Join globally renowned Professor John Long, Strategic Professor of Palaeontology, as he presents the first Brave Lecture for 2020, Rewriting evolution - our fishy origins. 

For the past two centuries, the key evolutionary narrative has been about how humans evolved from apes. Whilst this part of our history is well-documented from fossil remains, it is only the end part of our story. The beginnings of the human body plan, along with many of our intrinsic behaviours, first appear much deeper in time.

Professor Long will discuss his thesis that the big steps in human evolution took place well before fishes left the water to invade land. This research provides a new perspective on humans’ evolutionary story; one which comes from looking up from the water’s edge, not looking down from the trees.
Brave lecture series 

When: 6pm, Tuesday 10 March

Where: Alere Function Centre, Bedford Park campus

Tours of the palaeontology lab will be offered before and after the lecture (registration required). 

Register: here

Flinders researchers are tackling the big questions facing society. They are examining new concepts, reimagining and rethinking received wisdom, unearthing the past, and confronting the future.

Through bravely contesting ideas, they seek to uncover new learnings and knowledge for the betterment of society.

Each month through the BRAVE public lecture series, our researchers present their insights on issues of local, national and global significance uncovered through research. 

Help break records! Show your support for women in STEMM at Flinders University's iconic annual International Women’s Day celebration, on March 11.

With an extended format, this year's event is set to be the biggest and best yet and all staff and students are invited. Read more at Flinders in Touch.

Every year the Australian Academy of Humanities offers a series of prestigious grants and awards as part of their ongoing commitment to fostering and promoting the highest quality humanities research and supporting the next generation of scholars and practitioners.

ln 2020 they are offering six award opportunities for established researchers, early-career researchers and HDR students.

These opportunities are:

• Max Crawford Medal for excellence by an Early Career Researcher
• Medal for Excellence in Translation
• Humanities Travelling Fellowships including the David Philips Travelling Fellowship
  
• Publication Subsidy Scheme
• John Mulvaney Fellowship
• Ernst and Rosemarie Keller Fund

All details, including the link for submitting online applications, are available on their website.

All applications close on 20 April 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 1 April 2020. For application assistance and advice for the Crawford Medal and the Medal for Excellence in Translation, contact Dr Marina Delpin, Manager: Researcher Training, Development and Communication. For the other two awards, application assistance and advice is available from Rupali Saikia, Research Grants Officer (IGII).

Crawford Medal for excellence by an Early Career Researcher

The Max Crawford Medal is Australia’s most prestigious award for achievement and promise in the humanities. It is presented to an Australian-based, early career scholar for outstanding achievement in the humanities, whose research and publications make an exceptional contribution to the understanding of their discipline by the general public.

Medal for excellence in Translation

The Medal for Excellence in Translation is a major national award that recognises outstanding achievement in translation. This award celebrates the vital role of translators and translation in Australian culture and scholarly discourse. It adds to the growing recognition of work in this field which recognises lifetime achievement. The Medal is awarded biennially for a book-length translation into English of a work of any genre (including scholarship) from any language and period.

Humanities Travelling Fellowships including the David Philips Travelling Fellowship

The Humanities Travelling Fellowships offer grants of up to $4000 to support Australian early career researchers in the humanities to undertake research overseas.

Publication Subsidy Scheme

The Publication Subsidy Scheme supports quality scholarly publication in the humanities. Subsidies of up to $3000 are awarded to support costs associated with publication, such as illustrations, maps and copyright fees.

John Mulvaney Fellowship

The John Mulvaney Fellowship is an award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early career researchers and PhD students working in any area of the humanities. The recipient of the John Mulvaney Fellowship will receive $4000 towards undertaking research or fieldwork in Australia or overseas, including accessing archives and other research materials and connecting with researchers and networks.

