NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
PROGRAMME
Guidelines
2014
To be eligible for consideration, applications must be submitted by:
5pm [EDST] on Wednesday 5 November 2014
For further information on this programme contact:
Science Partnerships Section
Department of the Environment
Phone: 02 6274 1226
Email: research@environment.gov.au
National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PROGRAMME .......................................... 1
Purpose of the Guidelines.............................................................................................................. 1
Background ................................................................................................................................... 1
Objectives and outcomes............................................................................................................... 1
PROGRAMME DELIVERY ............................................................................................................... 2
Hubs .............................................................................................................................................. 2
Emerging Priorities ........................................................................................................................ 2
What is a hub?............................................................................................................................... 2
How will hubs operate? .................................................................................................................. 3
Hub governance ............................................................................................................................ 3
Hub steering committee ................................................................................................................. 3
Knowledge brokering and communication ..................................................................................... 3
Data requirements and accessibility............................................................................................... 4
Roles and responsibilities .............................................................................................................. 4
WHO AND WHAT WILL THE NESP FUND? .................................................................................... 5
Who can apply? ............................................................................................................................. 5
Multiple applications ...................................................................................................................... 5
What types of activities are eligible for NESP funding? .................................................................. 6
What activities are NOT eligible for NESP funding? ....................................................................... 6
What activities have NESP funding limitations? ............................................................................. 6
Funding availability ........................................................................................................................ 6
Applicant/third party contributions .................................................................................................. 6
What expenses are ineligible as applicant/third party contributions? .............................................. 6
What expenses have limited values as applicant/third party contributions?.................................... 6
Risk assessment............................................................................................................................ 7
Conflict of interest .......................................................................................................................... 7
HOW TO APPLY FOR FUNDING ..................................................................................................... 8
The NESP application form and supporting documents ................................................................. 8
What to include .............................................................................................................................. 8
ASSESSING APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION OF HUBS FOR FUNDING ................................... 8
Assessment process...................................................................................................................... 8
Eligibility of the application ............................................................................................................. 9
Merit of the proposed activities ...................................................................................................... 9
NOTIFICATION OF ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES .......................................................................... 10
PROBITY ........................................................................................................................................ 11
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ......................................................................................................... 11
INCOMPLETE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION .......................................................................... 11
CONDITIONS OF FUNDING .......................................................................................................... 11
The Funding Agreement .............................................................................................................. 11
Commencement date .................................................................................................................. 12
Payment of funding ...................................................................................................................... 12
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting ............................................................................................ 12
ABN ............................................................................................................................................. 12
Ethics and research practices ...................................................................................................... 12
Indigenous engagement .............................................................................................................. 12
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) .............................. 13
Other laws and approvals ............................................................................................................ 13
Insurance ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Promotion and publicity................................................................................................................ 13
DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION ................................................................................................. 13
COMPLAINTS AND DISPUTES ..................................................................................................... 14
National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
ABOUT THE NATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
PROGRAMME
The NESP is an ongoing programme with
funding of $25.5 million per year. Initial
investments will be for up to six years from
January 2015.
The scope of the National Environmental
Science Programme (NESP) is to deliver
applied environmental science, particularly
focused on biodiversity and climate systems
research.
Objectives and outcomes
The key objective of the NESP is to improve
our understanding of Australia’s environment
through collaborative research that delivers
accessible results and informs decisions.
The NESP is an ongoing programme that
funds environmental research to inform
Australian decision makers.
The NESP seeks to achieve its objective by
supporting research that:
Purpose of the Guidelines
The Guidelines outline the principles and
obligations for hubs, the Minister for the
Environment, the Department and other
stakeholders to assist the programme to
achieve its objectives.

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The Guidelines also provide a mechanism for
research organisations to apply for NESP
funding for research hubs and emerging
priorities research projects.
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To apply for funding under NESP, potential
applicants should consult these Guidelines
and all relevant documents and information
sources identified within these Guidelines and
provided at www.environment.gov.au/nesp.
These include but are not limited to the NESP:
Research Scope; Funding Agreement
template; application form; and Probity
Guidelines.
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Background
The Australian Government Department of the
Environment manages the NESP. The NESP
will be delivered through multi-disciplinary
research hubs or consortia, hosted by
Australian research institutions. We are
seeking consortia that can demonstrate
capacity to manage and lead a substantial
research program including multiple largescale research projects.
has a strong public-good focus
is end-user focused and addresses the
needs of the Australian Government and
other stakeholders in developing
evidence-based policy and improving
management of the Australian
environment
is innovative and internationally
recognised
enhances Australia’s environmental
research capacity
is collaborative and builds critical mass by
drawing on multiple disciplines, research
institutions and organisations to address
challenging research questions
produces meaningful results accessible to
government, industry and the community
includes synthesis and analysis of existing
knowledge
builds relationships between scientists and
policy-makers to encourage collaborative
problem solving on environmental issues.
