Frequently Asked Questions: updated 24 October 2014

  1. What is a ‘hub’?
  2. Who can apply for the NESP?
  3. What are the responsibilities of the host institution?
  4. Can I submit an application for a single research project?
  5. Can I get funding for my honours or PhD research?
  6. Will there be subsequent opportunities to apply for NESP funding?
  7. How much funding will be allocated for emerging priorities? How will it be allocated?
  8. Can the Department assist me to connect with other researchers to form part of a research hub application?
  9. Can I discuss my proposal with the Department of the Environment prior to submitting my application?
  10. Can applications be submitted by Australian Government entities?
  11. How is the NESP different to the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) that concludes in 2015?
  12. What will happen to the existing NERP hubs and the ACCSP?
  13. What level of funding is available for the NESP research hubs?
  14. Are the issues outlined under each NESP research hub in the NESP Research Scope the only research priorities that the programme will address?
  15. How much detail is required in the annual budget table part of the application form?
  16. Can I ask for more annual funding than the indicative amount listed in the NESP Research Scope document?
  17. What level of co-investment is expected from partner institutions?
  18. In the ‘Previous Funding’ section of the application form, do I need to list all Commonwealth Government grant funding received by my entire institution within the last five years?
  19. What can I attach to my application as supporting documentation?
  20. Will the assessment process include interviews with applicants?
  21. What is the expected duration of funding available through this application round?
  22. Is the NESP listed on the Australian Competitive Grants Register?
  23. When will the results of the applications be known?
  24. When will successful applicants be expected to sign funding agreements with the Department?
  25. When is research expected to start?

Frequently Asked Questions added during the application period

Questions added September 2014

  1. Do I need to develop a full research plan as part of my application? (added on 26 September 2014)
  2. Is there a definition of an Australian research institution? (added on 26 September 2014)

Questions added October 2014

  1. Where can I find a definition of corporate and non-corporate Commonwealth entities as referred to in FAQ 10?
  2. When will the NESP Data and Information Management Guidelines be available?
  3. When listing contributions from partner organisations in the budget table in the application, should this be a combined total of partner contributions?
  4. Some stakeholders have asked - have hub leaders, host institutions or partner organisations been predetermined?
  5. Can any Australian research organisation be a partner organisation of a NESP hub?
  6. Are subscriptions to international scientific bodies considered eligible activities for NESP hub funding?
  7. What is meant by direct support costs of research and indirect support costs of research, in the Guidelines under ‘What type of activities are eligible for NESP funding?’
  8. Is the Department of the Environment applying for the NESP to be listed on the Australian Competitive Grants Register?
  9. The application form talks about ‘Hub Partners’. Can we have different levels of engagement of partner organisations? E.g. Key partners vs collaborators?
  10. Our consortium doesn’t have a dedicated knowledge broker or communicator currently. What should we do in terms of attaching key personnel CVs for these positions to the application?
  11. Is there a minimum number of hours per week that the hub leader should devote to the role?
  12. Does the hub leader have to be an ‘academic’ – i.e. work for a university?
  13. Can we have more than one hub leader?
  14. What fraction of Merit Criterion 1 does the Hub leader’s CV contribute?
  15. Will there be any members on the assessment panel that are external to the Environment Portfolio?
  16. Is it a requirement of the application to name a Hub Leader or is it possible to submit the process by which the Hub Leader will be selected and the completion date for that process?
  17. Is it possible for the Chair of the Hub Steering Committee to be a member of the host organisation?
  18. Which data source should researchers use for the citation indices (h-factor, i10) in the Hub Leader/Key Personnel CVs?
  19. In the ‘Previous Funding’ section of the application form, should we only list Commonwealth Government funding received?
  20. Can research institutions other than universities be the host institution of a hub?
  21. If the programme is successful in being listed on the Australian Competitive Grants Register, how is the eligibility for Research Block Grants Category 1 funding determined for the host institution and hub partners?
  1. What is a ‘hub’?

The National Environmental Science Programme (NESP) hub model encourages a collaborative approach to developing and delivering research objectives. Each hub should have capacity to draw upon the resources of researchers and environmental managers who are leaders in their field.

A NESP hub will be:

  • a consortium of institutions/organisations
  • administered by a host institution that is an Australian research institution
  • led by a hub leader who is an outstanding researcher of international repute working for the host institution
  • collaborative – within the hub, with the Department, with other NESP hubs and with the wider research community
  • multi-disciplinary (environmental science, economics and social science), with researchers working in teams within and across hubs
  • focused on developing solutions to clearly defined problems
  • communicating research outcomes and solutions that are used by government, industry and the community in a timely manner
  • flexible and adaptable to respond to the Department’s guidance on research priorities.
  1. Who can apply for the NESP?

