Ph.D. research supplement
Guidelines and application form
Bush Blitz represents a globally unique, cross-sector partnership, drawing on the knowledge and
expertise of government, non-government organisations, industry and science to document the
biodiversity of the oldest continent on earth and provide an international benchmark for
biodiversity knowledge. Research Supplements are available to Ph.D. students to provide
additional research support for a project requiring taxonomy or systematics that can be linked to
Bush Blitz. This document contains the guidelines and application form for students wishing to
apply for a Ph.D. Research Supplement.
Important dates
Applications open
1 August 2011
Applications close
28 October 2011
Advisory Committee finalises recommendations to the Minister
Applicants notified of results
December 2011
February 2012
Successful applicants receive first payment
1 July 2012
Closing date for 2012/2013 applications is
28 October 2011. Late applications will not be
considered.
Do not delete any part of the Guidelines and
Application form when submitting your application.
Only complete and unaltered Application forms will
be accepted.
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Contents
GRANT TYPE .................................................................................................................................................................. 3
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA .............................................................................................................................................. 3
EMAIL CONDITIONS .................................................................................................................................................... 3
QUESTION 1: APPLICANT DETAILS ........................................................................................................................ 4
QUESTION 2: INSTITUTION AND SUPERVISOR DETAILS ................................................................................. 4
QUESTION 3: APPLICANT EDUCATION ................................................................................................................. 5
QUESTION 4: PROJECT DETAILS ............................................................................................................................. 6
TARGET GROUP OF ORGANISMS ...................................................................................................................................... 6
PROJECT TITLE ................................................................................................................................................................ 6
SUMMARY OF PROJECT ................................................................................................................................................... 7
OUTCOMES ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
QUESTION 5: BUDGET ................................................................................................................................................. 8
EXPECTED ADDITIONAL COSTS OF PROJECT .................................................................................................................... 8
QUESTION 6: SCIENCE COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE................................................................................ 8
QUESTION 7: ACADEMIC REFEREES...................................................................................................................... 9
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................... 10
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION.......................................................................................................................................... 10
PROTECTION OF INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................... 10
CERTIFICATION FOR APPLICANT ................................................................................................................................... 11
CERTIFICATION FOR ADMINISTERING INSTITUTION ...................................................................................................... 11
CHECKLIST ................................................................................................................................................................... 12
ATTACHMENT A: BUSH BLITZ OBJECTIVES, TAXA GROUPS AND THEIR COLLECTION ................... 13
BUSH BLITZ OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................................................. 13
1.
CORE TAXA ......................................................................................................................................................... 13
2.
INSTITUTIONAL TAXA ......................................................................................................................................... 13
ATTACHMENT B: PRIORITY AREAS FOR RESEARCH GRANTS 2012/2013 ................................................. 15
1.
BIODIVERSITY, CONSERVATION AND VULNERABLE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES................................................ 15
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Read this before starting your application
Grant type
The Ph.D. Research Supplement is one year in duration (full-time) and provides $10,000 in additional
research support for a Ph.D. project requiring taxonomy or systematics.
Eligibility criteria
1.
Applicants must be students currently enrolled in a Ph.D. degree in the field of biology at an
Australian institution.
2.
Applicants must have at least one year remaining on their existing Ph.D. project.
3.
Applicants must hold Australian citizenship, or have permanent residency status.
4.
Applicants must be enrolled as a full-time student.
5.
An applicant’s Ph.D. research project must be relevant to taxonomy or systematics.
6.
An applicant’s Ph.D. research project must be relevant to Bush Blitz and address the Priority Areas
for Research Grants. Please see Attachment A (Bush Blitz Taxa Groups and their collection) and
Attachment B (Priority Areas for Research Grants Points 1.1 to 1.4: Biodiversity, Conservation and
Vulnerable and Endangered Species) for more information.
7.
An applicant’s supervisor and institution must support the application.
Applications must be typed and submitted using Arial 12 pt font. Applications can be submitted by
either email or posted hardcopy. It is the responsibility of the applicant to check that the application
has been received by the ABRS prior to the due date.
Emailed applications that do not adhere to the following email conditions will not be considered.
Email conditions
1.
Applications must be submitted as a single Word or rtf (rich text format) document.
2.
All aspects of the application, including the project details, must be completed using Arial 12 pt font.
3.
The completed signature page of the application form (only) must be sent to the ABRS as a PDF
document and attached with the emailed application.
4.
Email applications will receive an automated reply from the ABRS on receipt of the application. If
this acknowledgment is not received it is the responsibility of the applicant to contact the
ABRS to ensure that the application was submitted correctly. If your application is sent via
posted hardcopy, please contact the Grants Officer for confirmation of receipt.
5.
The ABRS accepts no responsibility for emailed applications that arrive with altered formatting. The
ABRS staff will check the formatting of emailed applications upon receipt and may contact applicants