NESP end-users will be a broad range of
stakeholders whose decisions may impact on
the environment, and include the Australian
Government, state governments, industry,
business and community groups.
The NESP is an amalgamation of the National
Environmental Research Program (NERP)
and the Australian Climate Change Science
Programme (ACCSP), and represents a
significant, long-term commitment to
environmental research in Australia. Existing
research activity in the above programmes will
continue until contracts end on 30 June 2015
(NERP) and 30 June 2016 (ACCSP).
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
The intended outcomes of the NESP are:
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Emerging Priorities
In addition to the six hubs, a small component
of funding will be available each year to
address emerging priorities.
enhanced understanding of, and capacity
to manage and conserve Australia’s
environment
improved climate and weather information
for Australia through a greater
understanding of the drivers of Australia’s
climate
timely research that is used by policy and
decision-makers to answer questions and
provide solutions to problems
research outcomes that are communicated
clearly to end-users and the general
public, and stored in a manner that is
discoverable and accessible.
The Department will accept small research
proposals to be considered for emerging
priorities funding on an annual basis, for
research commencing in the 2015/16 financial
year. Annual submission details will be
available on the Department’s website at
www.environment.gov.au/nesp.
The Minister will work with the Department to
determine research projects (based on
submitted proposals and other projects
identified by the Minister or the Department)
that will be addressed through emerging
priorities funding.
The NESP contributes to the Department’s
activities to provide a variety of environmental
and economic benefits to Australia across the
Department’s outcomes identified in the
Portfolio Budget Statements
(http://www.environment.gov.au/aboutus/accountability-reporting/budgetstatements).
NESP hubs, and other organisations
(including community groups) are eligible for
this funding either through grants or
procurement. Successful funding recipients
would be expected to contribute appropriate
co-investment to the project.
The NESP will generate research and
scientific evidence that will support the
Government in meeting its obligations under
international conventions, such as the
Convention on Biological Diversity, the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change and the Ramsar Convention on
Wetlands.
What is a hub?
The hub model encourages a collaborative
approach to developing and delivering
research objectives. Each hub should have
capacity to draw upon the resources of
researchers and environmental managers
who are leaders in their field.
PROGRAMME DELIVERY
A NESP hub will be:
 a consortium of institutions/organisations
 administered by a host institution that is an
Australian research institution
 led by a hub leader who is an outstanding
researcher of international repute working
for the host institution
 collaborative – within the hub, with the
Department, with other NESP hubs and
with the wider research community
 multi-disciplinary (environmental science,
economics and social science), with
researchers working in teams within and
across hubs
 focused on developing solutions to clearly
defined problems
 communicating research outcomes and
solutions that are used by government,
industry and the community in a timely
manner
Hubs
The NESP is a competitive merit-based grants
programme that will be delivered primarily
through six thematic hubs:
 Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub
 Earth Systems Hub
 Marine Biodiversity Hub
 Northern Australia Environmental
Resources Hub
 Threatened Species Recovery Hub
 Tropical Water Quality Hub.
Applicants must specify which hub they are
applying to deliver.
Indicative funding details for hubs and
emerging priorities and a description of the
research scope of each hub are on the
Department’s website at
www.environment.gov.au/nesp.
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
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flexible and adaptable to respond to the
Department’s guidance on research
priorities.
The host institution and the hub leader will be
responsible for the successful delivery of the
hub. The host institution will enter into the
Funding Agreement with the Department and
will be responsible for relevant administration,
including the receipt and expenditure of funds,
performance and financial reporting. The host
institution will subcontract the hub’s research
partner institutions and organisations. Each
hub will also nominate a hub leader who is a
principal researcher employed by the host
institution to provide science leadership for the
hub.
How will hubs operate?
Applicants will be selected for their science
leadership capability and their capacity to
deliver a high quality programme of research
in the theme of the hub.
Hubs will be expected to deliver a programme
of research incorporating short, medium and
long-term projects, with the flexibility to
reprioritise funding for new projects
throughout the life of the hub to respond to the
needs of the Minister, the Department and
other end-users.
Management costs should be kept to the
minimum required to provide an effective and
accountable governance model.
Hub steering committee
All hubs will have a Steering Committee
selected by the host institution and agreed by
the Department. The Steering Committee
must include an independent chair, lead
researchers and key end-users within the
Department or relevant portfolio agencies.
Where relevant the Steering Committee may
include other key stakeholders and end-users.
Funding will be available to hubs from January
2015. Initial funding will be for a three-month
planning phase (to March 2015). This phase
will include:
 working closely with the Department to
develop a Research Plan that describes
the programme of research that the hub
will deliver
 negotiating sub-contracts with research
partners
 implementing governance and
communication protocols for the hub
including:
o establishment of a Steering Committee
o development of strategies for hub
communications and knowledge
brokering, and Indigenous
engagement.
o development of a monitoring and
evaluation plan
 establishing cross-hub collaborations
including developing joint projects and
research partners.
The Steering Committee’s responsibilities will
include:
 providing strategic direction and oversight
for the activities and research conducted
by the hub
 review and endorsement of Research
Plans, progress and financial reports, prior
to approval by the Department
 ensuring alignment of the hub’s research
with the policy needs and interests of the
Department, portfolio agencies and other
research users.
The Funding Agreement will outline standard
Terms of Reference for each hub’s Steering
Committee.
Hubs will work closely with the Department in
developing their Research Plans. Hubs should
also seek input from other government
departments, levels of government,
environment non-government organisations,
Indigenous groups and industry.
Knowledge brokering and communication
Knowledge brokering1 and communication
activities are essential to the success of the
NESP.
Hub governance
Hubs should develop a governance structure
that includes a good balance of skills,
experience and independence, clear roles and
terms of reference, ethical and responsible
decision-making, and accountability.
1
Knowledge brokering focuses on connecting people
interested in an issue. It helps build relationships and networks
for sharing existing research and ideas and for stimulating new
work. Knowledge brokers provide links between different
entities or individuals that otherwise would not have any
relationship. It is a dynamic activity and is not simply focused on
moving information from a source to a recipient (Land & Water
Australia, 2005. Knowledge and Adoption Strategy—Managing
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
Each hub will be required to develop a
knowledge brokering and communication
strategy. The strategy should illustrate how
the hub will contribute to building relationships
and knowledge-sharing networks between
researchers, government, industry and
communities. The strategy should also detail
how the hub will facilitate adoption of research
outcomes by environmental decision makers
across government, industry and
communities.
an appropriate subject and/or institutional
repository.
The Department expects all NESP research
outputs to be made publicly available under a
creative commons licence, specifically the
latest version of the Creative Commons
Attribution licence. A commitment to meet this
expectation will be included in the Funding
Agreement.
Guidance on the Department’s expectations
about data accessibility will be made available
on the NESP website at
www.environment.gov.au/nesp.
The strategy must address:
 end-user engagement and understanding
their needs
 synthesis and analysis products targeted
at end-user needs
 facilitating co-learning across research
hubs and key end users
 a plan to ensure the ongoing availability of
research outputs beyond the life of the hub
for end-users
 bringing researchers, policy makers and
environmental managers together to
facilitate evidence-based decision-making
 promoting the hub’s research outputs and
the NESP to end-users and the
community.
Roles and responsibilities
The roles and responsibilities of each party
involved in the NESP are as follows:
The Minister for the Environment
The Minister has the sole discretion to
approve funding under the NESP. Following
the assessment process, the Department will
provide advice to the Minister on the ranking
and merits of each application for the
Minister’s final approval of funding.
The Minister will be responsible for approving
the hub’s initial Research Plans. The
Department will approve updates to the
Research Plans in consultation with the
Minister.
Hubs must set aside an appropriate portion of
their budgets to support development and
implementation of their knowledge brokering
and communication strategy. Funding must be
allocated to the following activities:
 the appointment of at least one specialist
communication officer and at least one
specialist knowledge broker
 the production of end-user friendly
products that make research and data
easily accessible and adoptable
 events that bring environmental end-users,
particularly the Government, and
researchers together on a regular basis
(including annual research forums,
seminars and research/policy workshops)
 cross-NESP meetings with hub leaders
 other activities agreed in the knowledge
brokering and communication strategy.
The Minister will be responsible for working
with the Department to identify emerging
issues and approving research to address
these with emerging priorities funding.
The Department of the Environment
The Department will be responsible for
assessing programme applications to ensure
that applications represent efficient, effective,
economical and ethical use of Commonwealth
resources, as required by Commonwealth
legislation, and whether any specific
requirements will need to be imposed as a
condition of funding. The Department will use
a panel of Departmental officers to assess
applications. The chair of the panel will be an
officer of the Department at the Senior
Executive Service level. The panel will have
the potential to draw on external advice where
necessary.
Data requirements and accessibility
The Department expects that all outputs from
the NESP will be made publicly and freely
accessible and available on the internet and
that researchers deposit research outputs in
information and knowledge for adoption outcomes, Canberra,
ACT).
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
The Department will be responsible for
working with the Minister in determining
Government research priorities for NESP
hubs and negotiating Research Plans with
successful hubs. The Department will ensure
that the research described in the hub’s
Research Plans meets the Department’s
needs and represents good value for the
Government’s investment. This will occur
initially during the early stages of the
programme and will continue with research
prioritisation, negotiation and approval of the
hub’s annual updates of the Research Plans.
