Research Grants: An Introduction

1
Research Grants An Introduction
THINK.CHANGE.DO
Jaine Stockler, Manager , Grants Development
Research Innovation Office
2
This information session aims to

• provide research higher degree students with
• An introduction to the Australian research
• funding environment
• Examples of grant schemes ways to find others
• Tips for writing competitive research proposals

3
Essential Characteristics of Research

• Leads to publicly verifiable outcomes which are
  open to peer appraisal.
• Is creative work undertaken on a systematic basis
  in order to increase the stock of knowledge
• Is characterised by originality it should have
  investigation as a primary objective
• Has potential to produce results that are
  sufficiently general for humanity's stock of
  knowledge (theoretical and/or practical) to be
  recognisably increased.
• Adapted from DIISR and OECD Definitions of
  Research

4
Types of Research

• Pure Basic pursuit of knowledge with no
  specific domain or application in mind
• Strategic Basic pursuit of knowledge in a
  specified domain without a specific application
  in mind
• Applied pursuit of knowledge in a specified
  domain with a specific application in mind
• Experimental - systematic work, using existing
  knowledge gained from research or practical
  experience, that is directed to producing new
  materials, products or devices, to installing new
  processes, systems and services, or to improving
  substantially those already produced or
  installed.

5
Why apply for research funding?
To gain additional resources to expand research
activity

• People (research assistant or associate,
  technical assistance,
• fellowships, scholarships)
• Equipment and consumables
• Travel (airfares, accommodation and living
  expenses)
• Teaching Relief (to buy out teaching time for
  critical periods of research activity)
• Other (non-standard items that contribute
  directly to the conduct of the research)
  
• Needs vary between disciplines consider your
  own.

6
Australian National Innovation System
m?
m?
7
Federal Government Research Block Funding

• Institutional Grant Scheme (IGS)
• Block grants to universities based on HDR student
  load, research income and publications data (can
  be used for any activity related to research).
• Research Training Scheme (RTS)
• Block grants to universities to support research
  training for students undertaking Doctorate and
  Masters degrees by research. 
• Research Infrastructure Block Grant (RIBG)
• Block grants to universities based on research
  income from a range of sources (can be used for
  research infrastructure only).

8
Main Types of Research Funding

• Grant Funded researcher proposes idea and
  funding agency pays with University in-kind
  contributions. Generally competitive,
  peer-reviewed process.
• Collaborative Grant with Industry researcher
  industry/government propose idea. Funding agency
  and industry pay with University in-kind
  contributions. Generally competitive,
  peer-reviewed process.
• Contracted/Tendered contract research -
  industry/government proposes idea and pays. Often
  but not always non-competitive process.

9
Australias National Research Priorities

• 1 An Environmentally Sustainable Australia
• Transforming the way we utilise our land, water,
  mineral and energy resources through a better
  understanding of human and environmental systems
  and the use of new technologies
• 2 Promoting and Maintaining Good Health
• Ensuring a healthy start to life, ageing well,
  ageing productively, preventive healthcare,
  strengthening Australia's social and economic
  fabric
• 3 Frontier Technologies for Building and
  Transforming Australian Industries
• Stimulating the growth of world-class Australian
  industries using innovativetechnologies
  developed from cutting-edge research
• 4 Safeguarding Australia
• Safeguarding Australia from terrorism, crime,
  invasive diseases and pests, strengthening our
  understanding of Australias place in the region
  and the world, and securing our infrastructure,
  particularly with respect to our digital systems.

10
How Australian research excellence will be
evaluated

• Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA)
• An initiative being developed by the ARC.  It
  will assess research quality within Australias
  higher education institutions across all fields
  using a combination of indicators and expert
  review by committees comprising experienced,
  internationally-recognised experts.
• ERA will use leading researchers to evaluate
  research in eight discipline clusters.
• ERA will detail by institution and by discipline
  those areas that are internationally competitive,
  together with emerging areas where there are
  opportunities for development and further
  investment.

