Answers to a number of Frequently Asked Questions are provided here for potential applicants. Please see the Guideline for Applicants for more detailed information on the requirements of each scheme.
Who can apply for funding?Chief investigators (CIs)Host organisationsPartnershipsPriority researchResearch translation stageFundingAssistance and feedback
Yes. Applicants successful in a previous round can apply for Round 2.
Unsuccessful applicants from previous rounds are welcome to apply. Applicants will need to address how their proposal has been improved or incorporated any feedback from round 1. It remains a requirement for host, co-host and partner organisation CEs to sign off on the application.
The AOD Innovation Grants Scheme (IGS) allows a maximum of 2 applications per organisation. Applicants are encouraged to submit focused proposals rather than combined projects in one application.There is no limit to the number of applications that can be submitted per organisation under the NGO Evaluation Grants Scheme (EGS).
Individuals may apply for funding for more than one research project. Consideration will be given to the workload (FTE) of individuals applying for funding for more than one project.
No. The Chief Investigator (CI) of the application must be employed by an approved Host Organisation in NSW. For the NGO EGS, an approved host organisation is an NGO. For the AOD IGS, an approved host organisation is an NGO OR an Local Health District (LHD), Speciality Health Network (SHN), Ambulance Service of NSW or NSW Health Pathology with an NGO partner.
The CI has to be an employee of an approved Host Organisation. They should be employed for the duration of the project.
No, the CI may be a temporary employee of the Host Organisation. In this case the CI would need to demonstrate that the term of their employment is at least as long as the time required to complete the proposed project.
Yes, two CIs may be nominated. Any additional investigators should be associate investigators.
If there are two CIs, one must be employed by an eligible Host Organisation but the other may be from an external organisation.
The CI will be responsible for leading the research. If the CI does not work in an area directly related to the proposed study, they would be expected to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the issue being studied and capacity to manage the implementation of a research project to address that issue, including strong links with key stakeholders in the field.
Approved Host Organisations for:
For the purposes of the Fund, Non-Government Organisation (NGO) is defined as “community based, not-for-profit organisations which exist independently of State Government Departments and instrumentalities but which may receive financial or other assistance from these for the provision of services required by the Government.
Non-government organisations are independent incorporated organisations with their own management structures which are responsible for the operation of those services. The NGO sector is a complex mix of agencies of varying size incorporated under various legislation and with a plethora of objectives, but all serve the community in one form or another” (NSW Health 2011. PD2011_049 Non-Government Organisation Grant Program Operational Guidelines).
Yes. The NGO does not need to receive NSW Health funding for drug and alcohol services. However, for the proposal to be eligible, the program or initiative being evaluated or tested must be focused on addressing drug and alcohol problems.
No, do not submit two applications. Identify one lead Host Organisation and submit the application with the other Host Organisation as a co-Host Organisation.
Decisions regarding choosing the Host Organisation will depend on the nature of the project and the setting for practice change. Where the project will be conducted in more than one service, the Host Organisation should be the service that is driving the research. Partner organisations should be other organisations that are enabling the research.
Yes, as long as the eligibility and selection criteria are met. For example, the research may need to be conducted in particular settings, such as in the community or in high schools. Also, analysis and other activities can be conducted outside of the Host Organisation.
The critical issue is identifying the right partners, not how many.
Partners usually represent different organisations coming together, where as Associate Investigators might be a number of people from the same organisation. However, the proposal is not judged on how partners and associate investigators are defined within your proposal. The important thing is to ensure that the entire team has the right skills and expertise.
Yes. Engagement of relevant partners essential for the effective delivery of the research project and implementation of the outcomes is strongly encouraged. These partners may include the NSW Ministry of Health. Inpidual staff members from the Ministry may also be Associate Investigators on the project.
Applications which include a PHN component/as a collaborator will be accepted if it meets the eligibility and selection criteria, and the project is not primarily conducted at the PHN. Funding will be provided for the NSW Health component of the project only. The PHN should provide the funding for the PHN component of the research project.
Evidence of partnerships should be included within the application. The Ministry advises applicants to consider the difference between describing a partnership and demonstrating a partnership when preparing an application. Any evidence should show partner involvement in the development of the proposal and ongoing commitment to the project. Please do not attach proof of communication (email/letters) to demonstrate partnerships.
Yes. Partners can be located outside of NSW. However, to meet the eligibility criteria for both schemes, the project must be conducted in NSW.
The requirements for Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) review will be project specific. The approvals required will typically depend on where the study is being conducted, who the study participants are, where and how participants are recruited, and what is being asked of participants.
It is recommended that you discuss ethics requirements early with your partners and seek advice from an HREC as required.
See the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) for guidelines on the ethical and scientific review of research involving humans.
The CE (or equivalent) of partner agencies that will be affected by practice change as a result of the research will need to co-sign the EOI. This demonstrates their agreement to implementing positive findings on a broader scale. If you have difficulties gaining partner sign off by COB Friday 27th Oct, please submit your EOI with a note advising on the signatures you are waiting for, and provide us with these signatures as soon as possible.
