Office of Research Services
RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT GRANT SCHEME (REGS) 2016
REGS aims to assist early to mid-career academics increase their competitiveness for external
research funding (as a sole applicant). Activities supported include building a competitive track
record by publication, nurturing collaborative relationships, and strengthening internal and/or
external partnerships for future nationally competitive grant proposals.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Eligibility Questions
E1: I am on a short-term contract. Can I still apply?
A. You can apply if your contract extends until 31 December 2016. If you are aware that your
contract will be extended, but has not been at the time of application, your Head of
School/Institute Director needs to confirm on your application that a contract
extension/renewal has been considered.
E2: Can I submit more than one REGS application at the same time as a CI?
A. No. One application as a CI per person is permitted. Applicants can be named CI on their
application and as a Project Team member on another.
E3: I received REGS funding in 2013. Can I apply for this round?
A. Yes. However, if you received REGS funding in 2014 or 2015, you are not eligible.
E4: I (or a member of my Project Team) received Conference Support funding in 2014 or 2015. Can
I apply for this round or REGS?
A. Yes
E5. What industry experience is equivalent to a PhD?
A. This would apply to an experienced nurse for example, who has recently moved into a
research position. It will be determined by application. You need to set out your industry
experience in your application, under Project Details ‘Research capacity – demonstrate the
researcher’s capacity to deliver the project’.
E6: How is the 12 year limit for holding a PhD calculated?
A. The 12 year limit starts from the date the PhD was awarded and excludes extensive leave
breaks for activities such as:
 Working in non-Academic role/s;
 Maternity / paternity leave;
 Carers leave; and
 Illness.
Further, part-time work is counted proportionately. For example, if you worked in an
Academic role at 50% for one year post PhD, that is counted as six months.
If you are claiming any of the above to explain why more than 12 years have elapsed since
your PhD was awarded, please include the explanation in your covering email, with your
Application Form.
E7: Can Honorary appointments apply?
A. No.
E8: Do all Project Team members have to fit the eligibility requirements or just the CI?
A. The CI must meet eligibility requirements, but other Project Team members do not.
REGS FAQ - Last updated: 16 November 2016
E9. I am named on a current nationally competitive grant, can I still apply?
A. If you are named as first CI on a current Australian Competitive Research Grant (Category 1 –
excluding Fellowship grants) you are ineligible to apply for REGS.
E10. I am the first-named CI on a nationally competitive Fellowship grant. Can I apply?
A. Yes, holders of Fellowship grants can apply for REGS, even if the Fellowship is Category 1
(listed on the Australian Competitive Grants Register).
E11. Can I have held nationally competitive grants before this application is submitted?
A. Yes; however, you are not eligible to apply if the grant is still current at the REGS closing date
of 20 November 2015 and you are the first-named CI.
E12. What if I am the first-named CI and successful on a nationally competitive grant (Category 1 –
excluding Fellowship grants) prior to this application being submitted?
A. If the contract has been signed by both parties and you are the first-named CI then your
application is ineligible.
E13. What if a member of the REGS Project Team is the first-named CI on a nationally competitive
grant (Category 1)? Can they work on the project?
A. Yes. The Project Team members do not need to meet eligibility requirements.
E14. Do you have to have internal co-funding for this grant?
A. No. Co-funding is not required.
Eligible Expenditure Questions
X1. Can I use REGS funds for travel and conference travel support?
A. Yes, provided that this is critical for achieving your project objectives. There is no Research
Conference Central Support Scheme in 2016.
X2. Within the grant limits ($15k), how much funding should I request?
A. This depends on your project. Your budget should be a realistic request for funds needed.
X3. Can I use the funding to meet with research collaborators interstate or overseas?
A. Yes, you can use the funding to meet with research collaborators provided that this is critical
for achieving your project objectives.
X4. Can I use the funding to pay for salaries?
A. The funding may be used to pay for a research assistant, technical staff or services,
administrative staff. Funding may be used to pay for the CI’s researcher/teaching time provided
that this is critical for achieving your project objectives.
X5. Can funding be used at another university or industry partner who is collaborating on the
project?
A. No. Funding cannot be transferred to other universities or industry partners. REGS is for internal
purposes only.
REGS FAQ - Last updated: 16 November 2016
X6. Can I use the funding for equipment purchases or external service provider?
A. Yes, provided that the equipment/service is critical for achieving your projects objectives
and achieving the aims of REGS. Equipment purchased though REGS remains the property
of the University. Research services cannot be subcontracted to, for example, an external
provider.
X7. The project must be completed by 31 December 2016, why do I have to spend all the funds by
1 December 2016?
A. The earlier date of 1 December 2016 is intended to reflect the cut-off dates required by
Finance. We do not have an exact date for this Finance requirement as yet for 2016, but it
will be prior to 31 December.
Application format Questions
A1. Do references need to be included within the page limits, or can these be additional?
A. References can be provided in addition to the space allowed for your Project Details.
A2. Do all Project Team members need to provide their CV and WARP record?
A. No. Only the CI needs to provide his/her CV and WARP record.
A3. Will WARP be used to assess applications?
A. Your WARP record will be used to assess your research outputs and your CV will be used to
assess your other achievements.
A4. What version of WARP report is required?
A. The best report is ‘Find an Expert’. This is accessible here:
https://rmdb.research.utas.edu.au/public/rmdb/q/indiv_detail_warp_ko. Add your name to
produce the report. You will then need to paste the result into a word document or use
‘print preview’ and then ‘print to pdf’ to produce a pdf version for attaching to your
application.
A5. How detailed should my budget be?
A. The budget should include all major direct operating costs for the project such as salary,
travel, consumable and equipment purchases and expenses. It must fit within the one page
maximum limit for the section Project Details ‘Research Deliverables’.
A6. The due date to the Research Hub is 9.00 am Friday 20 November 2015. Is this the final date
for submission, or is there time for the Hubs to review and suggest amendment after this time?
A. 9.00 am, Friday 20 November 2015 is the final date for submission. After this time, the Hubs
will send applications to Central for processing and from there they will be distributed to the
ADRs to review. Should you require your application to be reviewed by the Hub prior to
finalisation, you will need to provide it to your Hub prior to the above deadline.
Project Outcome Questions
P1. Is there an appeals process?
A. No. Unsuccessful applicants can seek feedback from their Associate Dean (Research).
P2. What are the consequences of not delivering the outputs promised?
REGS FAQ - Last updated: 16 November 2016
A. The focus of the funding is to achieve outputs such as increasing academic competitiveness
for external research funding (as a sole applicant or in collaboration with other researchers).
Activities supported include building a competitive track record by publication, nurturing
collaborative relationships, and strengthening partnerships for a future Linkage proposal.
We understand that there are no guarantees when it comes to papers being accepted for
publication, or applications being funded. However we need to quantify research outputs
and measure our success. Final Reports will be used to assess outputs. Your outputs from
REGS 2016 will also be considered when you apply for future UTAS internal grant schemes.
P3. What kind and how many publications should I target?
A. Highly ranked journals, research books, and book chapters are the preferred target
publications. In some cases only one publication may be possible, but in other cases, several
journal articles and a research book chapter may be possible. Be realistic and selective
about your target publications.
P4. Can the funding be transferred to another UTAS CI?
A. No. The funding is specifically awarded to an individual CI. If the CI leaves UTas, the grant
must be relinquished. In the event that a member of the Project Team leaves, other team
members can be appointed.
REGS FAQ - Last updated: 16 November 2016