BACKGROUND
IRT Foundation's Research Grant Program supports leading Australian researchers to improve the
mind, mobility and lifestyle of Australian seniors. Research funded by the Foundation reflects the
key issues critical to ageing well in Australia.
Since its establishment in 2009, the Foundation has committed over $1.6 million in research grants
into issues such as people with dementia living alone, active ageing, and using technology to support
older people who wish to remain at home.
The Research Grant Program is an annual competitive grants program. The priority for the 2015
Grants Round is research proposals that will help older people age well in their own homes. As a
guide, see the priority topics listed in the National Community Care Research Agenda, 2010.
Applications for grants are invited from Australian researchers and institutions with expertise on
topics affecting older Australians. Grant payments will be made to the institution of the Primary
Investigator (the ‘administering institution’), which is usually a university. In general, the proposal
should be consistent with the standards of the National Health and Medical Research Council
(NHMRC) or Australian Research Council (ARC).
TIMELINE FOR ASSESSMENT OF APPLICATIONS
Friday, 1 May 2015
Applications open
Monday, 29 June 2015
Applications close 5pm EST
Early September 2015
Notification of successful and unsuccessful applicants
October 2015
Public announcement of successful applicants
NATURE OF FUNDING
Successful projects are subject to an agreement between the Foundation and the administering
institution that specifies financial support for specific researchers to undertake a defined research
project.
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
The 2015 research grant commitment may be drawn down on a basis to be agreed between the
Foundation and the administering institution and will be contingent upon the applicant(s) meeting
agreed research milestones.
Grant funding may be used for the following purposes:
 Direct research expenses attributable to the proposed research, which may include the salary
of appropriate research personnel. The primary investigator may use the award to cover up to
50% of their salary.
 Equipment necessary for the proposed research.
 Other purposes described in the proposal at the discretion of the Foundation.
 Travel for specific research related activities. Please do not include travel for presenting to the
Foundation in your application, as that will be negotiated separately for successful applicants.
Funding for general departmental and institutional overheads, infrastructure, building
maintenance, service and repairs will not be supported.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Applications will be subject to a review process by the IRT Foundation Research Advisory Panel,
along with external experts where relevant. Final approval of grants rests with the IRT Foundation
Committee.
Before submitting an application, researchers should consider the following questions:
 Does the research project attempt to answer (fully or partially) any of the questions listed in
the National Community Care Research Agenda, 2010?
 Will the research have an impact on the quality of life of older people?
 What is the extent of the problem the research hopes to address – how many people does it
affect and how many people will potentially benefit from this research?
 How will the outcomes of the research be applicable to older people in general through
practice or policy and in what time frame?
 Is the funding amount requested relative to the impact of the potential research outcomes and
is the project likely to represent a sound investment for IRT Foundation?
You are most welcome to discuss your potential project with the IRT Foundation before deciding
whether or not to apply. Please email irtfoundation@irt.org.au to arrange a suitable time to discuss
your project or send through a brief project overview.
The following criteria will be considered in selection:
Scientific quality
 The clarity of the research hypotheses and objectives.
 The strengths and weaknesses of the project’s design.
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
 The feasibility of the research plan.
Significance and/or innovation
 Alignment with the research priority topics listed in the National Community Care Research
Agenda, 2010.
 Potential of the research to be extended into further research of significance.
 The degree to which appropriate financial and scientific governance is applied to the project.
 Feasibility of the translation of research findings to practice and/or policy.
 Track record of investigators and evidence that the investigator/s have the skills and
experience to achieve the aims of the research.
Institutional support
 Support (financial and in-kind) from the administering institution and collaborating institutions
(if applicable) to maximise the outcomes of the research.
PARTICIPATION OF OLDER PEOPLE
If your project will require the participation of older people, please ensure that the requirements for
participation are practical. You may wish to do some early consultation with your potential
participant base to gain valuable feedback about your subject matter. A valuable resource on
involving older people in research is available here.
IRT has a number of existing commitments to research projects and is unlikely to have capacity in
2015 to give permission for its residents or service users to be considered as potential subjects for
research projects.
The Foundation will look favourably on applications that:
 Clearly define recruitment strategy and sources.
 Demonstrate that the required sample size can be recruited in a timely manner.
 Describe, where possible, opportunities for older Australians to be more actively involved in
the research project.
