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Taxonomy research funding to support Australia's biodiversity conservation
Australian Biological Resources Study: National Taxonomy Research Grant Program 2023–24
What do you get?
Grant amounts vary. The maximum grant amount per research stream:
- $300,000 for Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant
- $270,000 for Research Grant
- $20,000 for PhD Scholarship Support Grant and Early Career Research Grant
- $10,000 for Honours, Masters Scholarships and Non-salaried Researcher Grants.
Who is this for?
Australian institutions who are hosting a Principal Investigator including Early Career and Postdoctoral researcher, or a PhD, Masters or Honours scholarships student. There is also a stream for individuals affiliated with an appropriate institution applying for a Non-Salaried Researcher Grant.
About the program
The National Taxonomy Research Grant Program commits over $2 million annually to support research into taxonomy.
The program aims to:
- improve knowledge of the Australian biota through targeted taxonomic research
- increase funding for taxonomy through enhanced co-funding opportunities
- build Australia’s taxonomic capacity by supporting tertiary research training and early career researchers.
Learn more about the policy that supports this program.
Research streams
Use the list below to compare grant streams and decide which one is right for you. You can also refer to the table in Appendix B of the grant opportunity guidelines to compare grant streams.
- Duration: 3 years
- Maximum total grant amount (GST exclusive): $270,000
- Maximum annual Grant amount (GST exclusive): $90,000
- Co-funding requirements: At least 50 per cent of total grant funding
- Who can apply: An appropriate host institution submitting an application on behalf of a researcher
- Eligible expenditure - conditions: n/a
- Duration: 1 year (or split over 2 years)
- Maximum total grant amount (GST exclusive): $20,000
- Maximum annual Grant amount (GST exclusive): $20,000 ($10,000 per year if over 2 years)
- Co-funding requirements: At least 50 per cent of total grant funding
- Who can apply: An appropriate host institution submitting an application on behalf of an early career researcher
- Eligible expenditure - conditions: n/a
- Duration: 3 years
- Maximum total grant amount (GST exclusive): $300,000
- Maximum annual Grant amount (GST exclusive): $100,000
- Co-funding requirements: At least 50 per cent of total grant funding
- Who can apply: An appropriate host institution submitting an application on behalf of a researcher with an accepted PhD thesis
- Eligible expenditure - conditions: May use grant funding for their own postdoctoral salary if the institution is not already paying their salary. Rates will vary from institution to institution and the appropriate rate is that which is designated by the administering institution. Salary on-costs can be included up to a maximum of 28 per cent.
- Duration: 1 year (or 2 part-time)
- Maximum total grant amount (GST exclusive): $10,000
- Maximum annual Grant amount (GST exclusive): $10,000 (or $5,000 per year if part-time)
- Co-funding requirements: Nil
- Who can apply: An appropriate host institution submitting an application on behalf of an Honours student
- Eligible expenditure - conditions: Must use grant funding to supplement research costs only. Funding from these grants cannot be used to supplement daily living costs but can, however, be used for accommodation, travel and meals related to fieldwork.
- Duration: 1 year (or 2 part-time)
- Maximum total grant amount (GST exclusive): $10,000
- Maximum annual Grant amount (GST exclusive): $10,000 (or $5,000 per year if part-time)
- Co-funding requirements: Nil
- Who can apply: An appropriate host institution submitting an application on behalf of a Masters student
- Eligible expenditure - conditions: Must use grant funding to supplement research costs only. Funding from these grants cannot be used to supplement daily living costs but can, however, be used for accommodation, travel and meals related to fieldwork.
- Duration: 2 years
- Maximum total grant amount (GST exclusive): $20,000
- Maximum annual Grant amount (GST exclusive): $10,000
- Co-funding requirements: Nil
- Who can apply: An appropriate host institution submitting an application on behalf of a PhD student with a Research Training Program Scholarship
- Eligible expenditure - conditions: Must use grant funding to supplement research costs only. Funding from these grants cannot be used to supplement daily living costs but can, however, be used for accommodation, travel and meals related to fieldwork.
- Duration: 1 year
- Maximum total grant amount (GST exclusive): $10,000
- Maximum annual Grant amount (GST exclusive): $10,000
- Co-funding requirements: Nil
- Who can apply: Non-salaried researcher
- Eligible expenditure - conditions: n/a
Check if you can apply
You can apply if you meet the eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria are a set of rules that describe who we can consider for this grant. You can apply if you:
- are an eligible entity
- have an eligible project
- have eligible expenditure.
