Grant applications

The NOI is your gateway to the Grant Development Team (Research Services), the Research Partnerships Team (Research Innovation and Enterprise), and the Philanthropy and Alumni Relations Team.

Submitting an NOI means the relevant support team can:

• provide you with the support you need in developing your application*
• provide valuable application resources to help you develop a competitive research grant application
• send details of the next steps in the internal review and approval process
• provide you with internal deadlines and submission instructions to ensure you meet the funder deadline
• Efficiently hand over to the post-award team if you are successful and avoid delays in signing the grant agreement and receiving your funding.

*If you are applying for an ARC, NHMRC or MRFF grant, you will be sent comprehensive details of the review, approval and submission processes specific to those schemes.

Submit one as soon as you remember, and send us an email at grant.development@mq.edu.au to let us know the status of the application and any requirements from Macquarie, such as letters of support.  We will support you as far as we can depending on how much notice we have before the funder deadline.

Late NOIs (i.e, less than two weeks before the funder deadline) may affect your eligibility for DVCR-Cofunding.

You should still submit an NOI if you submitted a grant application without letting us know. We will need to arrange for retrospective approvals via Pure.

If your application was successful, and you did not notify us when you applied, the contracting and process of account set-up for your funding is contingent on these retrospective approvals and will be delayed.

For all applications except  ARC:

Once reviewed by the appropriate research support team, the NOI will generate a basic record in the Pure system.

The Pure record will be pre-populated with the information you entered into the NOI.

As the application progresses, you need to:

• update the Pure record with additional information such as description, FoR codes, team, budget amount
• read and respond to communications sent through Pure
• upload your application draft and 'send to internal approval' by the date of your compliance check booking
• monitor the progression of approvals - see the below heading regarding notifying your HoD/HoS.

Pure is fully integrated with the ARC's application portal, RMS, and manual updates/uploads are not required.

The NOI is your gateway to the:

• Grant Development Team (Research Services)
• Research Partnerships Team (Research Innovation and Enterprise)
• Major Bids Team (Research Innovation and Enterprise)
• Philanthropy and Alumni Relations Team.

The application type you select at the start of the NOI will direct your form to one of these teams, and a member of that team will contact you with the next steps and information relevant to your application and the procedures for the type of funding you are applying for.

If the form is directed to the wrong team, it will be triaged and forwarded to the correct team.

Discuss your plans with your Head of Department/School early so they are fully aware of  your plans, and can consider workload, support or space implications in the department/school.

Your HoD/HoS will also be asked to approve your application (via Pure) before you submit, so the more they know about it in advance the smoother the approval process will be.

All funders publish guidelines for their schemes (though some may be extremely brief!). Assessment panels will always look more favourably on applications that clearly address and follow the guidelines.

Reading the guidelines will also make the review process quicker. If your application is not compliant at your compliance and eligibility check it may be too late – or at least a last minute rush – for you to fix it!

We are always on hand to help you interpret guidelines if you’re not sure or need clarification from the funder.

What to look for

• Eligibility rules: eligibility restrictions might apply to you, the university, the project, the size and composition of the investigator team, the location of the research. Check these first to avoid wasting time on an application you can't submit.
• Closing date and time - in the funder's timezone: Our internal deadlines are based on the funder deadline, with a mandatory check of the full application 2 weeks prior to the deadline. Strategic review and co-funding requests must be 4 weeks before.
• Method of submission: submission may be via an online form, email or (rarely) by post. Some applications can only be submitted by Research Services (e.g. ARC, NHMRC, SmartyGrants forms, international government funders). If you're not sure, ask.
• Mandatory forms and templates: the funder may provide templates that you must use. If the form is in an online portal, view the form early as there may be additional instructions and requirements not provided elsewhere.
• Content rules: check for any rules (e.g formatting, page limits, file naming conventions) and follow them to the letter.
• Budget rules: check the maximum (and sometimes minimum) budget limit. There will usually also be a list of items that are eligible or ineligible for funding, or items that must be included.
• Indirect (overhead) costs: unless stated in the guidelines or on the funder's website, indirect costs must be included in the budget. Please read the Macquarie Research Indirect Costs Policy to check for exemptions and understand what these costs are for.
• Requirements from Macquarie: whether you need to provide a letter of support, institutional sign-off or co-funding. These take time to obtain, so it is vital that you put in an NOI early to give us time to process them.

