The New Colombo Plan Mobility Program

The New Colombo Plan Mobility Program 2022

The New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Program provides funding for Australian universities and consortia to provide grants to Australian undergraduate students to participate in Mobility Projects. Mobility projects can be semester based or short term study, internships, mentorships, practicums, industry visits and research in 40 host locations across the Indo-Pacific region

Host Locations

Mobility Projects may be conducted in the following 40 eligible Indo-Pacific Host Locations:

Mobility Project Eligibility

Australian universities can apply for funding for Mobility Projects that meet the following criteria:

• include at least one of the following components:
  • study
  • in-country face-to-face language study
  • internships (including clinical placements, practicums, or artist residencies), or
  • research
• take place between 1 January 2022 – 30 September 2023
• provide credit/count towards the course requirements for the relevant students’s Bachelor degree, Bachelor honours degree or concurrent diploma at their Australian university
• be undertaken in an eligible host location
• must not be undertaken at an offshore campus of an Australian university or a university established or headquartered outside of the host location, unless approved by DFAT
• must not breach DFAT’s safeguard principles

Participating Student Eligibility

A Student participating in a Mobility Project must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• be an Australian citizen. Students cannot receive a Student Grant to undertake a Mobility Project in a Host Location in which they have dual citizenship or residency rights
• be enrolled in an on-shore campus of an Australian University throughout the duration of the Mobility Project
• be undertaking a Bachelor Degree (level 7) or Bachelor Honours Degree (level 8) as defined by the Australian Qualifications Framework at the commencement of their Mobility Project.
• will receive credit/count towards the course requirements of the students’s Bachelor degree, Bachelor honours degree or concurrent diploma at their Australian university
• be undertaken in an eligible host location

At least 70 per cent of Students participating in any given Mobility Project must be aged 18 to 28 inclusive at the commencement of their Mobility Project. Up to 30 per cent of Students may be over the age of 28. Students under the age of 18 cannot participate in any Mobility Project.

Changes to the 2022 Round

• Funding will now be offered for single-term projects only (i.e. no multi-term projects). The project term is extended from 18 months to 21 months, from 1 January 2022 to 30 September 2023.
• You may now nominate a secondary host location, noting that projects in single locations are still preferred. For the 2022 Round, applicants are encouraged to develop flexible projects that could be adapted for face-to face or virtual delivery, as circumstances allow.
• An application may include, as a seconardy location, a ‘virtual’ location.
• There is no longer a requirement to stipulate whether a grant is for a Short-term or Semester length project. A Mobility Project may offer multiple, different-length periods for overseas mobility. For example, a mobility project may be a 2-week mode and a 10-week mode.
• In-line with the multiple/different length period, applicants will be required to indicate the number of students who will participate in the project and include the actual cost per student in the Project Description (between $1,000 and $7,000). Please refer to the Guidelines (section 5.2) for guidance in determining the amount of each student grant.

Assessment Priorities for the 2022 Round

Applicants should address all elements of the assessment criteria and provide practical examples for each. Strong applications demonstrate:

• clear understanding of the New Colombo Plans strategic objectives and outcomes and explain how a project will meet those objectives.
• direct links that will be established between Australian institutions and those in the Indo-Pacific (rather than using third party providers)
• how relationships will be sustained beyond NCP funding, e.g. through joint  research/innovation, reciprocal student/staff mobility, joint delivery of academic programs  and alumni engagement.
• value for money, as demonstrated by the number of university students expected to participate, grant amounts, and the duration of the mobility project.
• quality education outcomes
• sound risk management
• articulation of what Australian students will gain by studying/interning in a particular country/location/institution.

Priority themes

Universities are encouraged to consider the following themes when preparing their applications:

• tackling shared challenges with the Indo-Pacific, such as communicable disease,
• cybersecurity, climate change and regional stability
• embracing innovation and new ways of working, such as clean energy, e-commerce, and
• tele-health and engineering
• building capacity in areas such as education, health, transport, environmental
• management and governance
• increasing trade and investment opportunities, and recovery from COVID-19

Program Funding

Student Grants

Students participating in a mobility project will each receive a student grant between $1,000 and $7,000. The NCP Program’s intended outcomes include increasing the number of Australian university undergraduates with Indo-Pacific capability. To support this outcome, the amount of each student grant should maximise student participation in the mobility project.

The actual amount of a student grant may vary depending on the relative costs of the host location, the nature of the mobility project and other considerations. Students participating in a mobility project as a group for the same duration, at the same location, undertaking the same activities must each receive a student grant of an equal amount.

Guide from NCP guidelines:

• a student grant of $1,000 for participation in a Mobility project of 2-3 weeks duration
• a student grant of $2,500 for participation in a Mobility project of 4-5 weeks duration
• a student grant of $4,000 for participation in a Mobility project of at least 6 weeks duration
• a student grant of $7,000 for participation in a Mobility project of at least a semester duration

Administration Funding

All successful grant recipients will receive administration funding of ten per cent of total student grants for a Mobility Project. Administration funding can be used for administration associated with Mobility Project Management

Application and Timeline

How to Apply

• Step 1: Submit a short EOI to Global Office by 11 July
• Step 2: Discuss your project idea with Global Office and HOS
• Step 3: Upon HOS endorsement on EOI, submit formal application on DFAT portal (ISEO) by 15 August (a link will be provided in due course)
• Step 4: Collaborate with Global Office to create competitive submission
• Step 5: Global Office to submit all applications to DFAT

The EOI will form the basis of the submission and will give Heads of School the opportunity to review and ensure the project can be run in line with objectives of the school.

The DFAT formal application form will be more indepth in explaining the project details, partnerships, and how the project aligns with the objectives of New Colombo Plan.

Timeline:

Further Information

New Colombo Plan Mobility Program:

• Official website
• 2022 NCP Guidelines
• 2022 Advice to Applicants
• Updated Principles for Virtual Delivery

Info Session for Staff:

• CESE: (2 July) | (10am - 11am) | Zoom | Register Here
• CHMW: (29 June | (2pm - 3pm) | Zoom | Register Here
• CHSF: (30 June) | (2.30pm - 3pm) | X502/Zoom | Register via CHSF Global Experience Workshop

Discussion Meeting with Global Office – we are happy to meet and discuss with you on your idea, please contact us at Global-Experience@newcastle.edu.au.

Contact

If you have any questions or require additional support to complete the application process, please contact the Global Experience team at Global-Experience@newcastle.edu.au