requesting a resubmission if there are any problems. A resubmission must be made within 48 hours
of such a request and may require a hard copy delivery or faxed submission. No part of the
Guidelines and Application Pack should be deleted prior to submission.
Please DO NOT alter this form in any way by deleting instructions, headings or text.
These are embedded within the form for administrative purposes.
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Question 1: Applicant details
Salutation/Family name
Given name
Address
State/Territory/Postcode
Phone number (including area code)
Email
Residential status
Study Completion Date
Question 2: Institution and Supervisor details
Institution
Address of Institution
Supervisor/s
Supervisor Phone
Supervisor Email
Institution Research Office
Contact Name, Phone Number and
email address
Please also attach a copy of the Curriculum Vitae (CV) of your supervisor/s. Please
keep CVs to a maximum of four pages.
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Question 3: Applicant education
Please list your tertiary qualifications, commencing with the highest level of qualification
obtained.
Undergraduate/higher degrees
Level of Honours
Year completed
Institution
Please add additional rows as necessary.
Do you currently hold a scholarship? Please place an X in the applicable box below.
YES:
Please provide further details below.
NO:
Please proceed to Question 4.
Please provide details of any scholarships:
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Question 4: Project Details
Please describe the work to be funded with the Research Supplement in the context of
your current Ph.D. research project, using a maximum of one page and the subheadings
supplied below. Please note: page limits do not include application guidelines.
Target group of organisms
To select which category of organism the proposal targets, please place an X in the
appropriate box in the Core Taxa Group table OR complete the Institutional Taxa Group
table. See Attachment A for more information about Bush Blitz taxa groups.
Core Taxa Group:
Vascular Plants
Vertebrates (Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians)
Lycosidae (wolf spiders)
Mygalomorphae (trapdoor and primitive spiders)
Papilionoidea (butterflies)
Gastropoda (terrestrial and freshwater snails)
Odonata (dragonflies)
Heteroptera (true bugs)
Institutional Taxa Group:
Name of taxa group
Institution for which the taxa group is a priority
Project title
[Please use a short descriptive title of no more than 20 words.]
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Summary of project
[In no more than 200 words, please describe the proposed work, including the research
procedures you intend to use, why the work is scientifically significant and how it relates to
Bush Blitz objectives (specifically referring to the material described in Attachment A –
Bush Blitz objectives, taxa groups and their collection and Attachment B - Priority Areas for
Research Grants 1: Biodiversity, Conservation and Vulnerable and Endangered Species).
Applicants must indicate in which regions of Australia they wish to be involved in Bush
Blitz survey work and from which regions they require specimens. Please specify State or
Territory and/or IBRA (Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia) region.]
This text may be drawn upon for Bush Blitz publicity.
Outcomes
[In no more than 200 words, briefly outline any publications or products resulting from the
project.]
[Estimate the number of taxa to be described by indicating in the relevant column below.]
Protists
Algae
Fungi /
Lichens
Bryophytes
Vascular
plants
e.g. 12 revised
3 described
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Terrestrial
vertebrates
Terrestrial
invertebrates
Question 5: Budget
Please provide details of the use of the research supplement.
Expected additional costs of project
Description
$
Total
$10,000
Please add additional rows as necessary.
Please note: Ph.D. Research Supplement recipients will have the opportunity to
participate in one Bush Blitz survey, with all logistical support and salary provided.
Applicants therefore do not need to include costs associated with attendance in Bush Blitz
field work in their applications.
Question 6: Science communication
experience
[Research Supplement recipients may work with volunteers and be invited to be involved
in activities promoting Bush Blitz and species discovery. In no more than 100 words,
describe your experiences engaging with non-scientists about science research and
communicating science research in interesting ways.]
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Question 7: Academic referees
[Please give the details of two persons who have been asked to support your application.
Your referees should be research scientists who are familiar with your most recent work.
One referee should be the Head of the Department or School.]
Title/Given name/Surname
Address
State/Territory/Postcode
Phone
………/ ………………
Fax
………/ ………………
Email
Title/Given name/Surname
Address
State/Territory/Postcode
Phone
………/ ………………
Fax
………/ ………………
Email
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Important information
You must read this page
Freedom of Information
All relevant documents are subject to freedom of information (FOI) and are available by making a valid
application, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982, to the
FOI Officer
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Protection of information
The ABRS Advisory Committee evaluates applications for grants with the assistance of peers in the scientific
community both within Australia and overseas. Names of assessors are not released to applicants.
Assessors of applications are requested to destroy their copy of the application after completing their
assessment. This destruction must be by shredding or pulping, or in the case of electronic records, rendering
the copy unreadable. The ABRS Advisory Committee and the ABRS officers are bound to observe
confidentiality.
Appeals mechanism
The ABRS has an appeals mechanism for those applicants who believe their proposal has been unfairly
treated in terms of administrative procedures only. Appeals in relation to the content of the proposal,
assessor reports or academic judgments made by the Advisory Committee will not be heard. The Advisory
Committee will not participate in discussions relating to academic judgments made on grant applications.
Applicants wishing to appeal against a decision, based on administrative procedures, may do so by notifying
the Director of the ABRS in writing. Appeals must be lodged within 28 days from the date on the letter of
notification of the outcome of a grant application. An appeals panel of three people will be convened to
consider appeals. If the appeals panel finds evidence that the original decision was the result of undue
administrative process, it will direct that the application be reappraised.
Submission of reports and acknowledgment of Bush Blitz
In submitting this application, the applicant agrees, if successful, to provide the ABRS with reports by the due
dates. Grant recipients also agree to acknowledge support from Bush Blitz partners in any published extract,
poster or paper.
Working with volunteers and publicity activities
In submitting this application, the applicant agrees, if successful, to work with volunteers on Bush Blitz
surveys and to participate in activities promoting Bush Blitz and species discovery, where required.
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You must read and sign this page
Certification for Applicant
I certify to the best of my knowledge that:

