The CBA Ignition Grant program aims to 'ignite' novel collaborative research and develop new capabilities across the ANU, CSIRO and University of Canberra. 

We are looking for:

1. Creative, risk-taking pilot projects that test the feasibility of new and innovative ideas, techniques, tools, etc. with new collaborators, particularly early to mid career researchers (EMCRs); and/or
2. Proposals that have the potential to develop substantial new capabilities and enduring research collaborations that will benefit ANU, CSIRO and UC.

Eligibility

Annually we welcome proposals from research scientists, post docs and PhD students working in biodiversity science, e.g. evolutionary biology, population and ecosystem ecology, genomics, bioinformatics, and/or spatial modelling.

Ignition projects should be relatively focused with 1-2 CIs per institution from at least two CBA partner institutions (ANU, CSIRO, UC).

$15,000 to $30,000 may be requested for any lab- and/or field-related expenses. Salary-associated costs will not be funded. Funding should aim to be spent within 12-18 months.

The Ecogenomics and Bioinformatics Lab (EBL) is available to support training and collaboration across ANU, CSIRO and University of Canberra, including for Ignition Project work.
 
If you are interested in developing a proposal with potential policy and/or management engagement, please contact our Knowledge Broker Paula Doyle (paula.doyle@canberra.edu.au).

The CBA can also help facilitate ANU and UC to undertake a co-supervised honours project with CSIRO. See our Honours awards for more information.

Selection criteria

Depending on the research proposed, applications will be assessed by the CBA Director and Liaison Committee using some (or all) of the following criteria:

• Is the research proposed truly ‘risk-taking’, posing novel and innovative ideas with new collaborators?
• Will the research benefit from seed funding, i.e. is it unlikely to be funded elsewhere?
• Quality of the research question and its potential to develop substantial and enduring research collaborations and new capabilities that will benefit the CBA community.
• Appropriateness of the research methodology.
• Effective use of resources and value for money.

There will be strong preference to fund projects with good EMCR representation and those that make use of our existing CBA resources which includes the Collections and genomics facilities of CSIRO, the accredited eDNA labs at UC, and the EcoGenomics and Bioinformatics Laboratory at ANU.

Apply using the proposal template (under Downloads).

Reporting

We request a brief annual progress report (if applicable) and a final report on your outcomes (including expenditure) on completion of your project. We also expect that you will present your project outcomes to the CBA community via a seminar or workshop.

As part of your final report, we would also like to know if the CBA Ignition Grant program has been of value to you and your work? Did your project result in any:

• Publications
• New grant applications and/or successful funding
• New co-supervised students (summer students, Hons or PhD)
• Applied outcomes - e.g. links/applications to management, policy
• New interactions/collaborations with scientists, from both within and outside your institution

Past and currently funded Ignition Projects