Research Branch Bulletin

Pre-Submission Eligibility Exemption/Advice Requests for Linkage Projects proposals for funding commencing in July 2010 (LP10 Round 2) are now open in the ARC Research Management System (RMS), accessible via the ARC website (https://rms.arc.gov.au).

The closing date for Pre-Submission Eligibility Exemption/Advice Requests is 17.00 (ACST) on Wednesday 7 October 2009. Linkage Projects Eligibility Exemption/Advice Request instructions and forms are available on the ARC website at: http://www.arc.gov.au/ncgp/lp/lp_eligibility.htm.

Upon submission of your Eligibility Exemption/Advice Request could you please send an email to arcgrants@adelaide.edu.au letting us know that you have done so? RMS does not automatically inform us that there are pending requests. Please contact the Research Branch if you have any questions.

The Harmonisation of Multi-centre Ethical Review (HoMER) Project is seeking expressions of interest from researchers to participate in pilot exercises starting in November 2009. The exercises are aimed at multi-centre health and medical research conducted in multiple jurisdictions. The Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), which would normally review the research project individually, will be engaged in a cooperative analysis and discussion of the review process. The use of both prospective and retrospective research projects will be considered. The pilots will assist with the development of the national approach for single ethical review of multi-centre research. For more information please contact the HoMER project group on homer@nhmrc.gov.au or phone (02) 6217 9213.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health_ethics/homer/index.htm

The NHMRC has undertaken a review of the NHMRC-European Union (EU) Collaborative Research Grants scheme.  The scheme helps Australian researchers participate in projects with international researchers under the European Commission’s (EC) Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).  

The revised NHMRC-EU scheme Funding Policy, approved by Research Committee in May this year, and the revised application form, are now available on the updated webpage of the NHMRC website located at: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants/types/granttype/strategic/austeu.htm.  

Information about the recently published FP7 calls is available on the EC website at:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html.

The NHMRC allocates funds to the University of Adelaide to be distributed and reported to NHMRC. Teams may seek funds to purchase equipment to be used in health and medical research, as supported by the NHMRC and other competitive grant support.

The NHMRC has clearly defined objectives for awarding Equipment Grant funding, which are:

• The need for Institutions to be strategic in the purchase of larger items of equipment that will benefit health and medical research in Australia;
• Institutions are encouraged to support equipment that will be used collaboratively; and
• Where possible, Australian-made equipment should be purchased.

Full applications to be submitted to Research Branch by the internal closing date of COB Tuesday, 3 Nov 2009. Original & five copies of the application delivered to Research Branch, Level 7, 115 Grenfell Street with a signed application coversheet. For more information, please visit:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/rb/nhmrc/equipmentgrants.html

This award is designed to further advance curative, palliative or preventative treatment options for those burdened with asbestos related diseases.

The Australian Lung Foundation / Slater & Gordon Asbestos Research Fund Grant-in-Aid shall be to the value of A$30,000 for one (1) year. It may be used to support technical staff and/or the purchase of equipment and/or consumables necessary to establish or support a respiratory research project and/or contribute towards the applicant’s salary.

The research must relate specifically to asbestos related diseases and be conducted in Australia or New Zealand. Applicants must be a financial member/associate member of The Australian Lung Foundation and the Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.lungfoundation.com.au/content/view/53/59/

The Workshop Program is a principal component in the Academy's promotion of research in the social sciences. Academy workshops are small gatherings of those working at the cutting edge of social science research. It is expected that a diversity of perspectives will be presented from the variety of social science disciplines, and that the emphasis on inviting participants will be on active researchers in the field.

Its purpose is to advance knowledge through in-depth discussion, and to promote its application by the dissemination of workshop outcomes through publication. It is expected that the ideas and research discussed at the workshop will be rigorously debated and that they are open to scrutiny by scholars within the social sciences and others. The theme, quality and range of participants, and expected outcomes determine the Academy's support which has a maximum of $7,500.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.assa.edu.au/programs/workshop/

AIATSIS is a national funding body for research in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies. The Research Grants Program supports research into areas such as:

• history (including family and community history)
• politics, law, and public policy
• health (social, cultural and environmental aspects) and biological sciences
• education and cultural transmission
• Indigenous knowledge systems
• linguistics
• social anthropology
• archaeology and
• the arts

Within these categories, AIATSIS places special emphasis on applications dealing with:

• relations with Government
• knowledge about and caring for Country
• Indigenous knowledge systems

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/research/grants/grants.html

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. 

