Research News & Funding Opportunities
- Research Development Funding Scheme 2026 – closes TODAY at 5pm. Late applications will not be accepted
- Disability and Inclusive Seed Funding Project 2026 – closes TODAY at 5pm . Late applications will not be accepted
- Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Australia Awards Fellowships Round 21 – Internal EoIs due 11:59pm Thursday 4 December
- 2025/26 KU Leuven – University of Melbourne Joint PhD Call – close 6 February 2026
1. Research Development Funding Scheme 2026 – closes TODAY at 5pm
https://ricunimelb.smartygrants.com.au/FoERDS2_DEC_2025
The Scheme’s primary objectives are to:
Align with Advancing Melbourne 2030 and the Faculty Strategic
Foster a diverse and inclusive academic community with a strong research culture
Support FoE researchers to progress their research capabilities and outputs
Seed new areas of discovery
Expand established programs of research
Build new or existing collaborations into a competitive larger-scale proposition for major external research sources
Enhance research impact through new partnerships and applied outcomes
2. Disability and Inclusive Seed Funding Project 2026 – closes TODAY at 5pm
https://ricunimelb.smartygrants.com.au/FoE-DI-2026
The Disability and Inclusive Seed Funding Projects must:
- Be driven by the priorities of people with disability
- Have a practical outcome
- Be interdisciplinary
- Involve strong partnerships with people with disability and/or disability advocacy organisations
- Have a pathway to further research and funding
3. Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Australia Awards Fellowships Round 21 – Internal EoIs due 11:59pm Thursday 4 December
| Funding News for Bella Blaher Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Australia Awards Fellowships Round 21 Internal EoIs due 11:59pm Thursday 4 December The DFAT Australia Awards Fellowships is a competitive grants program providing short-term development opportunities in Australia that develop influential networks to advance development outcomes in eligible partner countries by: – increasing the capacity of mid-career and senior officials in the region who are positioned to lead priority development and foreign affairs outcomes in partnership with Australia – developing and strengthening institutional partnerships and people-to people links across the region and beyond between Australian and overseas counterpart organisations. The sponsor accepts up to six applications per institution and an internal EOI shortlisting process will be required, coordinated by RIC International. UoM researchers can apply to host a fellow. To be considered for this opportunity, please send an email to ric-international@unimelb.edu.au including the following information by 11:59pm, Thursday 4 Dec. Cayuse proposal number Project title International collaborators (including which priority country) Development priority area being addressed – only choose ONE Project summary (250 words max) Whether the proposed activity is classified as research – This info is requested for resource planning rather than eligibility/competitiveness Due to the popularity of this scheme and end of year pressures, late EOIs will not be accepted and no extensions granted. Applicants are limited to submitting one EOI as lead CI but may participate as non-lead on other proposals. Further information about this opportunity and UoM requirements can be found on Pivot RP. Please also study the guidelines, especially the eligibility rules for fellows. Contact for enquries: ric-international@unimelb.edu.au |
4. 2025/26 KU Leuven – University of Melbourne Joint PhD Call close 6 February 2026
Applications are now open for joint PhD projects with KU Leuven University, Belgium.
The Universities of KU Leuven and Melbourne are calling for joint PhD project proposals. Up to 10 joint research projects will be established for 2025/26, each supporting two PhD candidates. Successful applications will receive scholarship funding to support the two joint PhD candidates, along with funds for collaborative research activities, such as workshops and travel.
The call is open to supervisors in all research areas. Students recruited by the successful teams will be jointly supervised by the Melbourne and KU Leuven Principal Investigators (PIs) and enrolled at both institutions. Upon completion, the candidates will be eligible to graduate with two testamurs/parchments – one from each University.
For more information, please see the scheme’s Guidelines attached, and consult the RDS scheme webpage. Applications close on Friday 6 February 2026, 5:00pm AEDT (Melbourne) / 7:00am CEST (Brussels). PIs from Melbourne and KU Leuven should submit one jointly-prepared proposal in English via SmartyGrants. KU Leuven PIs must also register the application with their institution