11
Research Innovation Office University
Graduate School

• Research support services offered by RIO UGS
• Research grants development and administration
• Collaborative and industry partnering
  arrangements
• Research contracts
• Licensing and commercialisation of UTS
  technologies
• Research policy development implementation
• Research integrity ethics and safety
• Research data, finance and reporting
• Research student candidature
• Research communications marketing

12
UTS support for its researchers

• Early Career Researcher Grants
• Partnership Grants
• Cross Disciplinary/Themed Challenge grants
• Scholarships
• Post Doctoral Fellowships
• Research Strengths
• Large Collaborative Proposal Assistance Fund
• International Challenge Fund
• Infrastructure Funds Aligned to Research
  Strengths

13
Plan your campaign!

• What is your overall goal long term?
• Do you see yourself as a researcher in
  government, industry, academia or a number of
  contexts during your career?
• Why is it worth doing?
• What do you want to accomplish now?
• How do you plan to accomplish it?
• How will you know if youve succeeded?

14
Searching for Research Funding

• Research funding opportunity databases
  services
• JASON - http//www.jason.edu.au/
• Researchnet Email subscription
• SPIN - http//australia.infoed.org/spin/spinmain.a
  sp
• ResearchResearch - www.researchresearch.com

15
Australian Research Funding Organisations
(n500) some examples

• Australian Research Council (ARC)
• National Health Medical Research Council
  (NHMRC)
• Cotton Research and Development Corporation
• Environmental Trust
• Horticulture Australia
• Australian Cancer Research Foundation
• Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute
• Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation
• Diabetes Australia Research Trust
• Myer Foundation
• AusAID

16
Research Funding Typical Competitive Schemes

• ARC National Competitive Grant Schemes
• 2 main schemes
• Discovery Scheme - Funds Research Projects and
  Fellowships. Recognises the importance of
  fundamental research to the national innovation
  system, supports research incl. international
  collaborations - undertaken by individual
  researchers or research teams. Support for ECRs.
• Linkage Scheme Funds collaborative Research
  Projects between higher education researchers and
  partner organisations. Also funds Fellowships
  (Industry and International) and Infrastructure.

17
Knowing what they want from you

• Know your fund source
• What does the scheme description and funding
  rules say they are interested in?
• What are they really interested in -
• where do the go?
• Does your track-record measure up?
• Is the timing right?

18
Developing your grant application - considerations
Scheme Funding Rules/Guidelines Application
Forms
Expert advice review of draft for compliance
19
Secrets of Successful Research Proposals

• JOB APPLICATION, showing youre the very best
  person (or team) for the task.
• BUSINESS PLAN, showing your proposal represents a
  sound investment which will lead to a valuable
  and innovative research outcome.
• PROJECT PLAN, showing you can manage the delivery
  of a valuable project, on time, on budget and
  within resources.
• Refer to Brochure - Secrets of Successful
  Research Proposals

20
What do I and/or my team want to sell in the
proposal?

• We are selling our ideas and ourselves in the
  proposal
• Ours is special and the best, buy ours rather
  than others because
• We are expert and experienced know what how
• Ours is significant and challenging
• Our approach is innovative, sound and realisable
• We present attractive and reasonable
  communication results/outputs/benefits
• Ours is specific, well-justified, and can be
  extended to other areas
• We have completed preliminary work - invest in me
  so I can extend these promising results/findings
• I refer to my work, but ensure I cite other
  important work
• Close the deal Great ideawell-written
  proposalbest people!

21
Is it specific, well-reasoned, attractive?

• Is it a specific problem, but extendable?
• Do we have clear goals, aims and objective(s)?
• Is the approach suitable and well-reasoned?
• Are the outputs specific and practical?
• Have I demonstrated I am the very best applicant?
• Have we provided a clear and efficient timeline?
• Is our budget for resourcing the project
  (especially staffing) appropriate and
  convincingly justified?
• All in all, is the proposal attractive, will the
  assessors get the feeling they must support it
  and now?