 Show methods to adequately compensate participants for travel expenses.
 Show how participants will be informed of the outcomes of the research project, in a timely
manner.
 Show how findings will be communicated to the broader community.
ELIGIBILITY
1. Researchers working in any field of research relevant to older people are eligible to apply.
2. The Primary Investigator must be based in an Australian educational institution.
3. A maximum of four co-investigators may be listed on the application.
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
4. Funding cannot commence until all relevant ethical and other approvals have been obtained and
evidence of these provided to the Foundation. If these approvals have not been obtained by the
project commencement date, the Foundation reserves the right to withdraw the offer of funding.
5. The successful applicant must commence the research no later than six months after notification
of a successful grant submission.
6. Institutions can submit more than one application.
7. The application is complete and adheres to all instructions/guidelines including word limits and
formatting.
8. The administering institution accepts responsibility for indirect costs of the research and for grant
administration.
9. Applicants must be willing to enter into a Research Funding Agreement, a reference copy of
which can be obtained by contacting the Foundation Officer on irtfoundation@irt.org.au. The
administering institution should agree, in principle, to the terms of the funding agreement prior
to submitting an application. If the administering institution‘s legal review of the agreement
significantly delays the project start date we may withdraw the funding offer.
10. Half-yearly progress reports must be completed by the Primary Investigator upon
commencement of funding. The final report will be due three months after the project concludes.
11. Research findings must be submitted for publication within six months from the final report date
with expected publication in a peer reviewed journal or journals no later than 12 months from the
Final Report Date.
12. Key research personnel will be required to present brief reports to the Foundation, or other
parties, up to four times per year. Researchers must be available for media appearances and
website updates during the project and in the 12 months following the research period.
13. Key research personnel must be available to attend up to four functions during the project and up
to two functions in the 12 months following the research period, as requested by the Foundation.
Travel costs will be negotiated on a case by case basis.
14. The Foundation reserves the right to withhold all or part of the grant.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications open on 1 May 2015 and close at 5pm (EST) on Monday 29 June 2015. Late applications
will not be accepted. All applicants will be notified by email in early September 2015.
Applicants should complete the application form included in this document by entering responses
directly into the Word document; paper size is to be A4. The coversheet must form the first page of
the application. Other Attachments (detailed in Part 6 of this document) should be included along
with the completed application form. Acceptable font size is 10pt; 8pt for references. No specific
font style is required.
Submission of the application
An electronic and hard copy of the completed application, including the cover sheet is required.
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
Electronic submission
An electronic copy of the fully completed application form, with attachments in PDF format, should
be submitted via email to irtfoundation@irt.org.au. If you are submitting more than one electronic
file for the application, all files must be attached to one email message. You will receive an email
acknowledging receipt of the application. Once submitted, the application will be considered final
and no changes will be accepted.
Original signatures are only required for the hard copy of the certification’s page.
Hardcopy submission:
In addition to electronic submission, one hard copy of the completed application must be sent to:
IRT Foundation Research Grants Program
Level 3, 77 Market Street
Wollongong NSW 2500
Please note the hard copy of the application, plus attachments, can be received up to close of
business on Wednesday 1 July 2015, provided the electronic application has been received by 5pm
(EST) on Monday 29 June 2015.
PRIVACY
The information you submit with your grant application will be treated with the utmost
confidentiality. It is our commitment to you not to disclose any information to any persons other
than those directly related to the administration of your grant application.
A full copy of IRT’s Privacy Policy is available on request.
NOTIFICATION OF APPLICATION OUTCOME
The Primary Investigator and the administrative contact will be sent an email regarding the outcome
of the application in early September 2015.
Due to the high volume of applications received, we cannot provide specific feedback regarding
unsuccessful applications.
Success rates from previous competitive grants rounds:
Year
Total number of
applications received
Total number of grants
awarded
Total funding approved
2010
11
3
$118,470
2011
43
3
$57,125
2012
107
5
$705,020
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
2013
57
4
$347,626
2014
48
3
$264,975
Attachment A
IRT FOUNDATION RESEARCH GRANT
APPLICATION
COVER SHEET
Project Title: Click here to enter text.
Short Project Description (250 words max): Click to enter text.