I have read, understood and agree to all conditions contained in the Important
information section of this document, and

All the details on this application are correct and complete.
Signature of student
Name of student
Date
……/….../20.....
Certification for Administering Institution
I certify that:

adequate research support and facilities will be made available for the student

institutional equipment and resources will be available for the duration of the project,
and

the institution is prepared to administer this research supplement.
Signature of supervisor
Name and designation of supervisor
Institution
Date
……/….../20.....
Signature of Head of Administering Institution (or nominee)
Name and designation of Head of
Administering Institution (or nominee)
Institution
Date
……/….../20.....
The ABRS must receive a signed hard copy OR a signed PDF of this page, submitted
with your application. See Checklist for more information.
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Checklist
Please read this list and ensure you have completed all items prior to submitting your application. Have you:
 Filled in all questions using Arial font 12 point type?
 Completed the Project Details section using the supplied subheadings and not exceeding the
page limit (excluding application guidelines)?
 Addressed question/s relating to Bush Blitz materials using Attachment A?
 Addressed one or more of the Priority Areas for Research Grants in Attachment B?
 Attached your supervisor/s CV (maximum of four pages per CV).
 Signed the application?
 Had the application signed by your supervisor?
 Had the application signed by the Administering Institution?
Once you have answered yes to all these questions, you should:
 Submit your application, any CVs and a PDF of the signature page (only) by email by the closing date
OR
 Submit all documentation as a posted hardcopy by the closing date. All documents must be received
in the ABRS Office by the closing date to be accepted. It is your responsibility to ensure the
application is received by the due date.
Address to which to send documentation:
By Email
abrs.grants@environment.gov.au
Business Address
Grants Officer
Australian Biological Resources Study
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
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Attachment A: Bush Blitz objectives, taxa
groups and their collection
Bush Blitz objectives

