| Guide to applicants for Victorian & multi-state cancer research grants-in-aid commencing 2010 | Research grants | Cancer Council Research Project Grants and Multi-State Research Project Grants |
Applicants should note that the submission process for 2009 will again be via the NHMRC. The final funding decisions for grants-in-aid commencing 2010 remains with Cancer Council Victoria.
The Cancer Council Victoria is an independent volunteer-based charity that was established in 1936. Our mission is to lead the fight against cancer. Our core business is cancer control. We conduct and support research, as well as delivering statewide support and prevention programs, and advocating regulation and other interventions to reduce the physical and emotional burden of cancer. Our leaders are of international standing and we are significantly and positively influencing the cancer agenda in Victoria and beyond.
The Cancer Council Victoria supports research in Victorian universities, hospitals and medical research institutes through the award of Grants-in-aid.
The Cancer Council Victoria does not fund programs of research. Grants-in-aid are intended to support work for which the applicants already have, or will have, support within their respective institutions.
Grants-in-aid are offered each year to support research over a period of 1-3 years.
Up to $300,000 over three years with a maximum in any one year of $100,000.
Consistent with the grant-in-aid nature of the funding, an award may not necessarily be for the amount of money sought - a judgement is made about the extent to which the Council is able and ought to, support the work described in each application.
The work to be funded must relate to the causes, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of cancer.
There are no specific categories of research that have been nominated as having a higher or lower priority than others. However, the Cancer Council reserves the right to support particular research needs as they emerge, and to support worthwhile research which would have difficulty in finding funding in terms of priorities set by other funding agencies.
Applications will be accepted from appropriately qualified researchers who will be conducting the research at a host institution in Victoria. The institution can be within a university, affiliated to a university or major hospital, or an appropriate independent medical or scientific research institute.
A named chief investigator may only hold one Victorian research grant. However, the same chief investigator may hold both a Victorian grant and be the Victorian investigator on up to three multi-state grants. Before submitting your application, please check the list of researchers currently funded by the Cancer Council.
The first-named chief investigator must have an appointment at the host institute. Cancer Council grants cannot be used to fund the salary of any named chief investigator for the application.
There is no limit to the number of grants held by any one university department, hospital or medical research institute.
Note: If the team of investigators in your application to the NHMRC is different to the team applying to the Cancer Council, then the differences in involvement and track record will be taken into consideration. Details of the changes to the team must be provided in the Supplementary Questions document (Q.5 & 6).
The host institution guarantees that the infrastructure and research environment necessary to support the research will be available. Its explicit support for, and commitment to, the application is therefore essential before any application can be considered.
The host institution also provides the administrative framework through which applications are received and payments made.
Should the application be successful, the host institution is required to enter into a funding agreement with the Cancer Council Victoria. The conditions in the agreement cover the standard grants contract areas including acknowledgment, intellectual property, reporting requirements etc.
Due to increasing competition for cancer research funding, the Cancer Council will examine very closely other sources of support that may be available for the research.
Funding will not usually be given in respect of research that will be the subject of substantial funding from another source for any part of the same period for which the Council funding is sought.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the Cancer Council and other funding agencies for funding commencing in the same year for the same research, but the Cancer Council will ensure that funding is not duplicated.
In assessing whether the research is already, or will be, covered by funding from another agency, the substance of the research rather than its title will be examined.
Funding will not be granted to any researcher who is receiving or who is an applicant for funding from the tobacco industry or any of its agencies or subsidiaries.
Funding will be withdrawn from any researcher or research for which an application is made to, or funding received from, the tobacco industry or any of its agencies or subsidiaries during the currency of the grant.
In general terms, the criteria for award of grants-in-aid and multi-state research grants are relevance to cancer, excellence, the value of the research and a capacity to successfully complete the research proposed in the application. The track record and standing of the key personnel, and the infrastructure support available at the host institution will be important, but will not be the sole determinant. Recent entrants to the cancer research field should feel confident that applications will be carefully considered and assessed on their merits.
Note:
The Cancer Council Victoria does not have any state-specific criteria (Q.8 of the Supplementary Questions document). However, it is imperative that your appliction demonstrates direct relevance to cancer.
The final decision is taken by the Council's Board acting on advice from the Cancer Council's Medical and Scientific Committee. The Medical and Scientific Committee includes representatives of all institutions and disciplines having a stake in cancer research in Victoria. The Medical and Scientific Committee in turn receives recommendations from the Standing Research Sub-Committee, which is made up of leaders in the cancer research community in both medicine and science. Most are members of the Medical and Scientific Committee, but others are co-opted where the sub-committee needs to be enhanced in respect of a particular research specialty.
Multi-state applications must be clinical or epidemiological studies that meet all of the following criteria:
a) Involves patient or participant recruitment from at least two states
b) Requires funding from at least two states to be viable, and
c) Has a Chief Investigator named for each participating state.
Multi-state projects compete for the same pool of funds as state-based projects in each state. Each state Cancer Council will only provide funding for the project costs associated with their state's participation. Applicants are advised to make themselves aware of the funding criteria in each state, as there are variations in both the amount and duration of funding offered.
| Cancer Council | No of Years | Amount (maximum per year) |
|
Cancer Council ACT |
1 yr |
$50,000 |
|
Cancer Council NSW |
1-3 yrs |
$120,000 |
|
Cancer Council Queensland |
1-2 yrs |
$100,000 |
|
Cancer Council South Australia |
1-2 yrs |
Single salary + $25,000 |
|
Cancer Council Tasmania |
1-2 yrs |
Dependant upon available research funds |
|
Cancer Council Victoria |
1-3 yrs |
$100,000 |
|
Cancer Council Western Australia |
1-2 yrs |
$70,000 |
Each state Cancer Council decides whether to fund their state's participation in the project, based on the same criteria used for funding local grants.
If the home state does not fund the project the other participating cancer councils may still fund it, provided it can be determined that the project is still viable without the home state funding. In the event that this situation does arise, the participating Cancer Councils would need to know who will have overall responsibility for the project.
Offers will be made by each state to their local chief investigator. The reporting requirements and conditions in each participating state will need to be complied with and the overall chief investigator is responsible for providing a national progress report for all participating states.
Contact your institution's Research Administration Officer (RAO) to obtain an NHMRC application identification number and the closing date for submissions. (Individual institutions often have earlier closing dates for the submission of NHMRC applications to their RAO).
Multi-state grant applications should adhere to the guidelines for the local Cancer Council of the first-named chief investigator, bearing in mind the funding limitations for the Cancer Council in each state from which funding is being sought. Individual Cancer Councils will only fund work being conducted in their state and applications should clearly specify how much is being sought from each state.
Full information and timelines are available on our national research grant applications page.
For enquiries about completing the NHMRC application contact:
NHMRC GrantNet Help DeskFor enquiries about applications to Cancer Council Victoria contact:
Josie ItaliaIntending Applicants need to be aware of the following dates:
|
Closing date for full applications and Supplementary Questions |
Tuesday 17 March 2009 |
|
Assessment of applications by two external assessors and one Grant Review Panel member |
April - June 2009 |
|
Applicant response |
May - June 2009 |
|
NHMRC Grant Review Panels review and rank applications |
August 2009 |
|
Cancer Council Victoria meets to decide funding outcome |
November 2009 |
|
Cancer Council Victoria advice to successful applicants |
Late November 2009 |
|
Cancer Council Victoria grant payments to commence |
January 2010 |
