Internal grants and fellowships
Our internal fellowships and grants seed new initiatives and partnerships, and allow researchers to push the bounds of their discipline.
These fellowships are intended to empower up to 40 of the world's best and brightest emerging academics to undertake innovative research that will build our understanding of, and resilience to climate change, improve health outcomes, and create a more sustainable world.
Read more about the Sydney Horizon Fellowships here.
Contact: horizon.fellowships@sydney.edu.au
The University of Sydney funds three categories of Research excellence and inclusion prizes for employees. They include:
- Thompson - aims to promote and enhance the careers of academic women. They are offered to academic and research-only women employed by the University of Sydney at levels C or D.
- Brown - offered to researchers whose careers have been interrupted by the undertaking of sustained primary caring duties and provide relief from routine teaching and administrative responsibilities, and research-only staff with funding for technical assistance for up to two semesters
- Laffan - named in honour of Mr Matt Laffan, Sydney alumnus and colourful character in Sydney's legal fraternity who battled a rare genetic disorder and inspired Australians with his zest for life. These are offered to university researchers who have, or have experienced, a significant disability, and aims to assist recipients re-establish or enhance their academic research careers.
More detailed information is provided on the intranet (unikey required).
Contact: researcher.development@sydney.edu.au
Available to University of Sydney employees, the following opportunities are available for industry engagement:
- Proof-of-Concept Fund Provides critical financial support for research projects with the potential to be translated to industry or to spin out into a new venture, including not-for-profit or social/cultural enterprises.
Contact: commercialisation@sydney.edu.au - PERIscope Commercialisation Award To refine and validate the market potential of research, identify and accelerate spinout and licensing opportunities, grow networks of industry partners, and build individual commercial skills and entrepreneurial mindsets.
Contact: jane.cockburn@sydney.edu.au at the Sydney Knowledge Hub - External Research Collaboration Seed Funding Aims to promote and increase the University’s external research engagement by supporting engagement with industry, government and/or community partner organisations.
Contact: research.support@sydney.edu.au
The Ignition Grants support researchers from the University of Sydney and its strategic partner universities to facilitate collaborative projects that develop multidisciplinary innovative research to create academic and societal impact. Projects that address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are highly encouraged.
These grants are designed to provide researchers, in particular early- and mid-career researchers, with the opportunity to work with our strategic partners in developing joint research projects. Preference is given to teams which include PhD or masters by research students, postdocs, early- and mid-career researchers and researchers on sabbatical leave, rather than one-to-one research projects.
It is expected that all funded projects will evolve into larger scale projects, sustained by leveraging external funding.
The number of projects selected and funding available varies between partnerships. Funds are available for 12 months, and the amounts awarded range between AUD $20,000 to AUD $40,000 per project.
Contact: Office of Global and Research Engagement (ip.ipdf@sydney.edu.au)
The SDG collaboration program is a sustainability strategy funding initiative for collaborative research projects that address the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Up to eight proposals will be funded. Each successful proposal will receive up to AUD 150,000. Funding is available from 30 March 2024 until 31 December 2024.
Proposals are open to academic staff of all disciplines at the University of Sydney and its affiliated Research Centres and Institutes. Proposals must involve collaborative research teams from the University of Sydney and international partners. Preference is for University strategic partner universities or network partners. Proposals should be sustainable in the long-term, with a plan for engagement that includes leveraging external funding and publication outputs.
Contact: Office of Global Engagement (ip.ipdf@sydney.edu.au)
The University of Sydney and the University of Glasgow Ignition Grants 2024 have been established to facilitate joint initiatives that align with the two universities’ strategic priorities and develop multi-disciplinary innovative research that creates academic and societal impact.
In this round, up to four proposals will be funded (with one Chief Investigator from the University of Sydney and one from the University of Glasgow). The average award for a successful proposal will be AUD $25,000 (£12,995 approx) from each institution for a total award of AUD $50,000 (£25,991 approx).
Proposals should be sustainable in the long-term with a plan for engagement that includes leveraging external funding and publication outputs.
For more information on the Glasgow Ignition Grants - click here.
Contact: Office of Global and Research Engagement (ip.ipdf@sydney.edu.au)