Aim

The Brain and Mind Centre (BMC) seeks to propel research collaboration between researchers from faculties of Engineering, Arts and Social Sciences, Science, and Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, and the BMC. The BMC cross-faculty Engagement Collaborative Grant supports projects poised to tackle pressing real-world issues that impact brain and mind, that employ innovative approaches and fresh perspectives, viewing challenges through a multifaceted, multidisciplinary lens. The scheme is focused on projects that aim to leverage the cross-faculty collaboration to engage commercial or government partners.  

The scheme is open to University of Sydney researchers who are currently non-members of a BMC endorsed team, and/or strategically aligned research clinic or group supporting the achievement of research objectives of the endorsed teams, to ignite and lead cross-faculty, multidisciplinary teamwork by partnering with BMC teams. Lead applicants from disciplines such as Business, Education, Law and Engineering are encouraged to apply, with the view to leverage project outcomes for larger and diverse funding opportunities.

The BMC Engagement Collaborative Grant is endorsed by the BMC Executive Leadership Committee and provides an award of up to $20,000 in funding per award annually ($100,000 maximum total funding available against the scheme per calendar year) to successful applicants that meet the scheme’s objectives, funding, and eligibility requirements.

Applications are assessed in two streams to facilitate equitable access to the scheme for researchers across early and mid-career stages. 

Objectives

• Promote cross-faculty research excellence in brain and mind sciences at the University of Sydney.
• Leverage cross-faculty collaboration to engage commercial or government partners.
• Develop Brain and Mind Centre Early and Mid-Career Researchers (EMCR) into successful independent researchers.
• Develop a diverse, inclusive, and collegial community of EMCRs working in brain and mind sciences at the University of Sydney.

Key dates

Funding Criteria

Awards will be available to support a research project for the period until 31^st December 2025. From 2025, due to the University’s financial position, all funds awarded by internal support schemes must be expended by the award end-date. Project extension will not be possible beyond this date and the stipulated duration of the project, except in circumstances leading to career disruption*.

Awardees will access scheme funds on an auto-reimbursement model, meaning the full amount of the funds will not be transferred to the project PC upfront (excluding schemes such as student scholarships where a journal entry is required). 

Each month, funds matching the actual expenditure from the previous month will be transferred directly into the applicant’s account by auto-reimbursement. Hence, it is essential applicants provide a detailed budget outline in the application. Monthly funds expenditure will be tracked against this budget. The transfer of funds will cease when the awarded amount is reached or the 31^st of December of the year awarded, whichever comes first. 

Internal grant funds CAN be used for staffing within faculty (e.g., casuals, research assistants) under this auto-reimbursement model. Note, we strongly recommend you consult with Faculty and the Brain and Mind centre Administrative Services Unit in advance of making the application to the scheme, if human resources increase is anticipated and a consideration in the project budget for this is required. 

Funds are not eligible for salary support for an applicant and/or staff on an existing contract. A proportion of funds is eligible to support direct project-related travel as indicated in a single line budget item.

*Career disruption – a prolonged interruption to the ability to work due to pregnancy, illness/injury and/or carer responsibilities. 

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the scheme:

• Research must be led by an Early or Mid-Career Researcher who is employed by the University of Sydney or formally affiliated in accordance with the universities Honorary Titles policy (and will remain so for the duration for the project).
• Available to academics based in the University of Sydney faculties and are currently NOT a member of a BMC endorsed team and/or strategically aligned research clinics or groups supporting the achievement of research objectives of the endorsed teams (see Appendix 1 for full list of BMC endorsed teams), to collaborate on projects with researchers who ARE a member of a BMC endorsed team, focusing on research in brain and mind sciences.
• For early-career researchers, the applicant must hold a PhD and be less than 5 years post-doctoral (or equivalent opportunity) and hold an academic position at level A or B.
• For mid-career researchers, the applicant must hold a PhD and be less than 10 years post-doctoral.
• Proposed projects should be novel and independently led by an applicant, outside of any existing scope of work or research program led by applicant’s supervising senior investigator.
• Applicants must provide a letter of support from a sponsoring senior investigator, acknowledging project independence and its research output and outcomes attribution to an EMCR applicant.
• Research output enabled by the scheme must be primarily attributed to the Brain and Mind Centre.
• Research must be multi-disciplinary in scope and project team representation.
• Applicants must identify an external partner/s they would look to engage following the conclusion of the project and provide the rationale for their engagement and engagement strategy in the project plan. Applicants will be assessed against this criterion and the capacity of the project to form commercially viable partnerships.

Application Process

Only one application per applicant per round will be accepted. 

The application must include:

• Proof of PhD
• Proof of academic status at the University of Sydney.
• A letter of support from a sponsoring senior investigator who is a member of the endorsed BMC team, which also acknowledges that the proposed project will be new and independent from a sponsoring or supervising senior academic.
• A letter of support from supervising senior investigator in a home faculty. 
• Project Statement outlining how the project will foster:
  • EMCR’s independence,
  • build track record,
  • generate publication output, 
  • leverage funding opportunities from this award, identifying future targets, and clear impact statement (a description of research impact on policy, practice, society or other real-world areas), if relevant. 
• Project Plan including a project title, aims and significance, research plan, methods and techniques, identify a potential external partner to engage following the conclusion of the project and provide rationale for their engagement and engagement strategy.
• Project Budget and Resource Justification that includes budget outline covering the cost of the project, including any procurement strategy if required, a justification of the direct costs, and, if applicable, any assignment of labour resource and demonstration of it being in place (e.g., investigator time on the project or an honours student).
• Applicant Track Record to include an overall summary of publications and citations and impact factors, listing up to five top publications and providing an outline of the impact of the applicant's work, any awards received and, if applicable, any career interruptions to demonstrate performance relative to opportunity.

The project will have a single lead investigator (the applicant) and list a BMC team member as co-investigator within the project. For support to engage with BMC team members, please contact Oksana Markovych oksana.markovych@sydney.edu.au.

If relevant, declare any conflicts of interest with your application. For more information, please refer to the University of Sydney Intranet via Conflict of Interests - Intranet - The University of Sydney.

Assessment Criteria

Applications will be assessed in two streams: early-career and mid-career researchers will be considered equally.  

Awards will be assessed according to the following criteria: 

1. Scientific merit of the project and alignment to the Brain and Mind Centre strategic objectives (as per appendix 2). This criterion will consider the significance, feasibility, and collaborative potential of the proposed project. 
2. Academic/Research Excellence of the Investigator (applicant). This will be demonstrated by the applicant’s track record relative to the opportunity with specific attention to quality of publications, relevance of publications to proposed project, and receipt of peer reviewed awards or other measures of esteem. 
3. Capacity of the proposed project to leverage external partnerships. This will be demonstrated in the significance of the project, proposed publication strategy, identified prospective external partner and capacity for the project to form commercially viable partnerships, alignment to current national funding opportunities and impact of research as related to the work proposed in the project.
4. Environment. This will be demonstrated through sponsor endorsement, existing infrastructure, and an appropriate business case (budget and resource justification) for the proposed project. 

The awards will be assessed by the Brain and Mind Centre Awards Committee, which will make a recommendation to the Brain and Mind Centre Executive Leadership Committee for endorsement. Reporting Process

Successful applicants will be required to submit the below reports tobrainandmind.info@sydney.edu.au by deadlines indicated accordingly:

1. 6-month interim progress report, including any request for variation to project agreement, is to be submitted by 3^rd November 2025 (a template will be provided).
2. Annual report for completion to be submitted by 30^th January 2026 (a template will be provided).
3. A scheme evaluation will be completed 1 year post project end date.