Book now at ienrol research to access Flinders’ researcher training and development opportunities. Workshops, information sessions, seminars and drop-in sessions aim to provide ongoing development and support to all researchers.

Key workshops in the next two weeks include:
    NHMRC Investigator Grants Information Session;
    ARC Discovery Project Information Session;
    Importing your research outputs into your ARC grant - using the ARC's new RMS;
plus scheduled drop-in sessions that enable you to meet and work directly with our RDS teams.

Click on the links below to view the course details.

NHMRC Investigator Grants Information Session, Tuesday 15 October 2019

Drop-In Sessions: Industry, Government, International & Internal grants, Tuesday 15 October 2019

Drop-In Sessions: ARC grants, Tuesday 15 October 2019

Drop-In Session: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday 16 October 2019

ARC Discovery Project Information Session, Friday 18 October 2019

Importing your research outputs into your ARC grant - using the ARC's new RMS, Tuesday 22 October 2019

Drop-In Sessions: ARC grants, Wednesday 23 October 2019

Drop-In Session: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday 23 October 2019

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

Researchers considering applying for an Australian Research Council Discovery Project are encouraged to attend the upcoming Information Session.

To be held on Friday, 18 October 2019 from 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm in Lecture Theatre 1, Flinders Medical Centre, the session will feature a panel facilitated by Maya Roberts, Senior Research Grants Officer (ARC), Research Development and Support. The panel will include Professor Jim Mitchell, CSE, Professor Mike Nicholls, Dean (Research) CEPSW, and Associate Professor Janni Petersen, CMPH.

The panel will discuss:

• scheme overview, funding levels, and key eligibility considerations,
• how to plan/write a Discovery Project,
• how to address the assessment criteria,
• the assessment process, and
• Flinders support and process including timelines

Register for the session via ienrol.

Researchers intending to apply for an NHMRC Investigator Grant are invited to attend the upcoming NHMRC Investigator Grants information session.

To be held on Tuesday 15 October 2019 from 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm in Lecture Theatre 1, Flinders Medical Centre, this session be delivered by Amanda Wright, Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health), Lucy Sheehan-Hennessey, Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health), and Rebecca Cook, Senior Research Support Officer (CMPH), from Research Development and Support.

Attendees will be updated on application requirements, RGMS requirements, the timelines and the RDS support available for Flinders' staff for the currently open round.

Register to attend via ienrol.

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is embarking on a new initiative that supports world-class academic investigators who have made notable contributions to immunotherapy and have the greatest potential to propel the field forward.

CRI’s newest program, the CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Program—Scientists Taking Risks—will provide long-term funding to mid-career scientists providing them the freedom and flexibility to pursue high-risk, high-reward research at the forefront of discovery and innovation.

Rooted in CRI’s exceptional track record of identifying and supporting people who have had a major impact on the cancer immunology enterprise, these new grants will not be tied to a specific research project, but rather would support outstanding researchers based on the quality and promise of their overall work. The Lloyd J. Old STAR program will provide up to $1.25 million over a five-year period to support mid-career scientists: tenure-track assistant professors (minimum 3 years) and associate professors (maximum 3 years).

Candidates for the Lloyd J. Old STAR program must meet the following eligibility requirements:

The applicant must have an M.D., Ph.D., or M.D./Ph.D. (or equivalent)

Applicants must belong to one of the following categories as of 1 July 2019:

• Tenure-track assistant professor with a minimum of 3 years in this position (appointed on or before 1 July 2016)
• Tenure-track associate professor with a maximum of 3 years in this position (appointed on or after 1 July 2016)

Adjunct or acting positions are not eligible. The closest equivalent to tenure-track in Australia is permanent employment. CRI has no citizenship restrictions, and research supported by the award may be conducted at medical schools and research centers in the United States or abroad.

Applicants are expected to commit a minimum of 80% of their time to conducting research.

Applications close 15 January 2020. The Flinders' internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 2 January 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Amanda Wright, Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

For more information, visit the CRI website.

Water is our most precious resource. It plays a crucial role in the very biggest issues that we face as a global community.

Drivers for future water quality and quantity requirements on the planet include: climate change, population growth, food access, energy generation, sanitation standards, health care, and environmental preservation. Additionally, water is a key priority for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. But what changes are needed if we are to meet the Earth’s future requirements?

