Grants of up to $1 million to support and strengthen Australia’s international science relationships and to build Australia’s reputation as a trusted science research partner.
On this page you will find
What is the Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund – Strategic Element (GSTDF-SE)?
The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), in collaboration with the Australian Academy of Science (AAS), will deliver the GSTDF-SE on behalf of the Australian Government.
Priority themes and partners have been identified for the first round.
Priority themes:
- Advanced manufacturing
- Artificial intelligence
- Hydrogen production
- Quantum computing
- RNA (including mRNA) vaccines and therapies
Priority partners:
- Brazil
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Vietnam
GSTDF-SE level of support
Grants
- Minimum amount – $100,000
- Maximum amount – $1 million
Co-contribution
Applicants must be able to demonstrate suitable and proportionate project contributions from partners, which may be through direct cash funding or in-kind contributions or a combination of both. Cash and inkind resources will be treated equally for purposes of considering co-contributions. A breakdown is required of the type and value (or estimated value) of contributions coming from priority partners, other international partners, and any domestic partners.
Grant funding must be used primarily to benefit the Australian partner’s activities with potential flow-on benefits to international partners.
Grant funding cannot be used for activities already funded by other Australian Commonwealth, State, Territory, or local government grants.
GSTDF-SE important dates
- Submissions close 31 May 2024 (AEST) at 5:00 PM
- Project length should be from one year to three years
- Register your interest here with GrantHelper
GSTDF-SE objectives
The objectives of the program are to:
- boost Australia’s science and technology capability by identifying and supporting strategic international science and research collaborations with identified priority partners through targeted funding.
- promote growth in the Australian economy by supporting international research-industry collaborations.
- provide support for Australian researchers to access the world’s best knowledge, technology and research infrastructure, and funding programs.
- support the development of science capability in partner-countries.
Projects and expenditure eligible for GSTDF-SE support
Eligible projects:
- must be led by one eligible Australian organisation
- must address at least one priority theme in Table 1 of the guidelines, and
- must include at least one partner organisation domiciled and registered in a priority partner country in Table 1 of the guidelines
Eligible personnel:
- The project lead (principal investigator or equivalent) on the Australian side must be an Australian citizen, Permanent Resident, or holder of a Special Category Visa (subclass 444) currently residing in Australia. However, other personnel do not have to meet this condition.
- Projects can include more than one Australian organisation but must be led by a single eligible Australian organisation.
- While projects can have multiple partners, including from non-partner countries, all activities supported by grant funds must be undertaken with a partner entity domiciled and registered in one or more of the listed priority partner countries.
- The program aims to support the development of genuine connections between Australian organisations and organisations domiciled and registered within priority partner countries that address at least one of five priority themes. As such, the lead Australian organisation and lead international partner(s) must be unrelated entities i.e., project proposals that seek to partner between subsidiary entities of the project lead’s host organisation will not be accepted. This includes proposed collaborations between a university’s Australian and international campuses, or a businesses’ subsidiary operating in an international market.
- Individual researchers are not eligible
Grants will not be provided to organisations:
- included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme
- named by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency as an organisation that has not complied with Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012)
Grants will not be provided for projects that involve States, Organisations, or Individuals listed on:
- United Nations Security Councils (UNSC) and Australian Autonomous Sanctions regimes
- World Bank Listing of Ineligible Firms and Individuals
- UNSC Consolidated List
- Australian Government Consolidated List
Eligible activities must be directly related to the project and may include:
- bilateral or multilateral research or commercialisation projects
- joint industry research projects with Australian partners and listed priority partners addressing priority themes
- international research or commercialisation conferences, workshops, or symposia, related to the priority themes in collaboration with listed priority partners
- exchanges and secondments of personnel between Australia and listed priority partners for purposes related to the priority themes
- new research activities between Australia and listed priority partners for initiatives related to the priority themes
- product and service development activities in priority themes with listed priority partners (e.g., technical development, compliance testing, proof of concept, product testing, validation, and laboratory verification)
- product or service design relating to priority themes with listed priority partners (e.g., design work, prototyping, innovation design)
- software development and beta testing for a specific application relating to priority themes with listed priority partners
Other activities may also be approved, based on compelling arguments.
To be eligible for funding your project must:
- be aimed at building genuine collaboration between an Australian entity and an international entity domiciled and registered in at least one priority partner listed in Table 1 of the guidelines, and
- address a priority theme listed in Table 1 of the guidelines.
