The 2020-22 Research Support Plan has been released and can be accessed at Research Support.

The Research Support Plan provides a framework with actions, responsibilities and a timeframe to support delivery of the research ambition of The 2025 Agenda.

There is a commitment to: 

• be a community of outstanding scholars engaged in world-leading research that extends the boundaries of knowledge;
• address challenges of local, national and global significance to deliver outcomes that change lives for the better; 
• provide our higher degree by research (HDR) students with high quality research and broad-based skills education; and
• chart a course that takes us to the top 10 of Australian universities and the top one percent in the world.  

The University-wide Support Plan focuses on five areas that underpin achievement of that ambition: 

• improving the quality of our research 
• increasing the scale of our research activity
• enhancing research engagement and impact
• strengthening our research education and training
• improving our research support and development services

"I very much look forward to working with you in implementing the actions of the Research Support Plan and achieving the goals of the 2025 Agenda," said Professor Robert Saint, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) upon release of the Plan to all Flinders staff on Tuesday 11 February 2020.

You can access The 2020-22 Research Support Plan at Flinders’ Research Support webpage.

Fulbright Scholarship applications are now open for U.S. study and research opportunities for researchers at all career stages and will close on 6 July 2020.

Fulbright Campus Adviser for Flinders University, Professor Claire Smith (CHASS), will lead an information session for researchers interested in knowing more and/or intending to apply, on Thursday 19 March 2020. The session will detail scholarship categories and how to apply, plus answer your questions.

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.

Mary Lyons, Senior Research Support Officer (IGII), 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  22 June 2020 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 2 years. Please contact 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 Museum Eureka Prizes have announced their 2020 program to reward excellence in Australian science.

The spectrum of prizes cover a broad range of scientific disciplines and aim to recognise the work of scientists and researchers at all career stages.

Over the years a number of Flinders' researchers have received these awards in recognition of their brilliant achievements that make a difference - including members of the Colvera Team (2017), members of the TEPO Team (2016) and Associate Professor Philip Dinning (2011). 

The 2020 program comprises of 17 prizes across the areas of research & innovation, leadership science engagement, and also school science. Entries open on Wednesday 4 March 2020 and close on Friday 1 May 2020. The Flinders internal closing date is 17 April 2020 for a completed final draft application. For assistance in preparing the nominations/applications, please contact Dr Marina Delpin as soon as possible.

The Prizes are the country’s most comprehensive national science awards, celebrating excellence in research & innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science. Entrants can enter themselves or be nominated, with prizes available for both individuals and teams. It’s free to enter, and in 2019 there is a prize pool of $170,000 on offer.

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 three weeks include:
   NHMRC Ideas panel session;
   Library - Optimising your ORCiD
   Library - Introduction to Bibliometrics to inform your research
   Library - Identifying journals
plus scheduled one-one meetings that enable you to meet and work directly with our RDS teams.

Click on the links below to view the course details.

NHMRC Ideas Panel session - Tuesday 18 February 2020

Library - Optimising your ORCiD - Tuesday 18 February 2020

Library - Introduction to Bibliometrics to inform your research - Wednesday 19 February 2020

Library - 'Advanced Searching’ Methodology - Thursday 20 February 2020

One-on-One meeting: NHMRC and Health grants - Thursday 20 February 2020

One-on-One meeting: Industry, Government, International & Internal grants - Wednesday 20 February 2020

Library - Identifying Journals: how to find; where to publish - Thursday 21 February 2020

One-on-One meeting: Industry, Government, International & Internal grants - Tuesday 25 February 2020

Biosafety Training - Thursday 27 February 2020

One-on-One meeting: NHMRC and Health grants - Thursday 27 February 2020

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

The Australian Consortium of Social and Political Research Incorporated (ACSPRI) will host its 7th Social Science Methodology Conference on 2 - 4 December 2020 at The University of Sydney. The call for session convenors is now open.

1. Research paradigms and designs;
2. Research methods and techniques;
3. Research technology and tools;
4. Datasets, data collections and data archiving.

There will be two types of submissions considered:

1. Presentations where an abstract is reviewed (abstract in the conference proceedings).
2. Posters - including a student poster competition (abstract in the conference proceedings).