Ernst and Rosemarie Keller Fund

The Ernst & Rosemarie Keller Fund supports the research activities of scholars residing in Australia whose research is concerned with German history, literature, language, politics or culture, or German contributions to the history, literature, languages, politics or culture of either Australia or the Asia-Pacific region. The Fund offers a maximum of $5000 for travelling fellowships, convening workshops and/or masterclasses.

Heart Foundation Vanguard Grants are available to researchers for concept studies with the potential to improve cardiovascular health in the short term.

Designed to test the feasibility of innovative concepts, Vanguard Grants may lead to larger, more rigorous testing in the future. The projects will provide tangible outcomes with the potential to improve cardiovascular health. 

To be eligible, an applicant must be involved in any area of cardiovascular health research including biomedical, clinical, public health and health service delivery and only one application per applicant (Chief Investigator A only) is allowed.

Applicants can apply for funding for up to two years, with up to $75,000 of funding per year.

Applications will now close on 1 May 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 24 April 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

For more information, including eligibility criteria, visit the Heart Foundation website.

The sixth annual TOP Domestic Violence Conference will be held from Wednesday 2 December - Friday 4 December 2020 at RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland. The conference aims to provide a platform for a unified national voice to break the cycle of domestic and family violence.  

With greater knowledge, tools and connections, you can change the lives of thousands at risk of mental and physical abuse. Acquire new skills, examine the latest research and connect with others dedicated to ending domestic and family violence.

The call for presenters is now open. Share best practice and provide real solutions to ending domestic and family violence. Help improve access to critical resources, information and services for victims, perpetrators and the wider community. If you are interested in presenting at the 2020 STOP Domestic Violence Conference, please submit your application prior to Friday 17 July.

The 2020 Presentation topics are:

• Primary Prevention
• Early Intervention
• Response
• Healing and Recovery
• Workforce Development and Systems Improvement 

If you are interested in attending the 2020 STOP Domestic Violence Conference, early bird registrations are now open. Register now to save.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) has implemented its Strategic Research Framework to shape their investment in research across all stages of a veteran’s life: serving well, living well and ageing well.

The Deputy Secretary Charles McHardie, Chair DVA Research Board, will introduce the Strategic Research Framework to participants and Chief Data Officer, Dr Paul Nicolarakis, will outline DVA’s research priorities during the online webinar to be held on 17 March 2020, 3.30 pm AEST.

Register in advance for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The DVA takes a proactive approach in commissioning research to build an effective evidence base that supports the health and wellbeing needs of Australia’s veterans. The Strategic Research Framework details the analytical and research priorities and principles for DVA, to focus future research and data gathering efforts. Commissioned research must result in actionable outcomes that are translated into policy and program directions.

The primary means of commissioning research within DVA is the Applied Research Program, which provides around $3.9 million annually for business areas to engage with research activities. A range of other research, evidence and evaluation activities are funded on the basis of business need, through other funding sources, Strategic Partnerships or Memoranda of Understanding.

The Wellcome Innovator Awards are open to researchers who are developing healthcare innovations that could have a major and measurable impact on human health.

An Innovator Award provides up to £500,000 of funding and usually lasts up to 24 months. For multidisciplinary collaborations, awards are up to £750,000 and have a duration of up to 36 months. There are no deadlines for this scheme - applications can be received at any time.

For application advice and assistance, please contact Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII). In accordance with the Flinders internal timelines, applicants are requested to provide a completed final draft for review 10 working days before the date they intend to submit.

Work can be in any scientific discipline, including a discipline outside life and medical sciences. For example, the application of physics, chemistry, computing, engineering and materials science to the development of healthcare innovations is entirely appropriate 

Any type of technology can also be proposed. Examples of technologies include:

• therapeutics (small molecules or biologics)
• vaccines
• devices
• diagnostics
• digital technology
• regenerative medicine. 

The work that is proposed must be essential for developing the healthcare innovation. Proposals must include researchers from at least two different scientific disciplines and at least one researcher from a discipline outside life sciences, such as (but not limited to) engineering, physical science or data science.

