Australian Studies Competitive Projects

Applications for 2007-08 Australia-China Council Competitive Projects funding are now closed.

The Program offered by the Australia-China Council (ACC) provides funding to individuals or collaborative teams for the following Australian Studies activities to be undertaken in the forthcoming year:

Research: At least half of the annual Competitive Projects funding is reserved for projects which include research in Australia. Graduate students are encouraged to apply for funding support to enable research in Australia (i.e. this category replaces and expands on the ACC's former Fellowships and Studentships awards)
Curriculum and Faculty Development: awards for the development of Australian studies courses and/or professional development of academic staff. Applications must provide evidence of support from the relevant School/Faculty, stating that courses will be offered
Publishing Subsidies: applications must be accompanied by a letter from a recognised publisher stating their agreement to publish and any attached conditions
Australian Studies Initiatives: awards for special events, public activities, web developments, and other initiatives to promote Australian Studies. Although seed-funding may be initially provided, recurrent activities should be funded through the Output Awards scheme

Eligibility

Individual researchers in China and Australian Studies Centres in China may submit applications.

Preference will be given to collaborative projects involving cooperation among Australian Studies Centres in China or with Australian researchers and universities. At least half of the ACC's total Competitive Projects funding budget will be reserved for projects which include research in Australia.

Competitive Projects funding is not available for Chinese students enrolled at Australian higher education institutions.

Note that requests for purchasing resources (books and other research or teaching materials) can be included in Competitive Project applications. These requests must be linked to a specific research project, curriculum development initiative, or activity. Building a targeted collection of books in a designated area could also be an appropriate item for funding (e.g. a project studying the development of Australian cities could make a case for the need to build a small collection of relevant up to date books in this area). The ACC's Book Gifts Program now only applies to major library collections.

Graduate students who would have applied under the Council's former Visiting Studentship Program are encouraged to apply. Students should remain enrolled in their home institution in China. It is essential that graduate students applying for funding for research in Australia include with their application a letter/email from the proposed Australian host institution confirming support.

Project Selection

Grants are decided on a competitive basis. A Selection Committee comprising members of the ACC, representatives of the management committee for the Australian Studies in China Program, and independent academics, looks at every application and after discussion produces a ranking. The maximum number of projects that can be funded within the limits of the Program’s budget are awarded Competitive Project grants. All funding decisions will be made by the Australia-China Council. Projects will be selected on merit.

Funding

All funds will be paid in CNY (in China) or AUD (in Australia). All payments must be made before 30 April 2008, unless special circumstances exist.

Selection Criteria

Merit is the major criterion for ranking and selection, and all applications are considered on their merits: on the quality of the research project and the application; the track record of the applicant; and the likelihood of positive outcomes from the project (e.g., publications, a new course, a significant public activity)
All applicants must use the 2007-8 Australian Studies Competitive Projects Application Form and provide sufficient information for the Australia-China Council's selection committee to make an assessment
Applications must provide an adequate budget justification for the project
Preference will be given to applications which show evidence of an informed knowledge of previous research published in China in areas relevant to their project
Strong preference is given to applications showing evidence of collaboration. Projects showing evidence of significant collaboration with an Australian institution are favoured. Evidence of such collaboration includes indication of support from a partner or host institution in Australia
The project should add value to Australian Studies in China and to the Australia-China relationship
Priority is given to applications channelled though an Australian Studies Centre formally recognised by its host institution in China
Applicants should display a solid track record (qualifications, performance, publications) relevant to the Program. Special consideration is given to Australian Studies graduate students
Secondary consideration may be given to other issues to ensure a more even distribution of grants among institutions, regions and disciplines, and among senior academics and graduate students

It is important to remember that a good project is not the same as a good application. The Selection Committee will be reading around 50 applications, so you need to make a strong case for your particular project. A strong application will explain clearly what the research projects is (its aims and scope), why it is significant, how the project will be conducted (this should be related to the requested budget), and what its outcomes are expected to be. The application form also asks you to relate your project to the objectives of the ACC. A good knowledge of existing research in the field (where relevant), and strong support from your School, Centre or Faculty, will also be important.