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Environmental Research Grants in Australia

Deadline: 31-Jan-23

The Lake Macquarie City Council has announced the Environmental Research Grants Program to support projects that will assist Council and other environmental managers to develop appropriate land-use practices, plan remedial and preventative works and adjust management strategies.

University researchers, students and academics, and research-based organisations are encouraged to apply.

Funding Information
  • Successful applicants can receive up to $8000, and higher sums have been approved in special circumstances.
Eligible Expenses

Grant funds are available to cover consumables and costs incurred during field work including travel expenses. Funds can also cover laboratory work, computing and printing costs. Payment of wages, purchasing of durables or living allowances is not eligible to be grant funded. The Program cannot fund university administration charges or overheads charges by your institution.

Projects

This year, Council and the Sponsors are particularly interested in projects that have not previously attracted research proposals, being:

  • Alternative sources and efficient use of energy and water.
  • Use of smart technology to further sustainability goals.
  • Impacts of transport.
  • Waste and quarry rehabilitation.
  • Mosquitoes and their impacts on health.
  • Impacts of tourism, recreational fishing and boating.
  • Biodiversity offsetting to address the loss of biodiversity values.
  • Techniques to track progress towards sustainability goals.
  • Glass recycling including the application of glass fines and improved processes for cleaning of glass fines from MRF waste stream.
  • Strategies for businesses and households to retain value from past investment in rooftop solar PV.
  • Identifying opportunities for residential energy efficiency upgrades.
  • Use of composts derived from kerbside food and garden organics collection services.
  • Adaptable building and infrastructure design.
  • Environmental impact of extreme weather events.
Council’s Requirements
  • Tax invoice is to be forwarded to Council as soon as practicable. If you are not GST registered, the details of your ABN should be provided to Council.
  • The grants scheme will only pay the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) standard rates for motor vehicle (travel) expenses (the 2021-2022 rate is 72 cents per kilometre of business travel).
  • The grants scheme will not support the payments of any overheads (on-costs) if charged by your institution/organisation.
  • Evidence of risk and liability insurance which indemnifies Council and its employees against loss or damage to property or any injury or death to persons caused by or arising either directly or indirectly from the undertaking of the project is to be provided to Council.
  • Any research project that receives $4000 or more and will take more than 12 months for a final report to be submitted to Council, must provide annual progress reports.
  • The researcher shall inform Council of delays and justify in writing any extension to the research project deadline.
  • The media may show interest in your research topic. All media inquiries are to be referred in the first instance to Council’s Media Public Relations Coordinator or Council’s Manager Environmental Systems (02 4921 0333). Any subsequent statements made directly to the media by the researcher should focus specifically on the research being undertaken and should not comment on Council issues or matters of policy.
  • The researcher will advise Council immediately of any change in address/contact details or changed circumstances with respect to the grant. For example, changes in employment arrangements, institution and/or host organisation.
  • Council must be provided with two hard copies and one digital copy of the thesis or report and copies of any other articles, seminar proceedings or papers generated from the research. All components of the digital copy (including maps) are to be compatible with Council’s software.
  • Council and other sponsors (2021-2022 sponsors to be advised) are to be acknowledged in the thesis or report and any derivative papers or publications. An example of an appropriate acknowledgment would be “This research was sponsored through the Lake Macquarie Environmental Research Grants Scheme. Lake Macquarie City Council and various sponsors fund this Scheme. The 2020-2021 sponsors were …” [2020-2021 sponsors to be advised].
  • Each report is to be accompanied by an executive summary, up to two pages, that includes:
  • The major findings, implications and practical application of the research;
  • A list of articles, papers and other documents that may have been generated from the research; and
  • An itemised list showing how the grant monies were spent – this summary will be distributed to the Environmental Research Grants Committee members.
  • The report is also to be accompanied by a Lake Macquarie City Research Abstract. This will be one to two A4 pages and should describe the research project, its major findings and its relevance (practical application) to Lake Macquarie City (a template will be provided to you upon receipt of your acceptance form). This Research Abstract is made available on Council’s website and will be used by Committee Members, Councillors, Council staff, and the community. Its purpose is to illustrate and aid dissemination of important research findings. The Research Abstract must therefore be readily comprehensible by the informed person, who is not an expert in the field, and easily reproduced. The Research Abstract is to be completed on the provided template and supplied in electronic form compatible with Council software.
  • An acquittal statement is to be submitted to Council on submission of the project completion and completion of all requirements.
  • Council reserves the right to reproduce Environmental Research Grant reports and sell them for a fee, which covers the cost of reproduction.
  • If any applicant awarded a grant fails to take necessary steps to commence the project or fails to complete the project within a reasonable timeframe as determined by grant administrator and or by the committee, Council can invoice the institution up to the full project amount.

Should you wish to discuss these requirements or any other matters relating to the Lake Macquarie Environmental Research Grants Scheme, please contact Council’s Natural Landscape Officer:

Selection Criteria

The selection criteria for submissions are as follows:

  • The outcomes of the project has clear benefits for the city.
  • The potential for the outcomes to have application in environmental management of the city.
  • The quality of the submission.
  • Scientific rigor of the proposed research.
  • Value for money (including the budget of the project and any in kind contributions).
  • Researcher and/or supervisor’s expertise and experience.
  • How the proposed research fits within the priorities for the city.
  • Degree to which the project fosters and supports academic achievement for the lake macquarie residents.

For more information, visit Lake Macquarie City Council.

For more information, visit https://www.lakemac.com.au/Our-Council/Grants-and-funding/Environmental-Research-Grants