Apply

This page outlines University of Newcastle processes for applying for research funding. As well as the information here, the Research Grants Team can help you navigate the process of preparing and submitting your application for funding

Quicklinks

Funding Opportunities ||  Preparing Research Budgets ||  Online Booking System ||  Application Coversheet


Finding Research Funding

As a University of Newcastle researcher, you have access to a number of resources to help you locate funding opportunities. These include:


ReSearch Hub

Developed by the Research and Innovation Division specifically for University of Newcastle researchers and research support staff, the ReSearchHub house templates, tip sheets, advice and resources to support all stages of your research efforts.

Visit the ReSearchHub.


Preparing your Research Budget

Research Grants has put together a toolkit to assist researchers in preparing their research budget. You can access this toolkit through the Preparing Research Budgets page (staff/student login required).

Indirect Costs

It is important to note that all external grant budgets should include Indirect Costs (Overheads). The Indirect Cost recovery charges are outlined in the Schedule- Indirect Cost Recovery Rates and Distribution. More information regarding Indirect Costs for Research is located on the Preparing Research Budgets page.

Budget Resources Quicklinks

Eligibility and Compliance (E&C) Checks

Research Grants can provide an Eligibility and Compliance (E&C) check of your research grant application. This check will look at your application to make sure it meets the grant guidelines and ensure that you won’t be ruled out due to an ineligible proposal. We do not review the science of an application.

While an E&C check is not compulsory, it is highly recommended.

The Compliance Check Period

Research Grants sets an E&C Check period for each scheme. For external/miscellaneous grant applications, a booking must be made on or before five (5) working days prior to the internal deadline. Deadlines for advertised schemes, are listed on the Funding Opportunities page.

For ARC/NHMRC schemes, the E&C check period for each scheme varies and will be advertised by Research Grants when the scheme opens. The booking system for a scheme is opened for booking soon after the scheme opens.

How to book an E&C Check

Research Grants uses an online booking system for eligibility and compliance checks on applications to external funding bodies.

Checks are completed electronically. You do not need to attend your appointment in person.

Using an online booking system means that applications are released back to researchers on the same day as the E&C check booking giving you more time to work on your application.

Please note: To enable the allocation of appropriate resourcing, bookings must be made prior to the defined scheme E&C Check period. Access to book an E&C Check will no longer be available once the check period has commenced. This does not apply for schemes with continuous rounds (i.e. ARC Linkage Projects and NHMRC Partnership Projects).

Making a booking

A Chief Investigator (CI) can make a booking for an ARC or NHMRC application during the scheme specific E&C Check period by using a valid RMS/Sapphire Application ID for an application where the University of Newcastle has been selected as the Administering Institution.

An RMS/Sapphire Application ID can only be used to secure one E&C Check booking. If multiple bookings are made for one application, we will cancel all but the earliest date for the E&C Check in the system.

For all other external schemes, bookings are made via External/Miscellaneous Grants tile on the online booking system.

Submitting your application to Research Grants for your E&C Check

Applications must be submitted to Research Grants before 9:00am (AET) on the day of your booking. Instructions on how to submit are detailed below.

In order to obtain the most value from your Eligibility and Compliance Check, we recommend you submit an as-close-to-complete as possible version of your application on your booking date.

Please note: No secondary eligibility and compliance checks will be undertaken by Research Grants. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure their application meets all the requirements of the relevant scheme.

ARC applications

Select the ‘Submit to Research Office’ button in the application screen in RMS.

NHMRC applications

Select the ‘Certification’ page in Sapphire, select ‘Certify and submit to RAO. You will then be able to download a copy of your final application by clicking on the ‘All application forms and attachments’ link in. Once you have downloaded, select ‘I have downloaded all of the available files that I require’ and click ‘Next’.

Tutorials are available on the NHMRC Sapphire page

NHMRC affiliated (e.g. Cancer Australia, Cancer Council NSW) applications

Submit as per NHMRC applications and send additional application material to research-applications@newcastle.edu.au.

You will need to provide ALL separate applications to Research Grants before 9:00am on the day of your booking given the eligibility overlap of these applications.

