Research News & Funding Opportunities

DECRA Workshops – 9 & 16 December
Call for Expressions of Interest for Graduate Representative, U21 PGR Community of Practice – due 15 December
The Hokkaido – Melbourne Joint Research Workshops Fund -close 3 February 2026
Call for joint PhD projects with KU Leuven University, Belgium – close 6 February 2026
National Industry PhD Program – EoI due 16 February 2026.
FAPESP SPRINT Call – closed 23 February 2026

Contact foe-research@unimelb.edu.au if you are interested in attending or applying to these announcements below.

1. DECRA Workshops

MERI is hosting a few DECRA workshops this year. All ECRs who are interested in learning about the ARC DECRA scheme and would like the opportunity to pitch their project ideas to Prof Kate Reynolds and Prof Julie McLeod are welcome to attend. Please contact foe-research@unimelb.edu.au if you are interested

Workshop 1 – MERI: Setting the Scene and Introduction to DECRA 2027 – Tuesday 9 December, 2pm-3pm.

Venue – Meeting room level 8 (Room 814-815) or Zoom – https://unimelb.zoom.us/j/87509249837?pwd=CK1kqub0oekbP0xD1SPVOZv1EcFJeU.1&from=addon

This workshop will provide applicants with:

Key information about the DECRA scheme, including important guideline requirements, preparation steps before applying, general eligibility rules, and an overview of MERI/RIC processes.

Workshop 2 – DECRA project Pitch with Kate Reynolds and Julie McLeod – Tuesday 16 December, 11:30am – 1pm. Please contact MERI if you are interested in the session.

In this session, we would like our DECRA applicants to have the opportunity to pitch their research ideas or summaries to Kate Reynolds and Julie McLeod. Please note that this will be an open pitch (in person or via Zoom), where other applicants will also hear about your projects and the feedback.

From this session, applicants will:

Present their research ideas or summaries for 5–7 minutes (with or without slides)
Receive constructive verbal feedback from Kate and Julie
Have the opportunity to ask questions

2. Call for Expressions of Interest for Graduate Representative, U21 PGR Community of Practice – due 15 December

What is the U21 PGR Community of Practice?

U21 PGR Community of Practice is an international group of graduate researchers from Universitas 21 member faculties/schools of education. Our purpose is to provide opportunities for professional networking, collaborative research, and career development. We organize events at Universitas 21 (U21) member institutions and at international conferences to promote global understanding of key educational issues.

Purpose of the Role

The Graduate Representative would represent their institution within U21 PGR CoP for a 2-year term. Within this leadership role, they would be responsible for planning, developing, and implementing strategies to grow the scope and reach of the U21 PGR CoP in alignment with the goals of the CoP. For this next cycle, one of our key areas of focus will be enhancing PGR competencies in creating research impact.

Key Responsibilities

The Graduate Representative’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Partnership: Work directly with the Co-Chairs and Deputy Chair to plan, develop, and execute all group activities (e.g., webinars, in-person events, online engagement, social media).
Liaison & Reporting: Attend bimonthly meetings to assist with any required reporting and to carry out PGR CoP’s ideas and vision to their respective institutions.
Communication: Work across cultures and time zones to disseminate information about U21 PGR CoP opportunities and events to appropriate groups across the U21 network and local institutions.
Approximately 8-10 hours per month.

Will be submitting an abstract and attending the British Educational Research Association (BERA) in September 2026.

If you are interested in applying, please address the following criteria in your EOI:

CV
In 200 words why you would be good in this role

Send EOIs to bblaher@unimelb.edu.au

3. The Hokkaido – Melbourne Joint Research Workshops Fund

The University of Melbourne and the University of Hokkaido aim to support the development of new collaborations through joint research workshops. Up to four joint workshops will receive funding, with two to be held at Hokkaido and two at Melbourne. It is expected that these initial projects will lead to long-term research collaborations, and where applicable, generate publications, exhibitions, and/or applications to external funding for ongoing collaboration.
Project proposals are open to all research areas.
Applications close on 3 February 2026.

More information: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/7sne
Contact: res-devschemes@unimelb.edu.au 

4. Call for joint PhD projects with KU Leuven University, Belgium – close 6 February 2026

Call for joint PhD projects with KU Leuven University, Belgium

The Universities of KU Leuven and Melbourne are calling for joint PhD project proposals from supervisors in all faculties and research areas. Successful applications will receive fully funded scholarships to recruit and support two joint PhD candidates, along with funds and support for collaborative research activities, such as workshops and travel.

Up to ten proposals will be funded, with each application supporting two joint PhD projects. The supervisory teams must comprise of two Principal Investigators (PIs) – one from KU Leuven and one from Melbourne – who both have the capacity to serve as principal supervisors for two jointly enrolled candidates. Visit the scheme website for more details.

Applications close on 6 February 2026.

More Information: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/f9di
Contact: res-devschemes@unimelb.edu.au

5. National Industry PhD Program – EoI due by 16 February 2026

Chancellery (Research & Enterprise) is pleased to invite Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for the next round of the National Industry PhD Program grant.

Key Dates:

Application materials are made available when a fully approved EoI form is submitted to Chancellery vis SmartyGrants. Approved EoI forms must be received by 16 February 2026. Complete applications are due by 1 March 2026.

Who can apply for this grant?

Academic staff who are employed by the University beyond the expected submission date of the PhD project and who are eligible to supervise graduate researchers per University policy. Honorary appointees are not eligible to apply but can participate in the supervision of candidates if registered to do so.

Tips for success:

Seek the support of your school and faculty to confirm that resources and funding will be available if the grant application is successful.
Take ownership of the grant application and manage industry/student expectations. Successful projects require a research contract.
Notify your faculty research office and seek advice on research matters such as costing and budgets, ethics, risk assessments, and foreign influence. Declare any conflicts of interest.
Consult your graduate research office for enrolment and scholarship advice to be confident that any prospective students you identify can be supported.

General Information and EoI form: Research Gateway (login required)

Questions? Contact the Graduate Research Industry team at gr-internships@unimelb.edu.au

6. FAPESP SPRINT Call – closed 23 February 2026

FAPESP announces the first call for proposals in 2025 for the SPRINT modality – São Paulo Researchers in International Collaboration.

The modality aims to promote the engagement of researchers linked to higher education and research institutions in the state of São Paulo with partner researchers abroad to qualitatively advance ongoing research projects and work cooperatively towards the development of medium and long-term joint research projects.

Proposals must be submitted to FAPESP exclusively through SAGe (fapesp.br/sage).

The call for proposals is published at: fapesp.br/sprint/chamada2025.