WHO AND WHAT WILL THE NESP
FUND?
Who can apply?
Applications are being sought from
collaborative, multi-disciplinary (covering
where relevant environmental, social and
economic research disciplines) and multiinstitution/organisation consortiums or groups.

The Department’s responsibilities also
include:
 administering the NESP
 providing secretariat support to the
assessment panel
 providing comment to the panel on
applications with regard to the
Government's policy needs
 advising the Minister on the ranking and
merits of proposed grants, based on the
advice of the assessment panel
 having a representative on the Steering
Committee of each hub
 ensuring a fair selection process, in line
with these Guidelines, the APS code of
conduct and the Public Governance,
Performance and Accountability Act 2013
 notifying the Chair of the assessment
panel of any actual or perceived conflicts
of interest
 working with the Minister to identify
emerging issues and develop projects to
be funded from emerging priorities funding
 reporting progress of the programme to
the Minister.
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The consortium must nominate a host
institution (who will submit the application
on behalf of the consortium) and a
principal researcher employed by the host
institution to act as the hub leader.
The host institution must be an Australian
research institution. This can be any
existing public or private research
institution, including Cooperative Research
Centres.
The host institution must:
o be capable of administering research
funds
o have a clearly established track
record of managing research
o be accountable for the performance
and quality of the research.
All partner organisations must have
consent of an authorised officer or board.
To be eligible for grant funding you must be a
legal entity, such as:
 legally incorporated organisations
 companies
 trusts
 local or state government authorities
or
 corporate Commonwealth entities and
Commonwealth companies.
You may not be eligible to apply if you have
breached the terms of a previous Australian
Government programme or grant, for example
an overdue final report and/or acquittal.
Applicants
It is the applicant’s responsibility to:
 be fully and properly informed of the
requirements of the NESP, these
Guidelines, and the application process
 ensure that your application documents
are complete and accurate
 identify any information contained within
your application which should be treated
as confidential and provide justification
 inform the Department of any changes to
your circumstances that may affect your
application or eligibility under the NESP.
Multiple applications
Applicants can submit more than one
application. Applicants, institutions and
organisations may also be consortium
members on more than one application. The
capacity of the applicant, institution or
organisation to deliver or participate in each
hub they have applied for will be taken into
consideration during the assessment process.
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
What types of activities are eligible for
NESP funding?
The NESP is intended to fund public-good,
robust, peer-reviewed, collaborative and enduser driven research.
outcomes that are of direct benefit to the
research projects conducted by the hub.
Funding availability
NESP funding is approximately $25.5 million
per calendar year. The initial funding period
for NESP hubs will be up to six years,
commencing January 2015. The amount of
funding varies during the first two years.
Programme funding will be distributed across
six hubs, as well as emerging priorities
funding. Funding levels for the programme
and indicative funding levels for each hub are
available at www.environment.gov.au/nesp.
NESP hubs and emerging priorities may be
extended for an additional two years if the
Government considers it to be in the
programme’s interests at the time. Eligibility
for, and approval of extension funding is at the
Minister’s discretion.
Each application must address only one of the
six thematic hubs, listed in the section ‘Hubs’.
NESP funding is to be directed primarily to the
conduct, collaboration and communication of
research. NESP funds are intended to be
primarily spent in Australia. Funding may be
used for:
 salaries for researchers and support staff,
fellowships and student stipends, and
direct salary on-costs
 direct support costs of research
 indirect support costs of research
 capital items, such as equipment
necessary for conducting research.
Programme funds must only be spent for the
purposes of undertaking the Activities of the
hub as specified in the Funding Agreement.
Applicant/third party contributions
All hubs are expected to commit and deliver to
the programme a level of co-investment (cash
and in-kind contributions) equivalent to or
greater than the amount of NESP funding they
receive. All partner organisations in a hub are
expected to contribute resources to the hub.
What activities are NOT eligible for NESP
funding?
Funding will not be approved for:
 individual researchers for small scale,
individual projects (except where these
are approved out of the emerging
priorities funding)
 work that duplicates other research
activities
 any activities that have already incurred
expenditure (retrospective funding)
 on-ground research conducted outside
Australia
 purchasing, or paying for the construction
or renovation of facilities such as
buildings, laboratories etc.
 transfer or buying of property
 purchase of vehicles.
Access to large capital items provided as nonstaff in-kind contributions must be valued
proportionally to the usage by the NESP and
based on the running costs and depreciation
of the capital item. Cash and in-kind resources
from participants are treated equally for
determining the ‘matching’ contributions
against the NESP grant.
The Minister may reduce or terminate NESP
funding for a hub where the participants do
not deliver or seek to reduce their
contributions.
