Further information
Whether you are applying for a research grant under a formal granting scheme, or seeking funds from industry for a research contract, it is important to realise that it is a competitive process.
It takes time to develop a research proposal properly. Try to not leave it until the last minute. Allow time for your colleagues to review and comment on it.
Sometimes you may be so absorbed by the project itself that you fail to get the message across to others. The time to find out about a proposal's shortcomings is before you submit it, not when you are told that it was unsuccessful and you read the assessors' comments!
Remember, too, that if you submit the proposal to the Research Grants Office on time, the staff there will view the application and provide feedback. That said, colleagues in your discipline are the best people to consult about your research proposal.
If you fail to win a grant, that is not necessarily the end of the road. Try to accept the assessors' comments constructively, so that the next time you do succeed.
When to lodge proposals
The Research Grants Office normally sets a deadline about 10 working days before an external funding agency's closing date.
The purpose of the internal deadline is to enable Research Grants Office staff to review the administrative aspects of an application, including the eligibility of the applicant, the budget, the budget justification, the number of copies provided and other specific requirements of the funding agency. Applicants who submit their applications after the Research Grants Office's deadline may not have the benefit of such close scrutiny.
Where a scheme is university-based, such as the UWA Research Grants Scheme, the deadline set for the submission of applications to the Research Grants Office is the final deadline. Late applications are not accepted.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their application with colleagues before submitting it to the Research Grants Office. Some schools have established small groups to review the scientific and administrative aspects of applications before they are submitted.
Applications submitted to the Research Grants Office must include all the copies required by the funding agency, plus an extra copy for the University's records and an Application Cover Sheet:
Approval of proposals
Most funding agencies require applications to be signed by the applicant, the Head of School, and a responsible officer of the University, who signs on behalf of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).
In addition, UWA requires the applicant and the Head of School concerned to sign the Application Cover Sheet.
University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