Thehub’s host institution must be an Australian research institution. This can be any existing public or private research institution, including Cooperative Research Centres.

The hub’s partner institutions will contribute to the research activity of the hub, but don’t all necessarily have to be research institutions.

You can find more information about eligibility in the Programme Guidelines on the NESP website:

  1. What are the responsibilities of the host institution?

The host institution will be responsible for the successful delivery of the hub. The host institution will enter into the Funding Agreement with the Department and will be responsible for relevant administration, including the receipt and expenditure of funds, performance and financial reporting. The host institution will subcontract the hub’s research partner institutions and organisations.

  1. Can I submit an application for a single research project?
    No. NESP funding is only for research hubs made up of multi-institutional consortia. Applications for individual projects will not be accepted.
  2. Can I get funding for my honours or PhD research?
    No.Applications for individual projects or from individual researchers will not be accepted.
    NESP research hubs will have opportunities for early career researchers to be involved in projects. Interested students should contact the hubs directlywhen they are established.
  1. Will there be subsequent opportunities to apply for NESP funding?
    There will be no further opportunities to apply for NESP funding to form research hubs.
    A component of funding in each year of the programme is reserved to address emerging priorities. The Minister for the Environment (the Minister) will identify research required to address emerging priority issues. There may be opportunities for research providers to apply for funding for these emerging priorities projects and information will be made available on the Department of the Environment website.
  2. How much funding will be allocated for emerging priorities? How will it be allocated?
    A relatively small component of overall funding for the NESP will be reserved for emerging priorities. Emerging priority research activities maybe sourced directly from the NESP hubs, by direct procurement, or through additional competitive processes. Action regarding emerging priorities is not likely to occur until after the research to be undertaken by the hubs is fully defined.
  3. Can the Department assist me to connect with other researchers to form part of a research hub application?

Researchers interested in forming part of a hub, but whose research proposal or research group is too narrow to submit an application under the NESP, may wish to make contact with other potential applicants during the application period.The Department can publishyour contact details and research interests on the NESP website, on request, to assist with making contact with other interested researchers and institutions.

If you would like to have your contact details included on the NESP website, please email your request . The contact details will be publicly available and regularly updated during the application period.

  1. Can I discuss my proposal with the Department of the Environment prior to submitting my application?

Yes. Please email th questions or issues and a Departmental officer will contact you.

  1. Can applications be submitted by Commonwealth entities?
    Applications can be submitted by corporate Commonwealthentities. Non-corporate Commonwealth entities can be partners in applications for research hubs, but cannot be the applicant (i.e. the host institution). Groups within the Environment portfolio involved in any application will not be involved in the assessment of applications.

Applicants are encouraged to make contact with any government entity with relevant expertise to explore partnering opportunities. However, such a partnership is not necessary in order for your application to be considered competitive by the Department.

(Also see Q 28)

  1. How is the NESP differentto the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) that concludes in 2015?
    Both programmes are based around research hubs, but the six NESP research hubs will be different to the five research hubs funded under the NERP. It is expected that research under the NESP research hubs will build on the work of NERP (and other research) and reflect contemporaryAustralian Government information needs.

The NESP builds on the world-class research carried out under the NERP and the Australian Climate Change Science Programme(ACCSP) and focuses on environmental research – particularly to improve biodiversity and climate systems knowledge and information. The programme will also focus on improving research delivery to the Australian Government, as well as to other end users and stakeholders.

  1. What will happen to the existing NERP hubs and the ACCSP?

Current NERP and ACCSP activities will continue in line with existing contracts. NERP hubs are contracted until June 2015 and ACCSP partners are contracted until June 2016.

  1. What level of funding is available for the NESP research hubs?

The indicative annual funding for each hub is:

Clean Air and Urban Landscapes$1.5 million

Earth Systems$5.1 million

Marine Biodiversity:$4.0 million

Northern Australia Environmental Resources$4.0 million

Threatened Species Recovery:$5.1 million

Tropical Water Quality:$5.4 million

  1. Are the issues outlined under each NESP research hub in the NESP Research Scope the only research priorities that the programme will address?
    No. The issues in the Research Scope document do not represent a definitive list of research priorities for each hub. Potential applicants should not limit the presentation of research capability in their application on the basis of any perceived restrictions about subject matter. The research programmes that each hub will undertake will be agreed with the Department in the first three months of 2015.
  2. How much detail is required in the annual budget table part of the application form?

The table is for the proposed average annual expenditure for the hub and not the budget for the total length of the proposed hub. The figures you enter in this table should be the average annual expenditure in a regular operating year, not in the initial hub planning phase, which will have slightly reduced funding (see NESP Research Scope for more information,including indicative funding for each hub theme).

