PROGRAMME GUIDELINES FOR

NATIVE TITLE ANTHROPOLOGIST GRANTS PROGRAMME

2016-17 to 2018-19

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROGRAMME GUIDELINES

PURPOSE OF GRANTS

FUNDING………….

ELIGIBILITY……….

APPLICATION PROCESS

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT PROCESS……………………………………………………………….6

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF FUNDING

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND POLICIES

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

PRIVACY……………..

TAXATION………..

ENQUIRIES OR COMPLAINTS

PROGRAMME GUIDELINES

PURPOSE OF GRANTS

The purpose of the Programme is to support the resolutionof native title claims by facilitating native title parties having access to qualified and experienced anthropologists. Consistent with Australian Government policy, promoting claims resolution achieves recognition and protection of native title for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and contributes to land tenure certainty, key to achieving economic growth for Indigenous Australians and Australia generally. The Programme is part of the Australian Government’s wider investment in the native title system.

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVE

The objective of the Programme is to increase native title anthropology capacity bysupporting native title anthropologists working in the system. A key focus of this funding round is to increase capacity by assisting mid to senior anthropologists to become ‘exemplary’ anthropologists. Exemplary native title anthropologists are distinguished by the depth of their knowledge as well as their ability to translate that knowledge into the native title legal framework (including acting as expert witnesses in court).

The programme objectivewill be achieved through grants to promote collaboration amongst this specialist sector including delivery of targeted training and professional development and increasing the expertise of those working in native title anthropology. The Programme objective has three priorities:

  1. Professional development and support for native title anthropologists working in the native title sector, particularly mid to senior level native title anthropologists
  1. Stronger linkages between academic and applied anthropological work, particularly for mid to senior native title anthropologists
  1. Supporting mid to senior level native title anthropologists to continue to develop their technical skills through access to higher education courses

Applicants for grants should clearly demonstrate how the funding would be used to achieve one or more of the priorities. Further information on the priorities is provided below.

FUNDING

The total funding anticipated for FY 2016-17 to FY 2018-19 is approximately $931,000 (excl GST).Ongoing funding for the Programme is subject to Government priorities.

The Department anticipates conducting a single funding round and awarding grants of up to three years duration. The amount of funding over the three years is expected to be $302,000 (excl GST) in FY 2016-17, $310,000 (excl GST) for FY 2017-18 and$319,000 (excl GST) in FY 2018-19.

Funding is expected to be available from 1 July 2016, subject to execution of a funding agreement by all parties prior to the release of any funds.

Grant activities should be completed and grant funds expended by June 2019.

There are no limitations on the amount requested in individual grant applications however there is expected to be high demand for funding. All allocated funding will be reported on the Department’s website.

ELIGIBILITY

Individuals and/or organisations must clearly demonstrate that their proposal meets one or more of the following priorities.

Please note that priorities 1 and 2 are open to native title representative bodies, universities and other institutions and/or bodies with experience in the native title anthropology sector.

  1. Professional development and support for native title anthropologists working in the native title sector, particularly mid to senior level native title anthropologists

Grant activities which involve mentoring and embedded learning or tailored in-house training will achieve this priority. For example, grant activities could involve:

  • guided research placements which pair less experienced anthropologists with more experienced anthropologists or enable less experienced anthropologists to co-author connection reports with more experienced anthropologists
  • targeted training, which has been developed for in-house native title anthropologists, cognisant of the existing skill levels and development needs of these employees.
  1. Stronger linkages between academic and applied anthropological work, particularly for mid to senior native title anthropologists

Grant activities which involve opportunities for native title anthropologists to receive intensive academic supervision and mentoring by more experienced anthropologists will achieve this priority. For example, grant activities could involve:

  • senior academics supervising and mentoring native title anthropologists during research and joint publication
  • training which involves collaboration or shared, targeted learning within the native title anthropological sector which focusses on developing mid tosenior level anthropologists technical and practical skills
  1. Supporting mid to senior level native title anthropologists to continue to develop their technical skills through access to higher education courses

The Department will consider applications from anthropologists seeking to complete a PhD in anthropology from an Australian tertiary institution. Individual applicants may seek funding for the university course or living allowances for the period of the course. The Department may also consider funding applications from organisations seeking to backfill anthropologists that have taken a leave of absence to undertake a PhD in anthropology, particularly where that vacancy will be used as a development opportunity for less experienced anthropologists.

