Career Support and Travel Grants 2023

Career Support and Travel Grants 2023

Applications for Round two of Travel Grant 2023 are now CLOSED!

JDRF is pleased to announce the award recipients for the 2023 Career Support and Travel Grants’ Round 2:

1. Bree Tillet – The University of Queensland
2. Ying Ying Wong – The University of Adelaide
3. Mai Thao Tran – Monash University
4. Thomas King – UNSW Sydney
5. Dale Morrison – The University of Melbourne
6. David de George – St Vincent’s Institute
7. John Karas – The University of Melbourne

 

Congratulations to all the successful applicants. 

 

Background on Travel Grant
JDRF continues to support excellence in research and clinical care in type 1 diabetes (T1D) through advancing the impact of T1D research in Australia.

JDRF is inviting applications for the Career Support and Travel Grant Round 2, 2023. The aims of the Career Support and Travel Grant are to support the next generation of T1D research and clinical care by enabling early- to mid-career researchers and allied health professionals to gain new skills, exchange knowledge, and establish connections and collaborations. Applicants will be able to apply for support for the purpose of furthering their researcher expertise in the area of T1D and enhancing their career development. This grant allows researchers to:

a) Participate in national and international scientific conferences and forums that are either held virtually or in person.

b) Visiting a laboratory to undertake training in order to learn a new skill and/or technique with a host institution or the industry.

c) Participate in a short training course that enhances the researcher’s career development in the areas including, but not limited to:

• Research management
• Leadership and team management
• Grant writing
• Effective networking & communication with academic and non-academic audiences
• Media and presentation training

Applicants are encouraged to consult JDRF prior to submitting their application.

Please note: Oral presentations and travel incorporating lab visits or short training course will be considered a higher priority for funding.

Applications submitted must fit into one of the following three (3) categories:

Early-Stage Researcher Career Support and Travel Grant

This category is designed to support medical or science graduates in the early stages of their research careers. Applicants in this category must be current PhD students, or not more than five years post-doctoral from submission deadline. Applicants must be committed to the mission of JDRF in finding cures and improving lives for those living with T1D, and need to demonstrate the relevance of their research in one of the following areas:

Artificial pancreas; complications; metabolic control; prevention; beta-cell regeneration; beta cell replacement; immunotherapies. Research outside these areas may be considered if they show a strong relevance to an unmet need in T1D research.

Mid-Career Researcher Career Support and Travel Grant

This category is designed to support mid-career medical or science researchers. Applicants in this category must be more than five years post-doctoral (as of the current Career Support and Travel Grant round deadline) and up to and not inclusive of an Associate Professor level with no other access to travel funding. Applicants must be committed to the mission of JDRF to find cures and improve the lives of those with T1D, and need to demonstrate the relevance of their research in one of the following areas:

Artificial pancreas; complications; metabolic control; prevention; beta-cell regeneration; beta cell replacement; immunotherapies. Research outside these areas may be considered if they show a strong relevance to an unmet need in T1D research.

Allied-Health/Nursing Career Support and Travel Grant

This category is designed to support allied health or nursing professionals, or students enrolled in a post-graduate program, whose work/research will impact the lives of people with T1D, their carers, and families. The applicant must be committed to the mission of JDRF to find cures and improve the lives of those with T1D.

The term ‘allied-health’ refers to health professionals usually considered part of the diabetes management team i.e., diabetes educators, dieticians, psychologists, social workers, and podiatrists. In addition, other allied health professionals who are considered relevant to the management of T1D such as exercise physiologists, occupational therapists, and pharmacists, will also be considered.

NB: Allied health professionals should apply under this category only, irrespective of whether they are undertaking basic and/or laboratory research.

Funding

• Up to $1,000 for virtual conferences and short training courses
• Up to $2,000 for domestic travel within Australia
• Up to $4,000 for international travel

Eligibility

Applicants must be:

• Undertaking research and/or working in an area relevant to T1D
• Affiliated with an Australian University or Institution
• Currently residing in Australia
• Either presenting at a meeting/conference, visiting a lab or participating in a short training course
• Attending between 01 May 2023 and 31 October 2023
• Engaged with Australian Diabetes research for more than 12 months, however if this does not apply, contact Serena Radano at travelgrants@jdrf.org.au to discuss.

Applicants must not:

Apply for two consecutive Career Support and Travel Grant rounds in any given calendar year.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be peer-reviewed by a panel based on the following criteria:

• Scientific merit
• Relevance of research and/or work
• Applicant career experience and development trajectory.

 

Application

Applications must be submitted by 5pm AEST/AEDT, Monday 03 April 2023 using the application form and structured in the following order:

1. Application Summary – Please complete all fields within the application form.
2. Non-technical Description – (2 pages maximum) that is easy to understand and appropriate for an audience who may have a connection to T1D, but not necessarily have scientific expertise.
   1. What is your research project?
   2. How will your research improve the lives of people with T1D?
   3. How will your travel or training assist your research?
3. How will your travel or training assist with your career development?

NB: Short Training Course applicants need to clearly justify how the proposed training will advance their career development.

Evidence of Confirmation

• Scientific meetings: this will include submitted abstract, invitation to present and copy of registration. If your abstract has not been accepted at time of application, please notify JDRF immediately upon receiving confirmation of acceptance.
• Lab visits: confirmation from the institution hosting the visit
• Short training courses: confirmation of course registration and acceptance

NB: If your application is successful, payment will not be made until the confirmation detailed above is submitted to JDRF.

• Curriculum Vitae – 3-pages maximum. Please limit all information provided to that requested within the application form.
• Budget – (not to exceed $1,000 for virtual conferences, training and meetings and $2,000 if travel is within Australia) and details of any other sources for travel funds must be declared. If funds are received from other sources, please notify JDRF immediately.
  Expenses eligible for support include any business-related travel expenses including conference registration, visas, economy class airfare, airport & conference transfers, reasonably priced accommodation.
• Letter of support – 1-page limit. A letter of support from one supervisor commenting on your work, commitment to T1D research, and the scientific benefits of the travel.
• Career disruption (if applicable) – 200 words maximum limit describing any career disruptions (parental leave, extended carer’s leave and any significant illness) within the last 5 years, including dates, reason for disruption, Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of disruption.
• Certification – Both the Applicant and their Institution’s Research Administration Office must complete and sign this section. Scanned signatures and/or electronic signatures are acceptable.

JDRF may decline applications that do not meet any of the above requirements. Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted without prior discussion with JDRF staff. For any further information, please email Serena Radano on travelgrants@jdrf.org.au or by phone (02) 8364 0243.

Reporting

If successful, applicants will be notified and will be sent a one-page report template that must be submitted to travelgrants@jdrf.org.au within 4 weeks after all travel has been completed. Failure to submit the report within the timeframe may affect the eligibility of future applications.