MERI Updates
MERI Updates
Ethics and Travel Update
Contact information for MERI
Visit the MERI contact page to learn more about the team.
General inquiries: bblaher@unimelb.edu.au
Grants: mgse-grants@unimelb.edu.au
Graduate research: mgse-research@unimelb.edu.au
Human ethics:mgse-ethics@unimelb.edu.au
Ethics Updates
DET update: Research activity in government schools and early childhood settings
All research and evaluation activity involving Victorian government schools and Victorian early childhood services requires approval through the Department of Education and Training’s (DET’s) Research in Schools and Early Childhood settings (RISEC) process.
The move to increased restrictions across Victoria necessitates that the DET again pauses the RISEC process and research and evaluation activities involving schools and early childhood sites. These activities are suspended for the remainder of 2020.
Therefore, the following should not proceed:
- RISEC-approved research and evaluations
- Any other contact with schools or early childhood sites, staff, or children to conduct, or to recruit for, research and evaluation activity
- RISEC applications and amendment requests.
There is no guarantee that this suspension of activities will not continue into next year. MERI encourages all supervisors to continue to discuss with Graduate Researchers how to redesign their project so that it can go forward.
Human research ethics drop-in
Date: Tuesday 15 September
Time: 3pm – 4pm
With so many ethics updates coming through, you might be considering how they will impact your research, including any research redesigns. Come chat with Associate Professor Tricia Eadie and Tim Mattingsbrooke about what this might mean for your research at the next drop-in.
A message from Catholic Education Melbourne (CEM)
CEM is still accepting applications to conduct research in CEM schools and these applications will be subjected to the usual review process. However, even if approved, researchers are not yet permitted to approach schools until they are given written permission by CEM. All approvals at the moment are ‘conditional’. Some projects have been exempt from this current ban on approaching schools (e.g. research that has been instigated by a school not an external researcher, or research that had already begun pre-COVID), but this is considered by CEM on a case-by-case basis. At the moment non-essential staff or visitors (e.g. researchers) are not permitted in CEM schools.
Reminder: for staff who submit ethics applications and amendments
Please ensure that once you have submitted a new application, revisions or an amendment to an existing application, to email mgse-ethics@unimelb.edu.au and include your ethics id number in the subject line as this alerts the ethics officer to contact you if there are any issues with your application.
To check the status of your ethics application or amendment please review the spreadsheet under the FAQ: ‘How can I track the progress of my application?’. This spreadsheet is updated regularly. If you cannot find your application on the spreadsheet contact mgse-ethics@unimelb.edu.au.
Reminder: Themis Human Ethics Workbench Clean Up
In October 2020, access to Themis Human Ethics Workbench will be disabled and replaced with Infonetica Ethics Review Manager (ERM).
To ensure a smooth transition of your research applications to the new system:
- Continue using Themis Human Ethics Workbench to submit new human ethics research applications
- Progress draft applications up until 5 October, as draft applications will not move to the ERM
- Save a copy of any historical/completed applications that you wish to refer to in future by October 5, as these will not move to the ERM
- Use a unique Project Title and attachment File Names to ensure your projects and attachments are moved into the ERM. These must be within 200 characters (including spaces) with no special text or characters.
In the coming months, you will receive communications providing further details and instructions to ensure your readiness for the ERM.
Travel update to China, Hong Kong and Indonesia
China
China will not allow most foreigners to enter China due to COVID-19 and direct flights between China and Australia have been significantly reduced. DFAT advises that if, despite that advice, you travel to China you will be subject to 14 days mandatory quarantine and quarantine requirements may change at short notice. If you’re already in China and wish to return to Australia, DFAT recommends you do so as soon as possible by commercial means. Australians are advised that they may be at risk of arbitrary detention.
Hong Kong
National Security legislation for Hong Kong came into effect on 1 July 2020. This law could be interpreted broadly and the full extent of the law and how it will be applied is not yet clear. You could break the law without intending to. You may be at increased risk of detention on vaguely defined national security grounds. Visit the Smart Traveller website and select 'Local Laws' to find out more.
Indonesia
New regulations are in place for researchers wishing to conduct research in Indonesia and foreign researchers are advised to confirm compliance with following new regulations:
“Foreign nationals conducting research in Indonesia are advised to reconfirm their compliance with local regulations, following a legislative amendment in July that introduced new requirements. Foreign researchers must now seek ethical approval from the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry, alongside the pre-existing visa and permit requirements for conducting research. Penalties for non-compliance with this policy now include criminal prosecution with the possibility of imprisonment. Travellers intending to conduct research are advised to contact their nearest Indonesian Embassy for advice.”