For more information, please visit the Wellcome website.

Applications are now open for the 2020 ICM Agrifood Award and close 9.00am AEST Wednesday 25 March 2020.

The ICM Agrifood Award is an early career award for two outstanding agriculture or food scientists or technologists. 

The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft is 18 March 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Marina Delpin, Manager: Researcher Training, Development and Communication.

Two of Australia’s best young food and agriculture professionals will win the 2020 ICM Agrifood Award, which will be awarded by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering at the 2020 Innovation and Excellence Awards Dinner on 11 June in Sydney. One female and one male winner will each receive a cash prize of $5000.

The winners will have achieved substantial recognition for their work in a field critical to continued improvement of the Australian food sector in the past five years, and be under 40 years of age at 1 January 2019.

Both will:

• have demonstrated excellence, innovation and impact in a field related to food and agriculture in Australia;
• be 40 years old or under on the first day of the year in which the ICM Award is made (with allowance made for career breaks due to family or carer responsibilities);
• be acknowledged by peers for outstanding contributions to the food and agriculture sector in the past five years; and
• have advanced the standing of the broad profession of agriculture and food. 

We invite you to consider young food and agriculture professionals that you might nominate for this prestigious award. Full details of the Award Guidelines and Nomination are available online.

The Goyder Institute for Water Research collaborates with top scientists and researchers around Australia to find new ways of saving, accessing and delivering water.

The Director of the Goyder Institute, Dr Kane Aldridge will be visiting Flinders to provide an update to interested researchers on Friday 20 March 2020.

The Goyder Institute is committed to delivering the scientific knowledge needed for independent expert water management advice. This will ensure the Institute informs policy and decision-making, identifies future threats to water security and assists in an integrated approach to water management in South Australia and beyond. 

The research funded by the Goyder Institute during its first phase focussed across four enduring research themes:

• Urban Water
• Water for Industry
• Environmental Water
• Climate Change

Register to attend at ienrol - research.

The Goyder Institute is a partnership between the South Australian Government through the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), CSIRO, Flinders University, the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia and ICE WaRM (The International Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Management).

Learn more about the Goyder Institute and it's research aims at their website.

The 2020 ACSPRI Winter Program will take place over 2 weeks at the University of Queensland from 22-26 June and at the University of Technology, Sydney from 6-10 July*.

ACSPRI courses cover topics ranging from General Statistics, Multiple Regression, Structural Equation Modelling, Experimental Design, Survey Research, Social Networks, Qualitative Research, Mixed Methods, Program Evaluation and more.

ACSPRI courses are intensive, small group and 'hands on' (between 10-20 people), ensuring quality attention from instructors. All courses run across 5 days, from 9am to 5pm (with breaks throughout and an early finish on Friday).  

ACSPRI courses cover a variety of levels, ranging from Fundamentals (Level 1 Introductory) to very Advanced (Level 5). Our instructors are experts in their respective fields and bring with them their research experiences from the field.

Attending an ACSPRI course is an opportunity to network with other researchers from a variety of fields. They serve a light lunch, morning and afternoon teas. These breaks provide you with an excellent opportunity to network, share and exchange ideas with other researchers.

Bookings must be made on-line via the Winter Program page. Full Program details and a list of course descriptions can be found on the ACSPRI website.

Prices listed include course notes. Flinders University is an ACSPRI member.

*please note there will be no separate Spring Program in Sydney (October). The next program after Winter, will be their Summer Program at ANU, Canberra, and the University of Melbourne in January/ February 2021.

Flinders University has established a Climate Response Seed Grant scheme to promote research on climate change and climate-related disaster mitigation, response and resilience, with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research and, as prioritised in the 2025 Agenda, engagement with business, industry, government and non-government organisations.

The guidelines and application form are available on the Flinders' internal schemes page.

Applications close on 6 April 2020.

