UNE Internal Funding Scheme (UNE IFS)

• To increase UNE’s share in nationally competitive funding rounds by motivating early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) to complete exploratory/pilot projects, which will support the development of national competitive grant applications.
• To support projects which are designed to strengthen the resubmission of unsuccessful, but highly-ranked applications to competitive schemes (near misses) which have undergone a peer review process.
• To augment UNE’s research profile in areas which align with UNE’s strategic research plans, particularly in relation to disciplines considered to be strategically significant to UNE.
• To foster new UNE basic and applied research projects which involve industry collaboration and lead to successful externally-funded competitive grants.

• The University will provide an appropriate allocation to support a number of ECR and MCR grants, capped at $10,000 each. Applicants will be required to submit a well-justified budget.
• Total funding requested may not be awarded in full if the Internal Funding Scheme (IFS) Review Panel deems components non-essential to the completion of the project and/or are not satisfactorily justified.

• Lead applicants must hold a PhD and meet the relevant EMCR criteria listed above.
• Applications will be accepted from individuals and teams. Research team applications may include researchers from other institutions/organisations.
• Staff may be lead investigators on one UNE IFS application. However, they may be part of a team on other UNE IFS applications per funding round.
• EMCRs who have confirmed employment arrangements with UNE for the duration of their proposed projects are eligible to apply.
• Level E (Professor) staff are eligible to be part of the research team but not as a lead investigator. Level D staff can apply if they can demonstrate eligibility in line with EMCR definitions.
• Adjunct staff based at UNE are eligible to be part of the research team but not as a lead investigator.
• Adjunct or other academic and research staff at other institutions are eligible to be part of a research team but not as a lead investigator.

The primary criteria used for assessment will be:

• Quality of the project – 30%
  • the quality of the proposed research project, including novelty, methodology and feasibility
• Applicant and team – 30%
  • the quality of the lead applicant, and their team, including the mentor where applicable.
  • strength of the collaboration which may include partnerships with industry[1] and/or inter-disciplinary partnerships.
• Trajectory of the project – 20%
  • the applicant’s capability to advance towards submitting a highly competitive application to a national funding scheme (previous ‘near-misses’ in external rounds, etc.)
• Strategic Alignment – 20%
  • Demonstrated alignment of the project with UNE’s plan for research and scholarship
  • Alignment of the project with disciplines of strategic significance to UNE.

[1] Industry partner definition: an Australian organisation with an Australian Company Number (ACN) or an Australian government entity (Commonwealth, State/ Territory or Local) or an Australian not-for-profit/charity registered on the Australian Government’s Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Charity Register.

• A project will be funded for one year only. Requests for an extension of time will be considered in exceptional circumstances only and will be at the discretion of the DVCR.
• Funds will not be provided for PhD scholarship stipends or PhD operating costs. Students may work part-time on the project where it is demonstrated that the work to be undertaken by the student will assist them in their professional development (developing relevant skills etc.).
• Funds must only be used on approved budget items, as outlined and justified in the application. Where the IFS Review Panel has determined budget items which are non-essential to the completion of the project and/or are not satisfactorily justified, funds may not be spent on these items. This will be communicated with the UNE IFS grant recipient prior to commencement of the project.
• Applicants to the UNE IFS must identify in their submission at least one external competitive funding source for which they commit to applying within 12 months of the end date of the UNE IFS grant.
• ECR applicants must identify a UNE senior academic who will provide mentorship throughout the UNE Internal Funding Scheme Round. The UNE senior academic will be required to endorse the ECR’s application to the UNE IFS and confirm commitment to mentoring the ECR through to submission of an application for external competitive funding.
• Funds cannot be used to cover current salary or FTE. Where an industry partner is included in the application, it is an expectation, but not a condition, that they will provide in-kind support.

Endorsement of an application must be obtained from the Faculty/Directorate which is then regarded as evidence of:

• approval for an applicant to undertake the research project proposed within the Faculty/Directorate;
• the Faculty/Directorate’s willingness and ability to provide the basic support, including dedicated resourcing, necessary for the applicant to complete the project.

• Grants will be allocated a project code (research funding account) by the central Research Finance team with a budget equal to the value of the award. All expenditure against this project code will be subject to University financial delegations and the availability of funds in the account.
• Any over-expenditure will be the responsibility of the grantee and the Faculty/Directorate.
• If a grantee leaves the University, unexpended funds are to be returned to Research Services for possible reallocation.
• Funds will be awarded and allocated to the relevant project code in December 2023 for use from January 2024. Funds must be expended within 12 months, i.e. by end December 2024. If an extension to the project period is required, the grantee should seek approval from the DVCR via email to the Grants team (grants@une.edu.au), who will notify the grantee of the outcome.
• Any equipment purchased through a UNE IFS grant remains the property of UNE and cannot be transferred to another institution.

• The Director of Research Services will chair the Review Panel and will be assisted in review of the proposals by academic and/or non-academic members, as determined by the DVCR. The Panel will make recommendations to the DVCR on successful applicants.
• Early Career Researcher (ECR) applications will be assessed separately from Mid-Career Researcher (MCR) applications, i.e., ECR applications will only be assessed against other ECR applications; MCR applications will only be assessed against other MCR applications.
• Outcomes will be provided to the lead applicants by the Grants team.