Screen Use and Addiction Research Fund

Screen Fund Scholarships

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The Department of Education will provide Australian public universities with the opportunity to award Screen Fund Scholarships to PhD candidates researching screen-related topics.

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Key information

  • Status: Closed
  • Grant amount: Up to $10,000
  • Application opened: 31 July 2024
  • Application closed: 31 August 2024, 6:00 pm

Program objective

The Screen Use and Addiction Research Fund will support research into the impacts of problematic screen use. 

The aim of the fund is to build a quality evidence base of screen use effects in NSW schools to inform future policy development and practice by funding research that:

  • proposes a worthwhile contribution to the screen use evidence through novel research
  • through research, develops and trials new ideas or practices to assist teachers or priority populations
  • foregrounds student voice.

Universities will administer the Screen Fund Scholarships in the form of a top-up to Commonwealth Research Training Program (RTP) stipends.

This program is funded and administered by Department of Education.

Eligibility

  • Scholarships are open to PhD candidates at Australian public universities (the administering organisation).
  • Research projects listed in the administering organisation’s expression of interest (EOI) must be led by a PhD candidate who is:
    • enrolled at the administering organisation
    • in receipt of RTP funding throughout 2025 
  • Identified research projects listed in the EOI must address one of the Statements of Opportunity. 
  • Research projects must have ethics approval or be likely to receive ethics approval from an NHMRC-registered human research ethics committee.
  • The administering organisation must ensure that the researcher(s) can apply through NSW State Education Research and Partnerships (SERAP) or can submit evidence of SERAP approval. The department will not fund proposed research if a SERAP application is not approved.
  • As part of their SERAP application, we may ask researchers to complete a Research Protocol/Data Analysis Plan and to preregister their projects with the Open Science Framework (OSF).

Who can apply

Australian public universities with PhD students researching screen-related topics.

Types of projects funded under this grant

Overarching research priority

The focus of the fund is to unpack the predictors, causes and effects of screen overuse in NSW schools, understand effective intervention practice, build a quality evidence base, and inform future policy development to transform lives through learning.

Schools will be able to use the evidence generated to confidently apply device use policies and teaching practices, while parents, carers and children will be better supported to make healthy screen-related choices.

This fund supports the department's commitment to strengthening student wellbeing and development and delivering outstanding leadership, teaching and learning through evidence-informed approaches.

Research outcomes and resources will be made accessible to parents, carers and teachers through a data and research hub.

We have developed two statements of opportunity and several associated research questions that highlight where we most need research evidence to support our policy goals.

Statement 1

We require research that investigates the effects of screen use for learning in schools and at home on students’ learning and behaviour outcomes.

Statement 2

We require research that investigates the effects on students of problematic and addictive screen use outside of school hours.

Read the Statements of Opportunity in full.

What your application needs to include

You can download the full guidelines and funding deed:

Visit the Application forms and guidelines page on the NSW Department of Education website.
 

1

Prepare your application with this checklist

Before submitting its EOI, a university will need the following:

  • A list of eligible Screen Fund Scholarship candidates
  • A brief description of each candidate's research project, including how it aligns to the Screen Fund Statements of Opportunity (300 words per project).
2

Address the eligibility criteria

  • The aim of the Screen Fund is to build the evidence base of screen use effects in NSW schools to inform future policy development and practice by funding research that:
    • through research, develops useful interventions or tools to assist education settings
    • proposes a worthwhile contribution to the screen use evidence through novel research
    • foregrounds student voice.
  • Scholarships are open to PhD candidates at Australian public universities (the administering organisation).
  • Research projects listed in the administering organisation’s expression of interest (EOI) must be led by a PhD candidate who is:
    • enrolled at the administering organisation
    • in receipt of RTP funding throughout 2025.

Eligibility criteria

The Statements of Opportunity are:

  1. We require research that investigates the effects of screen use for learning in schools and at home on students’ learning and behaviour outcomes.
  2. We require research that investigates the effects on students of problematic and addictive screen use outside of school hours.
     
  • Research projects must have ethics approval or be likely to receive ethics approval from an NHMRC-registered human research ethics committee.
  • The administering organisation must ensure that the researcher(s) can apply through NSW State Education Research and Partnerships (SERAP) or can submit evidence of SERAP approval. The department will not fund proposed research if a SERAP application is not approved.
  • As part of their SERAP application, we may ask researchers to complete a Research Protocol/Data Analysis Plan and to preregister their projects with the Open Science Framework (OSF).
     
3

Address the assessment criteria

The research projects listed in the EOI will be assessed according to the following criteria:

Alignment to the Screen Fund Statements of Opportunity.

  • Clearly defined project description that addresses one or both of the Statements of Opportunity.
  • Demonstrated understanding of the project requirements and the extent to which the expected outcome(s) will effectively address the project scope and deliver the project objectives.

The department reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, to adopt any strategy in assessing EOIs received.

The department may choose not to award funding under this program.

Start the application

EOIs for this round of Scholarships close at 6PM AEST on Saturday 31 August 2024.

To apply, universities need to send an email to screenfund@det.nsw.edu.au with the subject line “Screen Use and Addiction Research Fund Scholarship EOI”. 

The email needs to contain the following information:

  • a list of eligible Screen Fund Scholarship candidates
  • a brief description of each candidate’s research project, including how it aligns to the Screen Fund Statements of Opportunity (300 words per project).

EOIs must be sent by the research office (or equivalent) of the administering organisation.

Late EOIs will not be accepted.

After the application is submitted

Successful applications will be decided by: Screen Use and Addiction Research Fund selection panel.

The Screen Use and Addiction Research Fund selection panel will:

  1. Assess and rank grant EOIs according to each PhD candidate’s eligibility and selection criteria; and
  2. Negotiate with universities as to which candidates, if any, should receive grants.

The panel will assess each EOI on a competitive basis relative to the criteria and other candidates.

The department reserves the right to exclude particular research projects and/or PhD candidates listed within a successful EOI from receiving funding.

Successful applicants will be notified in October and November 2024.

Support and contact

Phone: +61459928881

Email: screenfund@det.nsw.edu.au

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