Readership Schemes and Grant Development Resources

UQDI runs a very successful Grant Preparation Program for potential ARC and NHMRC (& associated funding bodies) project grants. The Grant Preparation Program is held annually at UQDI to assist with the planning, preparation and development of highly competitive grant applications. It consists of a Grant Training Day, a Grant Planning Day along with an internal and external grant Readership Scheme.

Grant development resources

Grant Training Day

The Grant Training Day is aimed directly at assisting new or previously unsuccessful Project Grant applicants to prepare the best possible grant application. This will entail presentations by external experienced applicants/ panel members followed by a workshopping of basic grant proposal structure. Applicants will provide a basic EOI along with a presentation that will be workshopped to allow inexperienced or previously unsuccessful applicants more time and direction to prepare a higher quality application. The day will provide information on grantsmanship, structure and how to present the application. It will be held approximately one month before the Grant Training Day to provide additional guidance and more in-depth assistance.

Grant Planning Day

The Grant Planning Day is an opportunity for researchers to plan and present their grant proposal ideas in the slide template attached to their Research Program (Cancer, Immunology or Genomic Medicine). Iinitial feedback will be provided to all applicants by other researchers at UQDI. This will include advice on how to strengthen the application, particularly with respect to the team of applicants, and the feasibility, significance and innovation of the project. One UQDI Internal reader and one UQDI internal mentor will be selected on the day and they will provide assistance with reviewing of the application prior to submission. The internal reader will provide a single feedback on the research proposal in January whereas the mentor should also provide this feedback but also play a more significant role inassisting with plan development throughout the application process. The process also includes the valuable addition of an external expert readers, either provided as in the cancer program, or elected and confirmed by the applicant and approved at the Grant Planning Day as appropriate. This external reader/reviewer will provide independent expert advice on the advanced draft application in early February. The readers will typically meet the applicant in person or via Skype etc in the submission year to discuss the feedback and proposal prior to submission.