2013 Early Career Researcher (ECR) Grant Scheme

Alice Boland13th June 2012

4th July 2012

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Overview

• Aims of the ECR grant program

• Changes from previous round

• Important dates / Assessment process

• Eligibility criteria

• The application form – key questions incl. the

budget

• Brief on the Project Proposal

• Themis submissions

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Aims of the ECR Grant Scheme

• Support early career researchers who demonstrate clear evidence of high research potential to progress their research careers, by funding on a competitive basis high quality research projects and pilot research projects

• Encourage research by new members of staff seeking to establish their program of research at the University of Melbourne.

• Enhance the staff member’s competitiveness in bidding for external research funds

• Familiarise new researchers with the application processes involved with applying for competitive grants

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Changes from last round• Eligibility extended to those who have an honorary appointment in

one of the following Medical Research Institute based Departments of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences: Florey Department of Neuroscience MHRI Department of Neuroscience in Mental Health Medical Bionics Department

• Applicants will not normally have held an external grant listed on the Australian Competitive Grant Register (ACGR) as a named participant (Chief Investigator or a Fellow) in the application. However, those applicants who have held a Fellowship as a named CI where the awarded grant was funded salary only (ie no other research costs funded, eg, ARC Super Science Fellowships) are eligible.

• For most Faculties, draft applications no longer required.

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Important DatesKey Dates Submission

Date – All other

faculties

Faculty of Engineering

MDHS, Business

and Economics

and Science Submission

Dates

For all Faculties Applications OPEN: Monday 2nd July 2012

Academics from Engineering submit soft copies to Eileen Doufas Shea to review

NA 3 August 2012

NA

Academics submit final applications and lodge in Themis Submissions.

17th August 2012

24th August 2012

3rd August 2012

Faculties submit ranking spreadsheet to MRO

31st August 2012

31st August 2012

31st August 2012

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Important DatesFor applicants from MDHS, Business and Economics and ScienceOn the 3rd of August:• Submit a FINAL copy of the application to your Faculty Administrator.

– MDHS : email submissions to Michelle Ward, m.ward@unimelb.edu.au by noon.

– BusEc: hard copy AND email submissions to Jen Decolongon,

j.decolongon@unimelb.edu.au

– Science: email submissions to Sharon Maybir, science-research@unimelb.edu.au by

noon

• Lodge your application in Themis submissions including sign off by the HOD (some Faculties also require HOD signature in the application form, please check with your individual Faculty Administrator for details.)

For applicants from the Faculty of EngineeringOn the 3rd of August:• submit soft copies to Eileen Doufas Shea to review (no signature required at

this stage); then• On 24th August 2012, lodge your application in Themis submissions

including Themis sign off by the HOD

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Important Dates

Applicants from all other Faculties

On the 17th of August:• Lodgment of FINAL applications to Faculty Administrator

• Enter you final application in Themis submissions

• Ensure your HOD is able to approve your application in Themis

submissions. (Some Faculties also require HOD signature in the

application form, please check with your individual Faculty

Administrator for details.)

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Important Dates: All Faculties• Wednesday 31st August

Faculties will provide ranking and funding amounts to Melbourne Research

• September/OctoberCentral Committee meet to make the final funding decision, based on faculty rankings

• October/NovemberSuccessful applicants will be notified and Acceptance documents will be sent out.

• October/NovemberAcceptance paper work returned to the Research Office

• January 2013Funds made available to successful applicants

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Clarification of the Eligibility CriteriaAs at the 1st January 2013, applicants must:

– be within the first five (5) years of an academic appointment

– not normally have held an external Australian Competitive Grant as a named Chief Investigator (although some applicants with funded salary only may be eligible)

– be PhD-qualified– be an employee of the University of Melbourne

(minimum 0.5 FTE) or hold an honorary appointment in one of the following Medical Research Institute based Departments of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences:

Florey Department of Neuroscience MHRI Department of Neuroscience in Mental Health Medical Bionics Department

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Clarification of the Eligibility Criteria (cont.)

• Salaried appointments must be held for the duration of the project.

• Apart from those with honorary appointments at the MDHS departments listed above, Honorary staff are not eligible

• Funding is not available for those funding their own postgraduate studies

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Completing the Application Form

On our website you will find the following information to assist you:

• Funding Guidelines  • Instructions to Applicants • Sample Application Form• Australian Competitive Grants Register• List of ECR Faculty Administrators• Themis Submissions Instructions• Frequently Asked Questions

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Completing the Application Form

Question 1 - Project title • 10 words maximum; memorable and readily

understood

Question 2 - Project Summary• Maximum 150 words; interesting; gathers the

reader in; brief yet including the aims, expected

outcome and significance

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Completing the Application Form

Question 3 - Future Funding Plan• In 150 words maximum, explain how the project will

contribute to your career development and enhance your competitiveness in securing future external research funding.

Tips for completing Question 3 - Future funding

plan• Demonstrate how the ECR funding will help you to gain future

funding and improve your track record by leading to publication(s)

• Mention if you are using this grant to form the basis of a project

proposal which you intend to submit to the ARC/ NHMRC

• if you intend to present your work at national/international forums

• If applicable, mention if it will lead to collaborations

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Completing the Application Form

Question 4 - The budget• $25,000 maximum for humanities

• $40,000 maximum for engineering and science

• Grants below $5000 will not be awarded

Main points to remember when completing the budget :

• Only items that you are requesting to be funded from the ECR grant should be listed and must EXCLUSIVE OF GST.

• Publication costs and student fees are not to be requested

• Requests must be listed under the specific subheadings and justified in Section 4 of the proposal

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Completing the Application Form

Question 4 - The budget continued: Personnel:

• CI’s salaries are NOT funded

• RA’s, admin support and technical staff can be

requested

• When including staff on this project it is important to

include on-costs, which cover Super, payroll tax, work

cover, leave loading, etc.

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Completing the Application Form

Question 4 - The budget continued: Teaching Relief:• For teaching relief and other duties (each department

has different rates) you need to speak with your Departmental Manager to determine the correct rate specific to you. Approval from the Head of Department is required.

Equipment:• Only essential equipment that is not available to you

should be requested and strongly justified. All equipment costs should be based on a quote however it is NOT necessary to include the quote.

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Completing the Application Form

Question 4 - The budget continued:

Maintenance:• group your consumables under one heading.

• Estimated prices at the time of submission will suffice

Travel:• Travel costs may be requested for fieldwork, to visit

libraries or the use of Laboratory facilities nationally or internationally.

• You will need to break down the cost of travel into each component

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Completing the Application Form

Question 4 - The budget continued:

Other• Any other item that does not fit in the previous

headings. For example you can account for the hiring of external services such as translators, group facilitators, etc.

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Completing the Application FormQuestion 5 - Project Proposal:

• It is recommended that you have your supervisor or mentors look over this section and provide feedback

• The proposal is broken into 5 subheadings. In the Instructions to Applicants you will find descriptions of each section.

• Section 4 “Justification” - Why is the budget item necessary and how will it benefit your project?

• The proposal is to be no more than 3 pages in length plus one page for references

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Completing the Application FormQuestion 6.0 Supporting documentation:• Publications (2007 – Present, Refereed Only)

• In press articles can be listed so long as acceptance dates (month/ year) are included

• Publications should be listed under the subheadings indicated in the Instructions to Applicants

• The category ‘Other Publications’ should only contain references that are scholarly, publically available and that can be critically reviewed (newspaper articles, etc.)

• Q6.1, Q6.2 and Q6.3 are all situation based and do not apply to everyone

• Q6.4 has been added for MDHS and Science Faculty applicants to include their CV

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Completing the Application Form• Q6.1- Research only staff must include an explanation on

how they will be able to work on the project and manage

their workload.

• Q6.2- If you are not within your first 5 years of employment

at the University of Melbourne and still wish to apply you

will need to submit a statement for eligibility exemption.

• Q6.3 – Researchers who DO NOT currently hold an

appointment until 31 December 2013 must include a letter

from the HOD supporting their application.

• Q6.4 – For MDHS and Science Faculty applicants, CVs must

also be provided

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Themis Submissions

• Once you have completed the final version of your application form you should lodge it on Themis Submissions.

• DO NOT submit any draft application to Themis (e.g. incomplete)

http://www.themis.unimelb.edu.au/

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Faculty-Specific Information and Requirements for MDHSApplication requirements for MDHS applicants

MDHS submission guidelines will be available on 13th June 2012. Please refer to the MDHS website: http://research.mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/faculty-processes-applying-internal-grant-funding

MentoringApplicants are encouraged to make use of the faculty-based mentoring of their application for content and strategy, please contact Marjorie Dunlop (e-mail: medunlop@unimelb.edu.au).

On 3rd August 2012• Electronic submission in Themis (including Themis sign off by

Head of Department/ School)• Email submission to Michelle Ward• Faculty Research Unit contact for Eligibility and Faculty Process:

Michelle Ward, Senior Research Development Officer, phone: 03 9035 4011, e-mail: m.ward@unimelb.edu.au

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By noon 3rd August 2012• Applicants from the Faculty of Science are required to

supply an e-copy only of their application to their Faculty Administrator and a CV, no more than 3 single spaced pages using a font that is at least 12 point. The CV needs to include all grants received to date, and the applicant's current and past positions held. The application (signed by HOD) and CV must be submitted as 1 pdf and emailed to science-research@unimelb.edu.au

• Electronic submission in Themis (including Themis sign off by Head of Department/ School)

•  Contact for Eligibility and Faculty Process: Sharon Maybir, phone: 03 8344 6254, e-mail: science-research@unimelb.edu.au

Faculty-Specific Information and Requirements for Science

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Reminder of Submission DatesKey Dates Submission

Date – All other

faculties

Faculty of Engineering

MDHS, Business

and Economics

and Science Submission

Dates

For all Faculties Applications OPEN: Monday 2nd July 2012

Academics from Engineering submit soft copies to Eileen Doufas Shea to review

NA 3 August 2012

NA

Academics submit final applications and lodge in Themis Submissions.

17th August 2012

24th August 2012

3rd August 2012

Faculties submit ranking spreadsheet to MRO

31st August 2012

31st August 2012

31st August 2012

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Questions and comments

ECR Scheme webpagehttp://www.research.unimelb.edu.au/rgc/grants/find/schemes/uom/ecr