Opportunities Fund

Future Earth Australia (FEA) recognizes the importance of supporting early-career researchers and professionals (ECRPs) as the future leaders of sustainability. The Opportunities Fund promotes interdisciplinary capabilities and cross-institutional collaboration between ECRPs.

About the Fund

The Opportunities Fund offers two levels of support:

• Seizing Opportunities grants: small bursary grants (A$200 – $1,000) to harness an existing opportunity.
• Creating Opportunities grants: medium-sized competitive grants (A$1,000 – $5,000) to generate or build an opportunity for collaboration.

All applications are assessed by the FEA Secretariat and/or FEA Steering Committee members, including ECRP representatives. This program is generously supported by Grander's Trust.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be employed in or volunteering in the sustainability or environment sector (including creative arts) as a researcher or professional. This includes Honours and Masters students, PhD candidates, government or not-for-profit employees, and community group or private sector employees.
• Early-career is defined as the first 15 years of career, excluding any career breaks.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, or other First Nations peoples working in the broader environment sector are encouraged to apply.
• For Creating Opportunities grants, the Principal Investigator/team leader must be an ECRP from one of the following institutions: Australian National University, Griffith University, RMIT, University of the Sunshine Coast, Monash University, University of Sydney, Western Sydney University, or CSIRO. Other collaborators may come from anywhere, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.

Seizing Opportunities Grants

Applications for Seizing Opportunities grants require:

• Your CV as an attachment.
• The amount of funds sought (A$200 – $1,000).
• The purpose and use of the funds (e.g., travel, registration for a conference, skills development, publishing costs).
• How the funds will benefit your skills, career development, research prospects, or knowledge in your field(s).
• How the opportunity aligns with FEA’s mission to establish an interconnected platform of expertise and innovation for sustainability challenges.

Examples of use include:

• Travel or registration to a conference or professional event.
• Skills development (e.g., media training, mangrove monitoring, SCUBA course).
• Publishing or production costs of an artwork communicating sustainability solutions.

Applications are assessed on the demonstrated value of the bursary to professional development and alignment with FEA’s mission.

Creating Opportunities Grants

Creating Opportunities grants must align with the outcomes or recommendations of one of FEA’s three Decadal Plans:

• Sustainable Cities and Regions: 10-year strategy to enable urban systems transformation.
• Sustainable Oceans and Coasts National Strategy 2021-2030.
• A National Strategy for Just Adaptation – Reimagining climate adaptation.

Collaborations across disciplines, institutions, cultures, experiences, and knowledges are highly favored. Applications are assessed using the following criteria:

• Alignment with one or more of FEA’s National Strategies (Just Adaptation, Oceans and Coasts, Urban Sustainability).
• Demonstrated cross-institutional or transdisciplinary collaboration.
• Team lead from an FEA member institution.
• Potential outcomes of the activity.

Funds can support research projects, creative outputs, symposia, workshop events, or published materials. They may serve as starter funds to leverage other sources or augment existing collaborative programs.

Reporting Requirements

Successful applicants must submit a brief report detailing the outcomes of their activity within 12 months of receiving funds. Any publication or communications resulting from funded activities must acknowledge Future Earth Australia and Grander’s Trust.

Note: Applications for both Seizing Opportunities and Creating Opportunities grants are currently closed.