Other External Funding Body schemes

Email a PDF of the application as well as any relevant supporting documentation to research-applications@newcastle.edu.au before 9:00am on the day of your booking.

Please read our External/Miscellaneous Grant Submission Procedure page for further information on the External/Miscellaneous application procedure regarding Eligibility and Compliance Checks and submission.


Application Coversheet

All external research grant applications, including ARC and NHMRC, require a completed and signed External Grant Application Coversheet (DOC). This is to be provided to Research Grants by the advertised internal deadline for the scheme (by 9:00am at least 10 working days prior to the funding body deadline unless otherwise specified).

A joint College-Research Grants initiative, the coversheet must be signed by the:

  1. First named Chief Investigator (CIA),
  2. Head of School (or delegate nominee) and
  3. College Assistant Dean (Research).

It is the applicant's responsibility to complete this form, arrange for it to be signed by the Head of School and Assistant Dean (Research), and to submit the completed document, along with the application, to Research Grants by the specified internal application deadline

As School and College processes may vary, we encourage you to make contact with your School/College support staff early on to determine any additional internal requirements or deadlines.


Internal Deadline

For an application to be submitted to the Funding Body, a complete, submission-ready application and all associated documentation must be provided to Research Grants by 9:00am on or before the internal deadline.

Associated documentation includes but is not limited to:

  • A fully signed External Grant Application Coversheet (DOC)
  • Certifications for all internal and external personnel, and participating organisations (ARC applications only)
  • Draft institutional letters of support (for review and signature by a university delegate)
  • Evidence of support for cash or in-kind contributions from a University of Newcastle source (i.e. School/College/Central) which are not aligned with the approved central standard support package
  • CV(s) as required as part of the application

When is the internal deadline?

From January 2023 the internal deadline is 9:00am ten (10) working days before the Funding Body scheme closing date. If applying for an international funding opportunity, please contact Research Grants as soon as possible after the scheme opens to allow adequate time to meet international submission requirements.

What happens once Research Grants receives my application?

After the internal deadline, Research Grants will ensure all required documentation is received for each application and perform pre-submission checks that are required by the institution prior to submission.

Receiving applications by the internal deadline means that Research Grants has adequate time to perform the necessary pre-submission institutional checks on your application. These checks may require further information from you or changes to your application. Consequently, late applications will have less time for these checks and a reduced opportunity for Research Grants to work with you on making any amendments necessary to obtain approval for submission and ultimate submission.

This time is also necessary given the volume of applications we process, the overlap of schemes, and past history of online submission system failure during the crucial final hours before the funding body deadline.

Timeline for Applications

Shortly after scheme opens Bookings open in Online Booking System
Eligibility and Compliance Check dates advertised via relevant mailing list
Fifteen working days before Funding Body closing date Final date for E&C Checks*
Ten working days before Funding Body closing date Final, completed application and associated documentation  due Research Grants
Funding Body closing date Research Grants submits applications to Funding Body

*To enable the allocation of appropriate resourcing, bookings must be made prior to the defined scheme E&C Check period. Access to book a Check may no longer be available once the check period has commenced.


Institutional Approval for Applications

All external research applications require institutional approval prior to being submitted to the funding body. This includes the submission of first stage applications, Expressions of Interest or pre-applications. This process is managed by Research Grants.

In order to seek institutional approval, Research Grants requires researchers to submit their completed application as well as a signed application coversheet by 9:00am on the the internal deadline.

If this deadline is missed, Research Grants cannot guarantee that institutional approval can be obtained in time.


Other Important Information for your application

  • Indirect costs of 30% should be included in all external grant budgets. Please see the Preparing Research Budgets page for more information.
  • The required Head of Institute signature is arranged by Research Grants. The applicant is responsible for obtaining all other signatures.
  • Where documents require the Vice-Chancellor’s signature, all material (including any accompanying briefings) will be required in Office of the VC at least 3 working days prior to the relevant deadline. To avoid any iterations or delays, all relevant prior approvals must have been secured and documented before the material reaches OVC.

Application Documents


Additional Application Resources