The Australian Government is inviting applications via a targeted competitive process to apply to contribute towards outcomes under the Department of the Environment and Energy’s Program 1.2: Science, Information and Research commencing in the 2020-21 financial year.

The Australian Biological Resources Study National Taxonomy Research Grant Program provides grants for research into taxonomy and systematics and to support the training and/or recruitment of taxonomists.

The program is the only grant program in Australia that is targeted towards the support of research into taxonomy, to:

• improve our knowledge of the Australia biota through targeted taxonomic research
• increase funding for taxonomy through enhanced co-funding opportunities
• build Australia’s taxonomic capacity by supporting tertiary research training and early career researchers.

Benefits of the program include:

• increased support for students and early career researchers (including provision for retired taxonomists to mentor younger researchers through support for non-salaried researcher positions)
• provision for major, national-scale investigations incorporating multiple researchers and institutions.

Grant applications must address at least one of the Australian Biological Resources Study: Priority Areas for Research Grants.

The closing date for the Research Grant Program is 11 December 2019. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 27 November 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Dr Sarah Jay, Research Grants Officer (IGII).

For more information, visit the grant opportunity on the Community Grants Hub website.

Joint and Operations Analysis Division (JOAD) and the Defence Innovation Partnership have launched the second Modelling Complex Warfighting (MCW) Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) call to academia in 2019.

The MCW SRI expressly seeks to revolutionise how they undertake Operations Research (OR) in Defence Science Technology to better handle the interaction of complex geopolitical, social, technological, economic and cultural factors for design of the Future Force. Force design is the process by which Defence conceives and produces a plan for its future capabilities.

Interested Australian researchers are encouraged to identify relevant fields of endeavour or expertise where they would be willing to engage and partner with DST on Modelling Complex Warfighting. Researchers are requested to submit proposals in response to one or more topics of interest. Proposals should outline research outcomes relevant to the topic(s), research methods, and relevant research experience. Proposals should be a maximum of 2 pages.

Further details and associated documents and FAQs can be found at the DST website.

Funding of up to $100,000 per proposal is available.

Expressions of interest should be submitted by 11:59pm (EDST) 25 November 2019. The projects will be for a period of 12 months commencing in January 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft expression of interest is 11 November 2019. Mr Tony Kyriacou, Defence Partnerships Director, and Mary Lyons, Senior Research Grants Officer (IGII) can provide application advice and assistance.

The Australian Academy of Science, in collaboration with SAGE, invites you to register for Catalysing Gender Equity 2020, a two-day outcome-driven conference guided by the Women in STEM Decadal Plan to be held in Adelaide on 20-21 February 2020.

Representatives from across higher education and research, industry, education and government will be encouraged to celebrate success, showcase impact and growth potential, highlight key action areas and foster collaboration to achieve change, all guided by the six opportunities of the decadal plan.

“No sector can solve this alone. Leadership is required and it must be accompanied by accountability.”
Women in STEM Decadal Plan

Delegates will participate in a variety of workshops, seminars, gallery submissions and panels, each focused on progressing and implementing strategic recommendations and opportunities in the decadal plan.

Catalysing Gender Equity 2020 is an excellent event to connect leaders and actors from across the STEM ecosystem, including SAGE members. It will enable them to strengthen collaborations, build new networks and share evidence-based best practice.

In addition, all attendees can join SAGE in celebrating recipients of the Athena SWAN Institutional Bronze Awards at the SAGE Awards Dinner on 20 February 2020. Event and dinner registrations will open 25 November 2019 and will be advertised through Inspiring Research.

The registration fee for the full two days is $450 (incl GST), and includes access to:

• inspiring plenary sessions focused on leadership, action and next steps
• sector-led workshops aimed at accelerating decadal plan strategic recommendations
• an Equity Action Gallery showcasing the wealth and impact of equity activities occurring across the nation.

A reduced rate of $350 (incl GST) is available for students (undergraduate, PhD and masters), not-for-profit organisations, and small businesses of less than 15 employees.

In addition, all delegates can join SAGE in celebrating recipients of the Athena SWAN Institutional Bronze Awards at the SAGE Awards Dinner on 20 February being held at the Adelaide Town Hall. Dinner tickets are $165 (incl GST) per person.

The Field Naturalists Society of South Australia Inc. (FNSSA) established the Lirabenda Endowment Fund with the intention of making available research grants to encourage and promote research into the biota and natural environment of South Australia.

