Welcome to Tracker, NHMRC’s fortnightly newsletter with the latest information on major activities and funding opportunities.
National Reconciliation Week 2022
The theme of National Reconciliation Week 2022 is Be Brave. Make Change.
We had the opportunity to talk to Professor Cath Chamberlain when she was in Canberra for the first meeting of the NHMRC’s Principal Committee Indigenous Caucus for the 2021-2024 triennium.
Professor Chamberlain is a Palawa woman of the Trawlwoolway clan (Tasmania). She is an NHMRC Career Development Fellow and chair of NHMRC’s Electronic Cigarettes Working Committee.
In her research journey, she says just deciding to commit to a research life is brave – so is committing to do the hard research.
‘… you have to be brave to do any research, because the reason we're doing it is we don't know the answer. That is what this discovery is all about. And I think with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, in particular, we are going to need to take some more risks to do things differently.’
You can read more about Professor Chamberlain and her career on NHMRC’s website.
Ideas Grants Peer Review Processes
NHMRC would like to thank the peer reviewers who completed their Conflicts of Interest (COI) and suitability declarations, and those who provided suitability against additional applications after the original deadline.
These efforts all help to optimise the quality of our peer review process. NHMRC appreciates the willingness of the sector to make themselves available for peer review.
We are currently working through the declarations received to assign the 2,194 applications to over 800 assessors based on the best available self-declared suitability matches following the suitability and COI survey outcomes. NHMRC will notify assessors as soon as possible to confirm their appointments and which applications they have been assigned to assess.
Peer Review Key Dates*
- Late June/early July 2022: peer reviewers assigned to applications (based on results of the COI and suitability survey)
- July-August 2022: peer reviewers review applications and submit scores and comments against Ideas Grant assessment criteria for each allocated application.
- September 2022: outlier check performed, assessments confirmed, and budget adjustments made (where required) and funding recommendations prepared by NHMRC
- October-November 2022: funding recommendations progress through approval processes.
- November-December 2022: notification of outcomes.
* The Ideas Grant peer review process and timelines are subject to change. NHMRC will notify peer reviewers of any timing changes as soon as practicable.
If you have any questions, please contact your secretariat. Sapphire enquiries should be directed to the Research Help Centre via email at help@nhmrc.gov.au.
Synergy Grants 2022 update
Synergy Grants Stage One assessments (Knowledge Gain and Synergy criteria) are due 17:00 (AEST) Wednesday 8 June 2022.
Stage Two assessments will commence on Wednesday 22 June 2022.
For further details please refer to the Synergy Grants 2022 Peer Review Guidelines available on NHMRC’s website.
If peer reviewers have any questions about the assessment process, they should contact the Synergy Grants team. Sapphire enquiries should be directed to the Research Help Centre via email at help@nhmrc.gov.au.
2022 Postgraduate Scholarships scheme closing
The closing date for 2022 Postgraduate Scholarship scheme is 17:00 (AEST) on Wednesday 8 June 2022.
NHMRC strongly recommends that any applicants who have not already submitted their applications work with their RAO to submit as soon as possible.
Applicants and RAOs should also note that the application title must accurately describe the nature of the research proposal and should not include placeholder text such as “text”, “synopsis”, “XX” or “Postgraduate Scholarship” etc.
Further details are available on GrantConnect and NHMRC’s website.
Sapphire enquiries should be directed to the Research Help Centre via email at help@nhmrc.gov.au.
Development Grants closing
The closing date for Development Grants is 17:00 (AEST) on Wednesday 15 June 2022.
NHMRC strongly recommends that those applicants who have not already submitted their applications work with their RAO to submit as soon as possible.
Researchers listed on applications must have a Sapphire account. New account requests should be submitted at least 72 hours prior to application close. Any account activation processes started within 72 hours of the round close are not guaranteed to be actioned by NHMRC before close.
The Research Help Centre will continue to respond to technical enquiries (i.e. Sapphire-related enquiries) until 13:00 (AEST) on Wednesday 15 June 2022, noting that response times may be delayed in peak periods.
Further details are available on GrantConnect and NHMRC’s website.
Sapphire enquiries should be directed to the Research Help Centre via email at help@nhmrc.gov.au.
Release of a guide supporting the Code
NHMRC, together with the Australian Research Council (ARC) and Universities Australia (UA), recently released the Research Integrity Advisors Guide, which supports the implementation of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.
This guide completes the suite of guides supporting the Code.
Key Application Dates
Refer to the funding calendar on NHMRC's website.
Tracker
Previous editions of Tracker are available on NHMRC’s website.
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