Funding Opportunities at Cdu for Research

Funding opportunities at CDU for research: SPACS

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AT CDU FOR RESEARCH

A. Introduction

Academics in SPACS often need funding to complete various research activities. For example, researchers may seek funds to accommodate the costs of

Equipment or software that is needed to complete research activities
Transport and accommodation to support research activities
Research assistants and associates
Publication of research reports

Ideally, researchers would seek this funding from schemes outside the university, such as government grants, community grants, consulting projects, and so forth. For information on these schemes, visit However, if researchers cannot attract this funding, several schemes are available within the school, faculty, and university.

B. Funding schemes within CDU

Table 1 outlines the various sources of funding for research activities that are available within CDU. In particular, this table specifies the activities each scheme funds and the process that must be followed to apply.

Table 1. Funding schemes at CDU to support research activities

Name of source / Scope / Process / Pool
School funding schemes
Research and training scheme (RTS) / Primarily for research activities in which the costs are less than $5000 and usually less than $2500 / Complete application form in Appendix A at any time / The overall fund is about $30 000 a year, depending on the research output of the university
Professional development scheme for academic staff / Primarily for conferences, seminars, and other activities that facilitate personal development in research. Usually $1500 or less is awarded / Complete application form in Appendix B at any time / The overall fund is about $45 000 a year, depending on the number of academic staff in the school
Professional development scheme for students / Primarily for conferences, seminars, and other activities that facilitate personal development in research. Usually $1500 or less is awarded / Complete application form in Appendix B at any time
Personal consulting account / Revenue from consulting and related activities is assigned to this account. Each academic can utilize the revenue they earned on any activities that relate to their role / Contact the School Administrative Coordinator—Marie Collings. / Unlimited
Faculty funding schemes
Faculty staff conference scheme / For travel, registration, and accommodation costs to support conference presentations. Maximum of $1000 for domestic conferences, $1500 for regional international conferences, and $2500 for non-regional international conferences / Visit
Application forms must be submitted 6 weeks or more before the conference
Small grants scheme / For research projects, in which the costs are $20 000 or less / Visit
Applications are sought about once every 1.5 years
Visiting scholar scheme / For attracting researchers from other institutions to collaborate with academics from CDU; maximum of $5000 / Visit
CAPEX / For capital equipment / Complete application form in Appendix C and submit when requested, usually around August.
Start-up funds / For new academic staff / Contact the Head of School
University funding schemes
International conference funding application / For conference presentations in other nations; maximum of $1500 / Visit
Applications are sought about once a year

Some research activities overlap with teaching activities. For example, individuals may need equipment, software, space, or other resources that can be used for personal research as well as teaching students. In these instances, other sources of funding may be considered. Table 2 outlines these schemes.

Table 2. Funding schemes at CDU to support activities that may overlap with research

Name of source / Scope / Process / Pool
Faculty funding schemes
Contact the Head of School
University funding schemes
OLT Internal research project grants / For projects and research that enhances teaching and learning at CDU / Visit Then click the heading “Grants”.
Innovation grants / For any innovative projects, designed to facilitate teaching, research, and administration; maximum of $10 000 / Visit
Applications are sought once a year / Up to 15 grants may be awarded, although the precise number will vary each year

Funding opportunities at CDU for research: SPACS

APPENDIX A: APPLICATION FOR RESEARCH AND TRAINING SCHEME IN SPACS

A. Introduction

The Research and Training Scheme or RTS is utilized to fund research activities that cannot be supported by other funds. This scheme, in the past, has been used, for example, to compensate researchers for the costs of

Equipment or software that is needed to complete research activities
Transport and accommodation to support research activities
Research assistants and associates
Publication of research reports

Before you apply for RTS funding, perhaps consider whether alternative sources may be more applicable—as outlined in Tables 1 and 2

B. Policies

To ascertain whether applicants will be granted the funds they seek—or a proportion thereof—the school research committee subjects all answers to a formula. In addition, they apply a series of principles

Activities that do not attract funding

Except in exceptional circumstances, individuals will not receive funding for research costs they have already paid, such as the costs to publish a paper.
Except in exceptional circumstances, individuals will not receive funding to publish a paper in a journal that is not peer reviewed, especially a predatory journal. A list of predatory publishers and journals is available at

Limitations to funding

The RTS is not intended to support individuals who are not members of SPACS. Therefore, the maximum funds that can be granted equals the funds needed to support an initiative multiplied by the proportion of this initiative to which SPACS contributes

Additional obligations if funded

Sometimes, the committee may fund a request but also impose conditions.
For example, on some occasions, academics may receive funding to support the publication costs of an open access journal. If the request is approved, academics may be asked to engage in a social media campaign to publicize the article—primarily to maximize the benefits of open access journals.

