Frequently asked questions

How to apply

1. How do I apply?

Read Guidelines and application requirements of the Queensland-Bavaria Collaborative Research Program.

All applications must be submitted using SmartyGrants, the department’s online grants administration program.

• SmartGrants Seed Grant form
• SmartyGrants Development Grant form

2. What is the closing date for applications?

The closing times and dates for submitting:

• Seed Grants – 10 May 2024, 3:00pm AEST.
• Development Grants – 10 July 2024, 3:00pm AEST.

Late applications will not be accepted.

3. Can I apply for funding if my research proposal does not address one of the Queensland-Bavaria Collaborative Research Program priority areas?

No. Your application will be deemed ineligible if it does not address one or more of the identified priorities.

4. Is there a requirement to submit an Application to the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts(StMWK)?

Yes. An equivalent application must be submitted by the Bavarian participant to Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts - Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst (StMWK).

For further information on StMWK requirements:

• Email the Bavaria-Australia Coordination Unit: bacu@uni-bayreuth.de
• StMWK Webpage: https://www.stmwk.bayern.de/englisch.html

5. The online Application Form will not allow me to provide my full response to a question.

The text fields contained in the Application Form have been restricted to the word limits considered appropriate for each question and these limits cannot be extended.

6. Why am I required to complete the Project Summary in plain English?

Information provided in this section of the Application Form will be used to inform a wide range of people about the proposed project. It is therefore important that it is clear and easy to understand by a person with a limited scientific background. Do not use scientific jargon or technical terms.

The overview of the project should include simple statements outlining: what the project aims to do and how it will be done; how the project will address the identified challenge/opportunity; the significance of the collaboration between the project partners; and a summary of the key outcomes for Queenslanders.

7. The online Application Form only allows for the upload of one letter of support / resume and I need to upload multiple.

Multiple documents (letters of support or resumes) should be combined into one PDF file before uploading.

8. How do I demonstrate that I am aware of other research that has been, or is being, undertaken in the proposed space?

In demonstrating this you should detail your awareness of similar/comparable research undertaken by academia and industry, including the undertaking of patent searches, as appropriate.

9. How should I complete the Milestones, Activities and Research Outcomes section?

Detail the key project activities to be completed, split into six-monthly reporting periods. You also need to detail the expected outcomes of these activities (i.e. how you will measure the success of the project at the end of each six-monthly reporting period).

While it is appreciated that scientific milestones are usually highly technical in nature, they should, as far as possible, be described in clear, non-technical language that will enable understanding and meaningful verification by non-scientific personnel. As a guideline, each milestone should be three to five dot points describing the key activities and outcomes for the particular stage of the project with numbers, targets or rates of completion, where possible.

Should your application for funding be successful this milestone table will form the basis of your progress reporting.

10. My Application Form contains confidential information; is it safe to upload this online?

The online lodgement process is hosted via a secure site and application documentation will remain strictly confidential.

11. How will applications be assessed?

All applications will be assessed by a panel of independent assessors that will assess the applications against the assessment criteria, and rank applications in order of merit.

The Queensland Government will then consider this order of merit along with a range of variables including value for money and balancing the portfolio of investment in order to make the final recommendations for funding to the StMWK.

Funding

12. How much can I apply for?

• Seed Grants - up to ten Queensland applicants will be awarded Seed Grants of $8,000 each (excluding GST) by the Queensland Government over a maximum of 12 months. In addition, each of the Bavarian lead applicant in the successful applications will receive a funding of up to €10,000 from StMWK.
• Development Grants - up to four Queensland applicants will be awarded Development Grants of $130,000 (excluding GST) each by the Queensland Government, over a maximum of two years. In addition, each of the Bavarian lead applicant in the successful applications will receive a funding of up to €80,000 from StMWK.

13. How many projects are likely to be funded?

The 2024 Round will fund up to

• ten Seed Grant projects.
• four Development Grant projects

14. How will the total funding allocation be split between research priorities?

Whilst an allocation of funding to each priority area is preferable, the actual award of funding will be based on the volume and quality of applications received.