What expenses are ineligible as
applicant/third party contributions?
Expenses for work you have already
undertaken or plan to undertake after the
timeframe of the Funding Agreement are not
eligible to be counted as applicant/third party
contributions to the programme.
What activities have NESP funding
limitations?
Programme funds must not be used to pay for
staff or other resources committed as in-kind
contributions under the Funding Agreement.
NESP funds are not intended to be used for
international travel unless the purpose of the
travel will deliver high levels of benefit for the
programme and the hub’s research. The
international travel must provide research
What expenses have limited values as
applicant/third party contributions?
When assessing the relative merit of
applications the following applicant/third party
contributions to the programme will be
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
considered as having a lower value than
contributions which are directly attributable to
or relate directly to the activities of the hub:
?
salary expenses where these expenses
are not clearly attributable to the activities
of the hub and are related to the normal
ongoing operations of an organisation
?
administrative support and overheads
where these expenses are not clearly
demonstrated to be additional to the
normal day to day running costs of the
organisation and are not shown to relate
directly to the activities of the hub, i.e.
offsetting normal administrative overheads
is not eligible
?
purchase and/or hire of plant and
equipment and/or building of infrastructure
where it is not proven that it is considered
essential to the achievement of specific
hub outcomes.

Risk assessment
Applicants are required to conduct a self
assessment of the potential risks in
conducting the activities in their hubs. Please
provide this in the Governance and Budget
Section of the application form.
Conflict of interest
Applicants are required to declare as part of
their application, existing or perceived
conflicts of interest that would, or may impact
on, or prevent the applicant proceeding with
the programme in accordance with the
Funding Agreement it may enter into with the
Government.
Where an applicant subsequently identifies
that an actual, apparent, or potential conflict of
interest exists or might arise in relation to their
application for funding, the applicant must
inform the Department in writing immediately.
A conflict of interest may exist, for example, if
the applicant or any of its personnel:
 has a relationship (whether professional,
commercial or personal) with a party who
is able to influence the application
assessment process, such as a
Departmental staff member
 has a relationship with, or interest in, an
organisation, which is likely to interfere
with or restrict the applicant in carrying out
7
the proposed activities fairly and
independently
has a relationship with, or interest in, an
organisation from which they will receive
personal gain as a result of the granting of
funding under the programme.
National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
certify the application before submitting it. In
submitting a signed final application, the host
institution and all partners nominated are
consenting to the application being assessed
under the NESP’s assessment process.
HOW TO APPLY FOR FUNDING
The NESP application form and supporting
documents
All requests for funding must be received on
the NESP application form.
Applicants must indicate in the application
form that they have obtained letters of support
from all the partner organisations named in
the application. The Department may request
copies of these letters. The letters of support
should outline the organisation’s proposed
input to the hub, and specify their cash and inkind contribution percentage relative to the
NESP funding they will receive. The letters
must be signed by a person authorised to
make such commitments on behalf of the
organisation.
The Department has developed an on-line
application system for the NESP. To access
this system go to:
www.environment.gov.au/nesp and follow the
instructions.
If you cannot apply using the on-line system,
please contact the Science Partnerships
Section at research@environment.gov.au or
by phoning (02) 6274 1226 to discuss
potential alternative arrangements for
applying.
To be eligible for consideration, applications
must be submitted by 5pm [EDST] on
Wednesday 5 November 2014. Late
applications will be considered ineligible and
will not be assessed.
To assist with the assessment of an
application, further information may be
requested by the Department. Applicants will
be notified by email, post or phone call where
this is required. Applicants should be available
during the selection phase for an interview if
requested.
For further information, please contact the
Science Partnerships Section by phone on
(02) 6274 1226 or by email at
research@environment.gov.au.
ASSESSING APPLICATIONS AND
SELECTION OF HUBS FOR
FUNDING
What to include
As there are limited funds available through
the programme, all applications will be
assessed and ranked based on information
provided in the application form. Please read
these Guidelines carefully and contact us if
you have any questions.
Assessment process
The Government is committed to ensuring that
the process for funding hubs under the
programme is fair and in accordance with the
current Commonwealth Grants Rules and
Guidelines.
Applications will be assessed by the
Department against eligibility criteria that must
be met in order for an application to be
considered further. Each eligible application
will then be assessed on its merits and
suitability for the programme, as well as being
compared to other applications submitted.
The NESP application form allows an
applicant sufficient opportunity to describe
how the hub will form and operate. The
applicant is expected to provide all the
necessary information for assessment without
the need for further written or oral explanation,
or reference to additional documentation.
In completing the application, applicants
should address the merit criteria outlined in
these Guidelines and specify which of the six
thematic hubs they are applying to deliver. All
details in the application must be current at
the time of submission.