The University of Melbourne would like to emphasise that researchers are to contact their nearest embassy or consulate for specific guidance if they are currently conducting research in Indonesia or will be in the future.
For more information:
University travel portal
The University’s health and safety travel portal has been updated with the most recent DFAT travel advice.
Research News
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Human Research Ethics Advisors - EOIs open
The University has been working on establishing new centralised ethics processes through a comprehensive Research Ethics Processes and Systems (REPS) Program. The changes being developed by REPS will come into effect later this year. As of October 2020:
- All ethics committees will be University-wide and cross-disciplinary. There will be 5 x Greater than Low Risk (GtLR) Committees and 16 x Low to Negligible Risk (LNR) Committees.
- Themis will no longer be used and a purpose-built platform – Infonetica – will be used to submit applications.
- To support the work of the new central committees each Faculty will need to appoint a number of Human Research Ethics Advisors (HREA) who will support local staff to prepare ethics applications, advise on the risk level of the application, and review applications prior to submission.
MGSE is being asked to provide the following support for the central ethics processes:
- 4 x HREAs who are currently at Level C, D or E (each undertaking approximately .1FTE ethics work). This role will sit within the Leadership and Service work category.
We are now asking for expressions of interest to fulfil these roles. Please contact Tricia Eadie or Bella Blaher if you want to express interest, have any questions about the roles, or wish to discuss further.
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ARC signs VCAA contract
The Assessment Research Centre (ARC) has been contracted by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) to develop assessment content within the Health and Physical Education learning area. The curriculum takes in components across Personal, Social and Community Health capabilities and Movement and Physical Activities. ARC experts will construct assessment items for hard to measure learning areas, such as Understanding Movement from the Movement and Physical Activity Strand. An expert Health and Physical Education team from MGSE (including Donna Davies, Helen Cahill and John Quay) has been convened who hold a deep understanding of the content of the Victorian curriculum, and how learning unfolds in students. The ARC team will work at developing relevant and high-quality assessment content for the VCAA’s online formative assessment platform. It is expected that this project will be valuable in developing quality items to be used within Victoria to support students to enhance their own and other’s health, safety and wellbeing as well as participation in physical activity within a range of contexts.
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Reminder: Campus-based research update
In light of Stage 4 restrictions, the research and research return to campus pages on the Central University's COVID-19 website have been updated with the latest information on eligibility criteria for on-campus research to ensure compliance with relevant Stage 4 restrictions, as well as advice regarding the new worker permit processes.
All previously approved on-campus research is to be reassessed to ensure it complies with Stage 4 restrictions. This work is being undertaken at the Academic Division level. No new approvals for return to campus can be given at the Divisional level but are to be managed via the process that was in place for Phase 1 requests. Requests will be routed to the DVCR for approval.
Guidance on the website will continue to be updated in line with new advice from PRG or any further clarifications from the Victorian government.
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Knowledge and Technology Transfer Services Expansion
The Knowledge & Technology Transfer team has expanded their services to help you further maximise your research impact for greater benefit to the society, environment, and economy. This includes:
- Safeguarding University research through the creation of intellectual assets via copyright and/or patent protection
- Proactively translating these assets into society via the generation of social enterprises and start-ups with access to venture funding partners
- Licencing research outcomes to industry, not-for-profit organisations and government bodies
Contact the team for more information.
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Manchester-Melbourne International Research Training Group
The call for project proposals will close on Monday 26 October.
In the second Call for Joint PhD Projects with the University of Manchester, up to six collaborative academic pairings will be funded, with two PhD scholarships and supporting funding for each pair, with project proposals open to all research areas. More details about applications can be found in the Joint Call Guidelines.
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Reminder: Call for papers: Tech, Knowledge and Society Conference
The Technology, Knowledge & Society Research Network 2021 has issued a call for papers for its 17th International Conference on Technology, Knowledge and Society, to be held on 8-9 April 2021.
This conference is brought together by a shared interest in the complex and subtle relationships between the histories of tech, knowledge makers, and social realities.
For more information on proposal submissions and registration deadlines, please visit the conference website.
