The Ukraine-Australia Research Fund: Short-term visits (Activity 1)

Status

The Ukraine-Australia Research Fund has closed and is not accepting applications.

Details

This activity supports Ukrainian researchers to undertake short-term visits to Australia to engage in research at a host institute, or to attend a conference and program of site visits. The Australian host organisation or host conference organiser applies to the Academy for funding to support the direct travel costs for the Ukrainian researchers visit. The host is responsible for managing all travel arrangements in consultation with the visiting Ukrainian researchers and funding must be managed through the host’s organisation. Applying hosts are encouraged to seek co-contribution support from their institute or conference organising committee to maximise the opportunities available to visiting Ukrainian researchers.

Displaced Ukrainian researchers, no longer residing in Ukraine, are eligible for this program if employed at an internationally recognised research institute. Evidence of Ukrainian nationality and confirmation of displacement from Ukraine due to the war are required in the application supporting documents.

Visits to engage in research projects are expected to be for a period of four to 12 weeks in duration and can be for one person only. Visits to attend a conference should include a site visit program of one to three weeks in length, to engage in research or training related activities relevant to the visiting researchers and can be for one or more people. All travel must be completed within the travel period of 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.

The primary focus of all short-term visits to Australia should be the value of the activities to the visiting Ukrainian researchers, with a particular focus on supporting early- and mid-career researchers and their career and skill development opportunities. This activity will provide immediate impact by enabling ongoing research activities, and has the long-term benefit of increasing collaborations between Ukrainian researchers and international research communities.

See an overview of the Ukraine-Australia Research Fund.

Eligibility

The below eligibility criteria apply at the time of application.

The applying host must:

• be employed as a scientist/faculty member of an eligible research institute, as listed below
  • Australian tertiary education institutions (as per the Higher Education Support Act 2003)
  • Australian cooperative research centres
  • Publicly funded research agencies
  • Australian state and territory funded research organisations
  • Australian public research companies
  • Australian private research companies
  • Australian not-for-profit research organisations
  • Other Australian incorporated entities.
• have appropriate delegation, or authority from the relevant delegate, to accept the terms of the award
• confirm, and be able to demonstrate upon request, that their mission, scope, and research serves civilian purposes. Military research is not eligible for funding.

The visiting Ukrainian researchers must:

• be either a:
  • Ukrainian citizen or Ukrainian Permanent Resident employed as a researcher, or enrolled in a higher degree by research*, at a research institute in Ukraine, or
  • Ukrainian citizen or permanent resident displaced by the war and be employed as a researcher, or enrolled in a higher degree by research*, at an internationally recognised research institute in another country
• be undertaking, or have received, a higher degree by research* 
• confirm, and be able to demonstrate upon request, that their mission, scope, and research serves civilian purposes. Military research is not eligible for funding
• conduct research in one of the below fields.

*Master of Science/Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Please note that there is no limit on years post PhD for eligibility of the visiting Ukrainian researchers, however preference will be given to applications that support early- and mid-career researchers (up to 15 years post PhD conferral) at assessment. Where the application supports visiting researchers more than 15 years post conferral date of their first higher degree by research, the application should clearly outline how the visiting researcher will support development of Ukrainian early- and mid-career researchers after completion of the short-term visit.

Fields of research

Researchers in the following fields are eligible to apply.

• Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences
• Biological sciences
• Biomedical and clinical sciences
• Chemical sciences
• Earth sciences
• Engineering
• Environmental sciences
• Health sciences
• Information and computing sciences
• Mathematical sciences
• Physical sciences

Terms of award

Successful applications may receive an offer of funding from the Academy towards the cost of travel for approved Ukrainian researchers. Travel must commence after 1 January 2024 and be completed by 31 December 2024.

The amount of funding available for each visiting researcher is outlined below.

• Reimbursement of a return economy international airfare from the closest major airport to where the Ukrainian researcher is based, to the location(s) of the Australian host.
• Accommodation expenses for the visiting Ukrainian researcher.
• A per diem of either $100 per day (for stays under 28 days) or $500 per week (for stays over 28 days) for the visiting researcher to cover food and incidental expenses, such as local public transport. Funds must be paid to the researcher by the Australian host institute immediately on arrival into Australia.
• Travel and medical insurance, and visa expenses, will be reimbursed up to a total limit of A$1000 per visiting researcher. Please note: all visiting researchers must have comprehensive travel and full medical insurance for the entirety of their travel period under this program.
• other direct support costs as agreed by the Academy.

