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Faculty of Education Humanities, Law and Theology
2009 Faculty Research Funding Guidelines
Aims
The aim of the Faculty Research funding program is to improve research performance in the Faculty,
and in particular to improve performance in those elements of research output and input that contribute
to the Faculty’s profile in the allocation of funding to the University.
Faculty Research funding aims to support new research, including:

high quality research projects of modest cost;

pilot projects that form the first stage in the process of gaining external grant support; and

projects submitted by early career researchers (ECR) showing clear evidence of high research
capacity.
The Faculty actively encourages research collaboration among academic staff in the Faculty and
between Flinders academic staff, staff with academic status, researchers from other institutions and
industry or government partners. For assistance in sourcing partners for applications or sources of
funding please contact Dr Brodie Beales (Research Coordinator, Faculty), Ms Polly Holmes (Research
Manager, Educational Futures) or Dr Rebecca Vaughan (Research Development Officer, Flinders
Humanities Research Centre).
The Faculty is also committed to ensuring that researchers seek external funding to support their
research where appropriate. Faculty funds may be used to develop applications for external funding
and for pilot projects seeking to establish a basis for external grant support.
There are three levels of Faculty research funding available.
Small Grants (up to $1,500 unless otherwise indicated)
Individual grants are intended to support small, low-cost research projects with immediately foreseeable
outcomes. Small grants may include funding for:

Time release to enable the completion of a research output or project (to a maximum of
$1,000);

Support for Conference organisation (to a maximum of $2,000);

Costs associated with publication (indexing costs, publisher fees etc. to a maximum of $2,000);

Visiting Research Fellow (return air fare to a maximum of $2,000);

Support for preparation of DEEWR category 1 applications, including ARC Discovery and
Linkage applications;

Research maintenance (software subscription, survey costs, mileage);

Structured grant application support;

Fieldwork and data collection; and

Research Assistance.
Applications for Small Grants may be made at any time of the year, but applicants should be aware that
the funds for this category of grant may be fully allocated before the end of the year.
As part of the Small Grants program, there will be one annual round of grants specifically directed at
researchers who are intending to develop a DEEWR Category 1 grant application in a structured and
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collaborative environment (see: Structured Grant Application Support, below). Applications for this
round are due to the Faculty Research Office by May 31st.
Project Grants (up to $5,000)
Project Grants are designed to support projects not suitable for external funding either because of their
size or because of a lack of funding opportunities in the area. Applications to this scheme may also be
made for matching funds (up to the limit of the scheme) provided by an external agency.
Projects for which funds may be applied under this scheme may include:

Pilot projects (smaller discreet projects whose viability for large grant funding is being
explored);
Small grant projects may include funding for:

Time release (to a maximum of $2,000);

Fieldwork and data collection; and

Research Assistance.
Applications for Project Grants may be made at any time of the year, but applicants should be aware
that the funds for this category of grant may be fully allocated before the end of the year.
Large Project Grants (up to $15,000)
Large Project Grants are principally intended to support the development of high quality applications to
DEEWR category 1 funding schemes (such as ARC Linkage and Discovery). Applications require a high
degree of planning and strong evidence that the project for which funding is being applied can be
translated into a viable project for funding at the highly competitive national level. Applications to this
scheme must outline the category 1 granting bodies to which the application arising from Large Project
Grant funding will be addressed. These applications may be based on pending Linkage or Discovery
applications.
Projects for which funds may be applied under this scheme may also include:

Early Career Researcher establishment grants (to a maximum of $10,000);

Pilot projects, identified as the first stage in developing a project for a proposal for substantial
external grant support.