Time to respond to requests

Applications for RTS funding can be submitted at any time—and will be considered at the next Research and Research Training committee meeting. These meetings are typically convened every 6 or so weeks
Expedited responses can be requested, but cannot be guaranteed

C. Application

Toapply for RTS funding, please complete the questions below.

Some answers can be short, such as a number or NA.
Other answers may include longer justifications.
Questions that are not applicable can be skipped; these questions will not be considered while evaluating applications.

Overview
Could you briefly describe

What the funding will be used to purchase, such as equipment or publications
The amount you need and a brief justification
The benefits of these purchases

Benefits to SPACS
How many people in SPACS would this funding assist this year? Would this funding assist only you or also other members of a team, for example?
What is the expected number of papers over the next 2 years that could not be published unless this application was approved?
What is the expected level of grant funding over the next 2 years that would not be received unless this application was approved?
Would this funding expedite work that needs to be completed anyway—and, if so, by approximately how many days
Alternatives
What is the likelihood this funding could be derived from other bodies or sources? Perhaps 20% for example.
To what extent would the projects be disadvantaged if existing resources were utilized instead? Perhaps the quality would diminish by 20% or 30%, for example.
To what extent would the projects be disadvantaged if only half the funding was offered instead? Perhaps the quality would diminish by 40%, for example.
Fairness
Could this funding have been anticipated previously and thus received from another body before?
Could this need to receive funding have been avoided if more planning and consultation had been conducted earlier?
Logistics
When does this funding need to be received?

APPENDIX B: APPLICATION FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IN SPACS

A. Introduction

The Professional Development Scheme in SPACS is utilized to fund conferences and other activities that facilitate professional development in research including

The registration costs
Transport and accommodation costs

You should also apply for the Faculty staff conference scheme. In addition, if the conference is outside Australia, you should apply for International conference funding. These schemes are outlined in Table 1.

B. Policies

To ascertain whether applicants will be granted the funds they seek—or a proportion thereof—the school research committee considers a series of principles

Decision process

The committee will consider several criteria to decide which applications receive funding
These criteria include the relevance of this conference to the academic, the degree to which the information this person learns can be disseminated to other members of the school, and the likelihood that relevant collaborations can be formed.

Additional obligations if funded

Sometimes, the committee may fund a request but also impose conditions.

For example, on some occasions, academics may be asked to summarize the latest advances in methodology or theories that were discussed during presentations—and to store these summaries on the intranet—or to distribute relevant paraphernalia.

C. Application

To apply for Professional Development funding, please complete the questions below.

Some answers can be short, such as a number or NA.
Other answers may include longer justifications.

Overview
Please describe the activity, such as

The name of the conference or event
Your role in this conference or event, such as whether you are presenting

Costs
Can you specify the costs you will incur for

Air travel
Other travel
Registration
Accommodation
Preparation, such as materials
Other

Benefits to you and the school
Will you be able to disseminate some of the information you acquire, such as methodologies or theories, to other academics at CDU?

If so, how do you plan to disseminate this information, like a presentation or written summary?
What sort of information are you likely to disseminate?

Will you be able to disseminate, advertise, or promote the school or university to other individuals at the conference?

Could you distribute relevant paraphernalia to anyone?
Could you verbally promote some events or opportunities at the school or university?

How do you plan to extend your networks at this conference?
What other benefits could you accrue from this conference or event?

Funding opportunities at CDU for research: SPACS

APPENDIX C: CAPEX APPLICATION TO THE FACULTY

A. Introduction

CAPEX relates to funding from the Faculty for capital projects, usually over $5000. This fund is intended to support all capital purchases, such as equipment, that are administered by the schools or faculty. However, infrastructure that is administered centrally should, instead, be discussed and submitted with the relevant unit, such as Facilities or ITMS

B. Application

To apply for capital funding, please complete the questions below.