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Reminder: ARC scheme EOIs now open
Expression of Interest (EOI) for ARC schemes opening in the third and fourth quarter of the year are now available. If you are interested in applying for the current rounds please complete the EOI so that the MERI team can support you through the application process.
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Reminder: ARC Fellowship Buddy Program
Researchers preparing major grant proposals often find it helpful to exchange drafts and feedback with others who are applying for the same grants. This program is a buddy system for the ARC DECRA and Future Fellowship schemes. You'll be paired with another researcher who is applying to the same scheme/level and matched according to which ARC Panel you align with. Matches will take place across all Academic Divisions to simulate the diversity of assessors. Once you have been paired, you can support each other to develop your proposals. Buddies are assigned on a weekly basis on a Thursday. You will receive an email informing you of your fellowship buddy along with further guidance.
Research Events
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Discussion seminar: Help us support your research redesign
Date: Thursday 10 September
Time: 10am – 11amHas your research been disrupted by Covid restrictions? Are you interested in finding out more about non-empirical research methods?
Following on from the first discussion on non-empirical, philosophical methods with Fazal and Sonja, we're keen to hear about your experiences - what disruptions is Covid-19 causing for your research, and what issues and concerns are arising for you?
This session will be an informal sharing and discussion on which we will base future support, directions, and activities for yourself and other researchers at MGSE.
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Educational Leadership Mentorship Series (MGSE staff-only)
Researching Your Practice
Date: Friday 11 September
Time: 10am – 11amPresented by Associate Professors David Gurr, Lawrie Drysdale, and Helen Stokes. Hosted by Dr Daniela Acquaro. Further details to come.
How To Make An Impact With Your Research
Date: Friday 18 September
Time: 10am – 11amPresented by Professor Yong Zhao and Laureate Professor John Hattie. Hosted by Dr Daniela Acquaro. Further details to come.
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Educational Leadership Spotlight Series
The Link Between Principal Leadership and Growth In Student Learning
Date: Monday 14 September
Time: 10am – 11amPresented by Dr Pauline Thompson and Associate Professor Helen Stokes, hosted by Dr Daniela Acquaro. Further details to come.
Multiple faces of leadership: a focus on aspirant female leaders
Date: Monday 28 September
Time: 10am – 11amLeadership is about impact and influence. What image do we attach to this concept – is it male, female; formal, informal; power over, to, with? Greater diversity in leadership and decision-making roles can contribute to positive outcomes for organisations and communities. The stimulus for this seminar is an article written by Watterston and Kise (2019) emphasising a ‘multiple faces of leadership’ perspective. Through a reflection of archetypes, not stereotypes, this session will explore how using a both/and approach to leadership for all genders has implications for talent identification and development. Barb will share examples of research and professional learning that provide opportunities for women to address external and self-imposed barriers and assumptions, to explore their strengths, and to define their own leadership identity.
Presented by Dr Barbara Watterston, hosted by Dr Daniela Acquaro.
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Reminder: Grant Camps
Dates and times for individual sessions can be found below. The Zoom link is the same for each session as well as the password which is 058718.
Grant Camps provide concentrated times to draft a small part of your application and ask questions about specific parts of the application. The format for each Grant Camp is the same: a single overhead encapsulating the key points; five minutes of instructions; 25 minutes of writing; five minutes for questions; and then another 25 minutes of writing. The aim is not to produce polished prose, but to get words on paper that can be discussed with a mentor. It is designed to get you started on each section of the application in a timely manner.
The sessions will run as follows:
- Project – What will you actually do?
Date: Monday 14 September
Time: 10am – 11amTime to work on the project methodology section of your ARC application.
- Significance – Why now?
Date: Thursday 24 September
Time: 10.30am – 11.30amTime to work on the significance section of your ARC application.
- Impact – What difference will it make?
Date: Tuesday 6 October
Time: 2.30pm – 3.30pmTime to work on the impact section of your ARC application.
- Project – What will you actually do?
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Research in Germany webinar
Date: Thursday 17 September
Time: 12pm – 1.15pmIf you're interested or engaged in collaboration with Germany, this webinar showcases the funding opportunities available to collaborate with and conduct research in Germany, including research grants currently open for applications.
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myProposals and Projects seminar
Dates: Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 September
Times: 12pm – 12.45pmRegister your interest (Monday)
Register your interest (Tuesday)
myProposals and Projects is a new resource available in ServiceNow designed with researchers, for researchers that provides the status of all proposals and projects including a ‘To Do’ list of tasks in one easy-to-use interface.
