Guidelines
This program is closed
Though this program is closed, researchers seeking support partnerships with the Queensland Government can access the Queensland Science Collaboration Gateway.
The Gateway connects researchers with Queensland Government agencies to strengthen research capacity and innovation.
View more information on the Queensland Science Collaboration Gateway.
About the program
The Queensland Government’s Future Queensland Science Strategy 2024–2029 provides a framework for how we will support Queensland’s world leading scientists to develop commercial opportunities and drive innovation in key sectors.
We are supporting this through the Science into Industry Initiative which is aimed at increasing the impact of Queensland’s science.
The Science into Industry Investment Assistance Program aims to:
- Raise the quantity, quality and success rate of Queensland university and research institute applications to eligible Australian Government funding programs for significant projects over $5 million with a strong industry engagement component
- Increase investment in collaborative research and development (R&D) and accelerate the translation of our world-class research into economic outcomes.
Benefits
The program will assist Queensland-based universities and research institutes to:
- create competitive and high-quality applications that achieve higher success rates
- identify and retain independent leadership and expertise to support the development of strong applications
- broaden and deepen industry engagement prior to submission to the Australian Government, to deliver compelling propositions with greater industry match funding, and improved pathways to translate research to benefit the Queensland economy.
The objectives of the program are to:
- upskill and lift the quality of applications to eligible Australian Government funding programs
- embed industry engagement and leadership from the initiation stage of proposals
- raise and maintain consistency in application quality within and between research organisations
- deliver tangible benefits and practical outcomes for Queensland by supporting applied R&D
- encourage greater participation of under-represented groups in the science research sector which will increase their access to funding awards and general retention of members from these groups in the sector.
Available funding
Up to a maximum of $100,000 (GST excl) in funding is available per approved eligible applicant. An initial payment of 75% (GST excl) of approved funding will be paid to approved applicants. A second payment of the remaining 25% (GST excl) will be paid to approved applicants following submission of their nominated Australian Government funding application.
The program is open to applicants until funding is exhausted.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible to apply for this program the applicant must:
- be a Queensland-based university or research institute
- have an ABN and be GST-registered
- have a project proposal with a total value of at least $5 million
- have a project proposal that is headquartered in Queensland, will see a significant proportion of the research take place in Queensland and a breadth of Queensland-based industry partners. An industry partner can be an end user, for example a hospital or local government - see FAQs for further details
- be developing an application (of which the applicant is the lead) to an eligible Australian Government funding program (listed below), which is due for submission within 18 months from the date the applicant submits an Investment Assistance Program application. The eligible Australian Government funding programs include:
The Program will not accept applications relating to Australian Government funding programs focussed on individuals or fellowships, infrastructure, programs relating specifically to funding of clinical trials, defence-specific programs or industry or company-led applications.
Applicants may contact the department to obtain advice on other, or newly announced, eligible Australian Government funding programs via science.grants@detsi.qld.gov.au.
Desirable criteria
Applicants with project leads/researchers from under-represented groups (Queensland regions, First Nations, women, people with a disability) are encouraged to apply.
Applications led by regional universities will be favourably considered. Regional universities are, for the purposes of this program, James Cook University, Central Queensland University, University of Southern Queensland and University of the Sunshine Coast.
Prospective applicants should review the list of eligible Australian Government funding programs (listed above) which may be updated from time to time.
Funding conditions
Successful applicants will be required to enter into a legally binding Grant Agreement with the State of Queensland through the department. Payments will be subject to milestone deliverables set out in the Grant Agreement.
Eligible costs
| Cost type | Details | Maximum amount |
|---|---|---|
| Salary costs | Toward an industry Chair and/or industry CEO for Centres of Excellence or Cooperative Research Centres | Up to 50% of salary |
| Toward an industry Chair Research Hub for Industrial Transformation Research Hubs | Up to 50% of salary | |
| Toward an industry Chair Training Centre for Industrial Transformation Training Centres | Up to 50% of salary | |
| Toward an employee which can include Centre Manager/Director, Chief Operating Officer, Bid Initiative Development Manager and Senior Support Officer | Up to 50% of salary | |
| Teaching buyouts | Up to 50% of salary | |
| Project-related travel | Up to 10% of total funding request (i.e., $10,000) | |
| Partner facilitation activities | Partner workshops and stakeholder engagement sessions | Up to 100% of total funding request |
Ineligible costs
Ineligible costs include:
- professional grant writers
- organisational overheads
- capital works and/or physical infrastructure, including any buildings
- plant and equipment
- telecommunications, IT networks, land acquisition costs or leases.
The Investment Assistance Program funding must be expended wholly in Queensland unless it can be demonstrated that expenditure outside of Queensland is essential to ensure successful delivery of the project.
At the end of the funding period, any unspent awarded funds are to be returned to the department.
Should the applicant fail to submit the relevant application to the eligible target Australian Government program in accordance with their requirements, the final 25% of remaining funding would not be provided to the applicant and any unspent funds as at the date of submission, or decision date of the applicant organisation not to proceed with submission if earlier, must be returned to the department. The applicant must provide reasoning for not submitting.
Application evaluation
Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of eligibility and against the investment principles below, including the extent to which the application demonstrates that the project:
- Will strengthen Queensland research and development and commercialisation/translation outcomes (including the development of potential products and services)
- Is in an area of strategic importance to the Queensland economy (see for example, the Queensland new-industry development strategy)
- Is feasible/makes sense
- Is not duplicated/is novel
- Is aligned with eligible Australian Government programs and eligible for those programs
- Has a total proposal value of over $5 million
- Demonstrates value for money.
How to apply
Applications can be submitted online any time using the SmartyGrants portal.
Applicants must first review the list of eligible Australian Government programs and ensure their proposed application will meet eligibility requirements prior to submitting the application. The applicant organisation must certify that they have reviewed Australian Government program eligibility and agree that these criteria will be met in the final Australian Government application.
The department will endeavour to process applications within 14 weeks, noting this is subject to obtaining relevant approvals.
Privacy
The Queensland Government and the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation collects and collates information from the application form for the purpose of assessment as well as for program monitoring and evaluation. Only authorised officers from the department and approved internal and external grant assessors and evaluators will have access to this information under the Financial Accountability Act 2009.
Applications for the Investment Assistance Program are to be lodged on the SmartyGrants website, a third-party cloud-based platform operated by ‘Our Community Pty Ltd’. The Our Community Privacy Policy states that they may use third party service providers that may store information outside Australia. By lodging an application, you agree to any overseas transfer of information made in accordance with the Our Community Privacy Policy.
Applicants should note that broad details of successful proposals, agreed outcomes, progress and the level of funding awarded may be published by the Queensland Government.
Some information may be used to promote funded projects.
The applicant organisation information will not be disclosed to any other third party without their consent, unless required by law or for the purposes of the Information Privacy Act 2009.
For audit purposes, the Queensland Government is required to retain the applications and other supplied support material. Applicants wishing to access this information should contact the department in the first instance.
The provisions of the Right to Information Act 2009 apply to documents in the possession of the Queensland Government.
If you wish to obtain access to your personal information, please contact the department at science.grants@detsi.qld.gov.au.