Research updates

Contact information for MERI

General inquiries: bblaher@unimelb.edu.au
Grants: mgse-grants@unimelb.edu.au
Graduate research: mgse-research@unimelb.edu.au
Human ethics: timm@unimelb.edu.au


UoM Early Career Researcher grant recipients

Dr Anne Suryani has been awarded an UoM Early Career Researcher grant for the project entitled ‘Religious Tolerance Education: Policies and Practices’ and Dr Amy McKernan has been awarded for the project entitled ‘Teaching with trauma for social justice’.


MEL/BER Seed Funding recipients

Dr Jeana Kriewaldt has been awarded a MEL/BER Seed Funding grant for the project entitled ‘Future teachers for the planet. Powerful knowledge for a better ESD in teacher training’ and  Dr. Merryn Dawborn-Gundlach has been awarded for the project entitled ‘Pre-Service Science Teachers' Scientific reasoning competencies’.



Creating Connections

Creating Connections was a great success with 105 staff and graduate research students attending and having the opportunity to engage and connect with peers, academic staff and invited guests.

Dr Nikki Moodie was the plenary speaker and was highly engaging. There was a range of topics to engage all attendees in four different streams. The day finished with the amazing 3 Minute Presentations with first prize going to Marissa Wu, second prize to Hugh Gundlach and third prize to Kym Williams.


Call for Applications - Research Development Awards

Applications for the Melbourne Graduate School of Education Research Development Awards Round 2, 2019  are now open and can be located via Smartygrants. Application close at midnight on Sunday 17 November

Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Download the Research Development Awards guidelines.

The Awards grants scheme supports proposal submissions from Early and Mid-Career Academics to Level D. It specifically aims to strengthen researcher capability in two areas depending on academic seniority.

Within this scheme, support can be provided to:

  1. Build a stronger publication track record (Level A6-C), or
  2. Develop a bid for a grant application in the next major round (Levels C-D).

Funding up to $8,000 is available for individual applications. These funds support writing activity and can be used for purposes of marking or teaching buyout, RA support and travel for meetings with collaborators to prepare grant applications.

Please note conference attendance, and the collection of new data are not eligible for funding under the scheme.

Should you require further information or support, please contact MERI.


2020 Academic Women in Leadership

Nominations for the 2020 Academic Women in Leadership Program are now open. Eligible women academics will shortly receive an email advertising the 2020 program. The program flyer and application are available for download.

As this is a strategically important program, staff are encouraged to nominate themselves or suggest someone to the Office of the Dean directly.

As potential participants are required to speak with the Dean to gain endorsement for their application, applicants are asked to arrange a meeting by Friday 15 November 2019. This will enable MGSE to assess all applications and ensure they are submitted by the official close date of Monday 25 November 2019.

If you have any questions about the program or the process, please contact the Program Manager, Julie Eastman ext. 44159 or the Dean directly.


Minivera Elements - updating publications

MGSE academic staff are encouraged to add their research outputs in the university publications system: Minerva Elements.

  • All continuing and fixed term staff are required to lodge their research outputs in the School Annual Research Output Collection
  • Casual Academic staff and research students are encouraged to lodge their research outputs
  • For all staff and students, it is essential to lodge the research outputs where they relate to funded research activities.

Annual Research Collection

MERI is looking to deploy an improved process for the annual collection of publications at MGSE. Before the process is put into practice, an audit of publications accepted during 2019 across the following categories is required:

  • A1 Books - authored - research
  • B1 Chapters in research books
  • C1 Journal articles - refereed
  • F1 Conference publications - full written paper - refereed

Please send a list of your research outputs published from 1 January 2019 until today. The MERI team will check if they are already listed in Minerva Elements.

These lists can be sent to mgse-grants@unimelb.edu.au.


Submission invitation to IJERPH

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) is running a special issue The Contributions of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing Literacy and Professor Lindsay Oades from the Centre for Positive Psychology will be the guest editor.

This special issue will focus on the:

  • Contribution of positive psychology to population health and wellbeing
  • Potential contribution of wellbeing literacy to understanding and enhancing population health and wellbeing.

IJERPH encourage the submission of papers that report on:

  • The interaction of positive psychological factors (e.g., strengths, optimism, self-regulation) related to population health and/or wellbeing
  • Contemporary views in wellbeing science that can be applied to populations
  • Wellbeing literacy and other aspects of language use that influence aspects of population health
  • New data or conceptualisatons of population health through a wellbeing or positive psychological lens.

If you are interested, please submit a 350-word abstract by 1 December 2019 for consideration and feedback from the Guest Editors. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be invited to submit a full manuscript. Subject to the decision of the Special Issue editors, up to five manuscripts accepted through this process will receive a waiver of the normal Journal publication fee. In addition, authors may submit their paper through the normal journal submission process and the usual journal processing fee of 1800 CHF will apply.

For more information, visit the special issue website.

The submission deadline is 30 June 2020. Manuscripts must be submitted through the online manuscript submission and editorial system at http://susy.mdpi.com.



MGSE Submission Policy

Please note that MGSE submission policy requires all proposals (internal and external) to be endorsed by the Dean, as Head of Department.

MERI close dates are set in advance of the close dates of the funding body (for submissions direct to sponsor) or the research innovation and commercialisation closing date (usually about a week).

If you are in a situation where you think you will be unable to make the MERI close date, please contact MERI and let us know that you are intending to apply, noting that the level of service MERI can provide in relation to feedback and assistance with proposals will be determined by the amount of lead time available.

MERI close dates are available on all funding opportunities found in the funding opportunities section below.


MGSE Grants Notice of Intent (NOI) Policy

If you are interested in making an application to any opportunity, please notify MERI at your earliest convenience. This applies to both lead (submitted through UoM) and non-lead proposals (those submitted through other institutions). This feeds in to the MGSE Submission Policy, and additionally allows MERI to provide the appropriate support for your application.


Key opportunities


John and Eric Smyth Travelling Scholarship

Applications are currently open until 21 January 2020

The John and Eric Smyth Travelling Scholarship is aimed at supporting applicants who show potential as a researcher or teacher and wish to undertake study overseas for a period of up to two years. For more details and eligibility criteria please see the website.


International Council for Canadian Studies, INT: Canadian studies postdoctoral fellowships

Applications close: Sunday 24 November

These enable visits to a Canadian or foreign university with a Canadian studies programme for a teaching or research fellowship. The grant is worth CAD 2,500 per month over one to three months, plus the cost of a return airline ticket. Visit the Canadian Studies Postdoctoral Fellowships page for more information.


Special Studies Program - Short (SSP-S)

Applications for the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) Special Studies Program – Short (SSP-S) Round 2, 2019 are now open.

Round 2 of 2019 of the SSP-S is for Semester 1, 2020 (January-May) or Semester 2, 2020 (June to December) or Semester 1 2021 (January -May). This involves special study for a buyout of 2 x 24 hours subjects.

Applications Please complete the application via SmartyGrants and attach your CV and your Supervisor’s letter of support.
The closing date for applications from eligible MGSE academic staff who wish to apply for SSP-S is Sunday 1 December.

Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.


Engaging with India: 2020-2024 grants

The Engaging with India: 2020-2024 plan outlined the University of Melbourne’s commitment to building lasting partnerships with Indian schools and their broader communities. Through this commitment, Chancellery is offering opportunities to build connections and research impact with school communities in India.

The 3 x $10,000 grants will stimulate and support connections between current University of Melbourne researchers and school communities in India. The grants will provide bespoke co-developed projects between the University and local schools in India that increase access to, and success in education and lifelong learning, and bring about positive change to school communities in areas such as educational mobility and access to technology.

Recipients would be drawn from diverse academic disciplines and must demonstrate how their research would translate into an Indian primary or secondary school setting, engaging at a community level and provide positive social impact. Recipients would also demonstrate their willingness to work in collaboration with other grant recipients to promote the University of Melbourne and build opportunities to sustain their work and connections beyond the life of the grants.

All University of Melbourne faculty are eligible to apply.

A selection panel will review all applications:

  • Professor Muthupandian Ashokkumar, Assistant DVC International (India)
  • Professor Craig Jeffrey, Director, Australia India Institute
  • Professor Justin Zobel, PVC International (or nominee)
  • Professor Lorraine Graham, Associate Dean International, Melbourne Graduate School of Education
  • Dr Amanda Gilbertson, ARC Early Career Researcher, School of Social and Political Sciences, Faculty of Arts.

Future Fellowship FT20 for MERI and RIC

Applications for ARC Future Fellowships for funding commencing in 2020 are now open in the ARC’s Research Management System. MGSE and RIC dates are:

  • MGSE draft deadline: 30 October 2019.
  • Applications due to RIC for review: 6th November 2019.
  • MGSE Final deadline: 14 November 2019.
  • Final Applications due to RIC: 21 November 2019.

The ARC has advised that the following competitive grant schemes will be open – MGSE and RIC submission dates are to be advised:

  • Laureate Projects (FL20): 9 October – 25 November
  • Discovery Projects (DP21): 13 November 2019 – 20 February 2020.
  • DECRA (DE21): 16 October 2019 – 6 March 2020.
  • Discovery Indigenous (IN21): 27 November 2019 – 13 March 2020.

For further information, please contact:

Alex Burns (Senior Research Officer): 03 9035 8871.


Dyason Fellowships

Full applications will be due to RIC by Wednesday 6 November 3pm

Dyason Fellowships fund University staff to undertake or host a short-term international visit that fosters significant and lasting research collaborations with leading international researchers. Fellowships are awarded across all disciplines as well as for interdisciplinary proposals.


Funding Items


Melbourne-Indonesia Research Partnership Program

From 2020 to 2022, the University will provide ten $10,000 awards each year for three years, to encourage collaborative projects between University of Melbourne and Indonesian Academics. These are designed to stimulate greater levels of academic exchange and research collaboration. MIRPP will also enable Indonesian academics to deepen their engagement with the international research community. It is anticipated that the awards will be made to a spread of disciplines and that they will also encourage new cross-disciplinary activity.

Visit the Melbourne-Indonesia Research Partnership Program page for more information about important dates and eligibility criteria. Applications are due Friday 15 November.


