About the Queensland–Germany Bioeconomy Collaborative Science Program

Creating international collaborations in Bioeconomy Research between Queensland and Germany

The Queensland–Germany Bioeconomy Collaborative Science Program is the key program under the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI) for Cooperation in Bioeconomy (PDF, 91.3KB) between the Queensland Government and the Federal Ministry of Education and Science in Germany (BMBF).

What’s important

• Applications closed on Monday 25 November 2024.
• Following relevant assessment processes in Queensland and Germany, an announcement about the successful applicants should be made in late 2025, subject to relevant approvals in both jurisdictions.
• Applications must be made online via the SmartyGrants portal.
• Applicants must be a Queensland-based university or research organization with a registered ABN and they must be working with an eligible lead German applicant.
• Grants of up to $250,000 (excluding GST) will be awarded by the Queensland Government over a maximum three-year period.
• Each successful German applicant will receive up to €600,000 of funding under the German application process.
• Eligibility criteria applies.

Eligibility

Queensland-based applicants must be able to demonstrate that they will be undertaking the proposed project with a German research organisation who may have one or more industry partners involved.

The proposed project will support practical and applied collaborative science and research projects in the following target areas:

1. Agriculture and Agri-Food: Development or advancement in using biological resources, technologies, and innovations to help transform agrifood systems so they are more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Projects may include, but are not limited to the development of biotechnology, digitalisation, data science and AI in biological systems, in areas such as crop and soil improvement, land rehabilitation, sustainable fertilisers, and pest management.
2. Bio-based product and process: Development or advancement in converting renewable biological resources, technologies, co-products or wastes into value added products, including but not limited to bio-inspired materials, chemicals, products, and services. Projects may include development of bioproducts with novel qualities, enhanced functionalities, and improved sustainability, capable of replacing current production of unsustainable products and/or advancing innovative market applications.
3. Advancing knowledge and tools: Projects are sought that develop and advance the biotechnological knowledge and tools that underpin a growing bioeconomy. Projects involving innovative and transformational science could include, but are not limited to:
1. the generation of very large and high quality or novel datasets using, for example, advanced multi-omics, robotics and laboratory automation, sensors, or quantum techniques
2. integration of big data and computing (AI, bioinformatics etc.) for deepened biological knowledge and function prediction
3. high throughput and high efficiency building and testing of new biological systems using, for example, synthetic and engineering biology, protein and metabolic engineering, systems biology, microbial consortia and multicellular systems
4. advancing cell-free biomanufacturing from lab via pilot to industrial scale.

For clarity, human health and medical related projects are out of scope of the program objectives and are not eligible under this program.

The project application must meet the eligibility criteria. For more information about the eligibility criteria please see the Queensland-Germany Bioeconomy Collaborative Science Program Guidelines.

Guidelines and conditions

• Guidelines
• Frequently asked questions
• Financial Incentive Agreement (DOCX, 929.7KB)
• Financial Incentive Agreement Declaration (DOCX, 128.6KB)