Tip: ask ChatMQ to extract the above information for you from the guidelines and funder web page! Tell it to reference the source so you can check the full text for yourself.

The Grant Development Team provides resources and information to help you develop your applications.

General resources are on our Training and Support page, and include:

• Budgeting resources and calculators
• Co-funding information
• Guidance on publication, media and impact metrics
• Workshops and seminars (forthcoming and past recordings)
• Successful grants library

Scheme-specific resources such as tailored budget calculators and application toolkits are available on the pages dedicated to those schemes, (go to the Funding and Grants page)

You are also welcome to contact us at grant.development@mq.edu.au or by phone.

Does your research involve humans or animals?

The Research Ethics and Integrity team provides support for:

• Ethics advice/clearance for human or animal research
• Potential biohazard or biosecurity management
• Clinical trials

Data management planning

All research projects being undertaken at Macquarie should have a Data Management Plan so that data associated with that project is securely and effectively managed. Visit the Research Data Management SharePoint site for complete advice and processes.

Research safety and security

The Research Safety and Security SharePoint site provides comprehensive advice on biosafety, radiation, laser and chemical safety.

Foreign interference and national security

If you are working with an external researcher or institution, the National Security and Defence (research risk) wiki provides vital guidance and tools for:

• due diligence on external partner organisations
• assessment of whether your research may be at risk from foreign interference
• disclosure of foreign arrangements.

Commercialisation and intellectual property

Contact your Faculty Research Partnerships Manager for help with:

• Intellectual Property or Commercialisation advice
• Copyright advice
• Partner negotiations
• Non-disclosure agreements
• Consultancy work

Note that if you are responding to a tender or conducting research contracted by an industry partner, you will work with the Research Innovation and Enterprise team rather than the Grant Development Team. You will be directed to them via your NOI.

If your project needs resources in addition to existing facilities or capabilities in your Faculty or the University, we will require evidence that these can be accommodated.

• Equipment, space, building modification or any other facilities. Please contact your Faculty Research Manager
• Information technology software, hardware or support which cannot be accommodated with current IT capabilities. See IT Services.

Sometimes funders require a commitment of funds from applicants, known as 'co-funding', in addition to the funds requested through the scheme. In most cases this can be in-kind contributions such as staff time or access to resources.

If the funder requires cash co-funding, you should first approach your Department and/or Faculty, as the Faculty and/or Department are required to make a contribution to the co-funding request. Requests for cash co-funding will only be considered for proposals to schemes that mandate institutional cash co-investment*.

The amount of co-funding is dependent on the funding that will come to Macquarie. Co-funding can also take the form of Macquarie-funded or part-funded PhD scholarships.  Visit the  MQ Co-funding page for further information and the application process (via ServiceNow.)

* For the ARC and NHMRC/MRFF there is a standardised approach to co-funding that does not go through ServiceNow. Information on these processes can be found on the scheme specific webpages, which can be found via the Funding and Grants page.

Some applications may need a letter from Macquarie confirming support for your participation in and contribution to the project.

• If the funder provides a template, use it
• If there is no template, GDT can provide one
• Write the letter yourself from the perspective of the university
• Upload the letter to your Pure record and submit for compliance and eligibility checking along with your application.

If you are contributing in-kind time, resources or facilities you must:

• check the proposed contributions with your HoD/HoS or Faculty Research Manager
• calculate a reasonable estimate of the value of those contributions, using the budget resources
• ensure that the in-kind value does not exceed the funding that will be coming to Macquarie from the grant.
• If the funder mandates cash co-contributions from project partners, contact the Grant Development team for advice on DVCR Cofunding.

We will check the letter and arrange for signing by the relevant legal signatory. The signed letter will be provided when Pure approvals are in place for your application.

If you are applying to a major grant scheme through the ARC and NHMRC, you will be provided with scheme-specific information on when and how to book your reviews. If your application will be managed by the Research Enterprise and Innovation team or the Philanthropy and Alumni Relations team, they will provide details of their processes after you submit your NOI.

For all other applications, the below process applies. All reviews are processed through the Pure record related to your application, which will be created automatically from your NOI.

Strategic review (optional) - 4 weeks before the external submission deadline

If you wish to receive a strategic review of your application, book via this online booking calendar 4 weeks before the external submission deadline.

