ABRS National Taxonomy Research Grant Program
Grants
The 2012–2013 grants round is now CLOSED.
All applicants who applied for funding in the 2012–2013 Capacity-Building Grants round have now been notified of the outcome of their application. If you applied for funding and have not received your notification, please contact the Grants Officer at the ABRS.
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.
The ABRS National Taxonomy Research Grant Program — meeting national needs
The ABRS National Taxonomy Research Grant Program is the only program in Australia supporting research into taxonomy. This program, revised in April 2008, is designed to:
- Increase funding for taxonomy — through enhanced co-funding opportunities
- Build the taxonomic workforce — in line with recommendation 1.2 of the National Action Plan for taxonomy in Australia (see the Proceedings of the National Taxonomy Forum, p. 6)
- Simplify administration processes — for the ABRS and the Advisory Committee
- Simplify the application process — for applicants
Features
The program features:
- Fixed grant amounts — Applicants apply for grants under a scheme of set levels of funding (see below under Types of Grant).
- Fully funded grants — Successful grant applicants are guaranteed the full amount of funding requested, via fixed grant amounts, for the full grant period.
- Capacity-Building Grants and Research Grants — The program has a designated capacity-building allocation aimed at building the taxonomic workforce, as well as funding for research grants of various specified sizes.
- A co-funding requirement for Research Grants — The ABRS Research Grants are all co-funded. That is, applicants must have obtained a commitment for the applicable amount of co-funding for their application to be considered (see Types of Grants below).
- Substantial Supplement Partners — The ABRS will partner with organisations or consortia interested in bringing significant funding to a broad area of taxonomic research to secure matching funding for that area from the National Taxonomy Research Grant Program.
Benefits of the Program
- Increased support for 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
- Simpler application forms, meaning significantly less time spent in applying for grants
- A guarantee that grant applicants will receive the funding requested
Types of Grants
The grant program features two streams of funding — Research Grants and Capacity-Building Grants. Each type of grant is for a fixed annual amount of funding.
Grant Application Forms
There is one form for Research Grants and one form for Capacity-Building Grants. Guidelines for completing each application form are included in the same document as the application form, allowing for step-by-step instructions for completing the form. The guidelines in each form include conditions and requirements to be met to receive grant funding, the ABRS research priorities, as well as general instructions on completing the application forms. Failure to comply with the guidelines for completing the application forms will render your application ineligible.
All grant recipients who received funding in 2008–2009 or earlier, are subject to the terms of the ABRS Grants Conditions of Award. For a copy of this Award, please contact the Grants Officer.
All grant recipients who received funding in 2009–2010 or later, are subject to the terms and conditions set out in the ABRS Grant Funding Agreement.
Assessment Criteria and Process
Grants are approved by the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities on an annual basis. The following selection processes are used to provide recommendations to the Minister on grant applications to be approved:
ABRS Priority Areas for Grants — 2012–2013
Projects funded under the National Taxonomy Research Grant Program must be public good in focus and support the Australian Government’s National Research Priorities. Within the National Research Priorities, the following specific criteria will be used by the ABRS to determine whether a project is eligible for an ABRS grant.
- Biodiversity, Conservation and Vulnerable and Endangered Species
- Public, Plant and Animal Health
- Building Taxonomic Capacity
These criteria will be used in the 2012–2013 grants round and applicants must address one or more of these criteria within the relevant section of the application form.
Reporting
The ABRS grant recipients are required to report to the ABRS on the progress of their grant/s. Failure to submit any Report by the due date may result in cancellation of the grant and ALL future funding.
These due dates are guidelines only. For specific grant reporting due dates please contact the Grants Officer.
Please note: applicants for 2012–2013 grants must have submitted all progress/final reports associated with previous ABRS grants for their application to be considered.
The ABRS has reviewed the timelines associated with reporting on the progress of grants and has changed reporting requirements for grants awarded from the 2009–2010 grants round onwards.
2008–2009 Reporting Forms
2008–2009 Research Grants (and prior)
Note: Only Research Grants were available prior to 2008–2009. For Capacity-Building Grant reporting templates, see 2009–2010 Reporting Forms.
- Progress Report Form for grants awarded in 2008–2009 or earlier (Doc - 120 KB)
This form must be completed by existing grant recipients who wish to receive the next installment of their grant.
Due: 15 December in the first and second years of the award - Final Report Form for grants awarded in 2008–2009 or earlier (Doc - 60 KB)
Due: first December following the completion of the grant
2008–2009 Financial Acquittal
- Financial Acquittal Form (Doc - 50 KB)
Ensure this form is submitted for each grant year (1 July – 30 June).
Due: 30 September each year
2009–2010 Reporting Forms
2009–2010 Capacity-Building Grants (and onwards)
- Capacity-Building Notification Report Form for grants awarded from 2009–2010 (Doc - 350 KB)
Use this form for all Capacity-Building Grants awarded from 2009–2010.
Due: 15 December of the first year of the grant - Capacity-Building Progress Report Form for grants awarded from 2009–2010 (Doc - 350 KB)
For Capacity-Building Grants awarded from 2009–2010, Progress Reports are required from APA Top-Up recipients only.
Due: 15 December in the second and third grant years - Capacity-Building Final Report Form for grants awarded from 2009–2010 (Doc - 350 KB)
Use this form for all Capacity-Building Grants awarded from 2009–2010.
Due: 15 December following grant completion date
2009–2010 Research Grants (and onwards)
- Research Grant Notification Report Form for grants awarded from 2009–2010 (Doc - 350 KB)
Due: 15 December of the first year of the grant - Research Grant Progress Report Form for grants awarded from 2009–2010 (Doc - 350 KB)
This form must be completed by existing grant recipients who wish to receive the next installment of their grant.
Due: 15 December of the second and third grant years - Research Grant Final Report Form for grants awarded from 2009–2010 (Doc - 350 KB)
Due: 15 December following grant completion date
2009–2010 Financial Acquittal
- Financial Acquittal Form (Doc - 50 KB)
Ensure this form is submitted for each grant year (1 July – 30 June).
Due: 30 September each year
Note: All reporting forms are to be submitted either electronically (with a PDF of the signature page) to abrs.grants@environment.gov.au OR as posted hard copies.
If you are uncertain of your grant type, the reporting requirements or which grant reporting template you should use, please contact the ABRS Grants Officer.
Grant Year
A Grant year is defined as the twelve-month period commencing on 1 July and ending on 30 June, specified in the funding agreement, during which the grant will be paid.
For further information
Email
abrs.grants@
environment.gov.au
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