Research Branch Bulletin

Opening and closing dates for NHMRC funding schemes for 2010 is now available on the NHMRC website.

NHMRC’s new Research Grants Management System (RGMS) will be used for the first time for all applications in 2010. Further information on this system will be available on the RGMS website later this week.

The NHMRC has undertaken a review of the NHMRC-European Union (EU) Collaborative Research Grants scheme.  The scheme helps Australian researchers participate in projects with international researchers under the European Commission’s (EC) Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).  

The revised NHMRC-EU scheme Funding Policy, approved by Research Committee in May this year, and the revised application form, are now available on the updated webpage of the NHMRC website located at: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants/types/granttype/strategic/austeu.htm 

Information about the recently published FP7 calls is available on the EC website at:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html

Cancer Council SA (CCSA) sets aside limited funds each year to support visits by national or international experts who can add value to cancer control in South Australia. A condition of the award is that it must be used during the calendar year ending 31 December 2010.

Any South Australian agency or department actively involved in cancer research, caring for people affected by cancer, or community education about cancer, may apply to CCSA for a grant-in-aid to bring an appropriate 'distinguished visitor' to South Australia.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.cancersa.org.au/aspx/Distinguished_Visitors.aspx

The ADRF invites applications for grants from clinicians and trained researchers interested in undertaking a dental research project. The Directors are especially interested in research that bears directly on the clinical practice of dentistry. Applicants from general or specialist dental practice are encouraged to seek research support. In recent years grants have averaged around $5,000 and seldom exceeded $10,000. The Foundation will not support requests for salaries, high cost items of equipment or institutional overheads.

The top-ranked project each year automatically gains access to the Australian Dental Industry Association Research Award. This Award offers an additional $5,000 to the Principal Applicant for the grant, either for a new project or for an extension of the scope of the winning one.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.ada.org.au/about/adrfgrants.aspx

Mrs. Carty's Will provides that the Trustees may make grants to those institutions which they believe to be in need of funds "to assist or promote research into the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of physical or mental disorders of human beings". Preference is given to specific laboratory research projects, or for essential equipment to undertake such projects.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.ada.org.au/about/adrfgrants.aspx

The PRF offers three types of grants.

• Seeding grants are for new researchers working on new or established research projects.
• Tagged grants are for researchers working on new or established research projects in a specific area of physiotherapy using 'tagged' funds.
• General grants are for projects to integrate research evidence into clinical practice, promote research or conduct non-clinical research.

Applications for general grants will be considered throughout the year. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://physiotherapy.asn.au/index.php/quality-practice/physiotherapy-research-foundation/grants

The ResMed Foundation (Australia) is a private charitable foundation to promote sleep-disordered breathing research and community awareness, of the dangers of untreated sleep-disordered breathing. It has two main objectives

• Promoting leading research for publication in appropriate scientific and medical publications
• Providing limited community support by promoting, enhancing and financing charitable, educational, literary, artistic, scientific and other community and philanthropic activities

Individual Grants typically range from AU$5,000 to AU$50,000. The ResMed Foundation will also consider supporting longer-term projects with annual funding.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.resmed.com/au/about_us/resmed-foundation.html?nc=aboutus

The Sudden Infant Death Research Foundation (SIDRF) call for applications for research support (which might include granting of Research Fellowships) in the field of sudden death in infancy. Applicants need to consider certain points before submitting a request.

• animal studies will not be considered
• if sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the focus of the proposal, it must abide by the 1993 NICHD definition of SIDS

SIDRF adopts a two stage selection process for awarding research funding. Stage one requires applicants to submit a short one or two page outline of their intended proposal including hypothesis, methodology, outcome measures, availability of resource material, statistical procedures and estimate of yearly funding.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.sidsandkids.org/research-grants-sa.html

The Marine National Facility Steering Committee calls for applications for sea time annually and encourages new users of the RV Southern Surveyor to apply. It also encourages applications for national and international collaborative projects and projects covering more than one year.

Australian marine researchers are invited to submit applications to use RV Southern Surveyor during the period July 2011 to June 2012. Southern Surveyor is equipped to support research in the following general areas:

• Physical, chemical and biological oceanography;
• Marine geosciences;
• Environmental sciences; and
• Fisheries research.

