Regional Collaborations Programme
Frequently Asked Questions

Updated 19 December 2016

These FAQs are meant as a guide only to supplement advice provided in the application guidelines. Should advice appear inconsistent between both documents, advice provided from the guidelines will prevail over these FAQs.

If you have a question that is not covered here or within the guidelines and other supporting documentation then please email us and we will respond within a reasonable timeframe and during business hours. If appropriate, the question may be added to this FAQ.

Can the funding provided to the Australian participants be used by the international partners?
No, funding for this programme will be awarded to the Australian participants only. No funding from this programme will be awarded to or can be used by the international partners. It is expected that the funding awarded to the Australian participants will cover all costs for the Australian personnel and the matching funding provided by the regional partners will cover the costs of their relevant personnel.

How many applications can an Australian research organisation or Australian business submit?
There is no set maximum number of applications that can be submitted by an organisation. However the concept, design and outcomes must be sufficiently different to justify any additional application(s). In any case, the project partnership can only have one funded project awarded in the same application/funding round.

What do the partnering arrangements need to look like?
Collaborative partnerships can consist of any combination of research and business organisations, as long as the collaboration:
•	includes at least two non‐Australian partners, at least one of which is from an Asia–Pacific economy
•	addresses a shared regional challenge of benefit to Australia. 

For example, collaborations could be researcher‐to‐researcher, or a combination of researcher and industry/business.

Does the cash contribution need to come from one or more of the international partners or collectively from the Australian and international partners?
For the cash contribution, there is no requirement that the matched funding be from the international members or collectively from the Australian and international members. This should be decided/agreed by all parties involved. Not all parties have to be financial contributors, as long as the total cash contribution is equal to or greater than that requested from the Academy.

Can salaries be included in the cash contribution?
The cash contribution can include salary costs for new staff employed that will be dedicated to work on the project being funded by the Regional Collaborations Programme. In‐kind contributions can include salaries or proportions of salaries of established staff that will be released to work on the project funded by the Regional Collaborations Programme.