Grants
ABRS National Taxonomy Research Grant Program
The 2010/2011 grants round is NOW OPEN.
Applications close 20 November 2009.
To enquire about grant conditions or applications please contact the Business Manager or the Director.
For information about grant conditions or applications:
- Capacity-Building Grants
- Grant information flier (PDF - 1 MB)
- Research Grants
- The criteria for Priority Areas for Research Grants
- Substantial Supplement Partners
- Reporting
See below for further general information or please contact the Business Manager or the Director.
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.
A revised ABRS National Taxonomy Research Grant Program to better meet national needs
In April 2008, the ABRS Advisory Committee recommended restructuring of the National Taxonomy Research Grant Program both to increase the pool of funds available to support high priority research and to streamline administration of available funding. The new model, which is endorsed by the Advisory Committee and came into effect in the 2009/2010 grants round, 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 ABRS and the Advisory Committee
- Simplify the application process — for applicants
Features
The program features:
- Fixed grant amounts — Applicants now apply for grants under a scheme of set levels of funding (see below under Types of Grant). The funds available for new grants will vary over the next few years as the changes to the National Taxonomy Research Grant Program are implemented. However, subsequently, this feature will enable ABRS to predict in advance the exact number of grants available each year.
- Fully funded grants — Successful grant applicants are now guaranteed of receipt of the full amount of funding requested, via fixed grant amounts.
- Capacity-building grants and research grants — The new 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 — All ABRS Research Grants are now 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 — ABRS will partner with organisations or consortia interested in bringing significant funding to a broad area of taxonomy research to secure matching funding for that area from the National Taxonomy Research Grant Program.
Benefits of the new 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 willreceive 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 and 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 result in disqualification of your application.
All grant recipients are subject to the terms of the ABRS Grants Conditions of Award.
Assessment Criteria and Process
Grants are approved by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts 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 — 2010/2011
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 ABRS to determine whether a project is eligible for an ABRS grant.
- Biodiversity, Conservation and Vulnerable and Endangered Species [Note: particular priorities have been established for the 2010/2011 round]
- Public, Plant and Animal Health
- Building Taxonomic Capacity
These criteria will be used in the 2010/2011 grants round and applicants must address one of more of these criteria within the relevant section of the application form.
Reporting
ABRS grant recipients are required to report to ABRS on the progression of their grant/s. Failure to submit a Progress Report by the due date will result in cancellation of the grant and ALL future funding.
Please note: applicants for 2010/2011 grants must have submitted all progress/final reports associated with previous ABRS grants for their application to be considered.
Reporting forms
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.
For Research grants awarded in 2008/2009 or earlier, reporting requirements remain unchanged from the requirements specified in grant agreements. This means progress/final reports are due by 15 December each year.
For Research grants awarded from 2009/2010, grantees are required to provide one Notification Report in December of the first year of the grant, a Progress Report in May of the first year of the grant and a Final Report in May of the final year of the grant. The final grant payment is linked to acceptance by ABRS of this Final Report. This will help ensure ABRS can monitor the outcomes of the grant program. This reporting requirement must be taken into account by grant applicants in planning the scope of a proposed project.
Research Grants
- Progress Report Form
The Progress Report form must be completed by existing grant recipients who wish to receive the next installment of their grant. See Grant Renewals section below.- Progress Report Form for grants awarded in 2008/2009 or earlier (Doc - 120 KB)
- Progress Report Form for grants awarded from 2009/2010(Doc - 150 KB)
- Final Report Form
For grants awarded before 2009/2010, the Final Report is due in the first December following the completion of the grant. For grants awarded from 2009/2010, the Final Report is due in May of the final year of the grant.- Final Report Form for grants awarded in 2008/2009 or earlier (Doc - 50 KB)
- Final Report Form for grants awarded from 2009/2010 (Doc - 160 KB)
- Notification Report Form
For grants awarded from 2009/2010, grantees are required to provide one Notification Report in December of the first year of the grant.- Notification Report Form (Doc - 150 KB)
Capacity-Building Grants
- Progress Report Form
For Ph.D. Scholarships awarded prior to 2009/10, Progress Reports are due 15 December in the first and second years of the award. For Capacity-Building Grants awarded from 2009/10, Progress Reports are required from Ph.D. Scholarship and APA Top-Up recipients only and are due 30 June in the first and second grant years.- Progress Report Form (Doc - 150 KB)
- Final Report Form
For Ph.D. Scholarships awarded prior to 2009/10, the Final Report form is due within one month of completion of the award. For all Capacity-Building Grants awarded from 2009/10, a Final Report must be submitted by 30 June (for Ph.D. Scholarship and APA Top-Up recipients, the Final Report is due at the end of the final grant year and for Honours/Masters Scholarship and Non-salaried Researcher Grant recipients the Final Report is due at the end of the grant year).- Final Report Form (Doc - 160 KB)
Financial Acquittal
- Financial Acquittal Form (Doc - 40 KB)
It is the responsibility of grant recipients to ensure this form is submitted for each grant year. Financial acquittals for each financial year (1 July – 30 June) are due by 30 September.
Note: All reporting forms are to be submitted both electronically to abrs.grants@environment.gov.au AND as hard copies.
If you are not sure what sort of grant you have or the required reporting requirements, please contact the ABRS Grants and Business Officer.
Grant year
Grant year is defined as the twelve-month period commencing on 1 July and ending on 30 June, specified in the offer of grant, during which the grant will be paid.
Grant renewals
Grants awarded prior to 2009/2010 and listed as having indicative funding do not require new applications, although future years of funding are dependant on the submission of:
- Financial acquittals due by 30 September of each year
- Satisfactory progress reports by 15 December in the relevant grant years
- A final report by 15 December of the final grant year.
Proposed changes to grants previously approved with indicative funding
When indicative funding has been allocated for a multi-year grant, any proposed change to the intended research, particularly resulting in an increased budget, must be applied for as a new application on the relevant form. Such grants will be assessed on a competitive basis with new applications, to determine if they are to be funded.
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