Applications are invited from any person engaged in research that fits the criteria for selection, including for supervised project funding at the Honours Degree, Masters Degree and PhD levels and for projects conducted by University researchers.

The following are general guidelines to provide applicants with information on projects that the Lirabenda Endowment Fund is likely to support:

1. Projects that increase knowledge and understanding of native species and their habitats within South Australia.
2. Projects relating to management and conservation of South Australian species and their environment.
3. Projects that investigate factors relating to declining or threatened species of animals, plants and fungi. Preference is given to species that are endemic to South Australia.
4. Projects leading to improved management of species that cause environmental damage in South Australia.

 at South Australian Research Institutes and by individual researchers.

The guidelines and application forms are available on the Society’s website. The closing date for applications is 5.00pm Friday 13 December 2019.

Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision has opened their call for expressions of interest from appropriately qualified scientific or medical researchers and research that is specifically directed towards finding a cure for both congenital and acquired Bone Marrow Failure (BMF) syndromes.

Two programs are open in this round, with a closing date of 1 December 2019. Contact the RDS Grants team today if you are interested in applying.

The programs are:

• Grants-In-Aid, to support research projects into the causes and treatment of Bone Marrow Failure (BMF) - $50,000 AUD per annum for up to two years
• Program grants (high clinical impact, multidisciplinary investigators/multiple site research collaboration of international standard) - $1 million AUD to be awarded over a minimum three and maximum of five year period

For more information and to access the application templates, visit the Maddie Riewoldt's Vision website.

Each expression of interest also requires the following:

• a brief CV (max 1 page each, 12 point font) for the principal investigator and all named co investigators;
• include current and prior positions (last 5 years), positions of responsibility (last 5 years), top ten publications (last 10 years); and
• a 100 word statement of impact of your research on clinical outcomes.

The Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association are calling for interested attendees and presenters for the 21st International Mental Health Conference, 29-31 July 2020, Gold Coast, Australia. 

Over three days, the 2020 agenda will provide opportunities to collaborate with international and national mental health leaders. You will learn best practice, grow meaningful connections and implement real solutions to mental health care.

This conference aims to further develop your knowledge of mental health to assist you in making a real difference to your clients.

The Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association are calling for interested attendees, presenters or partners.

Super Early Bird Registrations close on 29 November 2019. Presentation submissions close Friday 14 February 2020.

For more information, visit the Conference website.

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:
   Australian Research Council visit - an ERA and EIA focused forum;
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.

Australian Research Council visit - an ERA and EIA focused forum, Monday 4 November 2019

Drop-In Sessions: ARC grants, Monday 4 November 2019

Drop-In Session: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday 6 November 2019

Drop-In Sessions: Industry, Government, International & Internal grants, Tuesday 12 November 2019

Drop-In Sessions: ARC grants, Tuesday 12 November 2019

Drop-In Session: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday 13 November 2019

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

As of 30 October 2019, Flinders University has a new way of managing researcher ethics and biosafety applications.

ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety for animal ethics has been launched and is a major first step in improving the efficiency of Flinders’ ethics application and approval processes.

ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety is a new online system available to Flinders researchers who need to seek ethics approval for their research. It can be accessed via your Okta dashboard. ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety will need to be added to your Okta dashboard via the "+ Add Apps" green button (top right) in the first instance.

The first module being released relates to animal ethics. Additional modules for human ethics and biosafety are planned for release in the near future.

Up until now, animal ethics application and approval processes have been managed by paper or PDF forms shared between applicants, reviewers, and approvers.

The new form is entirely online. This helps improve the efficiency of the animal ethics process by:

• Ensuring the applicant always has access to the latest version of the form
• Collecting required information at the beginning, through an easy to use interface
• Providing guidance to the  applicant while they are completing the application form, so they know exactly what information is needed to assist in an efficient approval of their application 
• Automatically notifying required reviewers online
• Enabling a reviewer to digitally sign-off their review or provide approval. This functionality will be available on any device, at any time allowing access from anywhere in the world

More information is available at the ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety website - https://staff.flinders.edu.au/research/research-now-ethics-biosafety.

The Australian Government has asked the NHMRC to consult with the Australian community on the possible introduction of mitochondrial donation into clinical practice. The key focus is to understand what the views are of the broader Australian community, once the scientific, ethical and social issues are generally understood.

This work follows on from a report published on 27 June 2018 from the Inquiry into the Science of Mitochondrial Donation and Related Matters (‘the Inquiry’) conducted by the Senate Community Affairs References Committee.

