THHS SERTA 2025: Research Fellowship Grant

Submissions are now being accepted. Submissions close at midnight 6 April 2025 (AEST).

IMPORTANT: Please read information below to assist you in completing your application online.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Welcome to the online THHS SERTA grant application service, powered by SmartyGrants.

You may begin anywhere in this application form. Please ensure you save as you go.

For queries about the guidelines, deadlines, or questions in the form, please contact us on 07 4433 2459 during business hours or email TSV-ResearchSupportUnit@health.qld.gov.au and quote your submission number.

If you need more help using this form, download the Help Guide for Applicants or check out Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Download the Funding Guidelines for more information about the grant categories, application and assessment process.

FUNDING GUIDELINES

The Research Fellowship Grant funding scheme is intended to support THHS staff to undertake research linked to their practice. The aim of the Fellowship is to provide protected, guaranteed time for a THHS staff member to undertake research.

Through the Fellowship scheme, THHS effectively ‘purchases’ a portion of a staff member’s time, allowing them to devote a percentage of their time to research activity.

Objectives of the program

  1. Develop THHS staff researchers and support their research career progression, particularly toward attainment of a formal research qualification or securing competitive research funding from external agencies.
  2. Support health and medical research projects that are aligned with TAAHC Research Themes and have potential to lead to better health outcomes and/or service delivery improvements for northern Queensland communities.

Eligibility

  • The applicant is enrolled in a Higher Degree by Research OR
  • The applicant is within 5 years post doc of obtaining a Higher Degree by Research AND
  • The applicant is a THHS employee

 

Research Fellowships are aimed at THHS staff with some prior research experience who are enrolled in a formal research qualification, such as a Masters of Research, Master of Philosophy, PhD OR are early career researchers who are within 5years post doc of obtaining a Higher Degree by Research. 

The Fellowship may be used to support the completion of specific milestones that form part of the applicant’s research qualification, such as a literature review, confirmation of candidature seminar or drafting of thesis chapters or, for fellows who have obtained a Higher Degree by Research, to as seeding funds to further develop their research including to prepare an external research funding application.

Mentor / Supervisor

The applicant must nominate:

  1. at least one research mentor / supervisor. A research mentor / supervisor is a person who has significant experience and track record in the conduct of research relevant to the applicant’s proposed research project. The research mentor / supervisor is expected to provide active management and guidance through all stages of the Fellowship; and
  2. at least one research mentee who the applicant intends to mentor/supervise in the mentee’s research project, thereby contributing to building future capacity amongst early career researchers within the HHS.

Funding

Funding may be used for the following:

  • Fellow salary costs, including standard on-costs (leave loading, superannuation contributions, worker’s compensation contributions and payroll tax). The Fellow’s total salary (drawn from all sources) is not to exceed the salary the Fellow would have received in their substantive clinical position, i.e., the Fellow cannot use Fellowship funds to pay for a stipend that increases their substantive clinical position salary.
  • Only eligible expenditure incurred on or after the commencement of the Fellowship can be claimed.

Items not eligible for funding include:

  • On-costs above standard Queensland Health 30% salary on-costs
  • Institutional/work unit overheads and operational costs, including general facility and accommodation related costs
  • Salary costs related to the non-Fellowship activities of the Fellow (e.g., costs associated with the Fellow’s substantive clinical role)
  • Salary costs for anyone other than the Fellow
  • Project costs (see Research Project Grants)
  • Travel costs (see Research Project Grants)
  • Equipment costs (see Research Project Grants)

The Fellowship will support research activity for up to 24 months.

The funding requested should correspond with the FTE indicated in the application. For example, if you are a Health Practitioner, classification Level HP5.2 @$146,883 p.a. (17th October 2023 rate) plus 30% salary on-costs, and are seeking 0.36 FTE through this grant for 2 years, the salary amount would be calculated as follows:

$146,883 x 1.3 (to add salary on-costs of 30%) = $190,948 x 0. 36 FTE x 2yrs) = $137,483. You should seek advice from your Service Group Business Service Manager to obtain an accurate funding model.

Up to three (3) fellowships will be awarded to a maximum total funding of $420,000

The maximum amount for each fellowship award is $140,000

 

Timeframe

The minimum fellowship duration is six months, up to a maximum duration of 24 months (from commencement).

 

General

This Application Form is designed to assist the applicant in providing the information that the Research Trust Fund Advisory Committee (RTFAC) will need to assess the Application.  

Ensure you allow enough time before the grant funding closing date for the relevant Head of Department (HoD) and Service Group Business Service Manager (BSM) to review and sign your application.  Please consult with your HoD and BSM before the funding closing date to ascertain when they require your application to be submitted for review and approval.

All applications must include HoD and BSM signatures.

Late applications are not accepted.

Information must be inserted into the expandable table cells provided. In each of these cells, some guidance is provided, suggesting the minimum information the Committee will require. Applicants should provide the information where it is appropriate, in an effort to maximise funding potential.

If you need more help using this form, download the Help Guide for Applicants or check out Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

NAVIGATING (MOVING THROUGH) THE APPLICATION FORM

On every screen (page of the form) you will find a Form Navigation contents box, this links directly to every page of the application. Click the link to jump directly to the page you want.

You can also click 'next page' or 'previous page' on the top or bottom of each page to move forward or backward through the application.

SAVING YOUR DRAFT APPLICATION

If you wish to leave a partially completed application, press 'save and close' and log out. When you log back in and click on the 'My Submissions' link at the top of the screen, you will find a list of any applications you have started or submitted. You can reopen your draft application and start where you left off.

You can also download any application, whether draft or completed, as a PDF. Click on the 'Download PDF' button located at the bottom of the last page of the application form.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it.

Once you have reviewed your application you can submit it by clicking on 'Submit' at the top or bottom of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the compulsory questions are completed and there are no validation errors.

Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible.

When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email you used to register.

If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email then you should presume that your submission has NOT been submitted.

Hint: also check the email hasn't landed in your spam or junk email folder.

ATTACHMENTS AND SUPPORT DOCUMENTS

You may need to upload/submit attachments to support your application. This is very simple, but requires you to have the documents saved on your computer, or on a storage device.

You need to allow enough time for each file to upload before trying to attach another file. Files can be up to 25MB each; however, we do recommend trying to keep files to a maximum of 5MB – the larger the file, the longer the upload time.

COMPLETING AN APPLICATION IN A GROUP/TEAM

A number of people can work on an application using the same log in details as long as only one person is working at a time. Ensure you save as you go.

SPELL CHECK

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