The UWA Safety Net scheme provides bridging support to fund the salary of key personnel normally supported by external research grant income when continued funding is discontinued.

Normally, the consequence of this lack of funding is that the employment of the key staff member would need to be terminated.

Duties

The duties undertaken by the key staff member when funded by a UWA Safety Net award may not necessarily be identical to their previous role and may include research, teaching and other administrative duties as deemed appropriate by the host school. It may be possible to relocate the key staff member to another University school provided the relinquishing school is in agreement and the appropriate level of matching funds is committed by the new school.

Eligible personnel

People who are eligible to receive funding from the Safety Net Scheme are research fellows/research associates and senior technical or research staff who have been employed at UWA continuously for at least the past three years. An eligible staff member can only receive one UWA Safety Net award within a six-year period. Full or part-time staff are eligible for the Safety Net Scheme.

Funding

Funding is for one year only up to a maximum of $40,000 and is contingent upon matching funds on a dollar-for-dollar basis from the faculty and/or school. Funding is also conditional upon the individual or group seeking external research funding to support the salary of the key staff member in the next available funding round.

The Safety Net scheme is open at any time and allocations are approved executively by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) on written advice from the Head of School and the Dean, and after consideration of the following, which applicants need to address in a written application to the Director, Research Services:

1. The details of the key staff member to be funded and in particular how a continuation of their position is of strategic importance to the group and to the school.
2. How retaining the key staff member will continue to help the individual or group attract external research funding.
3. Whether other options might be available to retain the key staff member within the group or school.
4. What external funding will be sought to support the salary of the key staff member within the next 12 months. Normally this will involve an application in the next available round of a major funding scheme.

The individual staff member and/or the research supervisor will prepare a written report that is two to three A4 pages in length.

The purpose of the report is to highlight the perceived benefits of the UWA Safety Net award, and it must be submitted to the Director, Research Services via the Head of the School within one month of the conclusion of the Award