Grant FAQs

Where can I find information on research grant opportunities?

Refer to the fellowship and grant opportunities webpage for  information on ARC grants, NHMRC grants, MRFF grants, internal MQ funding,  and other external funding opportunities.  If you are applying for or seeking advice on applying for Philanthropic funding, please visit the philanthropy grants SharePoint as the majority of philanthropic funding opportunities are managed by the Trusts and Foundations team.  If you are interested in industry collaboration and/or funding, please contact the Research Innovation and Enterprise team.

The Grants Development Team in Research Services is here to support all competitive research funding opportunities and can be contacted to discuss opportunities aligned with your research area, track record, and current career status. We also strongly encourage our researchers to take advantage of the Pivot-RP to set up personalised research funding email alerts.

What is my responsibility as an applicant?

• Find an appropriate funding scheme which aligns with your career stage, track record and research area.
• Read and understand the funding rules and instructions on how to apply
• Once you have read the funding rules and guidelines, ensure you and your research team are eligible to apply for the relevant scheme.
• Understand and meet the Macquarie University processes and timelines
• Complete a Notification of Intent.  This is a MUST-do action item for researchers as it is the key to unlock access to the professional grant development services offered by the Grant Development Team.
• Consult with your Head of Department/School on the grant application to ensure your involvement can be accommodated in your current workload.

Who do I contact? What are the differences between the teams supporting grants at Macquarie?

Macquarie University uses a standardised approach for grants. When you complete a Notification of Intent the team managing the scheme will be notified and will contact you.  As a general rule of thumb, no matter what type of funding you wish to apply for, you MUST submit a Notification of Intent.  By submitting a Notification of Intent, you flag to the various teams supporting your research applications that you intend to apply for research funding and would like to access support.

Grant Development Team, in Research Services

• Help researchers to identify appropriate funding opportunities
• Assist in the development of high-quality, competitive external grant applications, via strategic review and compliance and eligibility check
• Manage submission processes on behalf of Macquarie University
• Manage Macquarie University's internal grant schemes

Trusts and Foundations Team in Office of the Vice-Chancellor,

• Formerly known as the Office of Advancement or the Philanthropy team and are now known as the Trusts and Foundations Team.
• Work across Macquarie University and supports research and philanthropic research funding, targeted initiatives for students, funding for capital infrastructure, and community programs
• Are dedicated to building and maintaining positive relationships with trusted philanthropic foundations and donors.
• Work to build a culture of philanthropy across all levels of the university
• Assist in the development of high-quality, competitive trusts and foundation grant applications, via strategic review and compliance and eligibility check
• Manage submission processes of trusts and foundation grant applications on behalf of Macquarie University

Who can assist me with a proposal to an external organisation that is not a grant scheme?

The Research Partnerships Managers in Research Innovation and Enterprise are available to provide advice and support for identifying and developing collaborations and related proposals for non-grant funding.  This advice and support include forming connections and negotiating with partners who will form part of a grant schemes such as ARC Linkage Projects.

Contact a Research Partnerships Manager

Why do I need to submit a notification of intent (NOI)?

The submission of NOIs is a mandatory step in the grant application process.  NOIs allow us to best support your application by ensuring we have staffing available when you need our support. The earlier you notify us the better prepared we are to help you when you need assistance, and we may be able to provide you with immediate advice and tips to help you develop your proposal. Also, some schemes restrict the number of applications that can be submitted from the same university or department. The earlier we know who is interested in applying the earlier we can determine which ideas can proceed to an application.

After completing the NOI form, you will be provided with regular updates about your funding scheme and sent valuable resources that will assist you in developing a highly competitive research grant application.

What are the key dates for submitting a grant?

• Strategic reviews for competitive research grant applications managed by the Grant Development team are optional. If you would like a strategic review you must book a time via this online booking calendar 4 weeks before the external submission deadline.  The Grant Development Team carefully manages the online booking portal to ensure there are enough available timeslots for each major scheme.  It is the responsibility of the lead applicant to ensure the booking is made.
• Compliance and eligibility review are mandatory and you must book via this online booking calendar 2 weeks before the external submission deadline, unless otherwise advised.
• Eligibility for DVCR co-funding is contingent on the on-time submission of the application to the compliance and eligibility deadline for your scheme.  Information on impacts to eligibility for DVCR co-funding can be found on the website.

Your draft application must be submitted via the Pure Research Management System by the Research Services deadlines mentioned above. Instructions on completing the Pure record are available here.

