QUEX Accelerator Grant Scheme

The  QUEX Accelerator Grant Scheme is open until 4 November 2024.

The QUEX Accelerator Grants Scheme is an initiative of the QUEX Institute, a partnership between UQ and the University of Exeter. Under the banner of Global Sustainability and Wellbeing, a range of cooperative initiatives across learning, discovery and engagement will be jointly developed and implemented through the QUEX Institute.

For any queries relating to the Scheme or further information on the Global Strategy, please contact the UQ Global Partnerships office at quex@uq.edu.au.

How to apply

Submit the application form to QUEX@exeter.ac.uk and quex@uq.edu.au. Please refer to the attached guidelines and application form for further information regarding the application process, eligibility criteria and key contacts.

Scheme aims

Building upon the past Initiator Grant Scheme and the newer workshop grants, Accelerator Grants are intended to support larger scale initiatives with the aim of securing external funding and/or producing high level outputs and impact. It is anticipated that academic staff at both Universities, with excellent and complementary expertise and capability, will have already established a working relationship and track record that can be demonstrated as part of the application.

In summary, the key aims are:
• To position the project group to win major external funding, publish significant research, and/or to influence national/international policy.
• To address research questions and/or to develop innovative teaching and learning initiatives with potential for high impact that could not be as effectively carried out by a partner on its own. These research questions or teaching and learning initiatives should be aligned to one of the QUEX Institute’s three themes.
• To facilitate further development of novel research and/or teaching and learning concepts to the point of submission of bid(s) for significant external funding.
• To expedite ground breaking interdisciplinary research and/ or teaching and learning initiatives, taking them to the next level.
• To demonstrate clearly the added value of the QUEX Institute.

Supported initiatives

Applications will primarily be sought from the current themes of the partnership:

• Healthy Living
• Global Environmental Futures
• Digital Worlds and Disruptive Technologies
• Mineral Security and Sustainability

Applicants are encouraged to contact the relevant QUEX Theme Lead at their home institution to discuss the submission and its alignment with the partnership theme.

Funding details

Two Accelerator Grants of $57,000 (£30,000) each will be available to UQ and Exeter collaborators.

Eligibility 

The Accelerator Grants will be available to the whole academic community at Exeter and UQ.

Eligible costs include:

• travel and subsistence
• research consumables
• external speakers/facilitators
• meeting, venue and catering costs
• costs of non-academic (research, project-specific or technical) staff time (in the UK these are called directly incurred staff costs).

The following items are not eligible for funding under this scheme:

• academic salaries
• student fees (including administrative fees, students services and amenities fees (SSAF)/tuition
• indirect costs, estate costs and overheads associated with internal research facilities.