerous grant schemes previously offered by the NBCF (i.e. pilot studies, innovator, infrastructure, accelerator and career fellowships).

The IIRS will support the salary (if requested) and research costs (or portions thereof) of outstanding investigators with a vision to expand the scale and scope of breast cancer research in Australia.

The application deadline for IIRS is 5pm AEST Monday 3 June 2019. The Flinders internal closing date is 20 May 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

The application guidelines and appendix are available on the NBCF website.

Nominations are now open for the Research Australia Health and Medical Research Awards for 2019.

As the national peak body for health and medical research, these prestigious awards are Research Australia's celebration of the outstanding efforts and achievements of individuals and teams who drive and support the opportunities that health and medical innovation bring to each and every one of our lives.

This year the Award Categories are as follows:

1. Peter Wills Medal
2. Great Australian Philanthropy Award
3. Health Services Research Awards
4. Data Innovation Award
5. Griffith University Discovery Award
6. Advocacy Award
7. Frontiers Research Award (NEW)

Nominations are open until Friday 5 July 2019

Primary nominators must be from a member organisation of Research Australia. Flinders University is a member organisation.  Individuals can be nominated for several categories, if appropriate.

Whilst Research Australia hosts these awards to showcase the amazing research and leaders in the sector, it is also one of Research Australia's core roles is to connect all stakeholders from across the health and medical research pipeline. This includes those starting their journey in research, and so Research Australia encourages nominations of students and mid-career researchers to support the leading lights of the future.

Nominating for any category involves simply answering 3 or 4 questions online. Please let Research Australia know if you have any issues at all or if you need a short extension - they don't want you to miss out! Email them via admin@researchaustralia.org or call 02 9295 8546

Please click here to access the nomination pages and view the nomination criteria.  Each category has 4 simple questions to answer in the survey monkey platform.

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 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.