Supporting collaboration between arts and sciences

An initiative for artist and scientist collaborations
Applications for Synapse ARC Linkage grants close 2 March 2012
Applications for Synapse Residency program are managed by ANAT

---

About the grant

The Synapse initiative of the Australia Council and the Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT) has been enabling collaboration between artists and scientists since 2004.

The Inter-Arts Office supports the Synapse Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant program, which supports longer-term partnerships between artists and scientists in academic research settings.

The Synapse initiative also includes a residency program, a database of international art/science collaborations and an archived discussion list, which are managed by ANAT.  

Synapse ARC Linkage Grants is a funding program that aims to

• foster new collaborations and creative partnerships between artists and scientists
• develop partnerships with key players in the arts, science and technology sectors, nationally and internationally
• develop sustainable support for long-term collaboration between the arts and sciences.

The Australia Council for the Arts has allocated funds to provide partner organisation support for collaborative arts/science research applications submitted to the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Linkage program.

 

What is the Australian Research Council Linkage Projects program?

Linkage Projects supports collaborative research and development projects between higher education researchers and other parts of the national innovation system.

Proposals for funding under Linkage Projects must involve a Partner Organisation from outside the higher education sector. The Partner Organisation must make a significant contribution in cash and/or in kind, to the project that is equal to, or greater than, the ARC funding.

The objectives of Linkage Projects are to:

• encourage and develop long-term strategic research alliances between higher education organisations and other organisations, including with industry and other end-users, in order to apply advanced knowledge to problems and/or to provide opportunities to obtain national economic, social or cultural benefits
• enhance the scale and focus of research in National Research Priorities
• foster opportunities for postdoctoral researchers to pursue internationally competitive research in collaboration with organisations outside the higher education sector, targeting those who have demonstrated a clear commitment to high-quality research
• provide outcome-oriented research training to prepare high-calibre postgraduate research students
• produce a national pool of world-class researchers to meet the needs of the broader Australian innovation system.
  

Under the Linkage Projects scheme, the ARC provides opportunities for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers to engage in industry-oriented research training and enables postdoctoral researchers to pursue internationally competitive research opportunities in collaboration with industry.

 

Contact

Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their application with the relevant Australia Council team member. For further information, or to discuss your proposal, please contact:

       Andrew Donovan
       Director, Inter-Arts Office
       Phone 02 9215 9124, Email a.donovan@australiacouncil.gov.au
       Skype Inter-Arts (by appointment), Toll Free 1800 555 677 

Supporting collaboration between arts and sciences

An initiative for artist and scientist collaborations
Applications for Synapse ARC Linkage grants close 2 March 2012
Applications for Synapse Residency program are managed by ANAT

---

Eligibility

You must meet the general eligibility requirements and specific eligibility requirements for the Synapse ARC Linkage grant program. Applicants should contact ANAT regarding eligibility for the Synapse Residency Program.

To be eligible for ARC funding an application must be sponsored and administered by an eligible higher education institution (details of such institutions are available from the ARC website). ARC Linkage proposals must involve a Partner Organisation from outside the higher education sector, who must make a significant contribution to the project (in cash and/or in kind) that is equal to, or greater than, the ARC funding.

The Australia Council encourages artists from Indigenous backgrounds and from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to submit proposals. Proposals are also encouraged from artists with disabilities and from artists living and working in regional Australia.

 

Selection criteria

The Inter-Arts Office will support proposals to the ARC Linkage grant program that best demonstrate:

• innovation in creative art practice and artistic merit of the proposal, including the interdisciplinary nature of the proposed program
• clearly identified research objectives, including the benefit of the project to the collaborating partners, and more broadly the fields of both the arts and sciences
• that the project is viable and adequately resourced, with potential to leverage broader industry support
• the skills and experience of the project team relevant to the proposal including evidence that the participating tertiary institution is committed to the project
• the extent to which the proposal meets the aims of the Synapse initiative.

 

Selection process

Proposals for Synapse ARC Linkage Grants are assessed in two stages.

First, prior to the ARC’s closing dates, the Australia Council, through the Inter-Arts Office, assesses whether proposals meet the aims of the Synapse initiative and can be offered Australia Council partner organisation support. This assessment is made by a panel of Inter-Arts peers, who have expertise in interdisciplinary and hybrid arts practices across artforms and regions.

Then, proposals supported by the Council are submitted as applications to the ARC’s Linkage-Projects grant category.

Due to limited funds, the Inter-Arts Office will select only a small number of proposals to support. Funding offered through Synapse ARC Linkage Grants will only be released if the subsequent grant application to the ARC is successful.

If you are not successful with your proposal, you can contact Inter-Arts to discuss feedback.

For more information on the assessment process, please see the page on Assessment of applications in the Information for applicants section. If you are interested in being part of the assessment process, you can sign up for the Australia Council Register of Peers.

Supporting collaboration between arts and sciences

An initiative for artist and scientist collaborations
Applications for Synapse ARC Linkage grants close 2 March 2012
Applications for Synapse Residency program are managed by ANAT

How to apply

Please contact the Inter-Arts Office to discuss applying for the Synapse ARC Linkage grant program.

Your email proposal must include:

1. project title
2. name of participating eligible higher education institution to administer grant
3. summary of key project personnel (project team) including name, job title and brief description of role and experience
4. other proposed partner organisations on the project
5. program name of Australian Research Council grant/s being sought
6. start and end dates of project for which support will be sought
7. amount of funding being sought from the Australia Council
8. project summary including a description of the project (summarising aims, significance and expected outcomes)
9. description of the potential benefits of the project to the partners in the collaboration, and more broadly to the fields of science and the arts
10. budget outline for the project including total cost of project, proposed amount requested from ARC and the proposed requested partner organisation contribution from the Australia Council. The budget must also indicate to which items of expenditure the Australia Council funds are to be allocated
11. name and details of contact for the proposal
12. URL addresses that link to examples and/or details of previous works of artists and scientists relevant to the proposal (no more than five URLs)
13. in addition to the information above, you must submit letter/s from the institution’s research office and relevant departments, schools or research centres acknowledging their awareness of the proposal and support for its aims and objectives.

Proposals must be no longer than four A4 pages in length (.pdf).

Proposals must be sent by email to synapse@australiacouncil.gov.au, and must arrive at the Australia Council for the Arts before the close of business on Friday 2 March 2012 AEST. Late proposals will not be considered.

For general information, please see the details on making an application in the Funding Guide for 2012.

 

Application checklist

We encourage you to use this handy checklist to help them prepare and submit their application. You should:

1. read the Funding Guide for 2012, in particular the general eligibility requirements, the information on making an application and the information on how your application will be assessed;
2. read all of the information provided for this grant (across all the tabs above);
3. get in contact with the grant contact person to discuss your application;
4. prepare your application, being mindful that you address all of the eligibility and selection criteria for this grant; and
5. submit your application form online using the 'Apply online' button in the right-hand column.

 

For information about the Synapse Residency program visit ANAT.