To be eligible for funding use, expenditure must:
- be incurred by the lead entity within the project period and for approved eligible activities
- be a direct cost of the project
- be incurred by the lead entity to undertake required project activities as outlined in the project budget
- be consistent with the eligible expenditure guidance at Appendix A.
You must not commence your project until you sign a grant agreement. The grant cannot be used for any expenditure you or your project partners incur prior to the date of execution of the grant agreement (signed by both parties). Expenditure items that are not eligible are:
- direct funding for activities of international partners and
- ineligible expenditure listed in ineligible expenditure section at Appendix A of the guidelines.
See the guidelines for full details of projects and expenditure eligible for GSTDF-SE support.
Other GSTDF-SE important details that you will need to know
Organisations eligible for GSTDF-SE support
The applicant must be a single entity acting as lead organisation, on behalf of partners who have agreed to collaborate to undertake eligible activities.
To be an eligible lead organisation the applicant must have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be one of the following eligible entities:
- a company, incorporated in Australia
- an incorporated not for profit organisation
- a Publicly Funded Research Organisation (PFRO), defined as higher education providers listed at Table A and Table B of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth) and corporate Commonwealth entities, and State and Territory business enterprises, departments or agencies that undertake publicly funded research
- a Cooperative Research Centre
- an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust, or
- an Australian State, Territory or Local Government agency or body
The delivery partners for the Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund – Strategic Element are not eligible to apply.
See the guidelines for full details of organisations eligible for GSTDF-SE support.
GSTDF-SE assessment criteria
Assessment criterion 1. The extent to which your project aligns with the program objectives – 40 points. You should demonstrate this by identifying:
- how the project will boost Australia’s science and technology capabilities through strategic international research and industry collaborations with key international partners in the priority area.
- how the project will strengthen Australia’s international science relationships and build Australia’s reputation as a trusted research and industry partner in the priority area.
- how the project will promote growth in the Australian economy by supporting international researchindustry collaborations to the benefit of Australia in the priority area.
- how the project will support the development of science capability in partner-countries in the priority area.
Assessment criterion 2. Your capacity to manage and deliver the project – 30 points. You should demonstrate this by identifying:
- the capacity of the lead applicant and partners to deliver the project, including access to personnel with the right skills and experience and to any infrastructure, capital equipment, technology and intellectual property required to deliver the project outcomes.
- a sound project plan outlining how you will manage and monitor the project, including arrangements for governance, security and intellectual property rights and the identification of risks and mitigation strategies, as well as promoting research integrity and security.
- a comprehensive budget with justifications for funding amounts requested, and ability to show any funding co-contribution.
Assessment criterion 3. The broader national benefits of your project – 30 points. You should demonstrate this by identifying:
- how the project will increase professional linkages and engagements between Australian businesses/ researchers/industry and international partners.
- how the project will provide increased access to international expertise, technology, research infrastructure and capital.
- how the project will increase research and development capability and capacity in Australia.
See the guidelines for full details of the assessment criteria.
How do I get the GSTDF-SE?
Applicants must:
- Read and understand the guidelines.
- Ensure eligibility for the funding. Applicants that do not meet all the eligibility criteria will not be considered.
- Deliver the project as outlined in the application.
- Provide complete information requirements.
Information to prepare for the GSTDF-SE application
You must provide the following with your EOI application:
- project proposal summary. This will include a brief overview of the project (300 words), how the proposed project will address the program objectives (300 words), and the how the project will deliver broader national benefits (200 words).
- short CV (maximum of 3 pages) of the project lead from the lead Australian organisation.
In the EOI application, you will need to provide a high level budget outlining all cash and in-kind contributions.
Should your EOI be successful, you will be invited to submit a full application, which includes a more detailed project proposal. You must provide the following additional documents with your full application:
- full cash/in-kind contributions and budget details. In-kind contributions must be able to be assigned a monetary value and be auditable. In-kind costs must be directly related to costs of delivering the activities of the project. They can include salaries of staff for the time they are involved, and other costs incurred for the duration of these activities.
- letter of support from the lead Australian organisation outlining the cash and in-kind funding being provided to the project.
- letter of support from each partner organisation outlining their role in the project, and their cash and in-kind contributions.
- outline of arrangements for governance, security, and intellectual property rights (maximum of 3 A4 pages).
- any requested material to support the justification of budget requests (for example, supplier quotes).
- Short CV (maximum 3 pages) of the project lead(s) from the partner organisation(s).
See the guidelines for full details of information requirements.
Applying for the GSTDF-SE
Submit your application online through the SmartyGrants portal.
Register your interest here with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this grant and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.
GSTDF-SE resources
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