Genuinely low-budget projects that fall below the threshold for the relevant external funding
scheme, and propose substantial outcomes. Applicants must demonstrate that they have
made genuine efforts to identify alternative sources of funding.
Large grant projects may include funding for:

Fieldwork and data collection;

Research Assistance; and

Time release (to a maximum of $5,000)
A Faculty Large Grant will not be awarded to support or top up a project that is funded from other
sources in the relevant funding year.
There will be two application rounds for Large Project Grants annually, in March and in August of each
year.
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General Guidelines
Eligibility
Applicants must be either:

employed at 0.4 FTE or above as an academic member of staff; or

a researcher with full academic status; or

a general staff member in receipt of current academic status through a School in the Faculty.
Casual or contract tutors are not eligible to apply for funding under this scheme because they are not
expected to undertake research as a part of their paid employment.
Research students who are not employed as academic staff members (currently holding an academic
position where research is a part of the expected work outcomes) are not eligible for funding under this
scheme.
Funding
Projects will not be funded over the maximum amount listed in the guidelines.
Most projects will be funded at less than the maximum amount listed. You are strongly encouraged to
prepare realistic budgets that accurately reflect what is actually required to achieve the project aims.
Applications may be funded at amounts lower than those requested, either because of constraints on
the Faculty research budget or because items in a project budget are deemed insufficiently justified.
If the proposal is for a pilot project, the application must identify the external funding source(s) to which
further application will be made when the pilot project is completed, and the proposed timeframe for
such external application. If the proposal is for a genuinely low budget project for which no external
funding source can be identified, the application must demonstrate that a genuine effort has been made
to identify external funding sources.
If an application for project funding includes a time release component, the budget justification must
explain why the need for this release is research-driven, and specify what research activities will take
place during the proposed period of time release. Proposals for time release must also have the
endorsement of the applicant’s Dean.
Faculty Project funding is not intended to cover items that duplicate services already provided by the
University, or that are available through other channels, such as conference or workshop registration
and associated costs including travel.
The Faculty has an equipment pool that includes laptops and other computer accessories, digital
cameras, audio recorders and transcription equipment. These are available for short term loan for both
Academic Staff and Research Higher Degree Students: applications for loan equipment should be made
to taps@flinders.edu.au. Applications for items available from the equipment pool, or for basic
computing equipment, will not normally be supported. Any equipment funded through the Faculty
Research scheme remains the property of the Faculty and will be returned to the Faculty equipment
pool at the end of the project.
Accountability
Grant recipients will be held accountable for the outcomes listed in their applications.
The Faculty Research Team will follow up with researchers to ensure that the outcomes specified in the
application (or equivalent outcomes where applicable) are realised. Failure to realise these outcomes
may affect the success of future applications for Faculty Research funding.
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Number of Applications
While there are no formal limits on the number of Project Grant applications that any researcher may
hold at a given time, applicants should be aware that the Faculty has discretion not to fund multiple
applications based on an assessment of the researcher's capacity to make a serious commitment to
each project.
Reporting
Final Reports will be required on all projects funded by the Faculty at the end of the funding period.
For projects funded for more than one year, Progress Reports will be required at the end of every
calendar year for which funding has been granted. Any request for a carry-forward of funding must be
accompanied by a Progress Report. Funding will not be carried forward without the submission of a
satisfactory Progress Report. Where applicable, Progress and Final Reports should justify why a
research project has not been conducted in accordance with the original application outline and budget.
Applicants who have been granted funding in the expectation of an application for external grant will be
required to provide evidence of its submission in their report.
The template for both Final and Progress Reports on funds received is available on the Faculty
Research website (under downloadable forms) here.
Carry-Forward of Funds
Unless specified at the time of application, funds will be allocated for expenditure in the calendar year in
which they are awarded. Funds will not automatically be carried over into the next calendar year. All
Small and Project funding is for one year only. Large Project funding may be carried over for 1 year on
application to the Deputy Executive Dean by 31 October in the year of funding.
The template for a request to carry forward funds is available on the Faculty Research website (under
downloadable forms) here.
Ethics Clearances
The policy of the University requires that appropriate ethics clearances (for example, Animal Ethics and
Human Ethics) be issued before research projects may commence. It is the applicant’s responsibility to
ensure that the appropriate ethics clearances are obtained. Where clearances are required, applicants
should submit protocols for ethics clearance to the appropriate committee once their application has
been submitted, in order to ensure that clearances are obtained in time for work to commence promptly.
Funding will be conditional on any required approvals being obtained, and may be rescinded if it is
determined that the appropriate clearances have not been issued.
Should you have questions about the ethics application processes or need any information regarding
dates, timing or any other aspect of ethics clearance at Flinders, please contact either:

Ms Lesley Wyndram (Ethics Research Officer) on x15466 or via email:
lesley.wyndram@flinders.edu.au ; or

Mrs Andrea Jacobs (Ethics Administration) on x13116 or via email: andrea.jacobs@flinders.edu.au
Application forms for the Social and Behavioural Research Ethics Committee, guidelines and
information are available from http://www.flinders.edu.au/research/Office/ethics/index.html
Questions?
Questions concerning the scheme should be directed to the Faculty Research Office through Dr Brodie
Beales (x12493 or brodie.beales@flinders.edu.au)
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Guidelines for Specific Schemes
Support for Conference Organisation
Individual convenors of conferences (or centres or groups organising conferences) to be held in
Adelaide and associated with Flinders University may apply for funding to support the organisation of
the conference. It is expected that these funds will usually be used to cover up-front expenses incurred
prior to registration fees being received.
These funds will not be provided to support the staging of major national and international conferences
such as those organised by national or international associations.
Faculty funds should not be used to pay for conference entertainment or to subsidise registration costs.
Applicants should provide details of the conference and their involvement in it, and:

a detailed description of the whole projected budget for the conference (including projected
income and expenditure, and copies of quotes for airfares, bus hire, accommodation, etc;);

justification of how the Faculty funds will be used; and

details of publication outcomes expected as a result of the conference.
Grants under this category will not normally exceed $2,000.
Costs of publishing conference proceedings should not be included in the budget. They may be sought
at a later date through the Faculty’s publication support scheme.
On the completion of the conference, recipients of Conference Support are required to provide a report
to the Faculty Research Office, including a full statement of actual income and expenditure. Where a
funded conference makes a substantial profit, the organisers will be expected to refund some or all of
the Faculty’s contribution.
A template for the production of this report is available on the Faculty Research website (under
downloadable forms) here.
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Support for Costs of Publication
Individuals may seek funding for a contribution towards the cost of publication (eg contributions or
subventions sought by publishers prior to publication, or publication of refereed conference papers).
These funds are not intended to cover the costs of research towards a publication.
The Faculty will normally only support publications that meet the criteria for inclusion in one of the
eligible ERA categories.
Please note: the following will not be supported

Publication with presses that are not eligible for ERA;

Support for ongoing publication of a journal or series of publications;

Publications by staff without continuing or convertible positions; or

Publications by postgraduate students.
Applicants should provide details of the publication, and:

a detailed description and justification of how the Faculty funds will be used;

details of any other funding from other sources;

an indication of the number of Flinders University staff and/or students who may be involved in
the publication; and

evidence of a contract with a publisher.
Grants under this category will not normally exceed $2,000.
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Early Career Researcher (ECR) Establishment Grants
Purpose of and Eligibility for Establishment Grants
Establishment Grants are intended primarily to assist new members of University staff to establish
themselves as independent researchers during their first three years of employment, with a view to
eventually applying for external funding support. As Establishment Grants are larger than Faculty
Project Grants, staff are not normally entitled to receive both in the same year.
New staff members whose appointment is for a term of at least three years are eligible to apply for
Establishment Grants.
As the purpose of this grant is to develop a researcher’s position in their field, the scheme takes a longterm approach to building a researcher’s capacity and profile. Applicants are encouraged to present a
project plan covering a two-year period, and to apply for funding in two instalments. When an
application is approved, the first part of the project will be funded, with funding for the second part being
released funded after the successful completion of the outcomes identified in the first part.
Although there is no set maximum, there is an expectation that requests for ECR Establishment funding
would not exceed $10,000.
Applications for Establishment grants should be planned in collaboration and consultation with the
Associate Dean, Research in each school, or with a senior member of staff acting as the applicant’s
mentor. Where appropriate, applications may include input from the Deputy Executive Dean of the
Faculty.
The following categories of staff are not eligible for Establishment Grants:

New University staff members who are in receipt of substantial research funds from external
sources (including Faculty Large Grants) unless they can make a case for the need for the
projects for which they have been funded to become established at Flinders; and

University staff currently enrolled for research higher degrees.
Ineligible Items
Time Release is an ineligible item in an Establishment Grant, since it is expected that the workload
policy of the AOU will provide new staff with time to establish their research programs.
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Visiting Research Fellows
Aim
The aim of the program is to provide funds that will assist visits to Flinders University by distinguished
researchers or researchers with particular skills or expertise, designed to enhance the research output
of the Faculty. Support is intended to bring bona fide visitors to the University, and will not be granted to
upgrade the salary level of short-term staff already employed at the University. Preference will normally
be given to Fellows who can commence their visits within twelve months.
Eligibility

Distinguished visitors who can contribute to the research of University groups;

Researchers with expertise and skill in a particular discipline or technique who can contribute
to a research program in the Faculty;

Representatives of institutions with which the Faculty may wish to establish or consolidate
links.
Support
The Fellowship will normally provide a return economy airfare purchased through Flinders University’s
official travel agent for each Fellow. In exceptional cases only, a living allowance may be provided.
Should a Fellow successfully make a case that a Fellowship cannot be taken up in the year for which
funds have been granted, funds may be carried over to the following year.
Visitors previously supported under this scheme will not be eligible to apply again until at least two years
after the previous visit.
Length of Fellowship
The visitor must stay sufficiently long for the University to obtain maximum benefit. The absolute
minimum visit to be approved will be two weeks. The Visiting Research Fellow will normally spend the
majority of the Fellowship period at the University. His or her contribution to the academic life of the
Faculty will include a public lecture, participation in a symposium or research seminar, and/or
participation in the Faculty’s program of community engagement.
Funding Application Procedure
Applications should provide details of the proposed visit, including dates, and:

the visitor's curriculum vitae, with a list of publications in the previous five years;

A statement of the anticipated benefits to the research output of the staff member or group, the
benefits to research student projects, and possible publications;

A statement of probable funding for the visit (for example, whether the visitor will be on paid
study leave from the home institution, whether the visitor will need a living allowance as well as
assistance with fares);

Confirmation that the application has the support of the appropriate Head of Academic
Organisational Unit.
Please note that if a VRF application is successful, proposers will need to arrange academic status,
office space, library access and computer facilities for their Visiting Research Fellow prior to their arrival,
through their School Office.
An outline of the process for managing a visiting research fellow application is available on the Faculty
Research website under downloadable forms) here.
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Structured Grant Application Support
Aim
This scheme is designed for researchers who are looking to grow a grant application in a structured and
collaborative environment. Grants are small (up to $1,500) and there is one round annually for
applications to the scheme. The funding can be used in any way that is appropriate to support the
development or finalisation of a grant application, including the provision of time release from teaching
or marking (up to $1000).
Applications are due to the Faculty Research Office by May 31st. Successful applicants will be required
to take part in the following structured program:
June - July mid year break: initial ½ day workshop in which applicants meet others in the
group and outline their idea and workshop the requirements of the scheme to which the
application will be addressed.
- Organisation of deadlines for the first full draft of the application.
September mid semester break: Day long workshop. Draft applications to be sent to group
members 1 week in advance of the workshop. Applicants read and comment on the application
of another ground member.
- Presentations by successful grant applicants (invited in response to the schemes to which the
applicants in the current group will be submitting).
January pre semester break: Circulation of applications following revision and September
workshop.
February/March: Applications reviewed by an internal Flinders panel pre submission.