The Marine National Facility Steering Committee has not specified an Area of Operations for 2011-2012. It will accept applications for projects operating in all Australian and regional seas and oceans.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.marine.csiro.au/nationalfacility/application/index.htm

The Trust is required to use the funds for research, development and extension into the growing, harvesting, storage, processing and marketing of grain in SA in order to increase profitability and sustainability of the grains industry. Preference will be given to projects which meet the following criteria:

• Emphasis should be on solutions (outcomes).
• Without losing sight of innovation, greatest emphasis will be placed on projects which are applied, and with short/medium term outcomes for farmers.
• Benefits to SA farmers, region, and industry need to be identified, where possible in quantitative terms.
• The Path to Market or the means by which the results will be transferred to farmers (assuming the results are applicable to farmers) should be identified.
• Where applicable, areas of potential IP and/or commercialisation of results need to be identified.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.sagit.com.au/site/page.cfm?u=47

The Tactical Research Fund (TRF) has been created as part of the FRDC’s continual improvement processes. The aim of the TRF is to allow the FRDC to fast track important stakeholder issues to take advantage of opportunities, avert threats, or manage unforeseen events, as they arise.

Investment criteria:
The FRDC's investment criteria specifically for the Tactical Research Fund are:

• The project should be a high priority and driven by the relevant stakeholders. The project proposal must formally demonstrate that the stakeholder supports the proposed project as a high priority, aimed at achieving a specific outcome or responding to an unforseen event.
• The project's outputs should be immediately adoptable by the stakeholder in order to achieve the specific outcome;
• FRDC investment (including any industry cash contributions) must not exceed $75,000 (this is not inclusive of in-kind contributions);
• The project must be completed within 18 months.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.frdc.com.au/research/applying-for-funding

Applications for an Award from the Hansjörg Eichler Research Fund are welcomed from all current financial members of the Australian Systematic Botany Society. The project must contribute to Australian systematic botany (including cryptogams); must be carried out within Australia; and the applicant must be attached to an Australian research institute (in the broadest sense). The maximum grant awarded will be $2000.

Students, recent graduates and newly-established botanists will be given preference. Applications will be assessed on the quality of the applicant and the proposed project. The project should be clearly defined in scope and preferably result in a publication.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.anbg.gov.au/asbs/eichler/index.html

The Council decided to use the bequest to support short term research projects and young zoologists working in any aspect of zoology within Australasia.

EMR Grants are composed of small research grants.  They are intended for researchers who are just starting out in their respective fields of study and will cover minor costs. 

Applications are restricted to members of the RZS (If not a member, please join). A degree is not a prerequisite. However, applicants must be able to demonstrate in their application that they have the scientific competence to undertake and complete the proposed research project. The maximum grant awarded is $AUD1500 per year and applicants are free to re-apply for funding regardless of whether they have been successful in previous years. The size of the grant means that the EMR Research Fund may bridge a gap in existing funding, may be used to instigate pilot studies, may be devoted to travel costs in the field or may be used to purchase equipment. There are no restrictions on how the grant may be used in contributing to the nominated research program.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.rzsnsw.org.au/index.php?/Grants/EMR-Grants/the-ethel-mary-read-research-grant-fund.html

Researchers with innovative ideas are invited to submit a proposal for funding. Projects should be relevant to the contemporary education and training environment and focus on research that is pertinent to policy and how the tertiary education sector operates.

Funding for several research projects in the vicinity of $100,000 per project is available through a competitive selection process.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.ncver.edu.au/newsevents/tenders.html

The foundation seeks to encourage programs and projects in three broad areas: Arts and Culture; Health and Welfare; Jewish Interests. Funding may be used for various purposes. Please see the Besen Family Foundation's Areas of Interest for further information.

Funding is available up to $10,000. Applicants requesting larger amounts are encouraged to discuss their request with the Foundation's Executive Officer before submitting.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.besenfoundation.org.au/

AIATSIS is a national funding body for research in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies. The Research Grants Program supports research into areas such as:

• history (including family and community history)
• politics, law, and public policy
• health (social, cultural and environmental aspects) and biological sciences
• education and cultural transmission
• Indigenous knowledge systems
• linguistics
• social anthropology
• archaeology and
• the arts

Within these categories, AIATSIS places special emphasis on applications dealing with:

• relations with Government
• knowledge about and caring for Country
• Indigenous knowledge systems

Note: Please note that these grants are open for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/research/grants/grants.html

Research Branch Contact: Dr.Don McMaster(#33347)

AAF are looking for highly original thinking from investigators willing to step away from their current areas of research to tackle the asthma epidemic, to translate your know-how and skills into asthma research.

