CONTENTS

1.  ABOUT

The ALIVE National Centre’s Next Generation Researcher Network Capacity Building Funding Scheme is part of the National Centre’s Capacity Building Strategy to grow the next generation of mental health research leaders. Calls are now open for up to six capacity building awards:

• 4 Early-Career Researcher (ECR) Seed Funding Awards (up to $20,000 per application);
• 2 Mid-Career Researcher (MCR) Professional Advancement and Career Expansion (PACE) Awards (up to $10,000 per application).

The Early-Career Researcher Seed Funding Award is designed to support researchers (up to five years post PhD) to develop their research ideas, conduct a pilot study or, complete co-design or other research activities that will support a larger future grant proposal and/or fellowship application.  Applications will be accepted from Next Generation Researcher Network and Lived-Experience Research Collective members as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers who work with affiliated partner organisations of the Centre.

The Early-Career Researcher Seed Funding Award also includes an opportunity for lived-experience researchers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers without a PhD/not currently enrolled in a PhD but who may be considering applying for one, to submit proposals based on holding equivalent research experience in a university-based research role.

In keeping with the ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation providing tailored career pathways for non-PhD ECRs, awardees may apply for a small research project leading to a presentation and paper only, or (ideally) for a project leading into a PhD application. This ECR funding scheme award through the ALIVE National Centre recognises career pathways that may not have followed a traditional route of opportunity through a PhD program.  This award is for individuals who are NOT currently enrolled in a PhD (but who may be considering one) but have five years of research experience and want to run a project of importance.

The Mid-Career Researcher scheme is designed to address funding gaps for career development and professional advancement activities for mid-career researchers that may not otherwise be available. MCR applications should target a professional development activity, international collaboration, or attendance at an international conference, or a course or workshop that would be seen to make a difference for advancing a career stage. Applications are welcome from lived-experience researchers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and across the Next Generation Researcher Network for MCR scheme awards. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants who are not network members yet, applications are welcome where the person demonstrates involvement with an ALIVE National affiliated organisation.

2. ELIGIBILITY

Up to six awards will be allocated to applications with a focus on mental health research topics related to the National Centre research programs and its Consensus Statements. There will be specific awards for lived-experience researchers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, and for researchers who do not yet hold a PhD but have equivalent early career research status. Awardees will be members of the Next Generation Researcher Network and the Lived-Experience Research Collective and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants where no membership is held, then, a demonstrated involvement with an ALIVE National affiliated organisation is necessary.

Early-Career Researcher Seed Funding Awards

All applicants:

• Project must have a mentor who is an investigator of The ALIVE National Centre (or for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led projects, a mentor who has a research affiliation with the centre).
• Applicant should have been a member of the ALIVE National Next Generation Researcher Network or Lived-Experience Research Collective for a minimum of 12 months.
• Applicants must be employed by (or have an affiliation for research purposes) an ALIVE National Participating Organisation, or their organisation has connected with the Centre as an alive collective Collaborative Partner (note that Collaborative Partner status does not represent a formal legal partnership).
• For the 2024 round, currently funded ALIVE National research fellows (i.e. researchers who are in direct receipt of funds from the Centre to support research program coordination across prevention, priority populations, longer healthier lives, mental health care at-scale and the Lived-Experience Research Collective) are ineligible to apply.

Additional eligibility requirement for specific awards:

Lived-experience-led project:

• Project lead must be up to 5 years post-PhD graduation
• Project lead must identify as a lived-experience researcher
• Project lead must be a member of the Lived-Experience Research Collective

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led project

• Project lead must identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researcher
• Project lead must be either a member of an ALIVE National Network or involved with an ALIVE National affiliated organisation engaged in research or network activities
• Appropriate community protocols, processes, and systems with principles for Indigenous Knowledge and data sovereignty must be outlined.

Next Generation Researcher Network project

• Project lead must be up to 5 years post-PhD graduation
• Project lead must be a member of the Next Generation Researcher Network

Early Career Researcher without PhD but with equivalent experience

• Lived-Experience researchers and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers only
• Project lead must demonstrate five years equivalent early career research experience in a university-based research role
• Project lead must not currently be enrolled in a PhD.
• Project lead must be a member of the Lived-Experience Research Collective or Next Generation Researcher Network, or for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers who are not members must demonstrate direct involvement with an ALIVE National affiliated organisation.

Mid-Career Researcher PACE Awards

All applicants:

• Researcher must be 5-15 years post PhD graduation
• Researcher should have been a member of the Next Generation Researcher Network or Lived Experience Research Collective for at least 12 months, or for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers who are not members, must demonstrate direct involvement with an ALIVE National affiliated organisation.
• Researcher must have a mentor who is an investigator of the ALIVE National Centre. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants this mentor may be a senior researcher affiliated with the Centre.

3. FUNDING RULES

Up to six projects will be funded for the 2024 Next Generation Researcher Network Capacity Building Funding Scheme (Round 3):

• Up to four Early-Career Researcher Seed Funding Awards (for researchers up to 5 years post-PhD) will be awarded across the different categories outlined in the above sections. Where there may be no suitable applications from specific groups, funds may be awarded within another category.
• Two Professional Advancement and Career Expansion (PACE) Mid-Career Researcher Funding Awards will be awarded.

