Major Initiatives, Contracts and Grants
The University obtains research funding from a variety of sources, including grant-giving bodies, sponsors, clients and funders ranging from the NHMRC and ARC to philanthropic bodies and donors, primary industry collectives and government clients, small and medium enterprises to national and international corporations. RIC provides end-to-end support to the academy throughout the grant, bidding and contracting process, including management of and support for internal schemes and initiatives.
Our services include
- Disseminating research opportunities to the academy
- Liaison with government, funders, collaborators and partners in order to facilitate grants, agreements/ contracts, other opportunities and information through the University including primary relationship management with major funders including but not limited to the ARC and NHMRC
- Coordination of key grant schemes and bids for the University and affiliated research institutes including:
- Organisation of seminars, fact sheets and other materials on scheme eligibility, funding and guideline changes, building competitive applications, application procedures and systems, peer review, rejoinder and interview processes
- Provision of copies of successful grant applications
- Coordination and assistance in drafting strategic statements
- Application and rejoinder review, expert advice to applicants and submission
- Provision of outcomes reporting
- Advice to the academy on costing and pricing of applications and research including the provision of tools
- Research development and collaboration including coordination of co-investment and development funding and advice and assistance with research planning for grants and major bids and expert advice on governance, compliance and risk
- Review, negotiation and execution of research and commercial agreements and contracts
- Establishment of projects (project management and financial records)
- Handling original documents in accordance with the University’s Records Management Policy
- Project management for commercial contracts
- Management of post-award issues such as reporting (including final reporting), variations, deferrals and transfers
- Stewardship and advice regarding University research centres and institutes including establishment, review and disestablishment procedures, and provision of assurance services to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
- Strategic planning and management of research infrastructure and research investment funding
The Major Initiatives team works collaboratively across all sectors and disciplines and with researchers, business development executives and Research Chancellery. We provide agile, responsive, client driven support and services in catalysing strategically important research-related initiatives and leading the bid development process and providing post-award assistance for major funding opportunities.
Our services include
- facilitating development pathways for collaboration;
- advice and development support pertaining to strategic research infrastructure;
- capability-building support for major projects;
- access to research development project funds and facilitating strategic co-investment; and
- providing specialist expertise for coordinating, planning, developing and submitting proposals relating to opportunities that include (but aren’t limited to) –
- ARC Centres of Excellence
- ARC Industrial Transformation Research Programme
- ARC Laureate Fellowships
- ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
- ARC Special Research Initiatives
- Cooperative Research Centres
- Hallmark Research Initiatives
- Melbourne Collaborative Research Infrastructure Program
- NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence
- Other high value initiatives that have strategic importance.
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Renae Carolin
Email
The Contracts team oversees any kind of research-related agreement with an external organisation with a primary focus on non-grant activities.
In conjunction with Legal Services, we negotiate legal agreement and oversee all of the University’s research and commercial contracts and agreements.
We aim to help academics reach robust agreements, protect and manage their intellectual property (IP), foster research innovation and forge collaborative links with industry.
We can help with:
- reviewing, negotiating and facilitating the execution of all University research-related and commercial (research and non- research) contracts and agreements;
- providing assistance on issues relating to IP publication and moral rights;
- fostering collaboration through developing standard agreements; and
- assessing and minimising risk involved in contracted research;
- providing end-to-end support for the entire life of commercial contracts.
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Celia Torres-Villanueva
Email
The APPII team helps researchers to find, apply for and manage a diverse range of grants across all disciplines. We are responsible for the coordination of specific grant schemes for the University including all schemes in
the ARC Discovery Programme, ARC Linkage Projects, Philanthropic grants and Primary Industry Portfolios and Internal grants (funded and administered through the University) and a range of other non-health and medical related schemes (e.g. VESKI, John Stocker and many more).
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Manager, Research Grants - APPII
Leah Mount
Email
The Health and Medical team manages Australian health and medical grants (excluding philanthropic grants). We help academics find funding and support them throughout the application process and provide post-award assistance. We coordinate specific
grant schemes for the University such as the NHMRC Research Support and People Support schemes, as well as other Australian health and medical funding (eg Cancer Australia, Leukaemia Foundation, VicHealth, Diabetes Australia, and many more).
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Frank Anastasopoulos
Email
The International Grants team is dedicated to help and support researchers, research teams and faculty administrators in facilitating international research funding, covering calls from American funders, the EU and Asia, among others.
Our support spans the application process, from idea to agreement and post-award assistance. As competition for domestic funding increases, we are here to help academics find new funding sources and improve the competitiveness of their applications.
Our services include
- providing information about sponsors and future calls;
- conducting eligibility checks;
- providing advice, reviews and submission of applications;
- budget preparation assistance;
- assisting with the preparation of templates and support documents; and
- providing assistance during a project’s review and audit.
We support applications to many international research funders, but
can offer specific advice on major funders like National Institute of Health, Department of Defence and European Commission schemes.
We also support and administer internal schemes in partnership with international organisations, and inter- governmental partnerships.
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Contact
ric-international@unimelb.edu.au
Email