The Enhancing Gender Justice through Transdisciplinary Research grants will sponsor Working Groups of multi-disciplinary researchers. These teams will conduct research projects with the promise to redress gender injustice in a novel, effective and evidence-informed way, supporting advocacy and informing policy.

We will fund up to two Working Group projects in this round, with the expectation to fund two more in our final round of funding in 2026.

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Round 2 is now open and closes on 31 July 2025 

• Projects will run for 12-24 months and must commence within 6 months of award.
• Round 2 projects must be completed by March 2028.
• Applicants may request up to $60,000 AUD in Round 2.
• Outcomes will be notified by 15 September 2025.

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Background: The Gender Institute’s funding for Working Groups

The Gender Institute has a dual mission: to connect ANU researchers’ work on gender and sexuality in research, education, and outreach; and to promote innovative research and programs that address gender inequalities. We are committed to changing society by translating our academically rigorous research into action.

Our Working Group projects, first established in 2021, have been incubators for fresh perspectives on gender justice developed through transdisciplinary research. With a focus on seed-funding unconventional teams pursuing innovative research, community engagement, and policy influence, our transdisciplinary Working Groups encourage ‘big-picture’ thinking and build capacity to solve persistent problems of gender justice in areas of concern to Australia, our neighbours in Asia and the Pacific and internationally. We have a proud history of supporting and promoting impactful, interdisciplinary research that empowers women, girls, gender-diverse, and LGBTQI+ communities.

Call for applications

Building on the successes of our current Working Groups program, we invite our Gender Institute members to develop high-potential projects, in areas of concern to Australia, such as gender justice and climate change, combatting gender-based violence, and women’s health and care-work. The Gender Institute will select outstanding projects that enhance community engagement and collaboration with policymakers and advocates. The Working Groups will demonstrate a clear vision for translating research findings into action, and for ensuring effective dissemination.

Each Working Group will typically comprise between four and ten researchers. The team will use a transdisciplinary approach to research, to bring into focus key issues that have fallen through the cracks; develop action-oriented insights embedded in sustained community engagement; and devise a robust plan to translate research outcomes into actionable steps to mitigate gender inequality and injustice.

Grants under this scheme will build capacity in Australia and neighbouring Asia-Pacific nations and bring particular benefit to communities in these areas. Global reach is also valued but the focus of the project should be regional.

The lead researcher on each grant must be a member of the ANU Gender Institute and have an ongoing position at the ANU, sufficient to cover the period of the project.

We encourage:

• a focus on capacity-building, with skills and knowledge imparted to our researchers and community members;
• projects that build capacity within Australia and with its immediate neighbours and the Pacific region;
• the inclusion of First Nations and Pacific women’s voices;
• local, global, and intergenerational collaborations.
• Intergenerational and international teams and teams that include participants from outside ANU.

Project selection

A committee of experts will review and assess grant applications in a selection process chaired by the GI convenor or nominee. Projects will foster enduring relationships with our community and policy partners, ensuring the sustainability of their impact. All Working Groups projects will be assessed in view of their long-term vision for enhancing gender justice, with a particular focus on contributions to women and girls’ safety, social and economic autonomy, and climate resilience.

Shortlisting process

Applicants may be invited by the Selection Committee Chair and/or Deputy Chair to provide further information about the project, in order to aid in a final decision. This may also be helpful in redeveloping the application for submission in the next round of funding.

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Selection criteria

The project - 70%

• A well-designed, innovative transdisciplinary project with clear aims, methods, and significance aligned with the overall goal of enhancing gender justice.
• Feasibility within the proposed timeframe of 12-24 months, and a vision for sustainability and impact beyond this period.
• Appropriate academic outputs described, such as planned conferences, seminars, publications and reports.
• A clear vision of the planned impact of the research, particularly an approach to developing translatable research enabling and empowering communities, policymakers, and advocates to reduce gender injustice and inequality
• Evidence that relevant communities will be consulted and involved in research co-design processes and that the research is impactful for communities.
• An effective plan for appropriate dissemination of the research to stakeholders and wider publics.
• A well-justified budget. The sum awarded will be at the discretion of the selection committee, based on the justification provided and the relative quality of projects.