By the date and time you select, upload a draft of your application in Pure and click 'send to internal approval'. The Grant Development Team will complete a strategic review of your application and provide feedback via Pure within 10 business days.

Compliance and eligibility check (mandatory) - 2 weeks before the external submission deadline

Compliance and eligibility reviews for applications are mandatory and must be booked via this online booking calendar 2 weeks before the external submission deadline.

By the date and time you select, upload a complete, penultimate draft in Pure and click “send to internal approval”. The Grant Development Team will complete a compliance and eligibility check and provide feedback via Pure within 3 business days.

Final check (mandatory) - 2 days before the external submission deadline

This last pre-submission check ensures that nothing has been missed, and that nothing has been changed in your revision of the application that has introduced new compliance issues.

Strategic review

This review is a thorough reading of your application. It is not a discipline-specific review of technical details, such as your methodology – we recommend requesting a peer review for this input.

We can review the whole application or focus on specific sections. Our feedback may cover:

• how well the application addresses the funder’s criteria
• the clarity of the project’s aims
• the logic or flow of the project description
• the strength of your outcomes and impacts
• whether you need to say more (or less) in places
• where you are using jargon and need to use clearer language.

Compliance and eligibility check 

This check reviews your application against the funder guidelines to double check all eligibility requirements and ensure that the application isn’t rejected on a technicality. For example:

• eligibility of your project and team
• budget limits and permitted items
• application document formatting and technical requirements
• the eligibility of you as a researcher or Macquarie as an institution

The check may also call things to your attention that are not in the application, but that are important for you to know or that you need to check for yourself. For example:

• post-award reporting stipulations
• funder-required evidence for claims made in the application that may be requested later
• eligibility questions that we cannot assess based on the application content.

If you need clarification on any of our feedback, or want to discuss how to resolve our feedback, you are always welcome to contact your reviewer direct or email grant.development@mq.edu.au

All funding applications must receive approval from the relevant Head of Department/School (HoD/HoS)  and Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation (DDRI) prior to submission. This is processed via Pure.

Update your Pure record as directed by the Grant Development Team and click 'send to internal approval’ in the workflow. Note that after this submission you will not be able to edit the Pure record.

If you need to make any changes or submit other documents, email them to grant.development@mq.edu.au. Under no circumstances should you return the Pure record to yourself as this will stop the approval process!

It is the lead investigator's responsibility to follow up with their HoD/HoS and DDRI to ensure that the application is approved.

Applications that do not have a Pure record and/or do not have all the appropriate approvals in Pure (HoD/HoS and DDRI) will not be submitted to the external funding body.

Letters of support will also only be provided when Pure approvals are in place.

Incorporate the strategic and/or compliance and eligibility feedback into your grant application and make any other final changes flagged in your compliance check. The Grant Development Team will give you a deadline (usually 2 days before the funder deadline) to submit the final application for pre-submission checks.

By this stage, the Pure record will be locked, so you will be asked to email the final version of all documents to grant.development@mq.edu.au rather than submit through Pure.*

*  For ARC, NHMRC, MRFF, DoD and NIH schemes you will be asked to re-submit via the funding agency portal (e.g. RMS, Sapphire, business.gov.au or grants.gov).

When your application has been approved in Pure, the application can be submitted to the funder.

Grant Development Team Submission

If the application is through government portals that require institutional log in, such as RMS (for the ARC) or Sapphire (for NHMRC) or  SmartyGrants, we will submit on your behalf.

Self submission

If the application is created in an online form with your own login, or submitted by email, you will submit to the funder and cc the Grant Development Team.

After submission

We will update the Pure record with the final copy of the application and mark it ‘Submitted’. If you self-submitted through a portal, we’ll need you to email us a final copy and confirmation of submission to grant.development@mq.edu.au

Outcome

If your application was submitted by the Grant Development Team, we will let you know your outcome, though the funder will also generally contact you directly.

Congratulations!

If you submitted the application yourself, we may not be notified of the outcome. Email grant.development@mq.edu.au and attach:

• a copy of the award email or letter
• any other documentation such as draft agreements or contracts
• deadline for agreement signature, if the funder has given one.

We will finalise and update your Pure record and hand it over to the post-award team for contracting and account set-up.

A new Pure 'Award' record will be created. You will be contacted by the post-award team with next steps, and the post-award process will be conducted through Pure.

For more information on post-award processes, visit the Research Award Team's SharePoint site.