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:
   Human research ethics - information session;
   Finding funding opportunities;
   Biosafety training;
   Research Integrity;
   Building your track record and profile through research prizes and awards
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.

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

Research Bite: Human Research Ethics - information session - Tuesday 25 February 2020

Research Bite: Finding funding opportunities: Navigating 'Research Professional' - 2020 updates - Wednesday 26 February 2020

Biosafety Training - Thursday 27 February 2020

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

One-on-One meeting: ARC grants - Monday 2 March 2020

One-on-One meeting: Industry, Government, International & Internal grants - Tuesday 3 March 2020

Research Bite: Research Integrity - Wednesday 4 March 2020

Building your track record and profile through research prizes and awards - strategies and insights - Thursday 5 March 2020

One-on-One meeting: NHMRC and Health grants - Thursday 5 March 2020

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

Research Development and Support (RDS) has released the Flinders’ Researcher Training and Development 2020 Program – a brochure providing an overview of all opportunities and initiatives that focus on supporting your research journey and career development. We offer a range of programs that support all career stages.

The brochure details Flinders’ initiatives including: Research FastStart, the Flinders’ researcher induction program; research grants “intent to apply” registers, and; researcher skills training and development workshops. 

Access the brochure now to view listings of all 2020 workshops and dates, which will enable you to forward plan and map your research training and development for the year. Workshops assist in building researcher capacity and capability, as training focusses on developing skills core to the research process and doing research at Flinders University.

Access iEnrol-Research to book into 2020 workshops and access detailed session descriptions. These listings provide an outline of learning objectives and outcomes. 

In 2020, core themes include:

• benchmark
• fund and apply
• commence
• publish
• communicate
• partner
• integrity, ethics and compliance
• research prizes and awards. 

Also new to 2020 - training and development will be offered in two formats: 

• Research Bites, short 45 minute lunch time sessions
• Workshops, 1.5 hours in length to provide deeper insight and exploration of topics, including peer-learning and Q&A panels.

RDS proactively supports Flinders’ research community and is pivotal in providing research support together with partners located within different Flinders’ Portfolios.

To contact the RDS Researcher Training, Development and Communication team directly please email researcherpd.rds@flinders.edu.au or call 8201 3968.

Research Bites are a new 2020 RDS researcher training and development initiative at Flinders. These 45-minute lunch time sessions are led by subject matter experts and deliver integral information clearly and with brevity. 

The first for 2020, 'Human research ethics information session', will be led by Hendryk Flaegel, Manager, Research Ethics and Compliance. This information session will cover…

• human research ethics concepts
• when you need to apply for human research ethics approval
• the application process at Flinders

We welcome you to bring your lunch along. Register to attend at ienrol - Research.

Expressions of Interest (EOI) for Round 2 of the Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) program are now open.

The BTB program is an initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund, providing up to $1 million in matching funding to support the development and commercialisation of new biological, pharmaceutical, medical and health technology projects.

The BTB program is operated by MTPConnect, in partnership with BioCurate, UniQuest, the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) and the Bridge and BridgeTech programs (Queensland University of Technology).

Expressions of Interest applications close Friday 6 March 2020. Applications must be submitted via the SmartyGrants online portal. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 2 March 2020. For application assistance and advice, contact Lucy Sheehan-Hennessy, Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health). 

Information required to support your preparation can be found on the BTB page.

Please join us at an information session for the South Australian Science Excellence + Innovation Awards.

Olgatina Bushi, Principal Industry Development Officer, Department for Innovation and Skills will be visiting Flinders to give an overview of each award category and application timelines.

The information session will be held on Wednesday 11 March, 12.00-1.00pm in the Council Room, Registry, Bedford Park Campus. Please enrol at ienrol-Research.

The SA Science Excellence Awards showcase the critical importance of science and research to the development of industry and our society.

The awards acknowledge the achievements of talented individuals, including recent PhD graduates and early career science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) researchers, who are making an outstanding contribution to society both nationally and internationally.