The team - 30%

• The lead researcher on each grant must be a member of the ANU Gender Institute and have an ongoing position at the ANU, sufficient to cover the period of the project. Higher Degree Research candidates and those on contracts can be part of the team but are not eligible to lead the application.
• Strong research record relative to opportunity among members of the Working Group and a diverse, cross-disciplinary and intergenerational team.
• Demonstrated understanding of gender inequality as intersectional, compounding and interacting with other inequalities.
• The team has the background necessary to engage diverse constituencies, fostering collaboration across academia, government, industry, and communities.

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FURTHER GUIDANCE

• The regional scope of the grants is research with impact for Australia and the Pacific Islands.
• ETHICS CLEARANCE must be sought as appropriate (where needed, ethics approval should be applied for as soon as possible and must be received as a condition of finalising award of the grant).

We can consider funding:

- Requests for teaching relief, administrative and technical support, and research assistance to enable projects:

• teaching relief for the purpose of conducting research, up to a total of $20,000 AUD per project;
• salary support for other personnel (e.g. research associates, assistants, and technicians at an appropriate salary level at the employing organisation);
• honoraria (up to $300 AUD, for those outside ANU);
• other types of financial support needed to facilitate community engagement and participation.

- Travel costs essential to the project:

• expenditure on field research (including technical and logistical support);
• travel expenses (e.g. accommodation, meals and incidental costs);
• conference/event registration and fees;
• reasonable essential costs to allow a participant who is a carer, or who personally requires care or assistance, to undertake travel essential to the project.

- Training and capacity building:

• educational and training supplies;
• consumables (e.g. specialised computer equipment and software essential to the project);
• data acquisition and collection;
• data processing and analysis;
• event-related costs (e.g. catering, travel, venue hire/rental, accommodation, printing costs, Audio/Visual hire, technical assistance).

- Project-related operating costs:

• equipment and its maintenance (e.g. recording, podcasting and audio-editing);
• printing, copying, and publications (e.g. editing and production of research report and other associated publishing costs);
• communications (e.g. funds for the development of web content and other online resources to be hosted on the Gender Institute website).

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Key steps for prospective applicants:

• Identify research team members and NGO, government or community partners.
• Specify the innovative project’s distinctiveness, aims, methods, and significance.
• Develop the transdisciplinary approach.
• Describe project feasibility and capacity building.
• Review CVs to demonstrate track record and suitability.
• Devise and justify budget.
• Seek supervisor approval.
• Apply for ethics clearance.
• Develop the impact strategy for translatable research.
• Establish 12-24 month project timeline with consideration given to long-term sustainability.
• Identify risks: for example, project impact, funding pressures, delivery incentives, delays, engagement, policy changes.
• Plan research dissemination to stakeholders and public.
• Assign tasks, set meeting schedule, document plans.

Please take note of the Objectives and Indicators in developing your application

In these projects the ANU Gender Institute has 3 core objectives that will shape selection, monitoring and evaluation: innovative research, community engagement, and policy influence.

There will be interim reporting from the project at 6 monthly intervals, and final reporting to include an outcomes report and financial acquittal no later than 3 months following project completion. The GI will be required to report on the outcomes to our own funders, by assessing achievements against stated objectives at the conclusion of the project.

Objective 1: Innovative and forward-thinking research

Objective 2: Sustained Community Engagement

Objective 3: Advocacy and Policy Influence

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Reporting will include:

• Summary of grant achievements.
• Impact assessment as defined by the project and broader community.
• Feedback and participant engagement details.
• Research outputs and future collaborations.
• Total funds received and expenditure breakdown.
• Justification for any financial deviations.