Principal investigator:
E-mail:
Contact Phone:
Other Investigators:
Institution:
ABN/ACN:
Department (if
applicable):
Administrative contact: Name
Email
Phone
Address
Total grant amount
requested (ex GST):
Project duration
(months):
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
PART 1: APPLICANT INFORMATION
DETAILS OF APPLICANTS
A maximum of five Investigators may be listed on the application. The role and
contribution of each Investigator must be described in this application.
The Primary Investigator will be considered the point of contact for the grant, and their
institution will be the administering institution.
Primary Investigator
Surname
First name
Title
Qualifications (including
year and awarding
institution)
Current appointment
Institution
Department
Postal address
Phone
Mobile
Email
Fax
Are you an Australian
citizen or permanent
resident?
Previous appointments (insert additional rows if necessary)
Appointment and level
Department
Organisation
Dates
Co-Investigator 1
Surname
First name
Title
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
Qualifications (including
year and awarding
institution)
Current appointment
Institution
Department
Postal address
Phone numbers
Email
Fax
Previous appointments (insert additional rows if necessary)
Appointment and level
Department
Organisation
Dates
Please insert tables for up to four additional investigators.
ADMINISTERING INSTITUTION DETAILS
Name of Administering
Institution
Address
ABN
Website
Is the administering institution registered as an
Administering Institution with the NHMRC and/or
the ARC?
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Funds will be released to the successful administering institution when appropriate ethics
approvals have been obtained.
Has the project attained ethical approvals?
Yes
No
If ethical approvals have not yet been obtained, please explain how and when this will be done.
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
PART 2: PROJECT DETAILS
PROJECT TITLE
SHORT PROJECT TITLE (suitable for media and publishing, suggested max 10 words)
PROJECT SUMMARY (250 words max)
MEDIA SUMMARY (plain English summary of project, 75 words max)
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Please describe any actual or potential conflict of interest that exists in relation to this research for each of the
Investigators. For example, please declare any support received from, or being sought from the tobacco or
pharmaceutical industry and affiliated agencies or subsidiaries.
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
PART 3: RESEARCH PLAN
Please include a research plan of no more than five pages using the headings below.
PROJECT TITLE
AIMS AND BACKGROUND
Provide a clear statement of the aims and objectives of the proposed research, research question and/or
hypotheses to be tested. Provide the context and background to the proposed research project. Indicate how
the primary research subject and approach fit with existing knowledge and other research currently being
undertaken.
MILESTONES
Milestones for the research should be identified with dates so that progress of the project can be measured.
Presentation in the form of a table is preferred. Please indicate a suggested start and completion date for the
project, based on a public announcement date of November 2015.
APPROACH
Referring to milestones, please describe the approach to the research, including its design, sampling,
techniques, protocols, data analysis procedures (including statistical tests and power calculations, if
appropriate). Also describe the procedural checks/auditing that will be used to ensure compliance with the study
protocol.
Projects must be feasible and realistic within the available timeframe and budget. Project proposals should
outline a clear research plan, and include consideration of potential project risks and mitigation strategies. The
capabilities of the research team and availability of time and necessary infrastructure will also be considered.
Where the project requires access to participants or subjects, a clear recruitment strategy should be defined.
Applicants are advised that IRT residents or customers can only be proposed as a significant source for
research subjects if this has been discussed with IRT’s Research and Advocacy Advisor PRIOR to the
submission of the application.
OUTCOMES AND SIGNIFICANCE
Describe the expected outcomes of the research, including expected outcomes for older people and (if relevant)
how these outcomes relate to the research priority topics listed in the National Community Care Research
Agenda, 2010. Describe the ways in which the proposed research is innovative and/or quantify the significance
of the research topic (e.g. what is the prevalence of the problem within the community and how many people will
potentially benefit from this research?) If possible, show some preliminary results or relevant material from
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
previous research to support your hypothesis.
IMPACT OF RESEARCH ON THE AIMS OF IRT FOUNDATION
How will this research further the aims of IRT Foundation to improve the lives of senior Australians? Explain
how and why the problem is important and if the research topic will improve the quality of life of older people.
(250 words max)
What will be the measures of your success?
How will the project’s findings be translated through practice or policy?
REFERENCES
References should be no longer than two pages. 8 point font is acceptable.
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
PART 4: BUDGET
Budget
Please add additional lines as needed. If funding is sought for more than one year, provide
separate tables for each year.