The Lirabenda Research Grants Committee considers all applications for grants from the Lirabenda Endowment Fund with this intention in mind. It promotes the conservation of natural features and habitat and the preservation of native flora, fauna and fungi of Australia and, in particular, South Australia.

Applications are encouraged from research institutions for supervised project funding at the Honours Degree, Masters Degree and PhD levels and for projects conducted by researchers at South Australian Research Institutes. 

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/involved/field_naturalists.html

The Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) National Taxonomy Research Grant Program provides grants for taxonomic research. Grants are awarded for research projects where the primary aim is to undertake taxonomic research on the Australian biota or to develop products that aid in the dissemination of taxonomic information. The program also supports projects that build Australian taxonomic capacity. All research grants awarded in the 2010/2011 grants round will be of three years duration.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/funding-and-research/research-grants/index.html

Nominations for the College of Experts in 2010 are now open. An information kit and nomination form are now available at:
http://www.arc.gov.au/about_arc/expert.htm

Nominations close at 5 pm (AEST) Friday 30 October 2009. If you have any questions, please email ARC-CoENominations@arc.gov.au or phone 02 6287 6739.

ICAS supports high quality research which is timely and relevant to the accountancy profession or business. Applications are encouraged from researchers and institutions anywhere in the world. Successful applicants benefit from a close working relationship with a world class professional body which has close links with national and international policy makers and regulators. Research results are widely distributed and discussion events may be held to launch reports and encourage debate.

Three levels of grants are normally available:

• Seedcorn (up to £750)
• Small project (under £2,000)
• Large project (£2,000-£25,000)

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.icas.org.uk/site/cms/contentViewArticle.asp?article=1051

Research proposals must demonstrate clear relevance to meningitis and septicaemia and have potential for prevention of these diseases or other clinical or public health benefit. Priority is given to research that produces results in immediate problem areas, including prevention of all forms of meningitis and associated infections, improving treatment and outlook for patients, and improving the speed and accuracy of diagnosis.

Meningitis Research Foundation seeks to fund research that is most likely to defeat meningitis and septicaemia. Research grants may be held in any country but must meet UK standards of research ethics, scientific integrity and animal welfare, and research institutions must be able to accept the charity's Terms and Conditions of Grant Aid including the policy on protection of intellectual property rights described therein.

Majority of grants awarded are in the region of 70,000 - 100,000 English pounds per year for up to three years, with a number of small grants of up to 30,000 English pounds.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.meningitis.org/grants

The purpose of these grants is to enable cancer investigators from any country to carry out bilateral research projects abroad which exploit complementary materials or skills, including advanced training in experimental methods or special techniques.

Candidates should possess appropriate scientific or medical qualifications and a minimum of two years postdoctoral experience, demonstrate active engagement in cancer research and have recent publications in the international peer-reviewed literature.

About 14-16 grants are available with an average value for 3 months of US$10,000 are made annually. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.uicc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15958&Itemid=302

The National Psoriasis Foundation will award one year pilot project grants to support advancement of both basic and clinical research into the cause and cure of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The purpose of pilot project grants is to provide support for innovative early stage ideas. These grants are designed to allow the investigator to determine whether their idea is worth pursuing and then to secure longer-term funding.

Applicants may request up to $50,000 (direct costs only) per year. The total project period for the application submitted in response to this RFP is one year.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.psoriasis.org/netcommunity/cure_grants#psa

The LCRP Lung Cancer Biospecimen Resource Network (LCBRN) Award is intended to provide infrastructure support for the development of a lung cancer biospecimen resource that will facilitate the collection, processing, annotation, storage, and distribution of high-quality human lung cancer biospecimens through a collaborative network across multiple institutions.

