National Environmental Science Program (NESP) 2

Deadline: 30 June 2020

The Australian Government is inviting applications via a targeted competitive process to apply to contribute to outcomes under the National Environmental Science Program (NESP 2) from the second half of 2020 through to June 2027.

The National Environmental Science Program (NESP 2) represents a $149 million investment by the Australian Government in applied environmental science to support decision-makers from across the Australian community, including Indigenous communities, build resilience while achieving positive environmental, social and economic outcomes. The program represents a critical cross-cutting enabler that provides the evidence base for the design, delivery and on-ground monitoring of core Government environmental commitments and the basis for long-term environmental programs.

The program will consist of multi-disciplinary research hubs or consortia hosted by Australian research institutions with national capability and be delivered where appropriate through regional nodes.

Objectives and Outcomes

NESP 2 will deliver applied scientific knowledge, decision tools and practical management options to support environmental commitments made by all levels of Government and other end-users. The program will directly support:

the delivery of practical science to support decision-makers to build resilience in their natural environment and communities
development of collaborative partnerships between public and private sector stakeholders as well as Indigenous communities to maximise benefits for all Australians and their local environments
management of Australia’s unique environmental assets including their protected estate such as the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu National Park as well as threatened and migratory species and ecological communities
environmental assessment of development proposals under Commonwealth, state and territory regulations including by providing information on frequently triggered species and other matters
understanding of the impact of plastic and other waste material on our natural ecosystems to support action to improve environmental outcomes
better understanding of our past, present and future climate to improve climate modelling and information delivery to inform adaptation planning for resilient regional and urban communities
the transition of new collection, monitoring and modelling capabilities from research to practical management tools including via targeted investment into eDNA, biogenomics, predictive modelling systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The program will also support the development of critical human capital within the science community and related soft infrastructure through:

a requirement to invest in Indigenous research capability including in remote communities as appropriate
targeted investment in early to mid-career researchers to grow Australia’s scientific capability including Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathamatics (STEM) skills
actively fostering partnerships between researchers, end-users and local communities to establish trust and promote open engagement across different stakeholder groups.

The intended outcomes of NESP 2 are:

Credible peer reviewed, timely research that is used by decision-makers to answer questions and develop solutions to problems.
Research findings and practical guidance for decision-makers, stored in a manner that is discoverable and accessible, and where appropriate integrated into end-users’ databases and decision support tools.
Enhanced environmental science and research capability amongst researchers, end-users and Indigenous Australians.

Funding Information

The program has funding of $149 million (GST exclusive) available to support four research hubs through to June 2027.
The maximum grant period is seven years.

Eligible Expenditure

Funding may be used for:

salaries for researchers and support staff, fellowships and student stipends, and direct salary on-costs
direct support costs of research
indirect support costs of research
capital items, such as equipment necessary for conducting research.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible as the lead applicant you must be one of the following entity types: