The Australian Academy of Science invites applications from Australia's early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) for Amplify grants valued up to $15,000 each, funded by the Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia), or TMIA.
Amplify grants support new EMCR-focused activities that are delivered alongside an existing STEM conference or symposium and provide additional benefits for Australian EMCRs.
Amplify funding is intended to enhance an existing event through an additional workshop, training activity, networking initiative, mentoring activity, professional development opportunity, or similar EMCR-focused activity.
Amplify grants do not fund the core delivery of the host conference or symposium. Applicants must clearly demonstrate how the proposed activity provides benefits and opportunities for EMCRs that are additional to those already available through the existing event program.
Please note: For ‘Flagship’ and ‘Amplify’ activities, the Academy’s secretariat will provide guidance and advice to the organising committee regarding scope, deliverability, and project management.
Academy fees may apply where additional Academy support is requested or required, such as event website hosting, event registration and publicity support.
Below are the key dates for the application process. While we aim to keep to this schedule, some dates may change depending on circumstances.
The following guidelines provide important information about eligibility, submission requirements, and assessment processes. Please review them carefully before submitting an application.
To be eligible to receive an Amplify activity grant, applicants must:
*Researchers who are more than 15 years post-award of their first PhD and have experienced a career interruption may be eligible to apply.
To be considered an eligible career interruption, the period must be:
• a formal leave of absence, such as parental, carer's or personal leave; or
• a period without employment.
Periods in non-active research roles, or periods where research activity has been reduced or paused as part of normal employment arrangements, are not considered eligible career interruptions and should not be claimed as such.
Where an applicant has experienced an eligible career interruption, the period of interruption may be taken into account when assessing eligibility. Eligible career interruptions will be considered based on the total duration of the interruption, provided the criteria outlined above have been met.
Applicants must be employed by an eligible Australian research organisation on an ongoing basis. Eligible organisations include:
*For this program, employed on an ongoing basis means the Project Lead has a current appointment with their organisation that is expected to continue for the duration of the project. Fixed-term appointments are eligible, where they meet these requirements. Honorary or adjunct positions are not eligible.
Applications are welcome from EMCRs in all fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The terms of the award are outlined below, and acceptance of these conditions is required at the time of application submission.
If required, the Academy may be able to provide additional support to successful applicants, including the development of case studies, web stories, impact reporting, and promotion through the Academy’s official communication channels.
The availability of these services is subject to Academy and Council approval and may incur fees in accordance with the Academy’s pricing framework. Applicants interested in accessing these services should contact the Programs Team for further information.
For further information on eligible expenses please refer to the Amplify Eligible and Ineligible Expenses Fact Sheet, found on the Templates and supporting documentation' tab.
For further information on ineligible expenses please refer to the Amplify Eligible and Ineligible Expenses Fact Sheet, found on the Templates and supporting documentation' tab.
Applications must be submitted via the Academy’s Good Grants online portal. Applications must be completed in full and include the following attachments as supporting evidence:
Applicants should ensure all budget requests represent reasonable costs and demonstrate value for money.
Proposals will be assessed based on:
Further information: Applications will be carefully considered against the selection criteria by a committee of scientists with diverse expertise and recommended for final approval by the Royal Society (Australia) Board.
The decisions of the Board will be based on the merit and impact of the proposals. The Academy will not enter into discussion or correspondence regarding the reasons an application is unsuccessful.
Successful applicants will be required to submit an interim progress report halfway through the activity and a final report within two months of the activity completion date, or by the due date outlined in the funding agreement, whichever occurs first. The Academy will provide the reporting templates to successful applicants upon execution of the funding agreement.
The narrative reports should summarise key outputs, outcomes, achievements, and highlights, including relevant media links demonstrating that the activity met its objectives. Financial reporting requirements will be outlined in the funding agreement and associated reporting templates.
Any unspent funds must be returned to the Academy, and the Academy must be notified immediately once unspent funds have been identified.
It is a requirement that any publication or media release resulting from the activities funded by this program duly acknowledges the support of the Australian Academy of Science and the Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia).
Applications are to be completed through an online form found by clicking on the Apply button on the top right of this web page when the round is open.
For Flagship and Amplify grants, the organising committee must include at least three members and be EMCR-led. EMCRs must make up most of the committee.
Senior scientists may be included, but they must not outnumber EMCRs.
No. Senior researchers may be included on the organising committee but are not required.
If senior researchers are included, EMCRs must still make up most of the committee, and senior researchers must not outnumber EMCRs.
Yes. Applicants must provide evidence of confirmed or well-developed sponsorship or partner support, including the expected cash and/or in-kind contributions.
Confirmed or well-developed sponsorship or partner support is an eligibility requirement. Applications that do not provide supporting evidence of this support will be deemed ineligible.
Applicants should use the Partner and Sponsorship Support Letter Template, available on the ‘Templates and supporting documentation’ tab
No, Flagship and Amplify funding cannot be paid to individuals.
Successful projects must be administered through an eligible administering organisation. A funding agreement must be executed between the Academy and the administering organisation before any grant funds are released.
Each sponsor, partner or supporting organisation should complete a support letter that outlines:
Applicants should use the Partner and Sponsorship Support Letter Template, available on the ‘Templates and supporting documentation’ tab.
Applications that do not provide supporting evidence of confirmed or well-developed sponsorship or partner support will be deemed ineligible.