The period of performance for this award is 4 years and the maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $3,800,000, inclusive of direct and indirect costs. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/lcrp.htm

The Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program's (PRORP) Career Development Award is being offered for the first time in FY09. This award supports a mentored research experience to prepare military investigators without significant experience in orthopaedic research for a productive, independent career in this field. This award supports individuals in the early stages of their careers by providing the experience necessary to pursue career opportunities at the forefront of orthopaedic research and make significant contributions to combat-relevant orthopaedic research and/or clinical care.

The maximum period of performance is 3 years and the maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $225,000 in direct costs.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/prorp.htm

AICR awards grants to support fundamental or translational research into the causes, mechanisms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer. AICR do not support clinical research. AICR will consider applications that include some clinical research in a project which is mostly basic or translational.

Before submitting applications that include clinical research, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact AICR for advice.
AICR accepts applications from non-profit research institutions anywhere in the world. Projects are for a maximum of three years and can include funding for research staff (post doctoral and/or PhD students), consumables, essential items of equipment and travel.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.aicr.org.uk/ApplyingforResearchGrants.stm

Grants to support proposed research and the relevance of the research to improving our understanding of Alzheimer's disease. Applications are invited for both Standard Awards, Pilot Project Awards and Research Fellowships.

Standard Award: $400,000 ($133,333 per year for three years).

Pilot Award: $150,000 ($75,000 per year for three years).

Research Fellowship: $100,000 ($50,000 per year for two years).

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.ahaf.org/research/apply/main.html#apply

National Glaucoma Research (NGR) Standard Award Program sponsors basic research into the causes and potential treatments of glaucoma, especially for new investigators with little or no previous grant support and established investigators with new ideas or directions for their research.

The standard award provides significant funding for researchers who have already generated some amount of preliminary data, but often still require significant progress before they can apply to governmental or industrial funding agencies. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.ahaf.org/research/apply/openawards.html

NARSAD's Young Investigator Award Program provides support for the most promising young scientists conducting neurobiological research. One and two year awards up to $30,000 per year are provided to enable promising investigators to either extend research fellowship training or begin careers as independent research faculty. Basic and/or clinical investigators are supported, but research must be relevant to serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, or child and adolescent psychiatric disorders.

Please note that the Young Investigator Award review calendar has been restructured and NARSAD will begin accepting applications on December 1, 2009. Any updated information regarding this award will be posted on their website at:
http://www.narsad.org/?q=node/105/grants-and-prizes 

The aim of the Fyssen Foundation is to "encourage all forms of scientific inquiry into cognitive mechanisms, including thought and reasoning, which underlie animal and human behavior; their biological and cultural bases, and phylogenetic and ontogenetic development".

The Foundation supports research in ethology, psychology, neurobiology, anthropology, ethnology, human paleontology and archaeologie. Within the context of general activities. The research grant could range from 15.000 to 30.000 euros without renewal.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.fondation-fyssen.org/subventionsUS.html

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Sofja Kovalevskaja Award, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is granted to exceptionally promising junior re-searchers from abroad in recognition of outstanding academic achievements and enables them to establish their own groups of junior researchers at research institutions in Germany.

Scientists and scholars from abroad, whose research records to date have already qualified them to be recognised as top-level junior researchers and who are expected to continue producing outstanding results as recipients of the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award, are eligible to submit applications. The programme is open to scientists and scholars from all countries and disciplines who completed their doctorates with distinction less than six years ago. The Alexander von Hum-boldt Foundation particularly welcomes applications from qualified, female junior researchers.

Winners of the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award will be granted funding totalling up to 1.65 million EUR to conduct the approved research project over a period of five years commencing immediately after receiving the award.

Note: Complete applications must reach the Humboldt Foundation by 15 October 2009 (External) at the latest. This submission date is not an absolute deadline; however, in the event of a late or incomplete submission it may not be possible to process and assess the application in the time available.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/7360.html

Project fellowship grants are offered to artists or a significant creative and/or developmental project that will benefit their artistic development.