To promote, publicise and demonstrate the importance of taxonomy through the vehicle of species
discovery.

To undertake a national species discovery program targeted at recently acquired properties of the
National Reserve System of Australia.

To support the science of taxonomy in Australia through training students and early career
researchers, providing grants for species description and resolution of taxonomically problematic,
nationally important groups.

To promote partnerships between science, governments, industry and non-government
organisations.

To inform the National Reserve System, Reserve Managers and other stakeholders of the results of
the Bush Blitz Project.
Applications must specify what Bush Blitz material, or what material proposed to be collected as part of Bush
Blitz, will be studied.
There are two options for identifying what material will be used in grants:
1. Core Taxa
There are a number of taxa targeted for collection in most Bush Blitz surveys. These are:


Vascular Plants
Terrestrial Vertebrates (^birds, ^mammals, reptiles, amphibians)

Lycosidae (wolf spiders)

Mygalomorphae (trapdoor and primitive spiders)

Papilionoidea (butterflies)

Gastropoda (terrestrial and freshwater snails)

Odonata (dragonflies)

Heteroptera (true bugs)
^Birds and mammals will be collected in most surveys only in the event of a relevant grant. Material
from these taxa groups will be held at various institutions and available for use by applicants.
2. Institutional Taxa
There are a number of taxa flagged by individual collections institutions as collection and research
priorities under Bush Blitz. If the application is related to these taxa groups, the application must
specify:

the taxa group

for which institution the taxa group is a priority

from what regions of Australia material is required, and

whether the applicant is prepared to assist with collection of the taxa group through Bush Blitz
field work.
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It is the responsibility of the applicant to contact collections institutions about their priorities.
Please note: Applicants do not need to include costs associated with their involvement in Bush Blitz
field work in their application. This will be covered as part of the Bush Blitz program. Instead,
applicants need to indicate in which regions they wish to be involved in surveying and from which
regions they require specimens.
Pre-existing material from collections may also be used in Bush Blitz taxonomy and systematics projects.
Applications should specify how this will be undertaken.
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Attachment B: Priority Areas for Research
Grants 2012/2013
1. Biodiversity, Conservation and Vulnerable and Endangered
Species
Taxonomic and systematics research provides information that is fundamental to the
understanding and management of our biological world. Researchers are required to
demonstrate the intended project will encompass one or more of the following areas:
1.1 Documenting Australia’s Biodiversity:
Studies that contribute to documentation of Australia’s biodiversity, through
identification, revision and documentation of understudied taxonomic groups
-
This may include, for example, studies of taxonomic groups in largely unexplored
habitats or molecular projects that make genetic information publicly available.
1.2 Conservation:
Taxonomic research that provides critical data underpinning national responses to
human-induced change, for conservation planning or for the rehabilitation of degraded
environments
-
This may include, for example, taxonomic or systematic research on a group likely
to be effective as an indicator of climate change, or focussed taxonomic research
on a region subject to major development.
1.3 Vulnerable and Endangered Species:
Taxonomic research that contributes to a greater knowledge of Australia’s vulnerable
and endangered biological heritage, especially that listed under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
-
This may include, for example, a revision of a genus to clearly establish the
taxonomic position and conservation status of undescribed species, including
species currently listed under the EPBC Act.
1.4 Identifying Australia’s Biodiversity:
Tools and products that contribute to the identification of Australia’s biodiversity
-
This may include, for example, an identification key for a taxonomic group at a
national scale.
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