Are global water reserves able to sustain the world’s burgeoning population? How will climate change affect our planet’s water resources? Is it possible to meet our water-food-energy requirements in this changing context, whilst also protecting the environment?

Professor Craig Simmons, Director, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, and Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor of Hydrogeology will present on these topics and more at this free event, Liquid assets - Addressing current and future global water needs to be held at the Victoria Square campus from 5.30 pm on Tuesday 22 October 2019.

Professor Simmons will discuss how we can address these problems and prepare for 2050, 2100 and beyond. He will demonstrate the important role groundwater and environmental research, management and policy are playing to provide solutions to current and future global water issues.

Water is everything. Without it we are nothing. Now is the time to act. 

To register to attend, visit the Registration page.

Through its education and research programs, Flinders encourages new ways of thinking, and supports experimentation and daring, with the mission to contribute on an international scale through ‘changing lives and changing the world’. So we invite you to share and collaborate with us on our BRAVE journey. We will impart our knowledge and new discoveries, elevate discussion and inspire debate; all with the view to facilitate the betterment of our society. To find out more about the BRAVE series, please visit the Flinders website.

Be BRAVE, be bold, be at Flinders.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant Opportunity and the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) priority round is now open for funding in 2020/2021 - with applications due 27 November 2019.

Investigator Grants consolidate separate fellowship and research support into one grant scheme that provides the highest-performing researchers at all career stages with funding for their salary (if required) and a significant research support package.

These grants provide the investigator with the flexibility to pursue important new research directions as they arise and to form collaborations as needed, rather than being restricted to the scope of a specific research project.

To provide our research community with key information, and details of the application process and Flinders' support to applicants, an NHMRC Investigator Grants Information will be held on Tuesday, 15 October 2019. Please enrol to attend via ienrol - Research.

Full application guidelines and templates for the can be found under the Grant Opportunity (GO) documents via GrantConnect. In addition to the guidelines, the following resources from the NHMRC are also available on GrantConnect available to assist applicants to prepare applications:

• Investigator Grant 2020: Key Changes
• 2020 Eligibility Web Tool
• Key Characteristics of Investigator Grant 2019 Applications

The Investigator Grants: MRFF Priority Round grants aim to ensure the next generation of talented Australians have the capacity to make and progress great medical discoveries and promotes opportunities for active clinical researchers to work in partnership with professional colleges and industry. It will support the research program of outstanding early- to mid-career clinical researchers that contribute to the MRFF priority research areas (see link below).

The MRFF Priority round is open to outstanding early- to mid- career researchers contributing to the MRFF priority research areas. The Commonwealth Government is investing $32 million over the next two years to support MRFF funded Investigator Grants. Applications for this funding will be submitted and peer-reviewed through the 2020 NHMRC Investigator Grant round.

Further information on Priority Areas and Grant Guidelines for this MRFF funding round are available on GrantConnect. Applications for the MRFF Priority funding are restricted to applicants at the EL category (EL1 and EL2).

Applications close 27 November 2019 and must be submitted through the NHMRC Research Grants Management System (RGMS). Further information on the scheme can be found on the NHMRC website.

For application advice please contact the NHMRC Grants Team - Gareth Rees, Amanda Wright and Lucy Sheehan-Hennessy on nhmrc@flinders.edu.au. For all NHMRC timelines and Flinders' internal process information, visit the NHMRC page on the Flinders Research Support website.

Do you want financial support for short or long-term stays in Dresden for scientific, professional and cultural exchange with Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden)? Are you an academic or PhD student working in diabetes or depression research projects? Or are you a professional staff member who will provide support to promote collaborative partnerships and/or joint projects between TU Dresden and Flinders?

If you are any of these, support is now available through the Scientific and Administrative Staff Mobility 2020 program and the PhD Student Mobility 2020 program.

Over the past five years, Flinders and TU Dresden have conducted leading-edge international health and medical research, promoted staff and student mobility exchanges, and health professional education opportunities. This, and other collaborative engagement partnerships with TU Dresden, has now led to the creation of the Scientific and Administrative Staff Mobility 2020 program. Applications for the program close 6 December 2019.

Funding is available for €89 per day for up to 22 days, or €2,000 per month to cover living expenses plus €1,350 once for travel costs. Applications are sought for:

• The development of new or continuation of ongoing projects in the field of diabetes or depression
• Preparation of applications for third-­‐party funds for joint projects
• Initiation of joint projects within the partnership, e.g. in research support, fundraising, student & staff exchange, etc.
• Professional and cultural exchange on administrative level, e.g.via job shadowing

Applications are to be submitted, with the following documents, via email to Mr Felix Klee, Department for Development and International Affairs, Carl Gustav Carus School of Medicine at TU Dresden, felix.klee@tu-­dresden.de:

• Letter of motivation/project outline (short description of your current position, proposed outcomes, expected benefit from the stay, proposed schedule for the planned stay, previous connections to TU Dresden);
• Declaration of consent signed by your manager; and, if possible,
  
• Letter of invitation of the corresponding partner at TU Dresden

For more information, see the guidelines and application information below:

Staff Mobility 2020 guidelines and application information

PhD Student Mobility 2020 guidelines and application information

If you are intending to apply, please contact your College RDS Staff to advise them. 

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

The 2019 Mason Foundation ME/CFS research grant round is now open and will close on 5 November 2019.

The Flinders' internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 22 October 2019. For grant writing and administrative support, please contact Denise Caretti, Trust & Foundations Coordinator - Alumni & Advancement, Office of Communication, Marketing & Engagement. 

The goal of The Mason Foundation is to achieve enduring, positive impact in the areas of ME/CFS through funding medical research principally into the causes, prevention and/or management of this disease.

In August the Mason Foundation announced funding to establish the first Australian Registry and Biobank for ME/CFS. Research grant applications that consider opportunities for synergy with the newly created patient registry and biobank resources will be a priority.

Please refer to the Equity Trustees website for more information on the grant program.

Limited places are available for the upcoming DST Group information session to brief industry and academia on the One Defence Science and Technology Strategy 2020-30, and in particular the STaR Shots program.

The Adelaide session is scheduled for 16 October 2019 with the time and location yet to be confirmed.

To express interest in attending the session, register at https://www.dst.defence.gov.au/news/2019/10/01/register-information-session-star-shots.

Researchers interested in engaging with DST are encouraged to attend.

The STaR Shot initiative is the centrepiece of the new Strategy and more information is available at the DST website.

The Australian Government is inviting applications through an open competitive process to apply to deliver services under the Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Program: Fostering Integration Grants in 2019-20.

The objective of the grant opportunity is to facilitate the participation, integration and social cohesion of both newly arrived migrants and culturally diverse communities in Australia.

The program aims to facilitate this by:

• encouraging the social and economic participation of migrants by developing skills and cultural competencies to integrate into Australian social, economic and civic life, and build community resilience
• promoting and encouraging the uptake of Australian values and liberal democracy and amplifying the value of Australian citizenship
• promoting a greater understanding and acceptance of racial, religious and cultural diversity
• addressing issues within Australian communities that show potential for, or early signs of, low social integration.

Priority will be given to small not-for-profit organisations who directly represent a specific culturally diverse community, and/or organisations who are strongly connected to the culturally diverse community and have a physical presence in that community. 

Preferred organisations may include culturally diverse community-specific organisations or mainstream organisations who are strongly connected to the culturally diverse community and have a physical presence in that community. 

Larger and well-established organisations are eligible to apply but should consider whether they have effective links with the target community to enable them to successfully deliver the project, and/or supporting or partnering with smaller organisations in their applications

Applications close at 11:00 pm AEDT on 5 November 2019. The Flinders' internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 22 October 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Dr Sarah Jay, Research Grants Officer (IGII).

Information about applying for this round can be found on the Community Grants Hub website and GrantConnect.

Team Defence Australia will be taking an Australian delegation/pavilion to the Undersea Defence Technology 2020 conference, 26-28 May 2020 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Flinders University was invited to participate in the 2019 conference, along with a range of Australian industry including the Australian Submarine Corporation. It is anticipated that Flinders will be invited to participate in the delegation in 2020. Interested researchers are encouraged to contact Tony Kyriacou, Defence Partnerships Director, if they are interested in participating.