Early-Career Researcher Seed Funding Awards:

• Applicants must outline how the project will advance an implementation action or actions of the ALIVE National Centre Consensus Statements (Phase 1 and/or Phase 2), with explicit discussion of these implementation actions in the proposal (including links made to ALIVE networks and Lived Experience Research Collective). Collaborative opportunities with new organisations (outside of ALIVE National) that will arise from addressing and advancing these implementation actions should also be highlighted.
• One award will be preferentially given to a project focusing on stigma reduction (also an implementation action in both Consensus Statements).
• Projects must involve and outline demonstrable and meaningful inclusion of lived-experience methods or perspectives.
• Funds awarded cannot be used for application investigator salary support, but they can be used to employ someone to support the research activities of a study (e.g. research assistance, co-design support, design outputs from the research)
• Applications need to be associated with a planned grant, a PhD proposal or a fellowship application and the relevant schemes should be clearly outlined in the application.
• Projects must be completed within 12-18 months (or sooner) of receipt of funds (projects can be shorter than the total 18-month period and in some cases are expected to be, given grant rounds and deadlines for other applications that are linked with the project).
• Successful applicants will be expected to present the project plan and outcomes of the results of their project at appropriate ALIVE events (e.g., NGRN event/s, National Centre Annual Symposium, Quarterly Research Forum).
• Successful applicants will be required to develop their findings into a submitted, peer-reviewed manuscript within 12 months of receiving funds (where applicable).
• The project should include meaningful involvement of people with lived-experience of mental ill-health and carer, family and kinship groups where required for shaping the study design and activities, and following any cultural protocols, practices, processes and systems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research or research being conducted in other culturally-specific settings.
• The application should outline how it informs at least one of the research focus areas within the ALIVE National Centre:
  • Prevention across the life-course
  • Longer, healthier lives in priority populations
  • Lived-experience research
  • Mental health care at-scale

• Successful applicants will be required to acknowledge the seed funding in all public dissemination activities (e.g., publications, presentations) and inform the ALIVE National Centre Hub of all dissemination activities. Please note that this is both to publicise the work and ensure that we can track the impact of the funding scheme. The following acknowledgement of the funding source must be included in all presentations, or papers related to the project: This research was supported by a Next Generation Researcher Network Capacity Building Funding Award as part of the ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation (NHMRC GNT2002047).

• Funds provided to successful applicants are allocated from the overarching ALIVE National funding grant (GNT2002047 – NHMRC Special Initiative in Mental Health 2020 – ALIVE A National Research Translation Centre to Implement Mental Health Care at Scale), and as such all clauses relating to Intellectual Property and Publications from the Multi-Institutional Agreement for the ALIVE National Centre apply to any outputs arising from the funded project. Successful applicants are also required to use the awarded funds in accordance with all NHMRC rules and requirements.
• The ALIVE National Centre reserves the right to clarify details of the project and stipulate conditions related to the awarding of funds.

Mid-Career Researcher PACE Awards:

• Funds can be used for career development activities and include the following:
  • Conferences (national or international)
  • Collaboration for a grant proposal specifically (this may include presentations, meeting and/or workshop at the place that is the focus of the visit)
  • Professional development courses
  • Coaching and leadership development workshop/course
  • Others similar activities outlined in the application

• Applicants must be a member of an ALIVE National Centre network and if not engaged in an ALIVE-funded project directly then will need to have an approved affiliated project to be eligible. An ALIVE affiliated project is an externally funded project with named ALIVE National Investigators (contact alive-hub@unimelb.edu.au to apply for ALIVE affiliated project status).
• For PACE projects, the activity needs to occur within the twelve-month timeframe of the award and not be for a workshop or course that may be planned in future years, or for a conference outside of the award window.
• Applicants must outline how their research focus addresses the co-designed research priorities identified in the ALIVE National Centre Consensus Statements and implementation actions (Phase 1 and/or Phase 2) and how it informs at least one of the research focus areas within the ALIVE National Centre:
• • Prevention across the life-course
  • Longer, healthier lives in priority populations
  • Lived-Experience research
  • Mental health care at-scale
• The ALIVE National Centre reserves the right to clarify details of the activity and stipulate conditions related to the awarding of funds.

4. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

Please send the completed application as one PDF document including all elements of the submission to alive-hub@unimelb.edu.au. The forms can be found here:

• Early-Career Researcher Seed Funding Application Form
• Mid-Career Researcher PACE Application Form

5. REVIEW PROCESS

Early-Career Researcher Seed Funding Awards:

Applications will be evaluated against the following criteria to determine project quality, feasibility, and track record for seed funding. Reviewer templates include guidance for assessing the research topic, alignment with the ALIVE National Consensus Statements, feasibility, methodology, innovation, and capability. Reviews will be conducted by a panel of experienced investigators and senior and mid-career researchers and lived-experience researchers as part of the overall ALIVE National Centre’s capacity building strategy.

Mid-Career Researcher PACE Awards:

Application will undergo review by two investigator members of the ALIVE Executive Research Leadership Committee who are senior to the MCR applicant’s position. Applications will be assessed against their alignment with ALIVE National Centre research programs and Consensus Statements, the potential for career development and making a professional advancement, and the calibre of the conference and overall application.

6.    NOTIFICATION OF OUTCOMES

Outcomes will be announced 10^th October 2024.

Early-Career Researcher Seed Funding Awards:

If an application is successful, the applicant will be asked to sign an acceptance form indicating adherence to the terms of the award. Upon receipt of this signed form, the ALIVE Hub team will make arrangements for transfer of funds awarded to the applicant’s home institution. This will necessitate a letter of agreement between the University of Melbourne and the applicant’s  institution, which will be provided directly to the institution’s research office by the University of Melbourne. The Centre Manager will coordinate this process with successful applicants.

Mid- Career Researcher PACE Awards:

In most instances the National Centre can coordinate the payments for travel, accommodation, courses, and workshops ahead. This will be discussed on award with applicants for the easiest approach for access to funds and support for capacity building.

7.    TIMELINE

8.    CONTACT

For all queries, please email alive-hub@unimelb.edu.au