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
2 August 2010
Applications close
29 October 2010
Applicants notified of results
February 2011
Successful applicants receive first payment
1 July 2011
Closing date for 2011/2012 applications is
29 October 2010.
Late applications will not be considered.
No part of the Guidelines and
Application form should be deleted
when submitting your application. Only
complete and unaltered Application
forms will be accepted.
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Contents
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA .................................................................................................................................... 3
EMAIL CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 3
GRANT TYPE ........................................................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
QUESTION 1: APPLICANT DETAILS ..................................................................................................................... 4
QUESTION 3: APPLICANT EDUCATION ................................................................................................................ 4
QUESTION 4: PROJECT DETAILS ....................................................................................................................... 5
QUESTION 5: BUDGET ...................................................................................................................................... 7
QUESTION 6: SCIENCE COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE........................................................................................ 7
QUESTION 7: ACADEMIC REFEREES .................................................................................................................. 8
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ........................................................................................................................... 9
CERTIFICATION FOR APPLICANT ............................................................................................................... 10
CHECKLIST .................................................................................................................................................... 11
ATTACHMENT A: BUSH BLITZ TAXA GROUPS AND THEIR COLLECTION............................................ 12
ATTACHMENT B: PRIORITY AREAS FOR RESEARCH GRANTS ............................................................ 13
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Read this before you start 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 your application has
been received by 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 font in 12
point.
3. The signed signature page of the application form (only) must be sent to ABRS as a PDF
document and attached with your emailed application.
4. Email applications will receive an auto reply from ABRS on receipt of the application. If this
acknowledgment is not received it is your responsibility to contact ABRS to ensure that
your application has been received. If your application is sent via posted hardcopy, please
contact the Grants Policy Officer for confirmation of receipt.
5. ABRS accepts no responsibility for emailed applications that arrive with altered formatting. 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 submitting.
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
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.
Question 3: Applicant education
Please list your tertiary qualifications, commencing with the highest level of qualification
obtained.
Undergraduate/higher degrees
Level of Honours
Please add additional rows as necessary.
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Year completed
Institution
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:
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.
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)
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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.]
Summary of project
[This text may be drawn upon for Bush Blitz publicity.]
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 (specifically referring to the material described in Attachment A 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.
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
Page 6 of 13
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 to the
FOI Officer
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
Appeals mechanism
There is an appeals mechanism for those applicants who believe their proposal has been unfairly treated in
terms of the administrative procedures only. Appeals in relation to the content of the proposal or academic
judgments made by the ABRS Advisory Committee will not be heard. The ABRS Advisory Committee will not
participate in discussion 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 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 the
application be reappraised.
Submission of reports and acknowledgment of Bush Blitz
In submitting this application, the applicant agrees, if successful, to provide 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.....
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?

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 four pages).

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 must submit your application (PDF word document)
and a secure PDF of the signature page by email by the closing date.
Address to which to send documentation:
By Email
abrs.grants@environment.gov.au
Business Address
Grants Policy Officer
Australian Biological Resources Study
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
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Attachment A:
Bush Blitz taxa groups and their collection
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.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to contact collections institutions about their priorities.
Please note: Applicants do not need to cost involvement in Bush Blitz field work in their applications
as 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
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 a
molecular project providing taxonomic insight into a taxa group where morphological taxonomy
has failed to make an impact.
1.2 Conservation:
Taxonomic research that provides critical data underpinning national responses to humaninduced change, for conservation planning (particularly as regards the long-term biodiversity
conservation objectives of the National Reserve System), or for the rehabilitation of degraded
environments
- This may include, for example, taxonomic or systematics research on a group likely to be
effective as an indicator of climate change.
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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