An assessment panel from the Department
will assess applications. Advice from the panel
will inform Departmental recommendations
made to the Minister, for final decision. The
Department may engage independent
scientific experts to assist the panel with the
assessment of applications if required.
The hub leader and an authorised
representative of the host institution must
The Minister will make the final decision on
the selection of successful applicants.
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
Applications may be approved either in full or
in part, and approvals may include specific
conditions.
priority to low priority or not recommended for
funding.
Merit assessment/ranking criteria:
Applications will be competitively ranked and
will need to score highly on each of the
following merit criteria:
In selecting applications for funding, the
Minister may select strategic or exceptional
projects from outside the competitive hub
funding round, provided such projects meet
the objectives of the programme. Any such
decisions will be at the sole discretion of the
Minister.
Merit Criteria 1: (35%)
National scientific and research leadership
capability in the hub theme
This will be assessed for the consortium as a
whole, rather than for a single researcher or
institution. Factors that will be considered
include:
Eligibility of the application
Applications will initially be assessed against a
set of eligibility criteria drawn from the
considerations outlined in the section ‘Who
and what will the NESP Fund?’ All eligibility
criteria must be met in order for the
application to be eligible and progress to the
merit assessment phase.

Eligibility criteria:
 the application must be received by the
Department or postmarked by 5pm
[EDST] Wednesday 5 November 2014 as
outlined in the section ‘How to Apply for
Funding’
 the application must be submitted on the
NESP application form unless otherwise
agreed with the Department
 the applicant must be an eligible legal
entity as outlined in the ‘Who and What
will the NESP fund?’ section
 the applicant must be representing a
multi-institutional consortium
 the applicant must be an Australian
research institution – i.e. any existing
public or private research institution,
including Cooperative Research Centres
 the applicant must have identified a
principal researcher employed by the host
institution to act as the hub leader
 all partner organisations must have
consent of an authorised officer or board
 the applicant must specify which of the six
thematic hubs they are applying to deliver
 the applicant must be seeking funding
only for eligible activities.
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Merit of the proposed activities
Once an application is assessed as eligible, it
is progressed to the merit assessment phase.
In this competitive assessment phase, the
assessment panel ranks applications against
each other, producing a list running from high
9
Key researchers’ demonstrated scientific
expertise and history of scientific
leadership in the research area of the
nominated hub
o breadth of expertise across the range
of disciplines required to address the
targeted research priorities of the
hub, including social and economic
research capacity where appropriate.
o individual researchers’ depth of
scientific experience, as well as
number of researchers with adequate
depth of experience to be able to
provide scientific leadership in the
hub theme.
Demonstrated history of delivering
effective and high-impact research,
including practical research applications.
Evidence could include demonstrating the
impact of research outputs such as
publications and presentations, reports
and decision-support tools developed for
government, industry or community endusers. Particular value will be placed on
products that are tailored to end-users and
directly inform decision-making and/or onground management.
Links to existing research projects, groups,
organisations and fora relevant to the
research area.
Degree to which the proposed hub
structure will build Australia’s research
capacity through development of PhD and
post-doctoral researchers.
National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines

Merit Criteria 2: (35%)
Capacity to plan and lead a substantial crossdisciplinary research programme
Factors that will be considered include:

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Demonstrated ability to plan or develop a
substantial programme of research,
addressing a research theme with multiple
individual and interacting projects.
Demonstrated flexibility in delivering a
research programme including responding
to new priorities as they emerge.
Demonstrated capacity to collaborate with
other researchers, including across
institutions and across disciplines, to
achieve the best possible research
outcomes. This may include adding new
research partners through the life of the
programme as necessary.
Proposed governance structure that
provides a clear mechanism to reach
agreement across the consortium
regarding research projects and funding
distribution, and to work with the
Department in the development of
research plans.
Demonstrated capacity to provide the
scientific support, guidance and leadership
required to deliver high-quality research
across a large multi-disciplinary research
programme.
Demonstrated ability to provide timely
answers to questions and solutions to
problems.
Demonstrated Indigenous consultation
and engagement, and consideration of
Indigenous engagement within the
activities of the hub including ethics,
employment, consultation and
engagement, knowledge sharing and
cultural awareness.
Merit Criteria 4: (20%)
Communication, knowledge brokering,
synthesis and analysis
Factors that will be considered include:
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We will acknowledge receipt of your
application in writing (via email or mail) as
soon as possible after the closing date.
Factors that will be considered include:

Demonstrated ability to coordinate
communication and reporting of research
outcomes to government, decision-makers
and other end-users.
Demonstrated ability to analyse and
synthesise research to produce outputs
that are useful to and are adopted by endusers.
Effective knowledge brokering in the hub’s
research area, such as:
o demonstrated history of building
knowledge-sharing networks between
researchers, government, industry
and/or communities
o proposed activities to facilitate
adoption of research outcomes by
environmental decision-makers
across multiple levels of government
as well as industry and communities.
NOTIFICATION OF ASSESSMENT
OUTCOMES
Merit Criteria 3: (10%)
Risk management, managerial and financial
competency

Details of the financial management
systems and policies that are in place to
financially acquit expenditure of grant
monies and deliver required project
reporting.
Identification of key risks (i.e. what could
delay or prevent the hub from delivering
outcomes in the agreed timeframe) and
adequacy of proposed treatments to
minimise or manage key risks. Applicants
should address the key risks in the
application form under the Capacity and
Governance risk assessment.
After the Minister has approved applications
for funding, all applicants will be informed in
writing (via email or mail) whether or not their
application has been successful.
Demonstrated capacity of the applicant to
administer a large multi-institutional
research programme, including contract
and project management.
Demonstrated experience and defined
processes for delivering quality outcomes
on time and within budget.
Unsuccessful applicants will be provided with
constructive feedback in writing that identifies:
 at what stage the application for funding
did not progress further (for example, if the
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines


application was assessed as ineligible
such that it did not proceed to the merit
assessment stage)
if the application progressed to the merit
assessment stage, which criteria the
application did well against and which
criteria it did poorly against
any suggestions in relation to applying for
future funding opportunities.
Australia arising from research. Unless
otherwise approved by the Department, the
host institution’s intellectual property policy
must comply with the National Principles of
Intellectual Property Management for Publicly
Funded Research (www.arc.gov.au) as
amended from time to time.
INCOMPLETE OR MISLEADING
INFORMATION
A list of successful applicants will be
published on the Department’s website once a
formal announcement is made.
It is a serious offence to provide false or
misleading information to the Commonwealth.
PROBITY
If the Department considers that an
application is incomplete, inaccurate or
contains false or misleading information, the
Department may in its absolute discretion
decide to recommend that the application not
be shortlisted or approved for funding.
The Government is committed to ensuring the
process for providing funding under
programmes is fair and in accordance with
published guidelines.
Full probity guidelines for the NESP are on the
Department’s website at
www.environment.gov.au/nesp.
Examples of misleading information and
misconduct include:
a. providing fictitious research opportunity
and performance evidence
Fairness and impartiality: applicants will be
treated equally and have the same opportunity
to access information and advice.
Consistency and transparency of process:
applications will be evaluated in a systematic
manner against explicit predetermined
assessment criteria.
Security and confidentiality: the processes
adopted for receiving and managing applicant
information will ensure the security and
confidentiality of intellectual property and
proprietary information.
Identification and resolution of potential
conflicts of interest: staff involved in the
application and assessment process are
required to declare and address any actual or
perceived conflict of interest prior to providing
any advice or assessment.
b.
plagiarism
c.
making false claims in publications
records (such as describing a paper as
accepted for publication when it has only
been submitted)
d.
making false claims in relation to
qualifications and/or appointments
e.
failing to disclose to the Government the
existence, and nature, of actual or
potential Conflicts of Interest of any of the
parties involved in the
application/programme.
CONDITIONS OF FUNDING
The Funding Agreement
Successful applicants must enter into a legally
binding Funding Agreement with the
Government. Successful applicants must be in
a position to execute the Funding Agreement
by 12 December 2014.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The NESP does not claim ownership of any
intellectual property in an application.
The Funding Agreement sets out the general
reporting, promotional and auditing terms
under which funding is provided and will apply
uniformly to all successful applications.
The host institution must adhere to an
intellectual property policy, approved by the
host institution’s governing body, which has as
one of its aims the maximisation of benefits to
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
Special conditions may vary between hubs
and will be outlined in the schedule to the
Funding Agreement.
NESP outcomes. This will be done in
consultation with the Department.
The outcomes of activities funded by the
NESP will be measured by reporting against
performance indicators determined by the
Department and relevant portfolio agencies
and may be subject to change during the life
of the programme.
A sample Funding Agreement is available on
the Department’s website at
www.environment.gov.au/nesp.
Commencement date
The hub commencement date is the date that
the signed (by the official contact) Funding
Agreement is countersigned by the
Government delegate (the Funding
Agreement is ‘executed’). The Department will
work with successful applicants with the aim
of having Funding Agreements in place within
4 weeks of the approval of hub applications.
Periodic qualitative assessments of the
programme will be undertaken to measure
use of NESP research outputs in decisionmaking.
Programme evaluations at the middle and end
of the NESP will examine the efficiency and
effectiveness of programme delivery.
Payment of funding
Funds will be paid following the execution of
the Funding Agreement in accordance with
the agreed milestones and payment
schedules, provided that you have met any
conditions required before the
commencement of your hub, as set out in the
Funding Agreement.