  1. Can I ask for more annual funding than the indicative amount listed in the NESP Research Scope document?

You should base your budget on the indicative annual funding amount in the NESP Research Scope document. Your budget should reflect appropriate resourcing required to deliver the capability and capacity described in your application. If the NESP funding you request is higher than the indicative annual funding listed in the Research Scope, this may make your application less competitive.

  1. What level of co-investment is expected from partner institutions?

All hubs are expected to commit and deliver to the programme a level of co-investment (cash and in-kind contributions) equivalent to or greater than the amount of NESP funding they receive. All partner organisations in a hub are expected to contribute resources to the hub.

  1. In the ‘Previous Funding’ section of the application form, do I need to list all Commonwealth Government grant funding received by my entire institution within the last five years?

No. If you are a large institution (e.g. a university), you only need to list the Commonwealth grant funding received by the area (e.g. school/faculty/research group) of your institution that is applying for the NESP.

  1. What can I attach to my application as supporting documentation?

You should attach to your application CVs for the hub leader and key personnel (using the CV templates provided on the NESP website). There is also room to attach a diagram of your proposed hub governance structure if you wish (although this is optional).

Beyond these, the assessment panel will not consideradditional text documents – i.e. please don’t attach examples of previous research reports/papers or extensions to your answers to the selection criteria.

  1. Will the assessment process include interviews with applicants?

The Department’s Science Partnerships Section will contact applicants if the Assessment Panel wants to hold an interview. Interviews may be by phone, video conference or face to face (at either the Department or relevant research institution).

  1. What is the expected duration of funding available through this application round?

The Programme Guidelines allow for funding for up to six calendar years (January 2015 – December 2020). Final decisions on the funding period will be made by the Minister following the selection process.

  1. Is the NESP listed on the Australian Competitive Grants Register?

Not yet. The Department of the Environment is consulting with the Department of Education to gain the same status for NESP as for the NERP.

  1. When will the results of the applications be known?

The Department is working towards announcement of successful proposals by the end of November 2014.

  1. When will successful applicants be expected to sign funding agreements with the Department?

We expect successful applicants to be in a position to sign a funding agreement with the Department during December 2014. As outlined in the Programme Guidelines, the contractual obligations outlined in the draft funding agreement (on the NESP website) will apply uniformly to all successful applicants.

  1. When is research expected to start?

We expect that following a research planning stage with the Department (and other end-users), from January 2015, hub research projects will commence from April2015.

Frequently asked Questions added during the application period.

Questions added 26 September 2014

  1. Do I need to develop a full research plan as part of my application?

No. Applicants will be selected for their science leadership capability and their capacity to deliver a high quality programme of research in the theme of the hub. During the first three months of their contracts (Jan-Mar 2015), successful hubs will work closely with the Department to develop a Research Plan that describes the programme of research the hub will deliver. For more details, see ‘How will hubs operate?’ in the Programme Guidelines.

  1. Is there a definition of an Australian research institution

The guidelines specify that the host institution must be an Australian research institution. For the purposes of the guidelines, an eligible Australian research institution that may act as the host institution is any existing public or private research institution, including a Cooperative Research Centre, that meets the following requirements:

  • be capable of administering research funds
  • have a clearly established track record of managing research
  • be accountable for the performance and quality of the research, and
  • employs a principal researcher (being an outstanding researcher of international repute) to act as the hub leader.

Questions added 2 October 2014

  1. Where can I find a definition of corporate and non-corporate Commonwealth entities as referred to in FAQ 10?

Corporate and non-corporate Commonwealth entities are defined in the PublicGovernance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

  1. When will the NESP Data and Information Management Guidelines be available?

NESP Data and Information Management guidelines are being finalised and will be available prior to contractual negotiations between the Department and successful applicants.We expect the NESP Data and Information ManagementGuidelines will be very similar to the recently released NERP guidelines, which are available through the ‘application information’ page on the NESP website.

  1. When listing contributions from partner organisations in the budget table in the application, should this be a combined total of partner contributions?

The ‘Other contributions’ column in the budget table should be the combined contributions of all of the partner organisations. The contributions of the host institution (the applicant) should be listed under ‘Applicant contributions’.

These figures will be indicative, as we don’t expect that at the application stage you will be able to obtain firm commitments to a dollar amount contribution from each partner, as the detailed research plan will not yet have been developed. Rather they should commit to their cash and in-kind contribution percentage relative to the amount of NESP funding they would receive.

More details can be found in the Programme Guidelines under ‘How to apply for funding’

Questions added 10 October 2014