Partnership Projects

Overview

NHMRC Partnerships Projects will help create partnerships among decision makers, policy makers, managers, clinicians, and researchers. This funding scheme provides funding and support to create new opportunities for researchers and policy makers to work together to define research questions and undertake research, and also to interpret and implement the findings. Partnership Projects will answer a specific research question to influence health and well-being through changes in the delivery, organisation, funding and access to health services.

The Partnership Projects scheme allows applicants to apply at any time during the year rather than through just one annual round. This is to allow researchers and Partner Organisations to develop timely collaborations. Peer review of applications received in 2024 will occur in 3 cycles with deadlines in April, August, and November.

Important information and changes to the Partnership Projects scheme can be found on the NHMRC website.

NEW! NHMRC has updated the Direct Research Cost (DRC) Guidelines and the 2024 Personnel and Salary Support Package rates for funding commencing in 2025.

How to apply

Steps to be completed by Chief Investigator A (CIA):

1. Submit a Notice of Intent (NOI)

The NOI should be completed early to provide RIC with CIA contact details.

2. Complete/update Sapphire Profile and CV

The CIA will need to obtain access to Sapphire to complete this step.

3. Review the funding documents

The CI should read the NHMRC Guidelines for this scheme and Guide to Peer Review documents. These documents can be found in the Supporting documents below.

If applicable, submit a request for a NHMRC Administering Institutions Partner Waiver. Administering Institutions cannot be named as a partner on a Partnership Project application unless they are primarily an organisation which delivers health policy and/or health services, and obtain a waiver from NHMRC. A Request for Waiver form must be submitted to RIC by email by the internal waiver date. For a full list of NHMRC Administering Institutions, refer to the NHMRC website.

4. Complete draft application in Sapphire

Complete the draft application in Sapphire. A mandatory pre-formatted Microsoft Word template for the Grant Proposal should be downloaded from the NHMRC website. We suggest the formatting in this template is not amended as this could render applicants ineligible.

5. Email a draft application to RIC

Send a draft Grant Proposal, Partner Organisation Letters of Support, and application preview documents (Profile Report, Application Report, Application Summary) to RIC via email nhmrc-project@unimelb.edu.au for review by 10am on Wednesday 17 July 2024. A hardcopy is not required. To obtain your Sapphire application preview documents, click the "Preview" button on the top right corner and a zip folder consisting of the preview documents will be downloaded automatically. A UOM Authority to Submit form is not required at this stage. RIC will send an email receipt that the request for review has been received.

6. Complete the application after feedback

After taking feedback from RIC into consideration, complete the application in the Grant management system. Upload all documents  as outlined in Guideline to Applicants, paying special attention to formatting requirements. It is suggested to seek advice from colleagues, Faculty Mentors, etc. before finalising the application.

7. Certify the application in Sapphire

Certify the application via the ‘Certification’ function in the left panel of your Sapphire application. The applicant will be given the opportunity to download their application and attachments prior to the two-stage confirmation prompt before submission. The application will be locked once certified and status then will appear as Submitted to RAO.

Please note that we have observed delays within Sapphire where the approvals tab to submit applications is taking ~15 minutes to load, as such there is a risk to the timely submission of your application if it is received after the RIC Final Submission Deadline. To minimise any delays or issues with the submission of your application we advise adhering to the RIC final submission deadline for this scheme.

8. Submit the UOM Authority to Submit form

CIA to submit a fully completed UOM Authority to Submit form to RIC via email nhmrc-project@unimelb.edu.au before 10am on Monday 5 August 2024. The form should be one PDF document and should include CIA and Head of Department/Institute Director signatures.

Written evidence (e.g. email) from all CIs and AIs is no longer required for applications submitted via Sapphire. Accepting an invitation to participate in an application constitutes a written agreement to be named on an application. CIAs cannot submit an application for RAO certification until all research team members on their application have accepted the invitation.

A hardcopy of the the Grant management system application is not required.

Note that this is an NHMRC requirement and the application cannot be submitted to NHMRC until RIC receives this form.

9. RIC will submit the application

Once the application has been submitted to the NHMRC, the CIA will receive a notification from Sapphire.

Supporting documents

NHMRC

• NHMRC Partnership Projects webpage
• NHMRC Documentation can be downloaded from GrantConnect (GO6697)
  • Partnership Projects 2024 Guidelines
  • Partnership Projects 2024 Peer Review Guidelines
  • Partnership Projects 2024 Grant Proposal Template
  • Partnership Projects 2024 AI Waiver Request
  • Partnership Projects 2024 Guide to Partner Letter of Support
• Budget mechanism for funding commencing 2025
• Direct Research Costs Guidelines (DRCs)
• Sapphire Grant Management System
  • NHMRC Sapphire Page
  • NHMRC Sapphire Grant Management System
  • NHMRC Sapphire FAQs
  • NHMRC Sapphire Tutorial Videos

RIC

• UoM Authority to Submit form (DOCX 128.3 KB)
• RIC Submissions Procedure
• Copies of previous successful Development Grant applications held in the RIC Successful Grants Library  (UoM login required)
• Faculty Grant Coordinators/Mentors

Workshop hosted by RIC

The RIC Health & Medical Grants team hosted a NHMRC Partnership Projects workshop via zoom on the 19th of July 2023 to provide guidance to prospective applicants on the scheme. The workshop featured a presentation on the scheme by Dr Patricia Ridgway from the NHMRC.

This session wasn't recorded but the slides are available. Please note that the dates and some details refer to round of applications submitted in 2023.

NHMRC Open Access Policy

From 1 January 2024, all NHMRC grant holders must comply with NHMRC’s Open Access Policy. The policy requires full and immediate open access for NHMRC-funded research outputs.

For more information on how to comply refer to the UoM webpage on funder open access policies.

NHMRC Policy on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Grant Applications

NHMRC has released some key advice regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in grant application and peer review. Please refer to the NHMRC policy page and note the following:

• Application drafting Information provided to generative artificial intelligence (such as natural language processing models and artificial intelligence technology tools) becomes part of a public database and may be accessed by unspecified third parties. If you use generative artificial intelligence to assist with the drafting of your application, you must ensure you are aware of the potential risks involved, such as those related to security, confidentiality, intellectual property, privacy, the accuracy of information generated and possible plagiarism.
• Peer review Use of generative artificial intelligence in peer review Information provided to generative artificial intelligence (such as natural language processing models and artificial intelligence technology tools) becomes part of a public database and may be accessed by third parties. Peer reviewers must not input any part of a grant application, or any information from a grant application, into a natural language processing and/or artificial intelligence technology system to assist them in the assessment of applications. Use of generative artificial intelligence may compromise the integrity of NHMRC’s peer review process and be in breach of its Principles of Peer Review, the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research and the confidentiality undertaking of peer reviewers.

Contacts

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