GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS - 2016 ROUND
1. Introduction and Major Changes to the 2016 GURIP
The University receives Commonwealth funding to support its Australian Competitive Grants through the
Research Infrastructure Block Grant (RIBG). Since 2001 the University has distributed a significant proportion of its RIBG allocation via the Griffith University Research Infrastructure program.
The Griffith University Research Infrastructure program supports the objectives of the RIBG by:

Encouraging researchers within areas of research centres and schools to develop collaborative arrangements amongst themselves, across the University and with external organisations, to develop research infrastructure;

Enhancing support for areas of research strength; and

Ensuring that the University’s research centres and schools have access to the infrastructure to support their development.
The program aims to assist research centres and schools to achieve their research goals by providing support for the procurement of a range of research infrastructure, including equipment and facilities specifically to support research higher degree students.
Following a review of the University’s research infrastructure needs in 2014, Research Committee decided to amend the maximum allowable funds requested to be increased to $400,000. It is anticipated that future rounds will alternate between a maximum of $100,000 and $400,000 every two years depending on need.
In 2015, each Academic Group has prepared an Academic Group Research Infrastructure Plan identifying the Academic Group’s priorities for equipment and facilities procurement over a three year period and the strategy for funding these priority equipment. These Plans will identify the equipment for which 2016 GURIP applications will be submitted. Only equipment which is included in the Academic Group Research
Infrastructure Plan will normally be eligible for a GURIP application. Due to the availability of funding, each
Academic Group will normally submit a maximum 5 GURIP applications in the 2016 round .
For the 2016 round, applications do not need to include a copy of the supplier’s quotation for the equipment.
Quotations or tenders for short-listed GURIP applications will be organized by the Manager Tenders,
Finance as part of the assessment process.
During the 2015 GURIP round a number of applications were submitted without independent confirmation and approval that appropriate building space and service infrastructure were available to house the requested equipment. This resulted in significant delays and additional costs being identified when determining whether the equipment could be installed and operated as proposed and ultimately whether the
GURIP application could be supported. It is therefore essential that space requirements and refurbishments be unambiguously addressed in the GURIP application and approved by Academic Group prior to the
GURIP application being submitted. Applications that do not fully address this requirement may be deemed ineligible.
2. Privacy Statement
Griffith University collects, stores and uses personal information only for the purposes of administering the
Research Infrastructure Program, assessing grant applications and reporting to University senior management. The information collected will not be disclosed to third parties without your consent, except to meet government, legal or other regulatory authority requirements. For further information consult the
University’s Privacy Plan at http://www.griffith.edu.au/about-griffith/plans-publications/griffith-universityprivacy-plan.
3. NHMRC Equipment Grant
The NHMRC also provides an annual equipment allocation to support research funded through the NHMRC.
The NHMRC Equipment Grant is allocated through the GURIP grant process and the funding in the 2016
2015 GURIP Guidelines

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM (GURIP) round will directed towards one of the GURIP grants awarded. At least one applicant on a GURIP application must currently hold an NHMRC grant to be considered for this funding.
The NHMRC ’s objectives for awarding Equipment Grant funding are:

Institutions are to be strategic in the purchase of larger items of equipment that will benefit health and medical research in Australia;
 equipment will be used collaboratively; and
 to support, where possible, the purchase of Australian-made equipment.
While considering these objectives, the NHMRC requires the following criteria to be met:
 the equipment should support the highest quality health and medical research funded by the
NHMRC (or through another competitive grant process);
 consideration should be given to whether similar equipment can already be accessed in the
University or region; and
 thought should be given to the collaborative gain to be achieved through the use of the equipment e.g. multi-user equipment which crosses disciplines, research groups and departments.
4. Eligibility Criteria
Equipment
4.1 The maximum amount to be awarded through the GURIP is $400,000. For the 2016 GURIP, only applications requesting funding in the range of $100,000 to $400,000 will be accepted. It is anticipated that the majority of applications will be in the $100,000 to $300,000 range.
4.2 The requested equipment must not be suitable for an application to be made to the ARC Linkage
Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) scheme.
4.3 Only equipment and facilities identified as high priority in Academic Group Research Infrastructure
Management Plans, and as included in the following list, are eligible research infrastructure for the purposes of the GURIP:
•
• an item of equipment or a cohesive package of equipment items (i.e. a suite of equipment which obviously contributes to a particular type of research), installation and maintenance; maintenance of existing pieces of major equipment in an area of research strength where
• there is a short term inability to fund the maintenance from existing resources; non-capital aspects of facilities such as libraries, computing centres, animal houses, specimen collections, experimental sites;
•
•
•
• subscriptions to external research facilities including databases; databases; bibliographic materials; salaries of research support staff (including research assistants and technicians) employed
• to provide general support for the infrastructure but not dedicated to a particular project; and other equivalent resource materials.
The following are not regarded as research facilities for the purpose of this scheme:
•
•
• any piece of equipment/infrastructure that is not specifically for research purposes; capital works; salaries of teaching and research staff (including the cost of "buying time" to free such staff
•
•
• to do more research); postgraduate research student stipends; infrastructure used for teaching in undergraduate or non-research programs. any costs directly associated with individual projects.
Academic Group Contributions
2