Currently, there is limited visibility across the research lifecycle enabling researchers to view the status of their proposal, approval workflow, project budget and deliverables.
This resource will provide a consolidated view of research proposals and projects, links to project finances in InfoHub and actionable items from existing research systems including Themis, Minerva Elements and Infonetica ERM into one interface.
Business Services will be holding lunch and learn sessions that will provide an overview of the new resource and answer any questions you may have. Register for a session below and bring your lunch to learn more.
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Reminder: Crafting a well-justified ARC fellowship budget
Date: Tuesday 22 September
Time: 11amThis session will focus on how to make your budget fit cohesively within your Fellowship application. It will assist you to cost and describe your budget items, to categorise your costs in line with ARC Guidelines, and to frame a strong budget justification. This session is coordinated by Academic Divisions as part of a series to support ARC DECRA and Future Fellowships.
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Health check for your online researcher profile
Dates: Tuesday 29 September and Tuesday 6 October
Times: 12pm – 1pm
Register your interest (29 September)
Register your interest (6 October)
Researcher profiles and networking tools are essential to making your research outputs visible. Drop-in with the Library team to ask questions on how to set up and maintain your ORCID, Minerva Elements, and other online researcher profiles.
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Open Access, Minerva Access and Research Visibility seminar
Date: Wednesday 7 October
Time: 12pm – 12.30pmJoin the Library team to learn about the different types of Open Access and how depositing your research outputs into Minerva Access can enhance your research visibility.
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LH Martin Institute Webfest Conference
Multiple dates and times.
Cost: $55 per session or all five for $220.The LH Martin Institute Webfest Conference champions innovation and communities of collaborative practice between industry, government, and higher education providers and explores current and emerging issues faced by the higher education sector. In lieu of a face-to-face conference, this year they are hosting an October WebFest – five webinars exploring the main themes of Crisis, responsibility, and opportunity: Educational leadership during major change.
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Infonetica Ethics Review Manager system training
Multiple dates and times.
Researchers and those who submit human ethics applications are encouraged to attend a training session to learn how to use the new Infonetica Ethics Review Manager (ERM) system. This system will replace Themis Human Ethics workbench from Monday 5 October. From Thursday 17 September to Wednesday 14 October, training sessions will be offered over six days, covering the new human ethics application process including how to use Infonetica ERM to submit applications. You will also learn about the new human ethics committee structures and meeting schedules.
Register your interest to view dates and times of the different training sessions.
Funding opportunities
MGSE funding submission essentials
This process is in response to both the MGSE Submissions Policy and the MGSE Grants Notice of Intent (NOI) Policy. It applies to both lead proposals (submitted via University) and non-lead proposals (submitted through other institutions).
It's essential to notify the MERI Grants team of your intent to apply for any funding opportunity, as all funding proposals (internal and external) need to be endorsed by the Dean, as Head of Department.
As all applications require several internal approvals, MERI sets its own close dates in advance of both the funding body (for submissions direct to sponsor), as well as the Research, Innovation, and Commercialisation (RIC) closing dates. This allows time to process your application before it is formally submitted.
If you're not sure you can make the MERI close date, email the Grants team with your intent to apply.
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Opportunities closing soon
Commonwealth Foundation Special Grants Call: COVID -19
Deadline to contact the grants team: Friday 11 September
The Commonwealth Grants Programme supports innovative projects that strengthen the ability of voices to engage with governments about the impact of COVID-19 to improve governance and development outcomes through their active participation. The focus is on national initiatives that engage with government in strengthening institutions, policies, and practices as communities and countries seek to recover and rebuild. Applicants must be based in a Commonwealth member state and the organisations must be registered as non-profits. Grants are worth between GBP £10,000 (approx. AU$18250)and £30,000 (approx. AU$55,000) each for a period of 12 months.
Applications close on Friday 18 September.
Melbourne InnovatEd Seed Funding for EduTech
Deadline to contact the grants team: Wednesday 16 September
Melbourne InnovatEd is the University incubation program for educational technology innovation. It is designed to incentivise, support and drive the creation and uptake of edutech innovations within the University. The program is now looking for individuals or teams with a passion to explore new opportunities and ideas at the intersection of education and technology.