Department of Defence: Strategic Policy Grants Program

Applications close: Saturday 30 November

The Strategic Policy Grants Program aims to deliver outcomes that support Defence policy objectives to improve and increase the strategic policy workforce’s capability to deliver high quality policy advice to Defence and Government.


Dan David Prize

Applications close: Saturday 30 November

Three prizes, worth USD 1 million each, are available. Ten per cent of the prize must be donated towards scholarships. This recognises interdisciplinary research contributing to humanity in the sciences, arts, humanities, public service and business. The nominations must be submitted in one of three categories: cultural preservation and revival, gender equality and artificial intelligence. More information is available on the Dan David Prize page.



Now open - 2021 ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)

Applications are now open for the ARC DECRA for funding commencing in 2021. This award provides focused research support for early career researchers in both teaching and research, and research-only positions.

Candidates must at the closing date of submission have been awarded a PhD on or after 1 March 2015, or have eligible, certifiable career interruptions. Up to 200 fellowships are awarded each year, with a per annum salary contribution of up to $104,316 for three years, as well as up to $50,000 of non-salary funding per year. Funding commences on 1 January 2021.

Applications open on RMS: 16 October 2019
Applications due to RIC for review: 24 February – 26 February 2020
Final applications due to RIC: 6 March 2020

A detailed timeline and submission information is available on the RIC DECRA website.

Instructions to Applicants and FAQs: Now available at Grant Connect or RIC DECRA website.
Please contact Alex Burns if you are interested in applying.


The Ford Foundation - Challenging Inequality

The Ford Foundation is open to new ideas and invite you to submit yours on their online form. They will review and contact you within 45 days. One of the areas they are focusing on is persistent prejudice and discrimination against women, people with disabilities and racial, ethnic and caste minorities.

Please contact MERI if you are interested in applying.


Australian-American Fulbright Commission, AU

The Australian-American Fulbright Commission invites applications for its professional scholarship in vocational education and training. This enables employees within the vocational education and training sector or training leaders in business and industry to undertake a short course or research programme in this field at a US institution. The scholarship may also be used for other forms of professional development, including visits to relevant organisations. The outcomes must benefit the wider vocational and training sector in Australia.

Teachers, managers, administrators and other employees of private and public registered training organisations may apply. People who are leading vocational education and training strategies within their business, and staff within universities that teach within the training and skills sector, are also eligible. Applicants must hold at least an undergraduate degree or equivalent, and be Australian citizens residing in Australia at the time of application. Applicants may not hold dual US-Australia citizenship or US permanent residency, and must be prepared to return to Australia for the two years following the programme.

Scholarships include living, travel and dependent allowances, and health insurance worth up to AUD 100,000, for up to four months.

Applications re-open February 2020 visit the Fulbright Australia page for further information.


MGSE Research Professional Magazine

Curated Opportunities for MGSE Academics

Your funding opportunities can be found through Melbourne Graduate school of Education Research Professional Magazine, this curated fortnightly e-publication is updated simultaneously with the MGSE News release.


SCIP (Social & Cultural Informatics Platform) research data consultations

Consultations are available for HASS researchers seeking to extend their research capabilities through the use of digital technologies. SCIP Informatics experts can provide advice on research data management and informatics questions (including help with ARC applications).  Please email the SCIP informatics team to arrange an appointment: scip-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au

Location: 100 Leicester Street (near staff kitchen/lounge) Level 3
Time: Between 1pm to 5pm Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, by appointment, please email scip-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au


Publications Launchpad

Minerva Elements

Have you been entering your publications into Minerva Elements? If so, please also send your supporting evidence to MERI
This way, we can also include your recent publications in ‘Publications Launchpad’.

Below is a summary of publication and Minerva updates:

How To Add Publications To Minerva: Minerva Elements is the system used to add and update publications. A Minerva User Guide is available. It is also important to check against the University Publications Collections Guidelines on evidence needed for each publication category. Please contact MERI for further advice on publications collection.

Training: additional MGSE specific training sessions will be held in the coming months or contact MERI to organise a one-on-one session.


Publications

Duffy, P., HATTON, C., Sallis, R. (Eds.)  2019. Drama Research Methods, Provocations of Practice, Brill, Sense: ISBN 9789004389564

Sajnani, N., Salvatore, J., Sallis, R. (2019). Three arts-based researchers walk into a forum: A conversation on the opportunities and challenges in embodied and performed research, in Drama Research Methods, Provocations of Practice, Brill, Sense: ISBN 9789004389564

Rizvi, F., Savage, G.C., Quay, J., Acquaro, D., Sallis, R. & Sobhani, N. (2019). Transnationalism and the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile, in Prospects: Comparative Journal of Curriculum, Learning, and Assessment, (181:1-18). Springer.

Bird, J., Sallis, R. (2019). Acting Smart, Drama, Version 8. ISBN: 9780994602015

Bird, J., Sallis, R., Bailey, M. (2019).  Acting Smart, Theatre Studies, Version 8. ISBN: 9780994602022

Davis, M (2019).  Three cheers for the Ramsay Centre, The Australian Universities’ Review