Funding Guidelines

The following guidelines are designed to assist applicants in completing a project funding application form. Faxed applications will not be accepted. Completed application forms should be sent by mail and email to the following address.

International Centre of Excellence
in Asia-Pacific Studies
Fellows Lane Cottage [3t]
Fellows Lane
The Australian National University
ACT 0200 Australia
Email: Grants Officer

ICEAPS Application for Project Funding

Grant/Award submission dates

The May 2007 grant round was ICEAPS' final round, with no further grant funding available from the government.

Programs funded

The Centre invites applications from recognised centres of Asia-Pacific Studies in Australian Universities for funding under three separate programs in the current biannual funding round.

The Cross-Sectoral Linkage Program offers seed grants to stimulate inter-sectoral collaborative activity through a program of Asia Pacific studies workshops, international and national conferences that bring together academic, government and business interests. It will also support preliminary research needed to lay the foundations for large grants for such enterprises as well as for collaborative, cross-sectoral programs of research.

The Institutional Linkage Program offers seed-grants to facilitate the establishment of research and teaching links between the ANU, other Australian centres of Asia-Pacific expertise, and renowned international centres of such expertise. Such grants will fund the workshops, conferences, and preliminary research needed to lay the foundations for the successful attraction of large grants to support such enterprises.

The Regional Collaboration Program offers seed-grants to bring scholars, practitioners, and representatives of government, the media and NGOs from the Asia-Pacific region to the ANU to participate in structured collaborations in research and teaching. The program will build on academic capacity in universities in Australia and the region, create opportunities for new work to be initiated and funded, and encourage the dissemination of expert knowledge.

When awarding grants under the above programs, the Centre seeks to avoid duplication of other commonwealth-funded programs and to support designated priorities recommended by the Centre Board. In considering whether a proposal may be suitable for funding under the programs applicants should bear in mind the following considerations:

With the exception of preliminary research that lays the foundation for larger research projects, research projects are not funded under the programs. Research projects may be eligible for funding under the ARC Discovery program.
Beginning in the second round (deadline 1 September 2005) large-scale collaborations among major institutions will receive priority over small-scale collaborations involving particular researchers or research projects. Small-scale collaborations may be eligible for funding under the ARC Asia Pacific Futures Network (APFN) grants program.
Priorities for the current round of grants are:

armies in Southeast Asia: present role and prospects of reform
Australian foreign policy in East Asia
intellectual property issues in Asia & the Pacific
issues in Southeast Asian Islam, including Islamism, human rights and social justice
pandemic management in Asia & the Pacific
issues of strategic importance to Australia in Asia & the Pacific

Projects which bring together a humanities and a scientific approach to an issue are also encouraged.

For further information on particular grants programs see Activities/Programs.

Activities not funded

Consistent with its policy of supporting innovative proposals funding is unlikely to be available for the following purposes:

capital expenditure on property
research projects per se
support for existing projects or the recurrent funding of projects

The Centre does not allow funds provided for specific projects to be used to subsidize the indirect costs of the host institutions of grant recipients, such as IT support or administrative overheads.

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

Enhancement/Innovation: The project should be a new program with clearly defined goals consistent with the Centre’s primary objective of raising Australia's profile in Asia- Pacific studies.

Collaboration/Internationalisation: The Centre encourages proposals and projects that promote collaboration between individuals, institutions, sectors and countries.

Area Priorities: Research and area of interest priorities may be determined and announced by the Board from time to time, however applications on projects that are not specified as priority will be considered.

Sustainability: Preference will be given to projects that offer prospects of future independent activity as a result of initial Centre funding or demonstrate ongoing benefits in relation to the aims of the Program.

Visibility: Projects should increase the international visibility of Australia’s research and teaching expertise in Asia-Pacific Studies. Provision should therefore be made in the application for the promotion of the project.

Seed Funding: Wherever possible, Centre support should constitute seeding funds intended to encourage financial support from others. The Centre may decide to give preference to those applicants that have secured funding from other sources.

Established record of achievement: in areas related to the application.

Decision and Notification

It is expected that applicants for Centre grants will be advised in writing of the Centre’s decision within two weeks of the relevant Board meeting. Payment of the grant will not proceed until the Centre receives the original of the completed Grant Acceptance Form, a valid tax invoice and acknowledgment of any special conditions attached to the grant.

In exceptional cases, the Director may, in consultation with relevant Board members, executively approve grants that could not await consideration at regular meetings.