Applicants for grants should clearly demonstrate how the funding would be used to achieve one or more of the priorities. Applications can be made for joint or partial funding of a larger project with other contributors.

Funding will not be provided for:

  • activities that duplicate existing programmes provided by the Australian Government, the State and Territory Governments, educational institutions and/or non-government organisations
  • activities that receive significant funding through other Commonwealth Government programmes
  • retrospective activities

and will generally not be provided for the following, unless the budget in the application can demonstrate that costs are directly associated with the proposed project for the funding period:

  • administrative expenses (ongoing operation or running costs of an organisation) such as general operation/secretariat/support expenses
  • capital equipment and capital works such as the purchase of large scale capital equipment or capital works, including the purchase or lease of land and the purchase, construction or maintenance of building and vehicles.

The eligibility criteria will not be waived or amended.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Details on how to apply for funding, including an application form, can be found on the Department’swebsite.

Applications must be submitted via the application form.

The Department is not able to assist organisations with the cost of lodging an application. Applicants are responsible for all the costs of preparing and lodging their application and for the costs of answering any request from the Department for further information or clarification.

Applications open at 9.00am Australian Eastern Daylight Time on Monday 7March 2016 and must be submitted by 5.00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time on Friday 1 April 2016.

Applicants must fully complete and submit the application form, including a budget, by the due date. The Department may agree to an extension at its discretion in exceptional circumstances. Extensions must be sought in writing in advance of the due date outlining the exceptional circumstances. The decision to grant any extension will be at the sole discretion of the Department. Late applications (without an agreed extension) will not be considered.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Applications will be assessed for eligibility and then assessed against the following assessment criteria:

Criteria
Criterion 1 – Proposal
How do you or your organisation propose to use the funding to assist anthropologists, particularly mid to senior level anthropologists, to become highly credible and experienced exemplary native title anthropologists? Please refer to one or more of the key Programme priorities in your response and detail if any of the services or activities will be delivered by a partner organisation or agency.
Your proposal needs to include a budget detailing proposed expenses.
Maximum word limit: 500 words (excluding budget)
Criterion 2 – Governance structure and experience
What is your demonstrated experience in successfully developing and delivering activities that are the same or similar to your proposed project? Provide an overview of any professional development programs you have implemented and how you identified whether those programs were successful and provided good value for money. Outline the structure of your business and what organisations you have collaborated with in the past.
If you are an individual applying for funding to support a PhD degree in anthropology, detail your previous tertiary education qualifications and work experience in native title anthropology. Referee reports should detailyour suitability to progress to the exemplary level. Applicants should also indicate whether they have received any offers to undertake a PhD degree in anthropology from an Australian tertiary institution.
Maximum word limit: 500 words
Criterion 3 – Potential risks
What are the potential risks associated with your proposed project and how do you plan to mitigate against these risks? Describe your mitigation strategy.
Maximum word limit: 500 words.

The assessment criteria are weighted equally. Applications for funding of PhDs need only address criterion 2.

SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Applicants for this single funding round will be selected through an open competitive process. The funding available for this programme is limited and the Department anticipates strong demand for the funds. The application process is therefore likely to be highly competitive.

The assessment of each application will be based on:

  • fully completed Application form
  • value-for-money appraisal (i.e. assessment of budget in relation to project)
  • referee reports – applicants are required to nominate and provide the contact details of two referees
  • the Department’s level of confidence that the applicant will be able to effectively deliver a project that meets one (or more) of the priorities of the Programme.

Your application will be assessed against the eligibility criteria and the responses you provide to the assessment criteria to address the Programme priorities. Applications will be assessed and ranked by a selection panel comprising inter-departmental officers and industry experts (if available). The key stages of the assessment process are:

  • assessment of eligibility. Only applications assessed as eligible will progress for further assessment
  • competitive assessment against the assessment criteria
  • referee checks conducted on all applications for funding
  • the Assistant Secretary of the Civil Law Unit will make the final funding decision of who will receive or not receive funding

The selection panel and relevant departmental officers will be required to sign a declaration indicating any conflicts of interests prior to assessing applications or conducting work relating to the programme.

