The Aboriginal Cancer Research Grants support Aboriginal-led research teams and research projects to increase access to services and facilitate a health system that is responsive to the needs of Aboriginal people.
Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Up to $333,333
- Application opened: 8 October 2024
- Application closes: 4 November 2024, 12:00 pm
Program objective
The purpose of the Aboriginal Cancer Research Grant is to support the Closing the Gap Priority Reforms in guiding the system to implement changes that increase access to services and facilitate a health system that is responsive to the needs of Aboriginal people.
Grant applications must align with one or more of the following strategic directions as detailed in the NSW Aboriginal Health Plan:
- growing and supporting the Aboriginal health workforce
- providing holistic, integrated and person-centred care
- engaging health promotion, prevention and early intervention
- addressing the social, cultural, economic, political, commercial and planetary determinants of health
- strengthening monitoring, evaluation, research and knowledge translation.
Applications that target one or more of the following priority populations may be prioritised:
- young people
- Stolen Generations survivors and descendants
- people living with disabilities
- people living in regional and remote areas of NSW
- LQBTQI+ people
- incarcerated people
- older people
- Elders.
This grant will support:
- Aboriginal-led research teams
- research projects targeting the needs of Aboriginal people
- research projects across rural/remote, regional, and urban communities
- research projects that can sustain positive improvements.
This program is funded and administered by Cancer Institute NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Applicants must:
- Be employed in NSW
- Be endorsed by a registered Administering Institution
- Engage a Consortium of relevant service support partners
- Demonstrate appropriate Aboriginal representation in the development and delivery of grant
Be employed in NSW
Applicants must be employed at a university, hospital or major research institution located within NSW (may be located at more than one institution). The Administering Institution must also be located in NSW. Grant funding provided by the Cancer Institute NSW must be used toward research in NSW.
Be endorsed by a registered Administering Institution
Applications must nominate a single Administering Institution who will be responsible for the management of the grant and will enter into a Competitive Grants Agreement. The Administering Institution must have in place policies and procedures for the administration of public funds; for the management of Intellectual Property; and for proper conduct of research in relation to ethics. Additionally, the Administering Institution must have good scientific practice, and will provide appropriate infrastructure to allow the research supported by the grant to be undertaken.
The Administering Institution and their nominated institutional contact must be registered with the Cancer Institute NSW. Refer to the list of Registered Administering Institutions.
At the time of grant application submission, an Endorsement Letter from the Administering Institution Contact on an institutional letterhead must be included. (In the case of Local Health Districts, an Endorsement Letter must be signed off by the Director of the Cancer Service)
Engage a Consortium of relevant service support partners
Applicants must engage a consortium partnership composed of relevant service support partners. The consortium must include representatives from universities, cancer services, and Aboriginal Medical Services. Members will share Aboriginal cultural knowledge, cancer expertise, and/or project management experience, and demonstrate commitment to contributing to the NSW Closing the Gap Priority Reforms.
Demonstrate appropriate Aboriginal representation in the development and delivery of grant
An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person must be leading the research as the Chief Investigator (CI). The research team must be comprised of at least 25% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation.
Each application must demonstrate appropriate engagement with their local Aboriginal Community or Aboriginal Steering Committee and Aboriginal Medical Service/s across the development of the grant and its funding period.
What can’t you apply for
- Costs that are not directly associated with the implementation or delivery of the project.
Operating expenses such as rent, insurance, electricity, water, rates or funding towards the running of other programs within the organisation.
What your application needs to include
You can download the full guidelines:
File
Aboriginal Cancer Research Grants - Guidelines (PDF 580.33KB)File
Aboriginal Cancer Research Grants - application form (DOCX 2.83MB)
The Aboriginal Cancer Research Grant application form and additional required templates are available on the Cancer Institute NSW website.
Prepare a checklist
It is the responsibility of the Chief Investigator and Administering Institution to submit the following:
- completed application form
- completed budget template
- administering Institution Endorsement Letter (signed)
- CVs of all investigators (maximum of four pages per investigator)
- supporting documents if relevant (for example, letters of support, tables, figures, references).
Address the assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria based on the weighting below:
Significance (25%)
- Demonstration of the current cancer service gaps/needs within the nominated Aboriginal community.
- The potential to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people within the nominated Aboriginal community. (Applications that target one or more of the priority populations as noted in the NSW Aboriginal Health Plan and Section 1.1 may be prioritised)
- A feasible project plan (rationale, aims/objectives, design, methodology) with anticipated outcomes to accomplish the aims of the grant
- Alignment with one or more NSW Aboriginal Health Plan strategic directions
NSW Closing the Gap Alignment (25%)
The application demonstrates alignment with the NSW Cancer Plan, and at least three (3) of the NSW Closing the Gap and NSW Aboriginal Health Plan Priority Reform Areas as described below:
- Formal partnerships and shared decision making - Aboriginal people are empowered to share decision-making authority
- Building the Community Controlled sector - There is a strong and sustainable Aboriginal community-controlled sector delivering high quality services
- Transforming Government Organisations - Government entities are accountable for Closing the Gap and are culturally safe and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal people
- Shared access to data and information at a regional level - Aboriginal people have access to, and the capability to use, locally relevant data and information to set and monitor the implementation of efforts to Close the Gap
- Employment, business growth and economic prosperity - Aboriginal people are empowered to access pathways through education, training and employment that align with their aspirations, including the growth of Aboriginal businesses
Evaluation and Outcomes (25%)
- A clear process for monitoring the progress of the project, including achievable key milestones and outcome indicators that can be delivered during the grant
- The potential to impact on health service improvements
- The anticipated sustainability of improvements within the community (for example, education of local health workers, implementation of new processes/guidelines/policy, ability to leverage future funding)
Capability of the Consortium (25%)
- Inclusion of appropriate service support partners to contribute to the research project
- Justification of research team members and their contributions to the research project (including relevant professional qualifications, skills, knowledge, cultural perspectives, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research)
- A clear plan on how the research team will promote and sustain a collaborative approach for the duration of the grant funding
- Ability to undertake the proposed project in the grant timeframe
- Access to required resources to achieve project outcomes within the chosen community and within budget.
Start the application
The Aboriginal Cancer Research Grant application form and templates are available on the Cancer Institute NSW website.
Applications open 12pm, Tuesday 8 October 2024 and must be submitted via email to CINSW-Grants@health.nsw.gov.au by 12pm, Monday 4 November 2024.
An information session will be held 12.30pm – to 1.30pm, Wednesday 16 October 2024. Please follow the link to register for the session.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: The Cancer Institute NSW will consider all recommendations for funding by the Grants Review Committee. Once the Cancer Institute NSW’s Chief Executive has approved the awarding of the grant, all applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome.
An independent Grants Review Committee will review each application against the assessment criteria. The Committee will then convene to discuss and rank all applications, and to put forward recommendations for awarding of the grant.
Support and contact
Phone: 02 8374 3682
Email: CINSW-Grants@health.nsw.gov.au
Postal Address: Locked Bag 2030, St Leonards NSW 1590
Program evaluation
Successful grant applicants will be required to submit progress reports and financial acquittals as per Clauses 7 and 8 of the Institute’s Competitive Grants Agreement. Due dates will be specified in Schedule 1.
As part of the annual and final reporting process, grant holders will be required to indicate the status of project milestones and outcomes.
The final report will include questions to discuss if/how the grant achieved the purpose and objectives of the Aboriginal Cancer Research Grant.