AAF is particularly interested in attracting investigators from outside the field to apply their expertise to the study of asthma. Prior research in asthma is not required. Investigators from within the field are eligible for awards, but they must demonstrate that their proposed work represents a departure from their current and past research. Because the Program seeks to develop new paths in asthma research, innovation and risk are strongly encouraged. The Program supports basic research at two levels:

• Senior Investigator Awards: Senior Investigators will have well-established research programs and an international reputation for their research. They will usually hold a full-time academic appointment as Professor, Associate Professor, or the equivalent. The value of the award will be $750,000 (U.S.), $250,000 per year for three years.
• Early Excellence Awards: These awards are intended to support investigators who have demonstrated exceptional early accomplishment as independent investigators, permitting the expansion of their work into the field of asthma. The value of the award will be $450,000 (U.S.), $150,000 per year for three years.

Note: Please submit a hard copy to Don McMaster (#33347) at Research Branch.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.americanasthmafoundation.org/grants/description-awards

The Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program (PRORP) was established in Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) to address the leading burden of injury and loss of fitness for military duty by funding innovative, high-impact, clinically relevant research to advance treatment and rapid rehabilitation from musculoskeletal injuries sustained during combat or combat-related activities.

The intent of the award is to fund clinical studies focused on improving the outcomes of severe musculoskeletal injuries commonly associated with military combat. The main objective of this Consortium Award is to address questions that have not previously been answered because funding was not available to establish large multi-site clinical trials with appropriate statistical power.

The maximum period of performance is 5 years and the maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $30M in direct costs.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/prorp.htm

This Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity is focused on basic research, defined as research directed towards attaining greater knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles of science and medicine.

The DMRDP Basic Research Award is designed to promote new ideas that are still in the early stages of development and have the potential to yield highly impactful data and new avenues of investigation. This mechanism supports conceptually innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could ultimately lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will accelerate the delivery of new medical countermeasures and information to protect military personnel from a variety of health threats inherent in the military operational environment, and to effectively diagnose and treat these personnel when they are ill or injured.

These awards will also support basic research to enhance the training and education of military personnel and health care providers. Presentation of preliminary data is not required. However, investigators must demonstrate logical reasoning and a sound scientific rationale established through a critical review and analysis of the literature for the proposal to be competitive. Research projects should include a well-formulated, testable hypothesis based on strong scientific rationale.

Maximum period of performance is 3 years and maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $1,000,000 for direct costs.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=50186

JDRF fosters the development and productivity of the best and the brightest established independent researchers who will bridge the gap between the bench and bedside. The primary purpose of the Career Development Award is to attract qualified and promising scientists early in their faculty careers and to give them the opportunity to establish themselves in areas that reflect the JDRF research emphasis areas.

In the five-year term of the award, awardees will focus their research efforts on a subject directly related to JDRF mission goals and research priorities, and position themselves to work at the leading edge of type 1 diabetes research. These awards are designed to assist exceptionally promising investigators. Although JDRF is especially interested in fostering careers in clinical investigation, Career Development Awards may emphasize either basic or clinical topics.

The Career Development Award is intended for individuals in a relatively early stage of their career. Ordinarily, their first degree (MD, PhD, DMD, DVM, or equivalent) will have been received at least three but not more than seven years before the award. The applicant must hold an academic faculty level position (including assistant professor or equivalent) at the time of the application, at a university, health science center, or comparable institution with strong, well-established research and training programs for the chosen area of interest.

There are no citizenship requirements for this program. Career Development Award research may be conducted at foreign and domestic, for-profit and non-profit, and public and private organizations—such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local governments, and eligible agencies of the federal government. The award is up to USD 150,000 per year, including indirect costs.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103207

The JDRF Early Career Patient-Oriented Diabetes Research Award will provide crucial support to investigators who plan to pursue a career in diabetes-related clinical investigation. These prestigious awards are made in the later stages of training and include the ability for recipients to transition to independent faculty or research appointments. The award has a five-year term.