Awards will be presented in presented in four categories in 2020:

• Awards for Science Excellence
• South Australian Scientist of the year
• PhD Research Excellence Award

• Award for Excellence in Innovation and Translation
• South Australian Innovator of the Year
• Excellence in Science and Industry Collaboration (previously Excellence in Research Collaboration)
• Awards for Innovation in STEMM Teaching
• STEM Professional Award
• STEM Educator of the Year (split into School Teaching and Tertiary Teaching categories)

Ten travel scholarships for early career researchers and postgraduate students are on offer in 2020 from the Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (DRDC). A further grant round will be offered in 2021.

International conference travel grants and national conference travel grants are valued up to $5,000 and $2,000 each, respectively. Proposals must relate to a NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research (NNIDR)/DCRC research priority area.

Applications close 5pm AEDT Wednesday 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).

The applicant/awardee must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident studying/working at an Australian institution. Funding will be awarded pending acceptance to present at the named conference. Proof of abstract acceptance will be required before funding will be released: (if your presentation has not been accepted yet, you can still submit a conference travel grant application indicating this and providing the expected date of notification of acceptance).

Applicant/awardee must be a member of the DCRC and the NNIDR. Membership is free and available through the NNIDR website.

For further information, visit the NNIDR website.

The Research Professional system is accessible to all Flinders staff interested in sourcing research funding opportunities, and gives users access to a powerful database of worldwide funding opportunities. 

Rene Logan - Sales Manager, Australia and New Zealand - will be visiting Flinders to hold a Research Professional masterclass during a Research Bite session on Wednesday 26 February 2020.

During this session you will be able to drive your own searches in real-time, with Rene there to advise and guide you through the system and its latest updates and features.The functions of Research Professional will be worked through. Simple keyword searches will initially be demonstrated, followed by more complex searches, using discipline areas and types of funding available through Research Professional.

Bookmarks for funding opportunities, and saving email searches and setting up email alerts will be demonstrated.

We welcome you to bring your lunch along. Register to attend at ienrol - Research.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) has established an International Fellowship program to support outstanding Australian scientists/clinicians to strengthen their research experience by working in internationally renowned breast cancer research centres outside of Australia.

Please note that there is no scheduled closing date for this scheme. However, applicants should be aware that the Fellowships can commence at any time, and funding is available for one to two years. All applications will be considered at the time of submission.

For Guidelines and further details please see the NBCF grants website. For application advice and assistance, please contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

The Bridge Program equips researchers and entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills and networks to enable the successful commercialisation of new pharmaceuticals. Delivered by QUT, the Bridge Program involves a consortium of pharmaceutical companies, universities and industry affiliates.

Launched in 2017, the program selects 100 participants annually from across Australia to take part in face-to-face and online training in the various disciplines that contribute to the commercialisation of new medicines. Covering the scientific, legal, financial, clinical, regulatory and reimbursement elements of pharmaceutical commercialisation, the program is available to researchers, entrepreneurs and others in the pharmaceutical ecosystem from around Australia.

The tacit industry knowledge that the Bridge Program consortium provides makes the program unique in its integration into venture capital and global pharmaceutical networks and its ability to share specific, detailed and practical know-how.

The program is designed to complement work schedules and involves:

• Online learning materials through an interactive digital platform
• Bridge Industry Talks series, reaching most capital cities in Australia
• The Bridge Symposium, held in October over 3 days

As part of the Bridge Program, participants also have the opportunity to participate in the Pitch Competition by submitting a 2-minute video pitch. The winning pitches are awarded a US tour to visit the headquarters of major pharmaceutical companies to expand industry connections and discuss collaboration.

Applications are to be submitted through the online form, accompanied by a two-page CV by 6 March 2020.

For more information, visit The Bridge program website.

This course is fully supported by industry and government, and there is no course fee.