Announcement of New Gender Institute Funding Program

Enhancing Gender Justice through Transdisciplinary Research: New Funding for Working Groups

We are delighted to be able to announce a new program of funding ambitious transdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and intergenerational research teams.

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 six Working Group projects between 2024 and 2028. The scheme will have three rounds between 2025-2027, with all projects to be completed by 1 September 2028.

Round 1 opens on 1 October 2024 and closes on 15 January 2025.

• Projects will run for 12-24 months and must commence within 6 months of award.
• Applicants may request up to $80,000 AUD in Round 1.
• Outcomes will be notified by 1 March 2025.

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 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.

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 neighbors in Asia and the Pacific region;
• the inclusion of First Nations, Pacific, and Asian women’s voices;
• local, global, and intergenerational collaborations.

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.

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. Applications in Round 1 can request a maximum of $80,000 AUD. 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%

• 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.

VISIT OUR GRANTS WEBPAGE