Commiserations.

If you submitted the application yourself, we may not be notified of the outcome. Email grant.development@mq.edu.au and attach a copy of the outcome letter/email.

We will then update the Pure record and mark it 'unsuccessful' - you cannot do this yourself.

Even if you/Macquarie are not leading the application, you should still submit an NOI.

• The Grant Development Team will check the application for any Macquarie requirements, including budget components and support documents.
• Your participation on any research funding application always needs to be internally approved by your HoD/HoS and DDRI, through Pure.

Always discuss your participation in research projects with your HoD/HoS to manage workload and/or teaching load considerations.

This will also ensure the Pure approval process goes smoothly.

Check with the funding guidelines/the lead CI for:

• Letters of support or commitment that Macquarie must provide (Grant Development Team will need to arrange this)
• Required contributions from participating organisations, such as space, minimum time commitment (your HoD/HoS will need to approve this)
• Mandatory co-funding from participating organisations (contact the Grant Development Team (grant.development@mq.edu.au) as soon as possible to discuss co-funding options and processes)

Attach the penultimate draft and submit through the Pure Research Management System for internal approval at least two weeks prior to the external submission deadline.

Follow up with your Head of Department/School and Deputy Dean or Research and Innovation to ensure that all approvals for the application are obtained in Pure by the deadline.

If you requested a letter of support or other document confirming institutional participation, this will be provided only when Pure approvals are in place.

Once the proposal has been submitted by the lead institution, please email grant.development@mq.edu.au with a full copy of the submitted proposal including any attachments.

The Grant Development Team will upload this to Pure on your behalf. If the funding is awarded, the post-award and contracting process will be quicker and smoother if there is already a final copy of the application on file.

Whether you are successful or unsuccessful, email grant.development@mq.edu.au with a copy of the announcement. We will update the Pure record on your behalf.

If the application was successful, attach to your email:

• a copy of the award email or letter
• any other documentation such as draft agreements or contracts
• deadline for agreement signature, if the funder has given one.

We will finalise and update your Pure record and hand it over to the post-award team for contracting and account set-up.

A new Pure 'Award' record will be created. You will be contacted by the post-award team with next steps, and the post-award process will be conducted through Pure.

For more information on post-award processes, visit the Research Award Team's SharePoint site.

Graduate Research Students should be aware of the conditions of their candidature, and their relevant Scholarship Conditions of Award. Points to be especially aware of are:

• Students in receipt of scholarships from either RTP or Macquarie University are not able to receive other scholarships specifically for stipends that are more than 100% of the value of the stipend they receive, and;
• the University will not, generally, co-fund any HDR student external grant application.

Prior to preparing an application, Graduate Research Students should discuss the proposed scholarship scheme with Supervisor/s and relevant Graduate Research Academy (GRA) support staff within their Department or Faculty, confirming that;

1. supervisor(s) and Faculty support the application;
2. the application will not affect the candidature of the student in a negative way;
3. no University co-funding is not generally available for Graduate Research Students (and that the application itself does not commit the University to any unapproved resource allocation);
4. there are no Intellectual Property (IP) issues or conflicts between the University’s position; and
5. the amount applied for does not exceed the amounts listed in the conditions of award.

Will the funding, if awarded, be paid to the Graduate Research Student directly?

If the answer is yes, work with student supervisor on the grant, but there is no need to submit an NOI to work with Macquarie Research Services. Follow the guidelines and instructions provided by the funder and submit the application by the due date and time.

Will the funding, if awarded, be paid to and administered by Macquarie University?

If the answer is yes, student and supervisor must work with Macquarie Research Services (specifically the Grant Development Team) and follow the below process.

Does the funding application require a letter of support from the administering institution (Macquarie University)?

If the answer is yes, student and supervisor must work with Macquarie Research Services (specifically the Grant Development Team) and follow the below process. All letters of support must be signed by Macquarie University delegate, which is coordinated by the Grant Development Team.

If you are unsure of the answer to any of the above questions, email grant.development@mq.edu.au to clarify.  The student supervisor/s must be included in all email correspondence.

Process for applying for funding (supported by Macquarie University Research Services)

• Follow the steps detailed on this page.
• Students who do not hold employment at Macquarie University do not have access to our systems, as such these processes MUST be completed by student supervisor.
• Students who do hold employment at Macquarie University have access to our systems and can complete the processes themselves.