The successful candidate will have an MD or MD-PhD, hold an appointment or joint appointment in a subspecialty of clinical medicine, and conduct human clinical research. In exceptional circumstances, non-MD candidates will be considered if their work is likely to contribute significantly to a clinical outcome. The candidate must hold an appointment or joint appointment in a clinical department.

For the purposes of this award, clinical research is defined as research conducted with human subjects for which the investigator directly interacts with the subjects. Areas of relevant research can include (but are not limited to):

• mechanisms of human disease;
• therapeutic interventions;
• clinical trials;
• the development of new technologies.

There are no citizenship requirements for this program. Research may be conducted at foreign and domestic, for-profit and non-profit, and public and private organizations-such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local governments, and eligible agencies of the federal government. Awards are in the amount of up to USD 150,000 total costs per year, including indirect costs.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103207

The purpose of the Australian Orthopaedic Research Fellowship is to promote research into clinical orthopaedics and basic science relevant to the practice of orthopaedics. Applicants will be required:

• to have shown ability or promise of ability in research
• to have made suitable arrangements with an established investigator under whose supervision the work is to be conducted, and
• to show that the proposed topic of research is acceptable to the institution concerned.

The Fellowship is for 12 months and is normally tenable only within Australia. Application for this Fellowship may be made by Orthopaedic Fellows and registered advanced orthopaedic trainees.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.aoa.org.au/Content/NavigationMenu/Fellowships/AOAFellowships/default.htm

Bogliasco Fellowships are awarded, without regard to nationality, to qualified persons doing advanced creative work or scholarly research in the following disciplines:

• Archaeology
• Dance
• Landscape Architecture
• Philosophy
• Architecture
• Film/Video
• Literature
• Theatre
• Classics
• History
• Music
• Visual Arts

Applicants for Fellowships are expected to demonstrate significant achievement in their disciplines, commensurate with their age and experience. Fellowships usually have a duration of one month. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.bfny.org/english/fellowships.cfm

Postdoctoral fellowships provide two years of funding to support ambitious, synthetic research on any aspect of evolutionary biology and relevant disciplines. Annual stipends will be $39,000 with $5,000 in research expenses, plus medical and dental coverage. Proposals can include any type of synthetic project, but fellows should plan on mainly working on-site, to add to our intellectual community.

For further information and application instructions, please visit: http://www.nescent.org/science/postdoctoral.php

The ACU Titular Fellowships provide opportunities for nominees of member universities to spend periods of time in other member universities or relevant institutions outside their own country. The purpose is to enable the universities of the Commonwealth to develop the human resources of their institutions and countries through the interchange of people, knowledge, skills and technologies. Fellowships are NOT intended for degree courses, or for immediately postdoctoral programmes; they cannot be held in the country in which the applicant currently works and they cannot be held concurrently with other awards.

Preference will be given to workers in the following priority subject areas: agriculture, forestry and food sciences, biotechnology, development strategies, earth and marine sciences, engineering, health and related social sciences, information technology, management for change, professional education and training, social and cultural development and university development and management. The value is up to £5,000 according to the actual programme, and intended to cover international return air fare; in-country ground travel; medical insurance; board and lodging; fees (where the approved programme includes a formal training programme).

For further information and application instructions, please visit: http://www.acu.ac.uk/member_services/fellowships_mobility/acu_titular_fellowships

Each year Cancer Council SA (CCSA) offers limited support to offset the costs of travel and accommodation for South Australian Cancer Researchers who have been invited to present their recent work at a national or international scientific meeting, or who plan to attend such meetings, or who wish to undertake short term study.

Generally, CCSA receives applications for funds far exceeding the money currently set aside for this purpose. Thus these grants-in-aid are very competitive.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.cancersa.org.au/aspx/Travel_Grants.aspx

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds is a public foundation - an independent, not-for-profit institution for the exclusive and direct promotion of basic research in biomedicine. It supports researchers and projects aimed to experimentally elucidate basic phenomena of human life and pays particular attention to the promotion of junior scientists. The purpose of the travel grants are:

• to learn clearly-defined methods useful for your ongoing research and the work of your research group at home by visiting another laboratory, or by attending research-orientated courses which include practical training;
  
• to enable graduates from abroad and their potential PhD supervisors to evaluate the scientific and personal prerequisites before embarking on a PhD thesis. To this end, the graduate student shall pursue a short project in his/her potential PhD supervisor’s laboratory for at least 4 weeks.