What is a strategic review and who completes a strategic review of my grant application?

A strategic review of your grant application will be provided by the Grant Development Team in Research Services. Strategic feedback will be supplied by a non-disciplinary expert to provide guidance on language, grantspersonship and alignment to the funding scheme.

If you would like your application to be strategically reviewed, you must book via this online booking calendar 4 weeks before the external submission deadline. Applications must be a penultimate draft and submitted in Pure by the booked date and time.

What is a compliance check and who completes a compliance check of my application?

The purpose of a compliance and eligibility check is to assure adherence to the funding body guidelines and instructions to applicants, as well as scheme eligibility. The compliance and eligibility check will be provided by the Grant Development Team in Research Services. Each scheme has different compliance and eligibility requirements, and the Grant Development Team uses compliance checklists prepared specifically to ensure all relevant compliance matters for each scheme are taken into consideration.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to review the compliance and eligibility feedback and make the required changes to the application prior to the external deadline.  Failure to address the eligibility criteria may impact the Grant Development Team’s ability to submit your application to the funding body.

Compliance and eligibility reviews are mandatory and you must book via this online booking calendar 2 weeks before the external submission deadline.

When do I need to submit through the Pure Research Management System?

Your draft application must be submitted via the Pure Research Management System by your strategic review booking (4 weeks before the external submission deadline) and your compliance and eligibility booking (2 weeks prior to the external submission deadline). The Pure record is then used to ensure that your application is approved by your Head of Department/School and Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation prior to submission.  If the Pure Application record is not approved by the Head of School/Department and Deputy Dean Research & Innovation prior to the deadline, the Grant Development Team will not submit your application to the funding body.  It is the responsibility of the lead applicant to ensure their Pure Application record has been reviewed and approved by the relevant approvers prior to submission.

Why do I need to create a Pure record in the Pure Research Management System?

1. The Pure Research Management System is an essential part of submitting any proposal for grant-funded or partner-funded research because:
   Your Head of Department/School and Deputy Dean of Research formally approve the grant application, particularly your commitment of time (and that of other Macquarie researchers or professional staff) and consider other resource implications. While the Pure Research Management System formalises this process, it should not discourage offline discussions about your proposal with the relevant people in your Faculty. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the PURE record is approved by the Head of Department/School and Deputy Dean of Research before the grant submission.
2. The eligibility and strategic feedback will be saved and communicated.
3. The investigator certifications required by funding bodies at the application stage are saved and recorded.
4. It collects essential information about your application (e.g. FoR codes, ABS categories) that is required for Macquarie’s reporting to Government in processes such as ERA, ABS, etc.
5. It tracks the progress of your grant and, if the proposal is funded, helps you to accept the offer and manage your project throughout its lifetime.

If you are external to Macquarie University you will not be able to login to the Pure system, therefore please email the Grant Development Team (grant.development@mq.edu.au) for assistance with creating your Pure record.

Where can I find MQ salary rates?

MQ salary rates can be found under 'Research Grant Resource', then 'MQ Salary and Scholarship Rates' on the Fellowship and Grant Opportunities webpage. These rates include salary on-costs are updated regularly.

Do I need to add the MQ Research Overheads costs to my budget?

Who will submit my funding application?

The Macquarie University Grant Development Team or Trust and Foundations Team will submit your application to the funder. If there is any reason it cannot be submitted, we will contact you directly.

In cases where the funding organisation's submission process is via an online system where the proposal needs to be submitted online directly by the applicant, e.g. Smartygrants, the Grant Development Team or Trust and Foundations Team will advise when the applicant can go ahead and submit the proposal.

If submission needs to be done by the applicant, the applicant must email a final copy of the grant application, confirmation of submission and any other future correspondence to grant.development@mq.edu.au. This is to ensure we can update your Pure Application record and keep track of the progress of your application to be better able to facilitate any Award you may receive.

Can I access previously successful grants?

Learning from your peers is incredibly valuable and, for this reason, we curate  the Successful Grants Library which is available to view electronically and in hard-copy format. The library contains grant applications that were successfully funded. Applications included in the Successful Grants Library have been contributed by researchers to provide examples of successful grants for the use of Macquarie University applicants in developing their own grant applications. General notes may be taken to assist in the framing, formatting and layout of proposals. You must not copy or share any content. By accessing the library, you agree to not copy or share the contents of the library in any way. We hope you find this resource useful in developing your grant applications.