Research Branch Bulletin

NHMRC’s new Research Grants Management System (RGMS) will be used for the first time for all NHMRC applications in 2010. Further information on this system is now available on their website: 
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/rb/nhmrc/RGMS.html

The ARC have now released the Discovery Projects 2011 Funding Rules at: http://www.arc.gov.au/ncgp/dp/dp_fundingrules.htm.

The University tiered deadlines for submission of proposals to the Research Office for the desired level of checking will be:

• Full Check: by Monday 8th February
• Error Check: by Wednesday 17th February
• Submission “as is”: after 17th February

Please note that the ARC have advised: “Changes to the Discovery Projects scheme from the previous year are summarised in Section 5 of the Funding Rules. As you will be aware, the ARC recently held a consultation process on the peer review process. The Discovery Project Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2011 include some changes which received majority support from the consultation process. A final report on this consultation process will be issued in early 2010.”

The RB Website will be updated to reflect the new Funding Rules and deadlines asap.

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

The objective of the Foundation is to support medical research of benefit to Veterans and their families, applications must be directed to the treatment of specific veteran groups or the military. Applications are called for the following areas of research:

• Cardiovascular disease with an emphasis on prevention, early detection and clinical management.
• Cancer with an emphasis on prevention and prostate cancer.
• Clinical evaluation of post traumatic stress disorder.

Funding is available up to $15,000 and preference given to early career researchers and postdoctoral applicants.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.siredwarddunlop.com.au/

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

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

Preproposals for research projects addressing clinical aspects of exotic and wild birds, including diagnostic tests, drug doses, practice management, and conservation, are now being accepted for consideration for funding by the Association of Avian Veterinarians. Grants are limited to $10,000.00 for an individual project.

Investigators should be advised that indirect costs such as travel, publication costs, salaries, and overhead shall not be funded by the Association of Avian Veterinarians.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.aav.org/resources/index.php?content=grants

The Australian Flora Foundation was established in 1981 with the aim of fostering scientific research on the biology and cultivation of Australian plants. Funds for research are raised through the membership of the Foundation, donations from various sources and the interest from bequests. Grants are available for projects which commence from December 2010. The Foundation expects to support between two and four projects at $5000 - $12,000 each in 2011 with possible extension into 2012.

Applications for grants to support original scientific projects on the biology and cultivation of Australian plants are invited from research workers in Australia. The Australian Flora Foundation will consider all relevant applications, with special interest in the following categories:

• conservation of Australian plant diversity, particularly where there are threats from climatic change
• plant species with potential for cultivation
• enabling cultivation of Australian plants
• rare and endangered plants

Priority will be given to projects aiming to reduce plant collection from native ecosystems. For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.aff.org.au/AFF2_Call_for_applications.htm

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 primary objective of the Foundation is to "advance and enhance the progress and harmony of mankind with the Earth through the study and application of Natural Sciences".

Typically the HSF provides project grants up to A$30,000 per year for up to three years. Grants are awarded to Australian institutions for activities within Australia. Occasionally activities located in countries of the south west Pacific may also be funded. The project is in the biological or biophysical sciences or has application in those areas, as exemplified in projects described on this web site, and is not medical research.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.hermonslade.org.au/guidelines.html#

In anticipation of the ARC’s Funding Rules for Future Fellowships for funding commencing in 2010, interested applicants are asked to indicate their intent to apply using the Notification of Intent form. The completed form is to be countersigned by the appropriate Head of School and Faculty Executive Dean and returned to Research Branch by the due date.

The aim of Future Fellowships is to attract and retain the best and brightest mid-career researchers from Australia and abroad, and encourages proposals from researchers working in areas of national priority that can demonstrate a capacity to build collaboration across industry, research institutions or with other disciplines.

NB: The ARC have postponed this scheme until 2010. Further details will be provided when they become available (expected February 2010).

More information on the scheme can be found at: www.arc.gov.au//ncgp/futurefel/future_default.htm

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 (Ext: 33347)

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) solicits applications to develop innovative methods for membrane protein production so that the rate of membrane protein structure determination may be enhanced. Methods development for expression, solubilization, stabilization, purification, characterization, crystallization, and isotopic labeling of membrane proteins to enable the determination of their structures by electron microscopic, x-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry, and other biophysical techniques are emphasized.

This FOA is a follow-on to the NIH Roadmap RFA-RM-07-003 with updates and modification of the mechanisms of grant support that are to be used. Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the R01 grant mechanism. Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. The total amount of funding that the NIH expects to award through this announcement is $3-5 million in Fiscal Year 2010; the anticipated number of awards is 13-16 awards and this number will depend on the budgets and areas of IC interest of the awards made.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=50474

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 US$750,000, US$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 US$450,000, US$150,000 per year for three years.

Note: Please submit a hard copy to Don McMaster ( Ext: 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 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 US$30M in direct costs.

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

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 Elva Knight Research Grant provides up to US$10,000 for research in reading and literacy.

Contingent upon available funds in any given year, as many as four grants may be awarded. Projects should be completed within 2 years and may be carried out using any research method or approach so long as the focus of the project is on research in reading or literacy. Activities such as developing new programs or instructional materials are not eligible for funding except to the extent that these activities are necessary procedures for the conduct of the research.