NHMRC established the Mitochondrial Donation Expert Working Committee to provide advice on the legal, regulatory, scientific and cultural issues identified by the Inquiry.

The consultation period for mitochondrial donation has started. There are a range of opportunities to engage with the consultation process, as described on the NHMRC Mitochondrial Donation website.

In particular, NHMRC has released a Mitochondrial Donation Issues Paper, which summarises the key social and ethical issues raised by the possible introduction of mitochondrial donation in Australia. It includes ten questions for consideration.

NHMRC is also now calling for written submissions via the NHMRC Online Services website. The closing date for written submissions is 5:00pm (ADST) Friday 29 November 2019. Late submissions will only be considered under exceptional circumstances.

For further information, contact mito.consultation@nhmrc.gov.au.

The SA Government Office for Ageing Well provides a range of Community Grants to fund initiatives that reflect the South Australian Government’s commitment to supporting South Australians to age well. Projects and activities seeking funding should contribute to building and maintaining inclusive communities focussed on ageing well.

This call has now been opened for organisations seeking funding who are working together with older people, including those from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Flinders researchers can apply for Grants for Seniors and Positive Ageing Fellowship Grants under this program.

The Grants for Seniors fund organisations to provide opportunities for older South Australians to engage with the community. Grants of up to $5,000 can pay for goods like equipment, materials or consumables that stimulate activity and social engagement for older people. Up to $10,000 can be used for seniors’ cultural, social, educational or sporting projects.

The Positive Ageing Fellowship Grants provide one-off ageing specific capacity building grants of between $20,000 – $40,000 for projects that create or extend opportunities for older South Australians to be involved and active in their communities and contribute to an age friendly South Australia. The Grants enable community organisations across the state to apply for funding for capacity building projects that support older South Australians, including those from diverse communities and backgrounds, to age well and be recognised for their valued contributions across their lifetime.

The 2019-20 Positive Ageing Fellowship Grants will fund projects aligned to one or more of the following themes:

• Homes and communities.
• Meaningful connections.
• Navigating change.
• Respecting diversity.
• Challenging ageism.

In addition, all Positive Ageing Fellowship Grant applicants should demonstrate that their project aligns with the Positive Ageing Fellowship Grants Theory of Change.

Both opportunities close on 5.00pm Friday 17 January 2020. The Flinders internal deadline for a completed final draft application is 6 January 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Sarah Jay, Research Grants Officer (IGII). If you require assistance with facilitation with community groups, Sarah can liaise with Carmela Sergi, Health Partnerships Director.

For more information, including the guidelines and FAQs, visit the Office of Ageing Well Community Grants webpage.

Note that funds are limited, therefore proposals that use existing infrastructure and demonstrate collaboration with other community groups or organisations are encouraged.

Mary can be contact internal deadline is 6th Jan.

The Federal Government Department of Health has opened a funding call for the Child and Youth Health grant, as part of the Nation Action Plan for the Health of Children and Young People 2020-2030 (the Action Plan). 

There is a total of $2 million over four years from 2019-20 for the Child and Youth Health Grant Opportunity, covering two parts: Part A: Program implementation ($1.5 million over four years from 2019-20); and Part B: Health professionals’ education and awareness-raising activities ($0.5 million over four years from 2019-20).

The Action Plan provides a roadmap to improve the health and wellbeing of all Australian children and young people.

It is intended to guide collaborative approaches under the following priority areas:

1. improving health equity across populations;
2. empowering parents and caregivers to maximise healthy development;
3. tackling mental health and risky behaviours;
4. addressing chronic conditions and preventive health; and
5. strengthening the workforce.

The closing date for applications is 2.00pm (ACT local time), Monday 25 November 2019. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 11 November 2019. For application advice and assistance, contact Gareth Rees, Senior Research Grants Officer (NHMRC and Health).

For more information, visit the grant opportunity on GrantConnect.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has announced a Targeted Call for Research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

The Australian Government has committed $3 Million for research to help develop a better understanding of the causes and mechanisms of ME/CFS.

The intended aims of the ME/CFS Targeted Call for Research are to:

• Develop a scientifically valid, evidence-based understanding of the pathophysiology and aetiology of ME/CFS and the way it impacts on the physical, social and psychological wellbeing of affected persons.
• Identify approaches that will assist patients presenting with symptoms of ME/CFS to be accurately diagnosed, including the identification potential biomarkers to facilitate effective management and treatment.
• Cultivate interdisciplinary research collaboration, both locally and internationally.