The 2020 conference has opened its call for papers, with abstracts of 250-500 words due on 2 December 2019.

Papers/speakers are being sought from the following six core pillars, and Flinders' researchers are encouraged to consider submitting an abstract:

1. Platform Design
2. Sensors & Processing
3. Weapon & Payload Systems
4. Unmanned, Remotely Piloted & Autonomous Systems
5. Operational Drivers & Imperatives
6. Exploitation of Commercial & New Technologies

More information on the six core pillars is available on the Conference website.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has released the Information Paper: Implementation of the 3Rs in Australia.

The fundamental framework for the ethical and humane use of animals for scientific purposes in Australia includes the responsibility to apply the 3Rs – Replacement, Reduction and Refinement — at all stages of animal care and use. The 3Rs are among the governing principles in the Australian Code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes and are established in Australia through the adoption of the Code in state and territory legislation.

All those involved have a responsibility to ensure the consideration and implementation of alternative approaches that do not use animals (Replacement). If the use of animals is the only way to obtain the necessary information, they have a responsibility to ensure that the studies are of the highest quality, designed to involve the smallest number of animals (Reduction) and to support and safeguard animal wellbeing (Refinement).

Despite the importance of the 3Rs, there is little evidence about how they are being implemented in Australia. The NHMRC has undertaken its 3Rs Project and the development of this Information Paper to fill this evidence gap. The Information Paper identifies situations where innovations in the 3Rs in Australia are unrecognised. It also highlights apparent strengths in current practices as well as opportunities for improvement.

Implementation of the 3Rs is the responsibility of the research sector as a whole. NHMRC is providing this Information Paper for broad circulation within the Australian community to promote informed discussion about the implementation of the 3Rs in Australia. The NHMRC also hopes that this document will assist the research sector in making improvements where required.

The Information Paper was developed with advice from NHMRC’s Animal Welfare Committee comprising members with expertise in veterinary science and animal welfare, as well as scientists and community representatives.

The Information Paper and further information are available on the NHMRC’s website.

Questions or feedback about the Information Paper can be sent to ethics@nhmrc.gov.au.

Over the past 16 years, Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research (ACH2) has supported translational research in the areas of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and now human TLymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1). In 2020, ACH2 will continue to support translational research into these four viruses.

Funding is available from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2020 for grants up to $100,000. One Expression of interest (EoI) per chief investigator (CI)-A will be considered.

Expressions of Interest close at 5:00 p.m. AEDT on Monday 28 October 2019. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft EoI is 21 October 2019. For application advice and assistance, please contact Lucy Sheehan-Hennessey, Research Grants Officer (NHMRC & Health).

ACH2 is seeking EoIs in applied research from qualified scientists to fund research projects aimed at:

• developing vaccine candidates for HIV, HBV subtypes, HCV or HTLV-1;
• developing preventatives such as HIV microbicides and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP);
• cure and treatment interventions for HIV, HBV, or HTLV-1,
• novel diagnostics and prognostics for HIV, HBV, HCV, HTLV-1 or hepatitis B/C/HIV/HTLV-1 co-infection;
• molecular tools for tracking epidemics caused by these viruses; and
• development of new tests for supporting vaccine and antiviral trials.

Basic research is not eligible, and grants aimed at development of new direct-acting antivirals against HCV are also not eligible.

Further details, eligibility criteria of this funding, and the EOI application template is available at www.ach2.org.au/apply.

The Conventions Adelaide Grant Awards Program is an initiative of the Adelaide Convention Bureau, supported by industry partner Adelaide Convention Centre, that is specifically designed to strengthen the destination’s ability to attract major international conventions.

The Program consists of grants up to $10,000 AUD ex GST  that are available to academic, research or professional staff working within South Australian Institutions which will be awarded in 2019.

"Hosting international conferences in Adelaide provides the platform to showcase our passion for discovery and commitment to innovation to the world. Conferences can also act as a vehicle to create a long-lasting legacy within your field. Perhaps the best recent example of this is the International Astronautical Congress being used to announce the opening of the Australian Space Agency.

The Conventions Adelaide Grant Awards program rewards individuals for working with the Adelaide Convention Bureau to lead conference bids that align with South Australia’s key sectors. On behalf of the 2019 Selection Panel I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this program and participate in the 2019 Conventions Adelaide Grant Awards," said Professor Caroline McMillen, Chief Scientist for South Australia, Chair of the Selection Panel.

The program has been specifically designed  to strengthen the destination’s ability to attract major international conventions in the South Australian Government’s key priority sectors:

• Health and medical sciences
• Defence and space industries
• Energy and minerals
• Food and agribusiness
• Creative industries
• High technology
• International education

In 2019 grant amounts of up to AUD$10,000 ex GST are available and will be paid directly to the applicant’s place of employment for administration of the Grant. Grant monies may be used immediately after being awarded or up to three years following.

The grant monies can be used for the following purposes:

• Attend the identified international conference to network and open up new relationships to support the bid objectives
• Fund a professional development goal such as attending an international conference or undertake further study in their chosen field of endeavour
• Contribute to established or proposed research projects
• Contribute to the purchase of needed equipment within the applicant’s place of employment

Applications close Friday 8 November 2019.

For more information, including the guidelines and application form, visit the Conventions Adelaide website.

Nominations are now open for the National Awards for Disability Leadership, which recognise outstanding achievements by individuals, including academics and researchers, who have significantly contributed to advancing the status of disabled people.

The Awards reflect what is important to disabled people and the ways that change is being effected and pursuing equality for the disability community. 

Nominations close on 18 October. Contact Dr Marina Delpin, Manager, Researcher Training, Development, and Communication, of your intent to apply.

The Awards will be delivered across seven categories for outstanding achievement or outcomes by disabled people, reflecting the diversity of the community, and the intersectional nature of their lives in:

1. The Arts – using artistic expression to advance the status of disabled people.
2. Change Making – achieving lasting change to the status quo (policy, programs, legislation) which results in greater equality for disabled people.
3. Rights Activism – using human rights mechanisms, including implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to advance the status of disabled people.
4. Innovation – being innovative, working outside the box, developing new systems, technology or tools to achieve outcomes in the status of disabled people.
5. Social Impact – using the public domain, through mainstream and social media, or other digital interfaces, to achieve visibility of disabled people.
6. Inclusion – designing processes, systems or programs which illustrate the diversity of disabled people as equal contributors to achieving outcomes.
7. The Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement – awarded to an individual who has shown commitment to the disability rights movement and worked overtime to achieve significant outcomes for disabled people.

The National Awards for Disability Leadership are brought to you by a collaboration of Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, Disabeld People's Organisations Australia, and the Disability Leadership Institute.

For more information and to nominate, visit the Disability Leadership Institute website.

The Bond University Sustainability of Healthcare Awards and Colloquium aim to promote and raise awareness of best practice in high-value health care and recognising the achievements of those in the community who are advocates and pioneers in this area.

Each award category winner will receive a $5,000 bursary to use towards their sustainable healthcare project. Awards are open to individuals and organisations predominantly based in Australia.

Nominations will close on 18 October 2019. Please contact Dr Marina Delpin, Manager, Researcher Training, Development, and Communication if you are intending to apply.

Sustainable Healthcare aims to improve health outcomes while using resources wisely. Sustainable health interventions should be evidence-based, effective, minimise waste, affordable and able to be implemented in the long term without accumulating adverse consequences for society or individuals.

The 2019 Sustainability of Healthcare Awards categories are:

• Health Literacy Award – for increasing public understanding of sustainable health
• Practice Award – for sustainable health intervention that is being implemented
• Research Award – for increasing understanding of causes or interventions for sustainable health
• Educational Award – for increasing understanding in students of sustainable health
• Policy Award – for driving improvements at regional or national level

All nominees and award winners will be recognised at the event for their contribution to Sustainable Health Care, and winners will be given the opportunity to speak about their submission to the wider audience.

In 2019, the Sustainability of Healthcare Awards and Colloquium will include a day time session beginning at 1 pm, featuring international keynote speakers Dr Vinay Prasad, Associate Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, USA, and Dr John Brodersen, Associate Research Professor, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, as well as interactive forums and discussion panels based around overdiagnosis, overtreatment and the sustainability of healthcare. The Sustainable Healthcare Awards will then begin from 5.30 pm.

For more information, to register to attend the Colloguium, and to access the nomination form, visit the Bond University website.