Travel grants are awarded for short-term visits of up to 3 months and applications may be submitted at any time, but must reach the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (B.I.F.) at least 6 weeks before your proposed departure date.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.bifonds.de/cgi-bin/show.pl/travel_grants/travel_grants.html

The Foundation for High Blood Pressure Research is pleased to announce that it will provide Travel Awards to young Australian researchers presenting their work at the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) Scientific Meeting in Vancouver, Canada on 26-30 September 2010. Individual awards will be up to $3,000.00 as determined by the Foundation.

The awards are available to PhD students and postdoctoral researchers with no more than five years’ experience post-PhD. Preference will be given to members of the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia. Applicants should send a letter of application to the address below with a copy of the abstract(s) submitted to the Vancouver Organising Committee and provide evidence that the abstract has been accepted.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.hbprca.com.au/hbp-foundation

The CASS Foundation Travel Grants are offered to further the career opportunities of early career Australian post-doctoral researchers by enabling them to make presentations of their research findings at international conferences/meetings/related activities ("conferences") where they may meet colleagues and establish the foundations for ongoing research collaborations.

Applications open in January 2010 for conference/Meeting/Activity between 1 May 2010 and 30 November 2010.

Please visit, their website in January for further information and application instructions:
http://www.cassfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=41

The Society's Foundation Travel Grant sponsors Australian Microbiologists, especially those in the formative stages of their careers, to undertake professional development in appropriate laboratories in Australia or New Zealand.

The Foundation Travel Grant normally provides from several hundred to a maximum of $2,000 per scholarship. Applicants who have secured significant support (ca. 50%) from other sources will be assessed more favourably than those who have not.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.theasm.org.au/awards/national

Nominations for The Royal Society of Victoria Medal for Scientific Research 2010 are now open. The award will be presented for scientific research in the following category:

Category II: Human Health or Medical Sciences (Human) Genetics, Immunology, Human Physiology, Human Anatomy, Pathology, Necrology, Epidemiology, Endocrinology, Radiology, Microbiology, Medical Parasitology, Nuclear Medicine, and related human sciences

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.sciencevictoria.org.au/

They are intended for those who are already leaders or have the potential to assume leadership roles that can influence social and economic policy reform and development outcomes.

The Australian Leadership Awards program comprises of Scholarships and Fellowships. ALA Fellowships are for short term study, research and professional attachment programs in Australia delivered by Australian organisations.

ALA Fellowships complement the longer term ALA Scholarships providing opportunities to senior officials and mid-career professional who cannot leave their positions for extended periods. The ALA Fellowships is a highly flexible program that offers Australian organisations opportunities to provide short term study, research and professional development activities in Australia for leaders of mid-career professionals from eligible countries.

Applications addressing the priority areas of disability and development, economic growth, education, environment, food security, gender, governance, health, human rights, infrastructure, regional stability, rural development and water and sanitation are particularly encouraged.

For further information and application instructions, please visit: http://ausaid.gov.au/scholar/alafellow.cfm

Fellowships are designed to assist post-doctoral fellows establish careers in research relevant to dystonia. Fellowships are funded at up to $50,000 per year for a period of two years, at the Foundation’s sole discretion.

The applicant seeking Foundation funding must be employed at a for-profit or non-profit organization or institution (each referred to as a “Grantee Institution”) within the United States, Canada, or those foreign countries where supervision of grant administration is possible.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/funding_opportunities/142.php

The Individual Grants Program was founded on the understanding that effective treatments for acute and chronic spinal cord injury will involve carefully orchestrated multi-disciplinary interventions, each tailored to the individual patient. For this reason, the Individual Grants Program, the largest and most comprehensive of the Reeve Foundation research initiatives, supports investigator-initiated research on a variety of fronts, including axon growth and guidance, remyelination, cellular replacement, rehabilitation and neuroprotection.

Applications will be accepted only from those with a PhD, MD, or other equivalent professional degree, employed at a qualifying research institution. Two-year awards are available for senior scientists and young investigators with a maximum funding level of US$75,000 per year.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.4434995/k.C2EC/
Individual_Research_Grants__SCI_investigatorinitiated_research.htm

Research Grants support hypothesis-driven research at the genetic, molecular, cellular, systems or behavioral levels that may, directly or indirectly, lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of dystonia or to new therapies for dystonia. Research Grants are funded up to $65,000 per year for one or two years, at the Foundation's sole discretion.

The applicant seeking Foundation funding must be employed at a for-profit or non-profit organization or institution (each referred to as a “Grantee Institution”) within the United States, Canada, or those foreign countries where supervision of grant administration is possible.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/funding_opportunities/142.php

The Field Naturalists Society of South Australia Inc. (FNSSA) established the Lirabenda Endowment Fund with the intention of making available research grants to encourage and promote research into the biota and natural environment of South Australia. 

The Lirabenda Research Grants Committee considers all applications for grants from the Lirabenda Endowment Fund with this intention in mind. It promotes the conservation of natural features and habitat and the preservation of native flora, fauna and fungi of Australia and, in particular, South Australia.

Applications are encouraged from research institutions for supervised project funding at the Honours Degree, Masters Degree and PhD levels and for projects conducted by researchers at South Australian Research Institutes. 

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/involved/field_naturalists.html

An environmental organisation, the Norman Wettenhall Foundation’s objective is to support projects that enhance or maintain the vitality and diversity of the Australian natural living environment. The objectives of the grants are:

• to build capacity in local communities to effect long-term beneficial change in the natural environment
• to support and encourage research, monitoring and knowledge sharing relating to all aspects of Australia's natural environment

Please note that pre-approval must be obtained before submitting a full application.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.nwf.org.au/grants/index.html

Applications for a PhD Scholarship, commencing in 2010, researching Melanoma are being called for by Australian Rotary Health. The value of the PhD Scholarship is $28,000 per year for a maximum of 3 years. The funds will be provided through the Australian Rotary Health Funding Partners Program and the Rotary Club of Wollundry-Wagga Wagga.

Applicants must be eligible to undertake study at an appropriate University or Research Institute in Australia. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.australianrotaryhealth.org.au/getdoc/b95f7ec6-5e80-46da-b95f-488e746c8a0f/RESEARCH%20GRANTS%20AND%20SCHOLARSHIPS%20OPEN%20NOW.aspx

Applications must be relevant to the field of Spinal Cord Injury Research. It is intended that Australian Rotary Health/Rotary Club of Parkes Scholarship will provide salary and incidental support for a postgraduate student who is undertaking full-time research in an area of research relevant to Spinal Cord Injury.

The annual value of the Australian Rotary Health/Rotary Club of Parkes Scholarship is $25,000. The award will be made for one year in the first instance but can be extended for a maximum of three and a half years (total) upon receipt of satisfactory annual progress reports. Only applicants about to commence, or already those engaged in their first year of a PhD are eligible to apply for the Scholarship.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.australianrotaryhealth.org.au/getdoc/b95f7ec6-5e80-46da-b95f-488e746c8a0f/RESEARCH%20GRANTS%20AND%20SCHOLARSHIPS%20OPEN%20NOW.aspx

The MBF Foundation seeks submissions via Expressions of Interest process for the funding of new initiatives that provide clear benefit to the Australian community in one or more of the following key strategic areas:

• Keeping healthcare affordable; and
• Promoting wellness and/or tackling obesity.
• Healthy ageing;

The Foundation's activities must fall within the charitable objectives set out in its constitution and charter, which are to promote:

• Health research (including research into health outcomes, health information, health policy and health financing and ageing;
• Health education; and
• Development of programs for leading healthy lives for the broader community.

The Foundation looks to fund initiatives from $100,000 to $500,000 for up to three (3) years with potential outcomes of national significance and takes a partnership approach to all investments. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://mbf.com.au/AboutMBF/TheMBFFoundation/Grants

Each calendar year the Society donates approximately $150,000 to maintain its programme of sponsorship of Australian adventurers, scientific and environmental research, and community projects. Over the years it has spent more than $8,000,000 supporting Australian endeavour in all these fields.

Australian scientists, community organisations and individuals developing projects in Australia and abroad are welcome to apply for Society sponsorship. In 2010 there are three types of sponsorships available through the Australian Geographic Society:

• Seed Grants (up to $3000)
• Project Sponsorships ($5,000 to $15,000)
• Nancy Bird Walton Sponsorship for Female Adventurers (one grant of $5,000)

In 2010 the total amount of funds allocated in each funding round for Seed Grants will be a maximum of $20,000 and for Project Sponsorship a maximum of $15,000.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/society/AG-Society-sponsorship-applications.htm