Applications for the call are submitted through NHMRC’s RGMS, with minimum data entry closing on 15 January 2020. Applications close on 29 January 2020 with the deadline for applicants for certification in RGMS by 28 January 2020. 

If you are intending to apply, contact the NHMRC team in Research Development and Support (RDS) for the RDS deadline for compliance review. 

For more information, visit the NHMRC website. Information on Flinders investment and support, and RDS application process visit the Flinders NHMRC Scheme page.

The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) 2019/20 Research Pathways Program is now open for Expressions of Interest. 

The Research Pathways Program is underpinned by the CPRC's goal to build greater shared understanding of ways to improve consumer outcomes - producing impactful research that changes policies and practices. 

Complex challenges facing consumer markets today often cannot be addressed in isolation. The CPRC fosters interdisciplinary research and enter partnerships where no single sector or organisation can significantly improve consumer outcomes in isolation.

Consistent with the CPRC’s own research approach, the Research Pathways Program aim to deliver research projects which:

• Are policy-informed, and with a view to impacting policy outcomes;
• Seek to form an evidence-base for program and policy initiatives, including addressing evidence gaps;
• Avoid duplication;
• Are evaluative in nature, assessing and monitoring the impact of policy and programmatic interventions.

Three types of funding options are available each year:

• Stream 1 – Professor Maureen Brunt AO Essay Prize ($10,000)
• Stream 2 - Research Grant ($100,000)
• Stream 3 - Partnerships ($200,000 over two years)

The Research Grant Expressions of Interest is open until 20 December 2019. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 6 December 2019. For application and advice, contact Rupali Saikia, Research Grants Officer (IGII).

The Essay Prize will launch on 19 November 2019 and the Partnerships Funding program is open until 20 March 2020. More information on these two programs will be available at a later date.

The topic for the 2019 Research Grants is Technology and inequality. Technology has become an inextricable part of lives. It is largely unknown what the long-term impact on this will be on our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, and on broader issue of inequality within our markets and society.

Consumers are increasingly purchasing, using and being exposed to direct and ambient data collection through the adoption of technology by homes and businesses.

This year, CPRC welcomes Expressions of Interest for their Research Grants from consortia exploring two key research areas:

• Analysis of emerging data collection and use technologies, products and services and their impact on equality
• Emerging models and systems that build greater equality, inclusion and welfare through data collection and use

For more information, visit the CPRC website.

The ABC are inviting you to join them for an evening of real science told by real scientists: no props, no slides – just great stories on Thursday 21 November 2019 from 6.00 pm.

It’s all part of Ockham’s Razor – the ABC podcast for anyone with a compelling story of science. Featuring Flinders' Dr Rachel Popelka-Filcoff, with ABC Science presenter Bernie Hobbs as MC, this live event is being held at the Museum of Discovery (MOD), the UniSA Cancer Research Institute Building, North Tce, Adelaide.

Rachel will present on ancient routes of ochre exchange and how she is using nuclear spectroscopy to examine the origins of ochres used in Aboriginal objects to help develop an understanding of the ancient routes of ochre exchange.

Ockham’s Razor is a soap box for all things scientific, with short talks about research, industry and policy from people with something thoughtful to say about science.

For more information and to register to attend the free event, visit the Eventbrite page. 

The next Public Economic Forum, hosted by the Melbourne Institute, will bring together leading Australian and international thought leaders to discuss the latest research findings and innovative initiatives, and to provide evidence-based social policy recommendations on how early disadvantage exposes many to a lifelong cycle of deprivation that persists across generations.

Evidence suggests that children exposed to adverse economic conditions and parental joblessness in their pre-adult life are likely to experience poor educational achievements and labour market outcomes that, in turn, determine future economic achievements and health outcomes.

Understanding the role of early disadvantage in the Australian context is crucial given the considerable share of children exposed to income poverty and parental joblessness. 

Register for the Public Economics Forum to be held on 26 November 2019 to hear about:

• The nature and persistence of intergenerational disadvantage in Australia and internationally;
• Examples of successful initiatives to reduce poverty and promote wellbeing;
• The roles of parenting and financial capability in developing successful outcomes;
• What this evidence means for the design of (new) policies and practices that will benefit disadvantaged families and Australian society. 

The speakers and their topics are:

Professor Miles Corak, City University of New York – Intergenerational mobility in comparative contexts.

Ms. Kylie Macfarlane, General Manager Corporate Responsibility, Commonwealth Bank – The roles of parenting and financial capability in developing good outcomes. 