The rules are in the grant opportunity guidelines.
You can apply if you have an Australian business number (ABN) and are:
- an appropriate host institution submitting an application on behalf of an Principal Investigator or scholarship student (applies to all streams except the Non-Salaried Researcher Grant); or
- an individual submitting a Non-Salaried Researcher Grant application.
You must also be one of the following entities:
- an entity, incorporated in Australia (this includes Indigenous organisations registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations)
- a co-operative
- a partnership
- a publicly funded research organisation (PFRO)
- an Australian local government agency or body
- an Australian State/Territory Government agency or body
- an Australian Commonwealth Government agency or body
- an individual.
If you are applying as:
- as an individual, you must be 18 years of age or older and provide proof of identity documentation (see section 7.2 of the guidelines)
- an incorporated association or not for profit organisation and you do not have an active state or territory incorporated association registration or ACNC registration at the time of application, provide the Constitutional documents and/or Articles of Association that demonstrate the character of the organisation
- a partnership, provide a copy of your partnership agreement.
Partner with other organisations
You can include a Joint Investigator in the application. A Joint Investigator is a researcher who will contribute substantially to the scientific and intellectual knowledge of the project.
The appropriate institution must fill out the application form.
If we give your group the grant, the appropriate institution:
- signs the grant agreement
- is responsible for making sure your group follows the rules in the grant agreement.
The project period for each research stream is:
- Research Grant: 3 years
- Early Career Research Grant: up to 2 years
- Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant: 3 years
- Honours Scholarship: 1 year (or 2 years part-time)
- Masters Scholarship: 1 year (or 2 years part-time)
- PhD Scholarship Support Grant: 2 years
- Non-salaried Researcher Grant: 1 year.
Your project must be aimed at undertaking research into at least one of the three Priority Areas for Research Grants (Appendix A of the grant opportunity guidelines) listed in the Australian Biological Resources Study.
You can use this grant funding for:
- travel costs
- stipends and fieldwork expenses
- direct labour and on-costs
- equipment expenditure
- training
- research costs.
See detailed eligible expenditure in grant opportunity guidelines.
How to apply
Check if you’re ready to apply for a grant
Finding a suitable grant opportunity is just the start of the process to get funding. The application process can take time and effort. Understanding the entire process will help you be grant ready and may improve your chances of getting funding.
Use our checklist to find out what it takes to apply for a grant.
When you're ready to apply
Apply using our online portal:
- Create or log into your portal account.
- Follow the instructions to complete your application.
- Submit your application before the close date.
Make sure you include enough detail and supporting evidence in your application to help us decide whether to award you the grant.
Don’t submit the application until it’s complete. You can’t correct a mistake.
We know many businesses have concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on grant applications and grant management. When applying for a grant, consider timeframes and constraints that may impact grant activities due to COVID-19.
If COVID-19 has impacted your ability to meet the obligations of your grant agreement, to discuss your circumstances and how we can assist you, you should contact:
- your customer service manager
- an agent at our Contact Centre.
You can find further COVID-19 government financial assistance and support for Australian businesses on our coronavirus information and support for business page.
First we check that you meet the eligibility criteria. Then we assess your application against the assessment criteria.
We refer your application to the departmental assessment committee which includes representatives from the DCCEEW, ABRS, and may include subject matter experts.
The assessment criteria are a set of rules that describe how we must assess each application.
We give each criterion a certain number of points.
We’ll decide whether to award you the grant based on the total number of points we give your application.
- Assessment criterion 1: Relevance of the project to ABRS and taxonomic science (40 points)
- Assessment criterion 2: Feasibility of proposed research project (40 points)
- Assessment criterion 3: Capacity of researchers and/or institutions to deliver (20 points)
The amount of detail and supporting evidence you provide should be relative to the project size, complexity and grant amount requested.
The Minister makes the final decision.
Apply now
Apply for the National Taxonomy Research Grant Program 2023-24 now
Before you apply, make sure you:
- read and understand the grant opportunity guidelines
- read and understand the sample grant agreement.
Sample applications
The best way to understand what information you need to provide is to start an application. We have also provided a version to download at the bottom of this page.
Technical help
See our customer portal's frequently asked questions to help with your queries. If you can't find your answer, contact us for assistance.
We can only consider an application after the close date if you submit a late application request as detailed in the grant opportunity guidelines.
Past rounds
This opportunity is part of Australian Biological Resources Study National Taxonomy Research Grant Program.
Contact
Need help?
Let us answer your question over the phone, email or live chat.
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Open Hours:
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