InnovatEd is offering seed funding of up to $25,000 towards developing educational technology innovations for tertiary education.
Applications close 5pm, Wednesday 23 September.
Interdisciplinary Seed Funding - EOIs
Deadline to contact the grants team: Wednesday 16 September
The Melbourne Centre for Data Science (MCDS) is seeking expressions of interest for new interdisciplinary projects that join data science expertise with expertise from other domains. Collaboration is a core value at MCDS and they are eager to hear about ways you are working or would like to work at the intersection of data science and its applicability to all fields. They would love to hear about your innovative research ideas, your creative approaches to a complex problem, your new angles of questioning, and the special team put together to tackle the issue. This year they are funding up to three projects at up to $20k per project.
Applications close Wednesday 23 September.
Australia-Korea Foundation Grants
Deadline to contact the grants team: Friday 18 September
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade invites applications for its Australia-Korea Foundation Grants. These aim to increase public awareness of Australia in Korea, and of Korea in Australia, and to develop partnerships in areas of shared interest in the bilateral, regional, and global context.
Grants are worth between AUD $5,000 and $AUD 40,000 each per year for up to three years.
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Telematics Trust Small Grants
Deadline to contact the grants team: Thursday 1 October
The Telematics Trust funds projects which: educate and empower people from diverse backgrounds to learn new things and build their capacity to contribute to society; would be assisted by seeding grants; are not likely to be supported by other funding bodies. All projects must be based in Victoria and be for the benefit of Victorians. Grants are worth up to AUD $50,000 each over one year.
Applications close Thursday 8 October.
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Dyason Fellowships Funding
Deadline to contact the grants team: Monday 5 October
Applications for 2020 Dyason Fellowships are now open. Funding is available to assist University staff to undertake or host a short-term international visit that fosters significant and lasting research collaborations with leading international researchers and their academic networks.
Applications close on Monday 12 October.
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MEL-BER Seed Fund
Deadline to contact the grants team: Monday 12 October
Together with the members of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) – Freie Universität, Humboldt-Universität, Technische Universität, and Charité – the University has opened the second round of the MEL-BER Partnership: Call for Joint Research Proposals 2020/21, seeking to strengthen our existing links and stimulate new research collaborations between Melbourne and the four Berlin institutions. In last year's inaugural call, 12 projects received funding.
Applications close on Monday 19 October.
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Melbourne-Bonn Research Excellence Fund
Deadline to contact the grants team: Friday 23 October
The inaugural call of the Bonn-Melbourne Research Excellence Fund aims to support collaboration in new research areas with Universität Bonn that have not yet received funding from Bonn or Melbourne or through a third-party before. Up to three applications will be funded and receive up to 20,000 € or $33,000 AUD from each institution.
Applications close on Friday 30 October.
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Reminder: ARC Linkage Projects
Linkage Projects 2020 Assessment Round 3
- Submit review ready application to MERI: 26 October 2020
Submit review ready application to RIC: 2 November 2020
Request not to Assess due to RIC: 15 November 2020
Request not to Assess Close: 17 November 2020 - Final Application due to MERI: 17 November 2020
Final Application due to RIC: 24 November 2020
Final Applications due to ARC: 1 December 2020
If you are contemplating submitting an application in round 3, you must email the Grants team as soon as possible.
- Submit review ready application to MERI: 26 October 2020
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Reminder: DECRA and Future Fellowship applications extended
Applications close Wednesday 25 November.
The Australian Research Council (ARC) has extended the application time frames for DECRA and Future Fellowship applications, to take into account the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more on the ARC website.
If you're considering applying, please email the Grants team as soon as possible.
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Ongoing opportunities
The Ford Foundation - Challenging Inequality
Expressions of Interest are open on an ongoing basis
The Ford Foundation is a prestigious United States funder that has fellowship and project opportunities available in the broad thematic area of Challenging Inequality. Having a United States partner would improve the competitiveness of your application.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Applications are open on an ongoing basis
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has a grants database with fellowship and project opportunities that includes Higher Education in the Humanities, Arts and Cultural Heritage, Diversity, Scholarly Communications, and International Higher Education. Having a United States partner would improve the competitiveness of your application.
The Economic and Research Council
Applications are open on an ongoing basis
The Economic and Social Research Council has called for proposals for a range of project ideas and specific grant opportunities. Having a United Kingdom partner would improve the competitiveness of your application.