Examples of topics are listed on the call for session convenors form. For more information, visit the ACSPRI website.

Health Translation SA invite you to attend a Forum which will provide important information on the current status of the implementation of the Review of Research Governance in the Department for Health and Wellbeing and related Local Health Network’s Report (the Birch Review). The forum will be held on Tuesday, 18 February 2020, 2.00pm – 5.00pm, in the Auditorium SAHMRI (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute).

Health Translation SA is facilitating this initiative to implement the 17 recommendations included in the Birch Review. If you are involved in medical, surgical, or allied health research and clinical trials, this is an opportunity to learn about further information on developments in South Australia. 

A strategic leadership group – the SA Clinical Research Governance Steering Committee – has been established to drive this initiative and to date there has been significant work and engagement.

Register now to secure your attendance at this important event. Places are limited so please register early.

Program details can be found on the Health Translation SA website.

For further information on Health Translation SA’s involvement in this initiative please visit their website.

Expressions of interest (EOI) are now being accepted for the Seaworld Research & Rescue Foundation Inc. Marine Vertebrate Grants.

The research project should meet the objectives of the Foundation, has a marine vertebrate focus and is undertaken in Australian waters. Funding is available from $25,000-$35,000 per year for 1 or 2 year projects. 

The EOI is to be submitted by 1 April 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 18 March 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII).

For further information, including the EOI form, visit the Seaworld Research & Rescue Foundation website.

Are you a research staff member or student who works in a PC facility, works with GMOs, genome editing technologies (e.g. CRISPR/Cas9), microbial pathogens, or viruses? Are you new to Flinders or has it been more than 3 years since you last attended Biosafety training at Flinders?

If your answer is yes to any of these, then please register via ienrol - Research for the upcoming Biosafety training on 27 February 2020.

The session will cover researcher’s responsibilities for work involving gene technology, hazardous microorganisms and other hazardous biological samples.

Attendees will gain an understanding of the role of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and IBC application processes, biosafety regulatory requirements, physical containment facilities, biosafety risk management, and transport, storage and disposal of biological samples.

For more information, please contact the IBC Executive Officer at ibcadmin@flinders.edu.au.

Register via ienrol - Research.

The Heart Foundation Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards are now open.

This award is to provide grant funding for research groups and/or individuals conducting research in the cardiovascular health sphere/community. Projects are expected to produce tangible outcomes with the potential of creating high impact change in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cardiovascular health research community, whilst also providing a capacity building opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and/or students.

Applicants will be required 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.

Applications open on 10 February 2020 and will now close on 1 May 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 17 April 2020.

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

For more information, visit the Heart Foundation website.

The Contributing to Australian Scholarship and Science Foundation (CASS) are offering Travel Awards to enable Early Career Researchers (ECR) to attend an international conference of significance to their research. Applicants are expected to be presenting their current research as an invited presenter, as an oral presentation or a poster presentation.

The 2020 Round 1 Travel Awards applications will be accepted between Monday 10 February 2020 and 5.00pm, Friday 28 February 2020. The maximum amount of a Travel Award is $4,500.

For the 2020 Round 1 CASS Travel Awards the conference commencement date (as published on the official conference website) must be between 1 May 2020 and 30 November 2020. For the purposes of a CASS Travel Award an ECR is a researcher whose PhD conferral (the date of the PhD award certificate) falls within a five-year window between 28 February 2013 and 28 February 2018.

Applicants must be either Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents. The Travel Award is not available for travel to attend conferences being held in Australia or to support overseas fieldwork, independent research or courses of study.

Applicants are required to obtain a Letter of Endorsement (on letterhead) from the person to whom they report in their organisation (ie Head of Department, Group Supervisor, etc.). The application form will be made available online when the next round of Travel Awards opens on 10 February 2020. For further information, visit the CASS website.

CASS is a private philanthropic foundation, established in 2001, to support and promote the advancement of education, science and medicine; and research and practice in those fields. CASS is the Trustee for The Walter Mangold Trust Fund. This is a charitable fund that aims to contribute to the study of languages.