Applicants are not eligible to apply if they have received a TMIA Flagship or Amplify grant within the past three years.
The Academy may provide guidance and advice to successful Flagship and Amplify organising committees about scope, deliverability and project management.
Additional support, such as event website hosting, event registration or publicity support, is not automatically included and may incur fees.
Applicants should not assume these services will be provided as part of the grant.
The administering organisation support letter must be signed by an authorised representative of the administering organisation.
Applicants should use the Administering Organisation Letter of Support Template, available on the ‘Templates and supporting documentation’ tab.
The letter must not be signed by the Project Lead or any member of the organising committee.
Yes. Fixed-term appointments are eligible where the applicant has a current appointment with an eligible Australian research organisation that is expected to continue for the duration of the project.
No. Applicants must hold a current employment appointment with an eligible Australian research organisation that is expected to continue for the duration of the project. Honorary or adjunct type positions are not eligible.
Researchers who are more than 15 years post-award of their first PhD may still be eligible if they have experienced an eligible career interruption.
Eligible career interruptions are a formal leave of absence, such as parental, carer’s, or personal leave, or a period without employment.
Periods in non-active research roles, or periods where research activity has been reduced or paused as part of normal employment arrangements, are not considered eligible career interruptions.
Significant changes to the approved activity, including scope, delivery arrangements, budget, timing or key personnel, must be approved in writing by the Academy before they are implemented.
Where sponsorship or partner contributions form part of the approved activity budget, funding recipients must notify the Academy of any material changes to those contributions.
Amplify grants support new EMCR-focused activities that are delivered alongside an existing STEM conference or symposium.
The activity must provide additional benefits and opportunities for Australian early- and mid-career researchers beyond those already available through the host event program.
A new add-on activity is an EMCR-focused activity that is delivered as part of, or alongside, an existing STEM conference or symposium, and is additional to the existing host event program.
It may include a workshop, training activity, networking initiative, mentoring activity, professional development opportunity or similar activity that strengthens the host event for EMCRs.
No. Amplify grants cannot fund standalone conferences, standalone symposiums or independent events. Amplify funding is only available for a new add-on activity delivered alongside an existing STEM conference or symposium.
No. Amplify funding cannot be used to subsidise, replace or offset costs associated with the core delivery of the host conference or symposium. Funding may only be used for costs directly related to the approved Amplify add-on activity.
Further information on funding can be found in the Amplify Eligible and Ineligible Expenses Fact Sheet.
Applicants must provide evidence of commitment in principle from the host event, and should use the Host Organisation Letter of Support Template, available on the ‘Templates and supporting documentation’ tab
A host organisation support letter is required from the organisation hosting the existing STEM conference or symposium. The letter should confirm support for the proposed Amplify activity and outline relevant host event details, such as the conference or symposium name, dates and location.
It may also outline the practical support the host organisation will provide, such as venue or meeting space, promotion, registration support, audio visual or technical support, or staff or volunteer assistance.
Yes, even where they are the same organisation. Each letter provides specific information to support the application and assessment processes.
Amplify applicants must provide:
The administering organisation support letter confirms support for administering and delivering the proposed Amplify activity.
The host organisation support letter confirms support from the organisation hosting the existing STEM conference or symposium.
The sponsor or partner support letter confirms the intended cash and/or in-kind contributions to the activity and outlines the sponsor's or partner's role, level of commitment, and whether the support is confirmed or contingent on future arrangements. This information helps demonstrate the viability of the proposed activity and supports eligibility and assessment requirements.
Amplify funding may only be used for expenses directly related to delivering the approved Amplify add-on activity and achieving the outcomes described in the application.
Eligible costs may include venue or meeting space costs for the Amplify activity, catering, audio visual services, activity materials, invited speakers or specialist contributors, participant support, accessibility support, direct event costs, approved travel and accommodation, and publication or output costs connected to the approved Amplify activity.
Applicants should refer to the Amplify Eligible and Ineligible Expenses Fact Sheet for detailed guidance before preparing their budget.
Only the proportion of a shared cost that is directly attributable to the approved Amplify activity may be requested. Applicants must clearly justify any shared costs and explain how the amount requested has been calculated.
Yes. Amplify funding may support bursaries, registration support, travel grants, childcare support or other approved financial assistance where this support enables participation in the approved Amplify activity.
Where funding is requested for bursaries, grants, scholarships or other participant support, applicants must provide a short outline describing the purpose of the support, the intended recipients, the expenses to be covered and the proposed allocation process.
The proposed Amplify activity must provide benefits or opportunities for EMCRs that are additional to those already available through the existing conference or symposium. Applicants should clearly explain how the add-on activity strengthens the host event for EMCRs, and how it creates value beyond the existing program.
Yes. The host organisation and administering organisation may be the same organisation. However, applicants still provide both a host organisation letter of support and an administering organisation letter of support, as each provides different information required for eligibility and assessment.
Applicants must also demonstrate that the proposed activity is a genuine add-on to the host conference or symposium, is focused on supporting EMCRs, that Amplify funding will not be used to subsidise the delivery of the core event.
Significant changes to the approved Amplify activity, including scope, delivery arrangements, budget, timing or key personnel, must be approved in writing by the Academy.
If changes to the host event affect the approved Amplify activity, funding recipients should notify the Academy as soon as possible and seek approval before making changes to the funded activity.
Read more about the TMIA program and past activities on the related TMIA project page.
The Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia) program is supported by the Royal Society.
