Applying and submitting a proposal

Application submission – competitive research grants

Applications for external competitive research grants from UQ researchers are submitted through the Research Office in UQ Research and Innovation (UQ R&I). With the exception of major funding agency grant rounds, such as Australian Research Council (ARC) and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), draft applications should be submitted to the Research Office (contacts available here) at least 10 working days before the external funding body closing date.

The internal submission timeframe allows for central checking of core eligibility and compliance, and for required institutional certifications and submission to be arranged. Also, where relevant to the scheme, efforts will be made by the Research Office team to provide any other grantsmanship suggestions and feedback that may add value to the proposal.

Your application must be accompanied by a completed and signed UQ Funding Application Certification (UQ FAC) (DOTX, 71.1 KB). This requirement is formalised in the University’s policy on the Administration of Research Funding. Where relevant to the funding scheme in question, a completed UQ Costing and Pricing Tool should also be included with the internal submission.

While some funding bodies allow or even mandate direct online submission of proposals, applicants are still required to provide formal notification of the submission to the Research Office. For staff, notification involves providing the Grants Officer with the final submission version of the application and a completed and signed UQ FAC. No prior commitment, oral or written, may be entered into by Schools/Centres/Institutes or individual staff on behalf of the University.

HDR students applying for external scholarships must notify the UQ Graduate School of submission.

Proposal submission - contract research

A completed and signed UQ Funding Application Certification (DOTX, 71.1 KB) and a completed UQ Costing and Pricing Tool are required to accompany contract research proposals or executed research-industry contracts for research projects. Research Partnerships Managers are able to assist researchers with queries related to intellectual property and have a vital role throughout the contract negotiation process.

Application resources

The following resources will help you prepare your grant proposal: 

• Budget preparation
• Definition of research
• Faculty and institute research liaisons
• Funding application certification (DOTX, 71.1 KB)
• UQ R&I Library of Successful Grants
• Institutional reporting
• UQ Research Policies
• National innovation and science agenda
• Presentations and slides
• Research classification codes
• UQ Indirect Costs Variation Register
• UQ Library research services
• UQ Research Partnership Managers

UQ Competitive Grants Register (UQCGR)