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are Australia’s most prestigious and highly regarded awards for outstanding achievements in scientific research, research-based innovation, and excellence in science teaching.

The prizes will award up to $750,000 each year for outstanding achievements. The Science Prizes recognise the achievements and success of Australian scientists and innovators to both Australia and internationally.

Nominations of diverse candidates and those from a different range of backgrounds and geographical regions are welcome.

There are 5 Science Prizes for science and innovation:

• Prime Minister’s Prize for Science ($250,000)
• Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation ($250,000)
• Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year ($50,000)
• Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year ($50,000)
• Prize for New Innovators ($50,000)

Each prize recipient receives a medallion, lapel pin, prize money as described above and an award certificate.

Nominations close on 12 March 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 27 February 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Dr Marina Delpin, Manager, Researcher Training, Development and Communication.

For more information, visit the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science webpage.

The Department of Defence is seeking innovative proposals that enhance the Land Force Support Systems’ (LFSS) ability to ‘sense and respond. The focus is on leveraging technologies to improve situational awareness, decision cycles, simplify processes and optimise support outcomes in the following areas: Bulk Commodity Visibility, Personnel/Patient Tracking and Principal Item Management.

This Call for Submissions is Stage 1 of a two-stage procurement process and Stage 1 closes on 27 February 2020. It is open to respondents registered in Australia or New Zealand only. Defence’s objective in this Call for Submissions is to select respondents to participate in the request for proposal process (Stage 2). As part of Stage 2 assessment, respondents will be invited to display their innovations at Army Innovation Day 2020 (AID20) on 1 July 2020.

The LFSS encompasses all logistics, combat service support, deployable infrastructure and health functions to prepare, project and sustain the Joint Land Force across a diverse range of environments.

Proposals should be for technology that can be demonstrated within a preferable 12 month timeframe (from contract commencement), but not to exceed 15 months. If your technology will not be ready in this timeframe, you should not respond to this Call for Submissions and may instead prefer to submit a proposal to the Priority Innovation Notice.

Response are to be submitted by 3.00pm (local time in the Australian Capital Territory) on Thursday 27 February 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Sarah Jay, Research Grants Officer (IGII).

For guidance on the assessment criteria and weightings, see the Defence website.

Proposals must align with one of the following sub-themes:

• Sub-theme 1: Bulk Commodity Visibility (fuel, water, ammunition, rations). Examples of this theme include: Enhanced sensor/transactional support systems that reduce manual transactions and improve situational awareness of bulk commodities; Sensors to assist in the accounting, management, storage, testing, and distribution of bulk fuels and POL.
• Sub-theme 2: Personnel/Patient Tracking. Examples of this theme include: Personnel tracking systems; Improved patient visibility and care status.
• Sub-theme 3: Deployed Principal Item Management. Examples of this theme include: Enhanced sensor/transactional support systems that reduce manual transactions and provide positive control of deployed land materiel.

Researchers should note the following timelines as attendance at Army Innovation Day (1 July 2020) is a requirement if successful in progressing to Stage 2. 

Call for Submission closes - Thursday, 27 February 2020.

Respondents notified of outcome of Call for Submissions - Monday, 30 March 2020.

Release of Request for Proposals (Stage 2)

Request for Proposal submissions closes - Monday, 6 April 2020.

Army Innovation Day 2020 -n Wednesday, 1 July 2020.

Respondents notified of outcome - Friday, 24 July 2020.

Research into the potential of stem cells for treating brain conditions is progressing at a rapid pace. Do you want to know more about the latest in stem cell research and therapies for the brain?

Join the Cerebral Palsy Alliance at their free public forum, Stem Cells for the Brain: Are We Letting Australians Down?, hosted by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki on Wednesday 4 March 2020.

The format of the evening will be short presentations from leading experts in the field followed by an interactive Q&A-style panel discussion.

This forum will cover:

• What are stem cells?
• What is the potential of stem cells for treating brain conditions?
• What are the controversies or barriers?
• What does the future of stem cell therapies look like in Australia
• How can you get involved and keep up-to-date with stem cell research?

Register at the Seymour centre website.