The recommendations of the selection panel will be provided to the Assistant Secretary, Civil Law Unit, Attorney-General’s Department, who will be responsible for approving all grants under the Programme.

All applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application in writing once the selection process is complete. The Department anticipates the process will conclude in May 2016. Unsuccessful applicants may request feedback on their application within one month of being notified of the result.

In the event of the Programme being undersubscribed or additional funding allocated to it, the Department reserves the right to commission proposals outside of the funding round. Commissioned proposals will need to meet the Programme objective and will be assessed against the selectioncriteria. An invitation from the Department to submit a proposal should not be taken as an assurance that funding will be provided.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF FUNDING

The Department seeks to work in partnership with successful applicants to ensure accountability and transparency. Successful applicants will be required to enter into funding agreements with the Commonwealth which will set out the obligations of both parties. Organisations should not make financial commitments in expectation of receiving funding until the funding agreement has been executed by all parties.

The funding agreement is a legally enforceable document that sets out the terms and conditions of funding including:

  • a description of the project
  • reporting requirements
  • milestones in the progress of the project
  • a schedule of payment of grant instalments
  • agreed project outputs and performance measures, and
  • requirements for the acquittal of the grant and project.

A funding agreement template with the terms and conditions is available on theDepartment of Finance’s website.

Once the funding agreement has been executed, the grant recipient will be listed on the Department’s websiteand the Department’s grant registeralong with details of the amount of funding and the term of the grant.

Any variation to a funding agreement must be in writing and agreed by all parties.

All successful applicants will be required to provide reports and acquit all funding at the end of the project according to the details specified under the funding agreement.

A component of the final report will be to complete a performance evaluation of your project in a format specified by the Department.

In most cases, financial and performance reporting will need to be submitted every six months, although the frequency will be determined as part of a risk assessment of each grant and informed by negotiations for the funding agreement. Where grant payments are linked to the achievement of specific activities, these payments will only be made after the relevant performance report has been accepted and it is agreed that the requirements for payment stated in the funding agreement have been met.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A ‘conflict of interest’ means any matter, circumstance, interest or activity involving or affecting the applicant or its personnel that may, or may appear to, impair the applicant’s ability to perform the proposed project diligently, fairly and independently. Applicants must indicate any perceived or actual conflict of interest arising from the proposed project including details about how the conflict will be managed. Where the Department establishes that a conflict of interest exists, the Department may decide not to proceed with consideration of the application.

All departmental officers and any non-departmental officers involved in the assessment of applications and the management of the Programme are also required to declare whether they have a conflict of interest, either real or perceived. Officers are required to abstain from any decision where a conflict of interest is identified.

COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND POLICIES

Successful applicants must comply with all relevant statutes, regulations, by-laws and requirements of any Commonwealth, State, Territory or local authority.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

All documents in the possession of the Department, including those in relation to this Programme, are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982. Applicants may obtain details about freedom of information from the Department’s website.

PRIVACY

Personal information collected by the Department is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). The Department collects personal information to carry out its functions properly and efficiently. The Department only uses personal information for the purposes for which it was given to the Department and for directly related purposes (unless otherwise required by, or authorised under, law).

Applicants should be aware that if they are successful, Australian Government policy requires the Department to publish information about the grantee, its project and the funding on the Department’s website.

If you have any concerns about grant information being published, you should raise these concerns in your application. If your application is successful the department will consider these concerns and determine whether to publish that information on its website.

The Department may release information contained in your grant application where required under the Freedom of Information Act and may also provide that information to other Commonwealth departments, government organisations, assessors, members of parliament, the media and other stakeholders for the purposes of assessing the applications or for providing education or publicising projects and for administering projects funded under this Programme. The Australian Taxation Office is advised of all grant funding amounts paid by the Department.

TAXATION

Grant payments will be exclusive of GST unless otherwise indicated. Other than the clauses in the Funding Agreement relating to taxes, duties and government charges, the Department does not provide advice on GST matters. All applicants are advised to seek advice from a qualified professional or the Australian Taxation Office.

ENQUIRIES OR COMPLAINTS

Applicants should direct any enquiries or complaints to:

Assistant Secretary
Civil Law Unit
Attorney-General’s Department
3-5 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600
Or via email to

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