Frequently asked questions
ABRS National Taxonomy Research Grant Program
Eligibility
Q: I am an overseas-based scientist. May I apply for an ABRS Research Grant as Principal Investigator?
A. Yes, as long as the proposed project is consistent with the ABRS Research Priorities.
Q: May I apply for an ABRS grant with a permanent residency application that is pending?
A. Research Grants: Yes. ABRS Research Grant applicants do not need to be Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia.
Capacity-building Grants: Non-salaried researcher grant applicants do not need to be Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia. However, APA Top-Up or Honours/Masters Scholarship applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia at the time of submitting their grant application.
Q: May I submit an application for a postdoctoral fellowship grant if I have not yet graduated with my Ph.D.?
A. No. Applicants for postdoctoral fellowship grants must have obtained a Ph.D. at the time of submitting an application.
Q: May I apply for an Honours/Masters Scholarship or APA Top-Up as a supervisor?
A. No. Applications must be submitted by potential grant recipients (that is, students).
Q: May I apply for an ABRS APA Top-Up if I will begin a Ph.D. Scholarship other than an APA in 2010?
A. Yes. Evidence of the scholarship and enrolment will be required to be provided to ABRS by 31 January 2010.
Q: May the Administering Institution for my APA Top-Up be an institution other than a university?
A. No. A university must be the Administering Institution.
Q: Am I eligible for an ABRS Honours/Masters Scholarship if I have an existing Scholarship?
A. No. Scholarship holders may not be receiving another equivalent major award, scholarship or salary to undertake the same project.
Q: May a foreign institute be an Administering Institution for a Research Grant?
A. Yes.
Q: May I apply for a grant with a project that was initiated before applying to ABRS?
A. ABRS grants will not be awarded for projects that have already received funding from another source. However, a new sub-project as part of an existing larger project may be considered.
Q: Is a postmark of the closing date on an application acceptable or does my application need to arrive at ABRS by the closing date for applications?
A. Your application must be received by ABRS by the closing date.
Reporting
Q: Do I need to submit outstanding reports with my grant application?
A. Yes. All outstanding progress/final reports associated with previous ABRS grants must have been submitted for an application to be considered.
Budget
Q: What is the appropriate rate for a postdoctoral salary to include in my ABRS grant application budget?
A. ABRS does not designate a postdoctoral salary rate. Rates will vary from institution to institution and the appropriate rate is that which is designated by your institution.
Q: May my salary plus on-costs be included as co-funding?
A. Salary (plus on-costs) may be included as co-funding. However, in assessing applications, if two projects are of equal scientific merit, a project with cash co-funding from another source will be weighted more heavily than that with a salary co-funding contribution.
Q: What may I include as on-costs?
A. On-cost rates and scope are set by Administering Institutions.
Q: Is it possible to use ARC Discovery Grant funding that pays my salary as a co-funding source for an ABRS postdoctoral fellowship grant?
A. Yes. However, it will be considered a salary contribution and the same qualifications outlined above will apply.
Q: What is the minimum co-funding amount required for an ABRS Research Grant?
A. All Research Grant applicants are expected to provide a co-funding contribution worth at least 50 per cent of the grant funding being provided by ABRS. For example, a $10 000 Research Grant requires a $5000 co-funding contribution.
Q: May I apply for a different amount from the fixed grant amounts?
A. No. Grant amounts are fixed and may not be adjusted. Grant applicants are expected to tailor their projects to fit the specific grant funding levels offered.
Q: Does the Administering Institution provide the co-funding to ABRS?
A. No. Co-funding is acquitted through the Administering Institution. However, applicants must have obtained a commitment for the applicable amount of co-funding and have provided evidence of it to ABRS for their application to be considered.
Grant Duration and Scope
Q: Does ABRS fund projects of a three-year duration only?
A. All ABRS Research Grants and APA Top-Ups are of three years duration. However, Honours/Masters Scholarships and Non-salaried researcher grants (under Capacity-Building Grants) are one-year grants.
Miscellaneous
Q: If I have experienced a significant interruption to my research activities, may I list in my application publications published greater than five years previously?
A. Permission may be sought from the ABRS Grants and Business Officer to provide a publication list including material published greater than five years previously, with a justification.
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