The South Australian Government has asked the South Australian Productivity Commission to investigate and report on health and medical research and development (R&D) in South Australia. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback at various stages.

The inquiry will examine the performance of health and medical R&D including trends in grant funding, research output and activity, research collaborations and commercialisation.

The Commission has received the terms of reference from the government on Thursday, 6 February 2020. 

An issues paper will be released in March 2020, with feedback sought between March and June 2020.

For further information and to be kept updated on the Inquiry, visit the SA Productivity Commission website.

Ensuring that health and medical research in Australia is of the highest quality is a priority for the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

This Report from the NHMRC’s Research Quality Workshop on 30 July 2019 outlines key messages, activities and initiatives within the research sector, and potential opportunities for collaboration to ensure the conduct of high quality research.

Outcomes from the workshop will inform the NHMRC’s ongoing activities to ensure the highest quality in NHMRC-funded research.

Further information about research quality can be found on the NHMRC’s website.

The South Australian Government has asked the Commission to undertake an inquiry into Research and Development in South Australia. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback at various stages.

The inquiry will consider trends in public and private expenditure on Research and Development in South Australia as well how Research and Development contributes to long term productivity gains and economic growth. It will also make recommendation on actions to raise the contribution of Research and Development to the state’s long-term productivity and the economic growth rates.

The Commission has received the terms of reference from the government on Thursday, 6 February 2020. The Terms of Reference for this inquiry define the scope of this inquiry to include mining, agribusiness, cyber risk and other areas as appropriate, except for health and medical research which is being considered separately.

They also state that the Commission should consult with government agencies, universities, research institutions, and industry in developing indicators and data sets that could be used to monitor and explain the state’s performance and inform government policy.

An issues paper will be released in March 2020, with feedback sought between March and July 2020.

For further information and to be kept updated on the Inquiry, visit the SA Productivity Commission website.

Rapid advancement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) paralleled with growing e-business enterprises has catalysed the pace of global economy by integrating processes and interactions across business, governance and society. Adoptions of advanced computing technology, networking platforms and big data tools have enhanced the visibility, control and efficiency of business practices all over the world.

In this context, ComPE-2020 aims to provide a platform to leading researchers, practitioners and educators from all over the world to exchange ideas and discuss the recent trends, innovations, theoretical advancements, critiques, concerns, and solutions under (but not limited to) the broader disciplines of computer science, e-business and management.

Authors are solicited to contribute to the conference by submitting papers that illustrate high quality theoretical, empirical and experimental research results, case studies, analytical models, ongoing projects and industrial experiences that describe significant advances in their fields. 

ComPE-2020 seeks to encourage professional interaction; to recognise outstanding contributions in theory and applications; and to encourage researchers to explore new avenues of research for their career development.

For more information and to submit a paper, visit the ComPE 2020 website. The deadline for paper submission is 28 February 2020.

ComPE-2020 is co-Sponsored by IEEE Kolkata Section and IEEE Industrial Society, USA.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) is conducting an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Discovery Projects scheme.

The ARC have requested that Administering Institutions inform current and former investigators under the Discovery Projects scheme of the survey in advance to assist with the review of its largest funding scheme.

The aims of the survey will be to evaluate:

• the effectiveness of the Discovery Projects scheme in supporting excellent basic and applied research and research training, enhancing research collaboration, expanding Australia’s research capability and supporting research that benefits Australia, and
• of the appropriateness of the Discovery Projects scheme and its role within the Australian Government’s overall investment in research and innovation.

The ARC has commissioned Kantar Public Division (Kantar), an independent research company, to conduct the stakeholder surveys and interviews with Research Offices and peak bodies as inputs into the evaluation.

Please note that all survey participant contact details are being provided confidentially to Kantar and will be destroyed once the service is complete, and participants will not be personally identified as part of the evaluation process.

Kantar Public Division will directly contact Chief Investigators and Partner Investigators with a web link to a short online survey in early March 2020. The original timeline for the release of the survey was early February. This has been changed to ensure it does not conflict with submission deadlines for Discovery Projects. The surveys will be distributed to Chief Investigators and Partner Investigators who have participated in at least one research project funded under the Discovery Projects scheme since 2002.