Associate Professor Irma Mooi-Reci, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Melbourne – Intergenerational persistence of joblessness in Australia.

Dr Nicolás Salamanca, Melbourne Institute: Applied Economics & Social Research, The University of Melbourne – Factors behind intergenerational disadvantage in Australia.

To learn more about the speakers, visit the Eventbrite page.

The Forum will be held on Tuesday 26 November 2019, 11.30am to 2.00pm in the National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes, ACT 2600. Registration includes two-course sit-down lunch and beverages. 

Group Discount Pricing for 4 tickets or more is $100 including GST (per person), and regular pricing from 31 October is $120 including GST

Registration is essential, register online at the Eventbrite page.

MinEx CRC, in conjunction with the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Association, has produced a video to illustrate the structure and purpose of the CRC Program.

The CRC Association is a not-for-profit organisation operating to promote the pursuit of science, particularly through the Australian Government’s CRC Program. Flinders is a member of the CRC Association.

The Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program supports industry-led collaborations between industry, researchers and the community. In its 28-year history, it has proven to be an effective model for linking researchers with industry to address R&D challenges with commercial outcomes.

This video is available via the MinEx CRC YouTube Channel:

What is a CRC?

Uploaded by MinEx CRC on 2019-10-01.

The Australian Academy of Science are inviting Early- and mid-career researcher (EMCRs) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at an event designed to support the next generation of STEM leaders working in organisations in regional Australia. 

The Empowering Regional Research conference aims to create a space where researchers from diverse disciplines can explore collaborations and engage in conversations around the unique challenges faced by those working in regional and remote areas.

EMCRs in STEM working for employers located in regional Australia face unique challenges that can affect their career development.

Opportunities to access professional development and networking with potential collaborators can be limited compared to the opportunities EMCRs in metropolitan areas can have access to. The Empowering Regional Research conference aims to provide EMCRs with an opportunity for professional development, focussing on building skill in key areas that are applicable to industry, academia and other areas, and transferrable across different fields.

The event will be held on 12-13 February 2020 at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW.

Early bird registrations are now open.

Mobility grants are available to assist with offseting the expenses associated with attending for those participants who may not be able to attend without support, and/or people from traditionally underrepresented demographics. Applications close on 13 January 2020.

For more information, visit the Conference website.

The Australian Science Communicators Conference, to be held at Monash University on 16-19 February 2020 is your opportunity to showcase your research.

The 2020 theme is Priorities, Policies and Publics for Human Survival, and brings together Australia’s broad range of science communicators to share best-practice theory, workshops and case studies: up to 300 journalists, policy officers, publicists, writers, exhibition designers, educators, and many others.

Come along to hear the latest research, learn effective communication techniques and mingle with this skilled, diverse and influential community.

There are opportunities to showcase your research: email or call Phil Dooley via sponsorship@asc.asn.au or 0414 945 577.

For more information, visit the conference website.

Bidding for a CRC is a highly competitive process requiring cross-disciplinary teams to come together and collaborate. This takes planning, time and patience.

Developed by the CRC Association and Collabforge, this workshop will combine practical bid-creation content with a deep dive into the theory and practice of collaboration.

The workshop, to be held on 25 November 2019 at the Australian National University, will teach participants what makes a great bid, what the process of bid development entails, the roles of all bid participants, and how to build effective relationship/communication between researchers and industry to develop a compelling bid. This will help researchers to better understand how they can build successful partnerships with their industry partners, and form a bid concept that will deliver industry impact.

Attending this workshop will significantly increase the likelihood of a successful CRC or CRC-P application.

Who should attend: 

• Researchers who have the responsibility for or interest to develop CRC and CRC-P bids.
• Administrators who have the responsibility for helping coordinate, develop, approve and or administer CRC and CRC-P bids (eg from Commercialisation, Research, Scholarships, etc)
• Interested industry representatives

For more information and to register for the workshop, visit the eventbrite page.

Flinders University is a member of the CRC Association.

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:
   Australian Research Council visit - an ERA and EIA focused forum;
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.

Drop-In Sessions: Industry, Government, International & Internal grants, Tuesday 29 October 2019

Drop-In Sessions: ARC grants, Tuesday 29 October 2019

Drop-In Session: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday 30 October 2019

Australian Research Council visit - an ERA and EIA focused forum, Monday 4 November 2019

Drop-In Sessions: ARC grants, Monday 4 November 2019

Drop-In Session: NHMRC and Health grants, Wednesday 6 November 2019

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