The overarching purpose of the AOD Early Intervention Innovation Fund is to harness the innovation and evaluation capacity within the AOD sector to improve the health system, patient outcomes, population health and wellbeing in NSW. Basic science research, pharmaceutical-sponsored clinical trials and projects with a primary focus on cancer are out of scope for these grants schemes.
The project must directly align with the strategic plan of the Host Organisation, Premier’s priorities or state priorities, or it must focus on prevention, early intervention, harm reduction or aftercare/relapse prevention. The priority population for this scheme is young people who are vulnerable to using drugs or are already participating in risky drug use. Other populations that will be considered are Aboriginal people, people living in rural and remote NSW, people with mental health issues, pregnant women, individuals at risk of domestic violence, children of parents who have substance use issues, older people, people in contact with the criminal justice system, culturally and linguistically perse people and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.
No. The aim of the Fund is to allow the project to come from the field and utilise the local expertise. This may be an opportunity to test local ideas or innovations or may be a chance to look at what works in other jurisdictions (including overseas) and assessing if these interventions can be applied in NSW. The primary focus is that the project meets the criteria outlined in the Guidelines for Applicants.
No. Preference will not be given to a particular type of study or study design. The most important consideration is to have the appropriate study design for the research question. Projects with fundamental flaws in the methodology will not progress through to the full application stage or be funded. The Translational Research Framework: Sourcebook is a tool to help you start thinking about the kinds of research designs that might work for your project. Academic partners will also be able to advise on research design.
No. Ideally the project will take the body of evidence to the next stage on the Translational Research Framework. It is important to demonstrate where evidence currently exists and to identify the appropriate next step(s).
No. It is recommended that proposals focus on one or two of the stages within the Translational Research Framework, and it is important to develop a proposal that is feasible to be completed in the two year funding period. However projects should have a view to developing an intervention that has the potential to be scaled up in the NSW Health setting and give consideration to those issues.
The project will be assessed based on its ability to support translation/scalability, including consideration of sustainability and scalability, such as a costing component and consideration of value for money.
The intention of the Scheme is to support high impact policy and practice relevant research. As such, the Selection Panel will be considering the sustainability and scalability of the results of each study (see Selection criteria #4).If your proposal directs grant funds towards staff for program implementation it may raise concern about the sustainability of the program. If you do include costs for staff related to program implementation, ensure you provide clear justification for the decision and indicate how you plan to address ongoing staffing costs once grant funding ceases.Grant funds may be used to fund staff related to the research project such as salaries for chief and associate investigators, project co-ordinators, research assistants etc. Grant funds may also be used for reimbursement and/or backfill of NGO staff who may need to be pulled off their usual activities to participate in activities related to the research project.
Possibly, depending on the situation. The case will need to be made in the EOI process. The EOI form requires applicants to list all submissions to other funding sources for the project, including both applications already submitted and planned submissions. If funding has already been received then an explanation of how this application will leverage or value-add to the existing resources should be provided.
Yes. Funding will be awarded to host organisations, which may be an NGO, LHD, SHN, Ambulance Service of NSW or NSW Health Pathology. Universities can participate as partners in the scheme, not host organisations, so funds would not contribute to university administration fees.
No. It is expected that the host organisation provide evidence that the project activities have financial and in-kind support for at least the period of the project. There is no expectation regarding the set amount of financial support.
Please document any risks to program funding in the risks/mitigation strategies section in the expression of interest form. Please contact aodgrants@moh.health.nsw.gov.au as soon as information is learned of future Commonwealth funding decisions. EOIs may be deemed “Successful – pending decision regarding ongoing or extension of program funding”.
Maybe.
The Translational Research Grants Scheme funds research projects that will translate into better patient outcomes, health service delivery, and population health and wellbeing. The scheme provides grants to staff within NSW LHDs, SHNs, the Ambulance Service of NSW and NSW Health Pathology.
AOD proposals submitted to TRGS may be eligible for the AOD Innovation Grants Scheme if the proposal includes an NGO partner. Please refer to the Guidelines for Applicants for other eligibility criteria for this grants scheme. If you decide to submit your TRGS proposal to the AOD IGS, you are required to complete and submit the AOD IGS expression of interest form by the closing date. If your proposal receives funding under TRGS, it will not be eligible to receive funding under the AOD IGS.
Proposals submitted to TRGS will not be eligible for the NGO Evaluation Grants Scheme because this scheme requires the host organisation to be an NGO.
The Guidelines for Applicants provide an overview of the support available to applicants, including information sessions and resources such as the Translational Research Framework and Translational Research Framework Source Book developed by the Sax Institute.
Attaching a diagram of a governance structure is acceptable. However, we request that you stick as closely as possible to the word limits referred to in the EOI form.
Yes. Access to a health economist will be made available for NGO EGS recipients and stage 2 AOD IGS applicants. However, this support will be limited to providing advice on the technical methods related to economic analysis.
Yes, general feedback will be provided on the AOD Early Intervention innovation Fund website. The feedback from the previous round is currently available and is a valuable resource to applicants in the current round.