22
Examples of Titles 100 Word Summaries

• Title News and Community Conflict examining
  the role of journalism in local conflict and
  conflict resolution
• Summary This project analyses the role and
  impact of news media in local conflicts in order
  to develop innovative proposals for journalism
  practice at times of community tensions. It
  explores the perspectives of news producers and
  audiences on the reporting of conflict in the
  Sydney suburbs of Cronulla, Macquarie Fields and
  Redfern through interviews, workshops and a
  public forum designed to develop practical
  guidelines for media professionals, community
  groups and policymakers as well as scholarly
  publications. The research evaluates the
  prospects for journalism to contribute to
  conflict resolution and investigates the
  compatibility of conflict-resolving news with
  more traditional journalism ethics.

23
Examples of Titles 100 Word Summaries

• Title Optimal Transcutaneous Energy
  Transmission System (TETS) for an Implanted
  Artificial Heart
• Summary This project aims to devise the best
  way to get electrical power to devices implanted
  in the human body. The immediate application, the
  VentrAssist artificial heart, is under pilot
  trial, in three people to date. In the trial
  model, the electric lead passes through a hole in
  the skin, which poses a high infection risk. This
  project will research a novel, provisionally
  patented method of inductively transmitting power
  and signals across the skin, exploiting new
  ferromagnetic materials, biocompatible coatings
  and software-controlled electronic circuits. The
  method should be efficient, secure and
  infection-proof, with world market potential for
  all powered medical implants.

24
The Budget

• Dont treat the budget as an afterthought
• A research grant application is about securing
  the money to help do the research. This means you
  need to make a business case that justifies the
  investment you wish the funding body to make in
  you and your ideas.
• Make sure the funding you seek is consistent with
  the research activities you propose to carry out,
  and that the two are integrated and fully
  justified (i.e. why a particular resource or cost
  is necessary to the success of the project).

25
Secrets of Successful Grant Writing

• Research Funding Bodies want to know their
  investment in your research will be of value.
  Indicate how you will communicate or transfer it
  to potential users, commercial partners or
  society
• journal article or peer conference paper
• industry workshops, conferences or briefings
• a spin-off or start-up company
• licence or joint venture with an existing company
• targeted media announcements, articles and a
  marketing plan
• brochure, book, WWW, multimedia or other
  information tool
• government briefing, community briefing or public
  lecture.

26
What are assessors key concerns?

• Write for the assessor. Know who they are likely
  to be.
• Assume the assessor is a very busy person be
  clear, to the point
• He/she may review more than 20 similar proposals
  its competitive!
• Did you follow the instructions and selection
  criteria?
• Is your project significant and innovative?
• Is your project technically sound realisable?
• Does your project have a well-planned timeline
  and fully justified budget?
• Do you include research education opportunities
  for students?
• Is your deliverable competitive and practical for
  the community?
• Are you the very best person/team to do the work?
  
• Dont leave any obvious questions unanswered
  anticipate questions and include answers to
  questions assessors are likely to have

27
Network Collaborate
Collaborative research is everywhere. Do you have
connections?

• Research Strengths
• Intra-Faculty Groups
• Cross-Faculty Groups
• Cross-Institution Groups
• Industry Government Partners
• Multi-disciplinary Programs
• National Networks
• Committees Advisory Boards/Groups
• Centres of Excellence Special Centres
• International Collaborations (publishing with
  international partners increases citations)

Refer to Brochure A Guide to Partnering with
UTS
28
You need heroes and friends

• Who is your mentor?
• Within your research group
• Within faculty or department
• Within the discipline
• Ask a successfully funded researcher to critique
  your grant proposal before you submit Find a
  naïve-informed reader (family, friends, RIO)