Each year, it is expected that at least one grant will be awarded to a researcher outside the United States and Canada and that one grant will be awarded to a teacher-initiated research project subject to being of high quality.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.reading.org/Resources/AwardsandGrants/research_knight.aspx

The Leakey Foundation was formed to further research into human origins. Recent priorities include research into the environment, archeology and human paleontology; into the behavior, morphology, and ecology of the great apes and other primate species; and into the behavioral ecology of contemporary hunter-gatherers. Other areas of study are rarely considered.

The majority of the Foundation's General Research Grants to doctoral students are in the $3,000-to a maximum of $13,500 range; the limit of funding for a single proposal submitted by a post-doctoral applicant or a senior scientists is $22,000. Advanced doctoral students as well as established scientists are eligible for general research grants. High school and undergraduate students are not eligible. There are no citizenship restrictions.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.leakeyfoundation.org/index.php/granting-program.html

The Australian Academy of the Humanities is now pleased to call for applications for the second round of the International Science Linkages - Humanities and Creative Arts (ISL-HCA) Programme, funded by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) to support international collaborative research activities in the humanities and creative arts.

The International Science Linkages (ISL) Programme aims to facilitate and support research cooperation between Australian researchers and leading counterparts overseas. The ISL-HCA Programme will provide targeted support in order to:

• promote access and participation for Australian humanities and creative arts researchers in strategically focused, leading edge, international research; and
• increase strategic alliances between Australian and overseas researchers.

In this second round three different schemes are being offered:

• International Research Fellowships for early to mid-career researchers to work in collaborative research groups abroad;
• Visiting Fellowships for eminent humanities and/or creative arts scholars to visit Australia and participate in seminars and masterclasses; and
• International Collaborative Workshops with a focused objective, which bring together researchers from different countries and may be hosted in Australia or overseas.

The application is submitted electronically with a copy and the Grant Application Coversheet to be forwarded to Dr Don McMaster in Research Branch.

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

The PADI Foundation encourages and supports underwater science, environmental projects, and education.

The Foundation will fund and assist worthwhile projects that will enrich mankind's understanding of the aquatic environment and encourage sensitivity to and protection of the delicate ecological balance of underwater life. The Foundation will also fund worthwhile projects to increase understanding of sport diving physics and physiology that will benefit the general diving public and add to the scientific understanding of man's relationship and ability to survive in the underwater environment.

In 2010, the Foundation expects to award a total of approximately $180,000 and will consider proposals with budgets up to $20,000 although the average for proposals will be on the order of $5,000 to $10,000. The Foundation will not fund overhead or other indirect expenses.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.padifoundation.org/index.htm

This initiative is funded through the NIH Common Fund, which supports cross-cutting programs that are expected to have exceptionally high impact. All Common Fund initiatives invite investigators to develop bold, innovative, and often risky approaches to address problems that may seem intractable or to seize new opportunities that offer the potential for rapid progress.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to solicit applications to develop new and improved computational tools for the efficient and comprehensive analysis, interpretation and validation of data generated from the Human Microbiome Project (HMP See http://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/). This FOA will use the R01 grant mechanism and is being issued in conjunction with an FOA of identical scientific scope, RFA-RM-09-021, that solicits applications under the exploratory/development (R21) grant mechanism. This tool development effort is a component of the HMP, which has the long-term goal of describing the presence, differences and synergy among microbes in and on the human body and determining their involvement in human health and disease.

Funds are available up to US$2.5 million in Fiscal Year 2010 for this FOA and the parallel R21 FOA in combination. It is anticipated that 2-5 R01 grants (of duration up to 3 years) and 2-4 R21 grants will be awarded. Budgets will be negotiated to optimize the number of awards that can be made. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent on the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-09-020.html

The specific purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to develop revolutionary technologies that will enable in vivo imaging or analysis of epigenetic changes.  The epigenetic features of interest include epigenetic marks, modifying enzymes, effector molecules, the activities of these molecules, or other measures of chromatin state.

A total of US$3.5 million in Fiscal Year 2010 funds has been committed to support this FOA. The anticipated number of awards under this FOA is 7-10. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. The requested budget must be commensurate with the work proposed.  The proposed project period may not exceed five years.

Note: Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. Internal deadline for letter of intent is 23 Dec 2009.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-09-016.html#SectionIII1A

The Australian Academy of Science invites applications from Australian professional scientists, including early career researchers, to visit Europe between 1 July 2010 and 31 March 2011 to collaborate with European researchers. Proposals in any field of natural science, basic and applied, including mathematics and engineering science, will be considered. The applicant must be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident, living in Australia at the time of submitting the grant application. Support will not be given when the primary purpose of the visit is to attend a conference.

Preference will be given to visits which are short-term and highly-focused. The grant scheme is not to supplement or extend either study or sabbatical leave that is being conducted overseas.

Successful applicants may receive from the Academy a grant-in-aid of up to $10,500. This is based on a contribution towards travel between Australia and the host institution(s) up to a maximum of $2,500, and a living allowance of up to a maximum of $200 per day for a period between 14 days and 40 days (maximum of $8,000). Please note that the full amount applied for may not always be awarded.

The duration of the visit must be for a minimum of 14 days and a maximum of 40 days. The program does not provide funds for bench fees, managerial, insurance or visa costs.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.science.org.au/internat/europe.htm

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/

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