Applications for a larger scale project with different stages or components should demonstrate the link between the project stages or components. They are each worth $20,000. Up to three project fellowships may be awarded in 2009. Applications from artists from all areas of music are invited.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/grants/grants/project_fellowships_-_music

Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships provide support for emerging scholars to complete work on projects related to the Getty Research Institute's annual theme. The theme for 2010-11 is The Display of Art. Recipients are in residence at the Getty Research Institute, where they pursue research to complete their dissertations or to expand them for publication. Fellows make use of the Getty collections, join in a weekly meeting devoted to the annual theme, and participate in the intellectual life of the Getty Research Institute.

Applications are welcome from scholars of all nationalities. Predoctoral fellowship applicants must have advanced to candidacy by the time of the fellowship start date and expect to complete their dissertations during the fellowship period. Predoctoral fellows who receive their doctorate while in residence automatically become postdoctoral fellows. Postdoctoral fellowship applicants must not have received their degree earlier than 2004.

Predoctoral Fellows are in residence from September 2010 to June 2011 and receive a stipend of $25,000. Postdoctoral Fellows are in residence from September 2010 to June 2011 and receive a stipend of $30,000. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.getty.edu/foundation/funding/residential/getty_pre_postdoctoral_fellowships.html

The Max Weber Programme is Europe’s largest postdoctoral programme in the social sciences. The Programme offers 1-2 year fellowships for junior post-docs who have received a doctorate in economics, social and political sciences, law or history within the last 5 years and who want to consolidate their research and training in an active multidisciplinary environment before entering the international job market, or who wish to develop their skills in advanced research and academic practice.

Fellows are selected on the basis of their research accomplishments and potential, their academic career interests, and the availability of the EUI faculty to provide mentorship. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.eui.eu/ServicesAndAdmin/AcademicService/PostdoctoralFellowships/MaxWeberFellowships/Index.aspx

Postdoctoral fellowships provide two years of funding to support ambitious, synthetic research on any aspect of evolutionary biology and relevant disciplines. Annual stipends will be $39,000 with $5,000 in research expenses, plus medical and dental coverage. Proposals can include any type of synthetic project, but fellows should plan on mainly working on-site, to add to our intellectual community.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.nescent.org/science/postdoctoral.php

Grains Industry Senior Fellowships are available to senior R&D personnel seeking to enhance their experience and potential to contribute to the work of the GRDC at an institution in Australia or overseas. Support will be for up to twelve (12) months. The main criteria used in selecting successful applicants include:

• Experience and ability of the applicant as demonstrated through a detailed resume
• Extent of likely benefit to the Australian grains industry
• Scientific credibility of the proposed host organisation(s) and collaborator(s)
• Evidence that the proposed collaborators are agreeable to the training program
• Level of financial support from other sources
• Scope of proposed delivery and communication plan

The candidate must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident and support will generally be up to a maximum of $50,000.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.grdc.com.au/director/apply/Training%20Awards/Grains%20Industry%20Senior%20Fellowships%20(SF)

The American Australian Association is currently accepting applications for its US to Australia Fellowship Program. The program offers fellowships of up to
US$25,000 to American researchers or students wishing to undertake advanced research or study in Australia. Proof of acceptance into an Australian educational institution is required. Fields of study/research supported by the fellowships:

• Medicine
• Life sciences (particularly in oceanography/marine sciences and stem cell research)
• Science
• Engineering
• Mining

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.americanaustralian.org/usa%5Fto%5Faust%5Fapps/

Getty Library Research Grants provide partial, short-term support for costs relating to travel and living expenses to scholars whose research requires use of specific collections housed in the Research Library at the Getty Research Institute. A Library Research Grant is not a prerequisite for obtaining access to the Research Library.

Library Research Grants are intended for scholars of all nationalities and at any level who demonstrate a compelling need to use materials housed in the Research Library. Library Research Grants are intended to provide partial support for costs relating to travel and living expenses. grants range from $500 to $2,500, depending on the distance travelled. The research period may range from several days to a maximum of three months, but must take place between
1, March 2010, and 28, February 2011.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.getty.edu/foundation/funding/residential/library_research_grants.html

he Lady Mollie Askin Ballet Travelling Scholarship provides support for ballet artists to help them further their cultural education.  It is awarded every 2 years for study, maintenance and travel either in Australia or overseas.

The scholarship was established "for the furtherance of culture and the advancement of education in Australia and elsewhere to be awarded to Australian citizens who shall be adjudged of outstanding ability and promise in Ballet."