IRT Foundation will only fund direct costs of the research project. Funds may only be used
for the purposes approved and recorded in the Research Agreement.
Funding may be requested for:
 Personnel (for each personnel request, include details of level and percentage of time
on project).
 Equipment that is essential for the project to succeed. The grant will not fund the
purchase of computers unless they are of a specialised nature required for the
operation of laboratory equipment.
 Travel (specify whether for data collection, collaboration and/or dissemination). Please
do not include travel expenses for presenting, including IRT requested presentations.
As per clause 4.3a of the “Funding Agreement” any travel involved for the presentation
of research findings for IRT will be negotiated separately and allowances should not be
included in the budget.
 Other research costs including research materials.
Project Title
Research Project Budget
In the budget table, show the cost of individual items excluding GST.
QTR 1 QTR 2 QTR 3 QTR 4
Project Total
IRTRF Funding
Request
Staff
Project manager
Research assistant/s
In-kind staff
(Please include all relevant project
personnel)
Consumables
Focus groups
Surveys
Educational materials
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
(Please provide fund allocation
details as appropriate)
Travel
Equipment
Other
Additional costs
(Please provide details)
Other in-kind
Administrative support
Total Funds as per Project
Budget (excl. GST)
Project Funding (excl. GST)
IRT Foundation Research Funding request
$
In-Kind contribution
$
Other funding sources (please give details)
$
Total Project Funding (excl. GST)
$
Budget Justification
Please provide a detailed explanation of budget items. (500 words max)
What other funding sources have been, or are currently being pursued? Please provide details. (250 words
max)
What procedures are in place to ensure financial accountability for the project? (250 words max)
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
PART 5: EVIDENCE OF INVESTIGATOR/S CAPACITY
TO CONDUCT THE RESEARCH
For each Investigator, complete the following sections.
PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR:
Please provide details of research output since 2010, including publications.
Details of previous and existing grants and/or other funding since 2010 (sources, project title, duration of funding
and level of funding).
Evidence of impact and contribution to the field. (500 words max)
Description of how the Investigator’s previous research has benefited older people. (500 words max)
CO-INVESTIGATOR 1
Please provide details of research output since 2010, including publications.
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
Details of previous and existing grants and/or other funding since 2010 (sources, project title, duration of funding
and level of funding).
Evidence of impact and contribution to the field. (500 words max)
Description of how the Co-Investigator’s previous research has benefited older people. (500 words max)
Please add details for additional investigators as necessary.
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
PART 6: REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS
These attachments must be provided with the completed application form.
Attachment
number
Requirement
Instructions
Attachment A
Coversheet
Attach this to the front of the completed
application.
Attachment B
Ethics
clearances
Please attach copies of human, animal or biosafety ethics clearances, if available.
Attachment C
Certifications
Please ensure that all relevant signatures have
been obtained, as required in the Certification
form at the end of this document
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
IRT FOUNDATION
RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATION
CERTIFICATIONS
Primary Investigator
I, the Applicant, hereby certify that:
 All the details in this application are true and complete;
 I agree to abide by the funding agreement to be signed should the application be successful;
 I understand and agree that all statutory requirements must be met before the proposed research
can commence;
 Any actual or potential conflicts of interest have been declared in this application and have been
made known to the Administering Organisation;
 I will notify the IRT Foundation and the Administering Organisation if there are any changes in my
circumstances which may impact on my eligibility to participate in, or ability to perform, the project
subsequent to the submission of this application.
Name (printed)
Signature
Date
Certification by Head of Department
I agree that the project can be accommodated within the general facilities in my Department/Centre
and that sufficient working and office space is available for any proposed additional staff;
I am prepared to have the project carried out in my Department/Centre under the circumstances set
out in the application.
Name (printed)
Position
Department/Centre
Institution
Signature
Date
Certification by Head of Administering Institution (or nominee)
I certify that this application for an IRT Foundation Research Grant meets the requirements of this
Institution, and that this Institution has established administrative processes for assuring sound
scientific practice in accordance with the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statements and Guidelines on
Research Practice.
Name (printed)
Position
Institution
Signature
Date
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015
How did you find out about this grant opportunity?
How easy was the application process?
Any further comments?
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IRT Foundation Research Grant Application 2015