Where a visiting Ukrainian researcher is in a major city location for less than a week, refer to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) taxation determination TD2022/10 for accommodation rates in each major city in Australia as a guide. Wherever possible, discounted and long-term accommodation rates should be used.

The host’s organisation is responsible for receiving the funding, making travel and logistical arrangements in conjunction with the visiting Ukrainian researchers, reporting on and acquitting the grant, and facilitating full payment of the per diem to the visitor on their arrival in Australia.

Grant funds cannot be paid to individuals. Host Australian organisations will invoice the Academy directly for the grant funding and any unspent funds must be returned to the Academy at the time of reporting.

The grant does not provide funds for research expenses, salaries, bench fees, managerial and administrative costs, or institute overheads. Funding can only be used for the direct travel and support expenses as outlined in the funding agreement.

How to apply

Submit an online application on the Academy’s grant portal, and attach the following documents:

1. CV of the applying Australian host scientist, including a publication list.
2. CV of the Ukrainian researchers, including a publication list.
3. Letter of support from the Australian host organisation confirming the support that will be provided to the visiting Ukrainian researchers. See template
4. Letter of support from the Ukrainian researchers’ home institutes. If a researcher is based outside of Ukraine due to being displaced by the war with Russia, the current home institute is asked to confirm this in the letter. See template
5. Proof of Ukrainian citizenship or permanent residency for the visiting researchers.
6. Quotes or screenshots to support the requested funding amounts in the budget table.

Applying hosts should develop a proposal for a short-term visit in consultation with the Ukrainian researchers. The proposal should include an outline of what supports and opportunities will be available to the visiting Ukrainian researchers during their visit.

The application form includes a budget table with space for additional information and uploading supporting documents to the budget, such as quotes for accommodation or flights.  Careful consideration of the duration of stay, and the budget components, is expected.

While not required, the inclusion of co-contributions, such as subsidised conference fees or providing additional in-kind training that complements core research activities, will better demonstrate the application’s overall value and are encouraged by the Academy’s Ukraine-Australia Research Fund Working Group.

If the application is for a visit to engage in a research project, the application form will include a section to outline the project proposal and the benefit of the activities for the visiting researcher.

If the application is for a conference and program of site visits, the application form will need to outline the itinerary for the conference and site visit program and the benefit of site visits to the visiting researchers.

Assessment criteria

Proposals will be assessed on:

• the relevance and benefit of the of the research project, or conference and site visit program, to the Ukrainian researcher(s)
• value of the expected outcomes of the short-term visit to the Ukrainian early- and mid-career researcher(s)
• demonstrated capacity of the host organisation to support the visiting researcher, and provide access to appropriate facilities, equipment and beneficial collaborative opportunities (if visit is for a research project) OR
• the capacity of the host organisation to manage accommodation and travel arrangements, and provide appropriate access to conference events, networking opportunities and a program of site visits (if visit is to attend an international conference)
• having a well-supported budget outline that shows effective use of funds.

Applications will be assessed by a committee of scientists with diverse expertise, convened by the Academy.

The final decision on application approvals and funding allocations is with the Ukraine-Australia Research Fund Working Group, Chaired by the Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FREng FTSE.

Reporting requirements

Successful applicants will be required to submit a report within three months of the Ukrainian researcher’s departure from Australia. The visiting scientist will be asked to complete a survey at the end of their visit to Australia and this must be included in the report.

The final report will include a financial statement from the Australian host institute confirming how the funds were distributed. The Breakthrough Prize Foundation funding is a donation and unspent grant funds must be returned to the Academy.

It is a requirement that any publication or media release resulting from the activities funded by this program mention the support of the Australian Academy of Science and the Breakthrough Foundation.

Notification of outcome 

Application outcomes are expected in late October.

Applications are considered carefully against the selection criteria by a committee of scientists with diverse expertise. The decisions of the assessment committee are based on the assessed merit and impact of the proposal. The Academy is not able to enter into discussion or correspondence regarding the reasons why an application is successful or not.

Frequently asked questions

Find out the answers to frequently asked questions (PDF 100KB).

Further information 

For further information, contact:

International Programs
Australian Academy of Science
GPO Box 783
Canberra ACT 2601

Phone: 02 6201 9412
Email: grants@science.org.au