15. What are “organisational overheads”?

For the purpose of this funding program organisational overheads are the institutional and administrative overhead costs attributed to a position, such as facilities and accommodation-related costs, ICT costs, general administrative support costs. In some organisations this is calculated as a percentage of the salary costs. These on-costs are not eligible for Queensland Government funding.

16. Are salary on-costs eligible for funding?

Costs directly associated with the employment of an individual, such as superannuation, workers compensation, payroll tax and leave loading are eligible.

Organisational Eligibility

17. How is a ‘Queensland-based organisation’ defined?

The organisation must be operating its business in a physical location in Queensland which must be maintained for the duration of the project.

18. How is a ‘research organisation’ defined?

The organisation must conduct research as its primary business. Research organisations include: higher education institutions, cooperative research centres, research institutes and relevant government agencies.

19. How is a ‘partner organisation’ defined?

A partner is an organisation that is materially contributing to the project and its outcomes, as demonstrated by a cash contribution.

20. Are private businesses eligible to apply for funding?

A private businesses/companies who does not conduct research as its primary business are not eligible to apply for funding from the program. They are eligible to participate in the project as partner organisations.

21. Are Queensland Government departments eligible to be project partners?

Yes, however, the lead Queensland-based applicant (and/or any Queensland partner/s) that receive Queensland Government support for their core activities must demonstrate that the proposed project is an addition to core activities

22. Can I apply if I have a partner that is not a Bavarian research organisation?

No. To be eligible, projects must include a lead participant (partner) that is a Bavarian higher education institute  deemed eligible to apply for the Grants by StMWK

23. How much funding is required from the applicant organisation and the partner organisation(s)?

• For the Seed Grants, the Queensland-based applicant organisation must contribute at least AUD$8,000 in cash to the project.
• For Development Grants the Queensland-based applicant of at least $80,000 (excluding GST), and have cash and/or in-kind contribution from at least one Australian industry partner and/or Bavarian industry partner

24. How is ‘cash’ defined?

For the purposes of this funding program cash is either, or a combination of:

• cash as raised directly by the applicant organisation and/or leveraged from project partners
• salary* costs attributed to the project of dedicated researchers who are employed by the applicant organisation and/or the project partners, and who are assigned directly to the core business of the project.

In relation to salary costs, by definition:

• researchers must have at least 20% of their work responsibilities assigned directly to the core business of the project
• researchers can be full-time or part-time
• if it transpires that a researcher’s time has been charged or allocated to more than one project (that is, where a researcher’s time has been double counted) DES will withdraw funding for the project.

25. Can salaries of researchers be counted as cash for matching funding purposes?

Yes - if the researcher is spending at least 20% of his/her time working on the project.

Conditions of Award

26. If my application is successful, when would my project start?

Successful projects must commence within six months of being advised that funding has been approved.

27. Are the Terms and Conditions of the financial incentive agreement negotiable?

No. If you are offered funding from the Queensland-Bavaria Collaborative Research Program, you will be required to execute the standard financial incentive agreement within 15 business days of receipt, or the offer of funding will lapse.

28. If my application is successful am I under any obligations regarding communication/ publicity?

Funding recipients will be required to proactively communicate the research project’s aims, progress and outcomes through activities such as publications, conferences, the media and science education activities. The support of Queensland Government and the Queensland-Bavaria Collaborative Research Program should be acknowledged in all public communications. Recipients will be required to evidence these communications throughout the lifetime of the project.

29. How the funding is paid?

Funding is paid in instalments throughout the lifetime of the project. Generally, payments are made following the submission of satisfactory reports detailing the progress and outcomes of the project against the research plan.

Contacts

Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation

Phone: +61731705857
Email: qldscience@qld.gov.au

Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst

Email the Bavaria-Australia Coordination Unit: bacu@uni-bayreuth.de
StMWK Website: https://www.stmwk.bayern.de/englisch.html