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM (GURIP)
Where the requested equipment requires modification to existing space, applicants must discuss their proposals with Campus Life and obtain documented CLF estimates for the work to be undertaken and attach a copy of the estimate to the application. As the GURIP does not provide funding for capital works, applications must identify how these costs will be met if the application is successful.
Group Technical Managers must be consulted regarding costs associated with the location, installation, operation, maintenance and technical staff support necessary for the facility and any health and safety aspects of installing and maintaining the facility and include details of these costs in the application. Elements must ensure that risk assessments are conducted for the equipment prior to purchase, and that the equipment can be operated in accordance with the relevant Acts,
Regulations and University’s Health and Safety Policy.
Recurrent Funding
4.8 Requests for recurrent funding for a maximum period of three (3) years will be considered in exceptional circumstances. Applicants in receipt of a three year recurrent GURIP grant will immediately become ineligible to apply for GURIP funding within this three year period for a related item of infrastructure. Applications for recurrent maintenance costs should only be made to meet temporary shortfalls in maintenance funding of major equipment in an area of research strength (ie where there has been significant Australian Competitive Grant (ACG) funding in the past and where it is anticipated that future ACG funding will be forthcoming). For the purposes of this program chemicals and other consumables required for operating particular pieces of equipment are not considered to be maintenance. Applicants will need to convince the assessment panel that it is crucial to the research area that the particular piece of equipment be maintained. In addition, the applicant must indicate the strategy that will be put in place in the future to meet these maintenance costs should external funding not be forthcoming.
4.4 All applications must include a significant co-contribution from the Academic Group, Research
Centre or external source. A significant co-contribution is expected to be approximately 15% to
20% of the total cost or the equipment. Requests for equipment over $300,000 must include a significant cash contribution.
Chief Investigators
4.5 Groups of researchers within Griffith University ’s research centres and schools are invited to apply for assistance through this scheme. Single Chief Investigator applications are ineligible.
4.6 Any Chief Investigator may only be named on two GURIP applications whether first or subsequently named. Any additional applications bearing the name/s of participants (whether first or subsequently named) will be deemed ineligible. In this situation, the Committee will give participant/s the opportunity to nominate which of their application/s, from the total number they have submitted, will be withdrawn from the round.
Identification of Suitable Space
4.7 Each application must specify the approved location to house the equipment and confirm that the
Pro Vice Chancellor of the Academic Group in control of the space agrees to this location. For larger pieces of equipment consideration must be given to the type of space and service infrastructure required. Applications which request funding for new equipment or facilities which have special installation needs (eg special air-conditioning, additional services such as three-phase power, water or renovations) or ongoing maintenance must provide an explanation of how these costs are to be met.
3

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM (GURIP)
In judging eligibility for recurrent funding, the GURIP Assessment Panel will take into consideration whether:

The applicants have consistently high research performance and output,

There would be University-wide use of strategic equipment,

The applicants apply for and obtain substantial grant funding.
Equipment purchased under this scheme is the property of Griffith University.
5. Funding/Budget Justification
For the 2016 GURIP round the funds requested must be in the range of $100,000 to $400,000 but it is anticipated that the majority of grants awarded will be less than $300,000.
Applications which demonstrate that funding has been sought or acquired in part from another funding source may be considered more favorably. Applications should also justify why collaborative funding has not been sought elsewhere or is not available for the facilities requested.
Budget items detailed in the application must be priced exclusive of GST. The cost of GST may be part of the purchase price but it will not be charged to the GURIP account. Instead the GST will be paid by a
University account and then reclaimed from the Australian Tax Office.
Supplier quotations for equipment purchases are not required at the application stage however estimated costs should be sourced and include maintenance contracts, delivery and installation costs if applicable .
Requests for the salaries of research support staff must indicate why these salaries cannot be provided from existing research grant funds AND indicate the on-going benefit of the resource beyond the granting period. For example, in the case of research support staff employed to construct a database, the ongoing resource would be the database that would be available for researchers to use.
Where applicants are applying for equipment/infrastructure (including maintenance requests), which was included within an application to a previous University Infrastructure Scheme round, applicants must state why this further application is being made.
Where applicable, applicants are required to advise how GURIP funded facilities will generate income and indicate how these funds are to be used to support the ongoing maintenance of the facility – see section 16 of the application form.
6. Endorsement
Written endorsement, demonstrating why the proposed infrastructure has been prioritized in the Academic
Group Research Infrastructure Plan must be provided within section 21of the application:

For applications not aligned with a centre – written endorsement for the proposal must be provided by the Head of School.

For applications aligned with a centre – written endorsement for the proposal must be provided by the Centre Director.
4

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM (GURIP)

For all applications - signed endorsement for the proposal must also be provided by the relevant
Research Dean, except where the research centre reports directly to the Academic Group Pro
Vice Chancellor, in which case, the relevant PVC should endorse the proposal.
Each Dean Research will rank all applications from their Academic Group in priority order on the extent to which the infrastructure will address a strategic priority in the Academic Group Research Infrastructure
Plan.
7. Assessment Criteria
The primary criteria for assessing applications are:
50% The track record of the applicants, relative to opportunity, as assessed by standard research performance indicators – research income, research publications and research higher degree completions;
50% The extent to which funds will be used to address a need in an area of strategic priority to the
University, by remedying a deficiency in current research infrastructure. Applications seeking funding to develop institutional equipment or facilities rather than strictly campus or single research centre/school based facilities, will be considered favorably.
Preference will be given to applications that leverage funds from other than the GURIP fund.
8. Assessment
Applications will be assessed, and reviewed and shortlisted according to the assessment criteria, by a
University Panel chaired by the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and with at least one representative from each Academic Group as nominated by the Group Pro Vice Chancellors, Group Technical Managers and
Finance Tender Manager as appropriate, Members of the Panel will exclude themselves during consideration of any proposals in which they are an applicant. The Panel may seek the advice of appropriately qualified assessors inside or outside the University, and may request additional advice from the applicants, but is not obliged to do so.
Shortlisted applications will then proceed to the quotation (equipment under $200,000) or tender (over
$200,000) phase of the process that will be managed by the Finance Tender Manager. This will include the lead Chief Investigator meeting with the Tender Manager to discuss the technical specifications of the equipment/facility and the quotation/tender process. The Tender Manager will report to the Senior Deputy
Vice Chancellor on the final cost of the successful quote or tender after which a final decision on the GURIP grant awarded will be made. Depending on the funding available, not all shortlisted applications may be funded.
9. How to Apply, Closing Dates and Outcomes
The guidelines and application form are available on the Office for Research website at : http://www.griffith.edu.au/research/research-services/research-grants/funding-opportunities/internal-grants
Lodgement with the Office of the Dean Research by applicants:
Closing date: Monday, 3 August 2015
Applications must be submitted to the Office of the Dean Research via email.
Each application will be an electronic copy of the full application as a single file using the naming convention ‘Lead CI Name_GURIP 2015 application’ as follows:
5

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM (GURIP)
AEL Office of the Dean Research email: ael-research@griffith.edu.au
GBS Office of the Dean Research email: gbs-dean-research@griffith.edu.au
SCIENCES Office of the Dean Research email: gsc-dean-resesarch@griffith.edu.au
HEALTH Office of the Dean Research email: mhiq@griffith.edu.au
Lodgement with the Office for Research by Office of the Dean Research:
Closing date: Monday, 31 August 2015 – late applications will not be accepted
Applications must be submitted by the Office of the Dean Research via email and include advice on the ranking of all applications. Each application will be an electronic copy of the full application as a single file using the naming convention ‘Lead CI Name_GURIP 2016 application’ by 5pm on the closing date to: researchgrants@griffith.edu.au
Contact: Daina Garklavs
A separate Research Grant Application Cover sheet is not required.
Outcomes: Applicants can expect to receive notification of the outcome of their applications by late October
2015.
6