ABN
You must provide an Australian Business
Number (ABN) in your application. This must
be for the applicant entity that would receive
the funding and enter into the Funding
Agreement.
Ethics and research practices
All applications and NESP-funded research
should conform to the principles outlined in
the following or their successor documents:
Indicative standard milestones which hubs will
be expected to deliver are:
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Execution of contracts
Research Plan approved by the
Department
Annual update of Research Plan,
incorporating project work for the next
calendar year, approved by the
Department
Annual Progress Report and audited
financial statement approved by the
Department
Final Report and audited financial
statement approved by the Department
a.
NHMRC/ARC/UA Australian Code for the
Responsible Conduct of Research (2007)
b.
as applicable, NHMRC/ARC/UA National
Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human
Research (2007)
c.
as applicable, AIATSIS Guidelines for
Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous
Studies (2011)
d.
as applicable, codes on animal research
produced by the NHMRC.
If there is any conflict between a successor
document and its predecessor, then the
successor document prevails to the extent of
any inconsistency.
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting
In line with standard Australian Government
audit and evaluation requirements, all
successful applicants will be subject to
financial and performance monitoring and
evaluation to ensure that they are meeting
specified milestones and performance
indicators as detailed in the Funding
Agreement.
Indigenous engagement
The Department recognises and values the
experiences, perspectives and cultures of
Indigenous Australians and supports
Indigenous aspirations to maintain, protect
and manage their culture, language, land and
sea country and heritage. Indigenous
considerations are an important aspect of the
Department’s natural resource management
In addition, each hub will be expected to
develop a monitoring and evaluation plan to
demonstrate its ongoing performance against
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
and heritage protection responsibilities.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
play a key role in protecting and managing
their heritage and in this regard are important
partners in the Department’s business.
liability insurances in respect of the activities
of the programme. Insurance obligations will
be confirmed in the Funding Agreement, prior
to the payment of any funding.
Promotion and publicity
Successful applicants must agree to
acknowledge Government support. Any
signage or publications related to the hub
must carry an appropriate Australian
Government logo (logo and guidelines for their
use will be supplied to successful hubs). The
Government reserves the right to publicly
disclose information about the hub in any
promotional material in a manner agreed and
specified in the Funding Agreement.
Successful hubs will be expected to engage
and consult appropriately with Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples who have an
active interest in the areas where research
projects occur, and develop an Indigenous
Engagement Strategy to outline opportunities
for Indigenous employment, skills transfer,
knowledge sharing, and increase cultural
awareness among all parties.
Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
Under the EPBC Act, the applicant is
responsible for referring any projects to the
Minister that are likely to have a significant
impact on a matter of National Environment
Significance, which includes heritage matters.
Further information on the EPBC Act can be
found at
www.environment.gov.au/epbc/index.html.
DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
The Department is collecting information on
the NESP application form to assess your
application for funding. The Department may
give some or all of this information:
 to its employees and advisers in order to
evaluate or assess an application
 to the Minister
 to other agencies where this serves a
legitimate interest of the Government
 in response to a request by a House or
Committee of the Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia
 to other parties where the information is
already in the public domain.
Other laws and approvals
All hubs must, in carrying out activities under
this programme, comply with the provisions of
all relevant statutes, regulations, by-laws and
requirements of any Commonwealth, State,
Territory or local authority including, but not
limited to, the Work Health and Safety Act
2011 (Cth), the Privacy Act 1998 (Cth) and
Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cth).
Principal researchers and host institutions
should identify any specific information which
is to be treated as confidential and provide
legally justifiable reasons as to why it needs to
remain confidential. The Department may still
be required to disclose confidential
information as permitted and required by law.
The NESP will generate research and
scientific evidence which will support the
Government in meeting its obligations under
international conventions, such as the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and
the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The name of the successful applicants, and
the funding awarded may be disclosed in
documentation such as media releases and
be made publicly available on the
Department’s website and in its annual report.
This requirement is specified in the Funding
Agreement, and action may be taken to
terminate the agreement or retrieve
programme funds where such laws have not
been complied with.
The Australian National Audit Office may also
request access to all relevant activity files.
Insurance
Successful hubs will be required to have
appropriate insurance for the activities of the
hub at the commencement date of the
Funding Agreement. This includes but is not
limited to workers’ compensation and public
All information submitted to the Government is
subject to the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act
1988.
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National Environmental Science Programme Guidelines
COMPLAINTS AND DISPUTES
The Department is committed to best practice
in relation to resolving disputes and/or
complaints. Should a problem or complaint be
identified, please contact the Science
Partnerships Section on (02) 6274 1226 or by
email at research@environment.gov.au. All
unsuccessful applicants will be offered
feedback on their application at the end of the
assessment and approvals process.
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