The Trustee is pleased to offer three scholarships of $20,000 each for the Lady Mollie Askin Ballet Travelling Scholarship 2010 to be paid in two instalments of $10,000 over two years. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.trust.com.au/philanthropy/awards/lady_mollie_askin/

The Sir Robert Askin Operatic Travelling Scholarship provides support for male opera singers to help them further their cultural education. It is awarded every 2 years for study, maintenance and travel either in Australia or overseas. The scholarship was established "for the furtherance of culture and the advancement of education in Australia and elsewhere to be awarded to male Australian citizens who shall be adjudged of outstanding ability and promise as a male Operatic Singer".

The Trustee is pleased to offer three scholarships of $20,000 each for the Sir Robert Askin Operatic Travelling Scholarship 2010 to be paid in two instalments of $10,000 over two years.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.trust.com.au/philanthropy/awards/sir_robert_askin/

The Patrick White Playwrights’ Award is a joint initiative of Sydney Theatre Company and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Launched in 2000 in memory of Patrick White, the Award celebrates the importance of the playwright to Australian theatre culture and fosters the development of uniquely Australian theatrical voices. A jury of leading Australian theatre practitioners and a representative of STC will award a cash prize of $20,000 for a full-length unproduced play of any genre written by an Australian playwright 20 years of age or over.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/about/Patrick-White-Playwrights-Award

The Sophie Prize is an international award (US $100,000), for environment and sustainable development, awarded annually. The Sophie Prize is established to inspire people working towards a sustainable future.

Voluntary organisations, independent research institutions and individual’s worldwide, with knowledge or interest in environment and/or sustainable development or other closely related topics, can nominate candidates for the Sophie Prize. The Sophie Prize is awarded to one or several persons, or an organisation, which has created awareness of alternatives to modern-day development and/or initiated such alternatives in a pioneering or particularly inventive manner.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.sophieprize.org/Nomination_Guidelines/index.html

The Harvey Prize is awarded annually in a variety of disciplines within the categories of Science & Technology and Human Health. The Harvey Prize has
also been awarded for Contribution to Peace in the Middle East.

Harvey Prize winners are selected by a council of world-renowned scientists and experts in each field through a rigorous selection process. The Harvey Prize
Council, comprised of the president of the Technion, one vice-president, dean of the graduate school, two representatives of both the Israel National Academy of Science and the Technion Senate, receives all nominations. Two awards of $US 75,000 each are made annually. The prize winners receive their awards at the Technion.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.admin.technion.ac.il/harvey/

ECMS

The Access to Major Research Facilities Program (AMRFP) supports access by Australian researchers from industry, private and public research organisations and universities to major international research facilities that are not available in Australia or to attend overseas strategic planning meetings to secure access to a major research facility.

This program primarily supports travel where time has been granted on an overseas major facility following peer review. Collaboration visits will not be supported unless time has already been granted at an eligible facility. Two six-month funding rounds are held each year.

For further details and application instructions, please visit:http://www.ansto.gov.au/research/user_access/amrfp

The objectives of the fund is to support projects that will lead to the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their important wetland habitats in Asia through partnership with, and which will bring socio-economic benefits to the local community at the site.

Cathay Pacific placed an initial donation of HK$500,000 (approx. US$65,000) into the Fund and further donations are actively being sought from other sources to increase the amount in the Fund so that a greater number of worthwhile projects can be supported in future. At present, the maximum amount that can be applied for each project shall not exceed US$4,000.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.wwf.org.hk/eng/maipo/awcf/info.php

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now accepting grant proposals for Round 4 of Grand Challenges Explorations, a US$100 million initiative to encourage unconventional global health solutions. Anyone can apply, regardless of education or experience level.

Topics for Round 4 are:

● create new technologies for contraception
● create new ways to induce and measure mucosal immunity
● create low-cost diagnostics for priority global health conditions
● create new ways to protect against infectious disease

Initial grants will be $100,000 each, and projects showing promise will have the opportunity to receive additional funding of $1 million or more. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.grandchallenges.org/Explorations/Pages/ApplicationInstructions.aspx