Successful applicants will also be advised at that time of any special conditions that the Centre may have attached to their project, such as the proviso that Centre funds will be made available subject to adequate assurances of support from other sources.

Unsuccessful applicants are advised of the Centre’s decision in general terms. In some cases, the Centre may invite unsuccessful applicants to submit a revised project proposal.

Responsibilities of successful applicants

All costs associated with an application are the responsibility of the applicant. Provision must be made in the application budget to meet all administrative costs and arrangements associated with proposals, including visa and travel arrangements, airport taxes, ground transport, travel and health insurance, accommodation and overseas student charges. Once a grant application has been approved no further funds will be made available for that project.

Grant recipients are responsible for making their own arrangements regarding any taxation liabilities which may arise from the award of the grant.

Report and Acquittal on completion of project

It is anticipated that when the Centre awards a grant, the awardee will provide written acceptance of the conditions relating to the payment and acquittal of the grant, and to the administration of the project.

The Centre must then be notified in writing of any change to the nature and timing of a project for which a grant has been accepted.

It is expected that all grant recipients will provide the Centre with written reports on completion of the project. The report will be structured in terms of the objectives of the project, and must include:

Details of the principal activities included in the project and an assessment of how these activities contributed to achieving the project's stated objectives
Number of participants/audience/readership
Any media coverage or publicity generated
Any difficulties experienced in executing the project
Future activities expected to be initiated following the completion of the project
Financial acquittals, giving details of how the grant was expended, authorised by a certified accountant, containing sufficient detail to enable an informed assessment of the appropriateness of the expenditure of Centre funds will be required and on dates to be specified by the Centre. Documentary evidence for expenditure of Centre funding must be provided.

*Grant holders may, on notice, be required to provide the Centre progress reports on their project(s) as funded.

Award / Grant Conditions

The moneys constituting the grant shall be used only for carrying out the approved project in respect of which the grant has been awarded.
The support of the International Centre of Excellence in Asia-Pacific Studies should be acknowledged in an appropriate way in any publications, activities (including conferences and workshops), or reports resulting from projects funded by the Centre.
The approved project shall not be undertaken or carried out by any other body or person other than the grant recipient without prior approval of the Centre.
The grant recipient shall notify the Centre of any alternative or additional source of funding in respect of the approved project, whether the additional funding becomes available before or after the award of the grant.
No major changes in the approved project or in the allocation of moneys between items comprising the approved project shall be made without the approval of the Centre having first been obtained.
If the grant recipient is in breach of any of the conditions of this grant which it does not rectify within fourteen (14) days of receipt of notice from the Centre requiring it to do so, or it fails to comply with any reasonable direction given by the Centre, then the Centre may terminate the grant by written notice without prejudice to any other remedy it may have.
Where a grant is terminated in accordance with Condition 5, the grant recipient must repay to the Centre all monies provided by the Centre within fourteen (14) days of a written notice of termination being served on the grant recipient by the Centre. If, after the approved project has been completed, it is discovered that the grant recipient has breached any of the conditions of grant which it is not able to rectify within fourteen (14) days of receipt of notice from the Centre requiring it to do so, then the Centre shall retain the right to terminate a grant and require the grant recipient to repay all monies provided by the Centre.
If the commencement of the approved project is delayed for any reason, an application for a postponement of the starting date should be made in writing to the Centre.
In addition to acquittal and reports required during the course of the project, within eight weeks of completion, the grant recipient shall provide to the Centre a full written report on the activity, and supporting evidence of expenditure by way of a detailed statement, attaching used airline tickets (if applicable) and receipts wherever possible. A financial statement authorised by a certified accountant will be required.
If a project is terminated for any reason , moneys not expended according to the conditions of the grant, shall be refunded to the Centre.
The grant recipient will at all times indemnify and hold harmless the Australian National University (ANU), its officers, employees and agents (in this clause referred to as “those indemnified”) from and against any loss (including legal costs and expenses on a solicitor/own client basis), or liability, reasonably incurred or suffered by any of those indemnified arising from any claim, suit, demand, action or proceeding by any person against any of those indemnified where such loss or liability was caused by any wilful, unlawful or negligent act or omission of the grant recipient, its employees, agents or subcontractors in carrying out the approved activity.

The grant recipient’s liability to indemnify the ANU under clause 10 will be reduced proportionally to the extent that nay act or omission of the ANU or its employees or agents contributed to the loss or liability.

The indemnity referred to in clause 10. will survive the expiration or termination of the approved activity.

International Centre of Excellence in Asia-Pacific Studies