Funding opportunities at CDU for research: SPACS

Proposalsinvolving centrally administered infrastructure (e.g. buildings, network capacity) should be discussed with and submitted by the relevant unit (e.g. Facilities, ITMS)

CAPITAL BID PROPOSAL FORM
(to be completed for all capital projects which are submitted for inclusion in the budget for the next fiscal year)
Section 1
Location: / Budget Year:
Faculty/School/Division: / Estimated project completion date:
Contact Name: / Contact Number:
Project start date: / Designation of capital bid:
Budget level ($): / Project reference number (assigned by FAS):
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT (Tick the strategic pillar(s) applicable)
Unique learning environment
Leader in indigenous education
Research with global reach
Secure future
PROJECT REASON (Tick the most relevant)
Replace existing asset / Capital enhancement / Regulatory / New investment / Undefined
DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Describe what need this fulfils, and the consequences (briefly) if not funded
Describe why situation has changed or current capital is no longer adequate (e.g. equipment obsolescence from breakage or developments in method, collaborations? Growth in student load?) and provide supporting evidence
Describe consultation with affected stakeholders (including Technical Services if appropriate), and their involvement in recommending and bidding for this capital expenditure. Include information about prospective demand / use by external stakeholders and fee-for-service model if relevant
What is the budget level based on – quotes? How accurate is it? Is it likely to change?
If this is to replace or upgrade existing equipment, consider explaining:
Describe who will use the equipment and how often (e.g. numbers of students and practicals, or researchers
The age and expected service life of the equipment
Whether alternatives have been considered (CDU or NCRIS or partner equipment) and how this compares to maintaining our own
How the bid compares to replacing or upgrade or disposing of the asset

Section 2 RISK ASSESSMENT(This section documents the top 3 risks, current control measures and treatment plans to form the risk register)
Risk 1
Identified risk:
Describe the primary consequence (in detail) if the capital expenditure is not funded - e.g.

Practicals discontinued / course accreditation jeopardised / # students affected?
Completion of research projects delayed or jeopardised / terms of contract or funding agreement voided?
Staffing and workload implications from running multiple practicals?
Ability to innovate or exploit opportunity impaired / lost earnings?

/ Risk level:
Low / Medium / High
(delete as appropriate)
Are there current control measures for this risk: / Yes / No
Describe current control measures:
What is the current control measure for the primary risk – e.g.

No control measure – need not foreseen or cannot be managed without capital expenditure (provide details)
Temporary work-around in place or to be implemented (provide details)

If control measures are not effective what is the treatment plan to reduce the risks to ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable):
What other controls will be implemented(with or without) capital expenditure funding
Risk 2
Identified risk:
Describe the secondary consequence (in detail) if the capital expenditure is not funded - e.g.

Practicals discontinued / course accreditation jeopardised / # students affected?
Completion of research projects delayed or jeopardised / terms of contract or funding agreement voided?
Staffing and workload implications (from running multiple practicals or using less effective infrastructure)?
Ability to innovate or exploit opportunity impaired / lost earnings?

No control measure – need not foreseen or cannot be managed without capital expenditure (provide details)
Temporary work-around in place or to be implemented (provide details)

If control measures are not effective what is the treatment plan to reduce the risks to ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable):
What other controls will be implemented(with or without) capital expenditure funding
Risk 3
Identified risk:
Describe the tertiary consequence (in detail) if the capital expenditure is not funded - e.g.

Practicals discontinued / course accreditation jeopardised / # students affected?
Completion of research projects delayed or jeopardised / terms of contract or funding agreement voided?
Staffing and workload implications from running multiple practicals?
Ability to innovate or exploit opportunity impaired / lost earnings?

No control measure – need not foreseen or cannot be managed without capital expenditure (provide details)
Temporary work-around in place or to be implemented (provide details)

If control measures are not effective what is the treatment plan to reduce the risks to ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable):
What other controls will be implemented(with or without) capital expenditure funding
Section 3 VALUE ADD
Provide brief explanation of how this capital expenditure will add value to the strategic goal(s) as indicated at the top of this form:
Provide evidence of HoS / Director support and agreement that the capital expenditure aligns with strategic goals here
Applicant Signature: / DVC/PVC/ED Name:
Signature:
Date: / Date:
Section 3 BUDGET WORKING PARTY (BWP) APPROVAL
APPROVED: YES NO
BWP Comments:
VC Signature: / Date: