Flinders University encourages our researchers to develop and strengthen major international collaborations.
Listed below are some major international funding schemes. When searching international grant schemes, it is recommended that researchers check at the outset;
Please note that the funding opportunities listed under each country or region below are not exhaustive. For further opportunities, search Research Professional.
A guide to undertaking international collaboration from the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science is available. This guide is a very useful resource for researchers looking for some guidance when engaging with international collaborators.
Grants.gov is the primary place to find and apply for US federal grants. It lists all discretionary grants offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies.
The NIH, a part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, is the US’s medical research agency and the largest source of funding for medical research in the world. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers which each have a specific research agenda often focusing on particular diseases or body systems.
NIH uses activity codes to differentiate research programs. For example, the RO1 NIH Research Project Grant Program, NIH’s most commonly used grant program, supports a discrete, specified, circumscribed research program between 3-5 years. There is no specific dollar limit unless this is specified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The R03 NIH Small Grant Program provides limited funding for a short period of time to support a variety of projects including pilot or feasibility studies. The R03 is limited to two years, with direct costs of up to $50,000 a year.
Useful NIH links
The Education and Science Office, Embassy of Australia, has produced an informal guide to key United States Defence Research Agency Funding for Australian Researchers, which provides general guidance on how to apply for funding from the four key US defence research agencies below:
Funding opportunities for all of the above agencies are listed on Grants.gov and also on each agency website (apart from AFOSR).
The Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) is funded through the Department of Defense (DoD) and funds research programs in various areas including autism and cancer. The CDMRP uses the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP). Application submission is a two-step process requiring both:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal funding agency with an annual budget of $10 billion (FY 2025). It is the major source of federal backing in many fields such as mathematics, computer science and social sciences.
NSF rarely provides support to foreign organizations. NSF will consider proposals for cooperative projects involving US and foreign organizations, provided support is requested only for the US portion of the collaborative effort.
Proposals to NSF must be submitted electronically via either the NSF FastLane System or Grants.gov.
Useful NSF links
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant opportunities focus principally on solving key health and development problems for the underprivileged.
The Australian-American Fulbright Commission promotes mutual understanding through educational and cultural exchange between Australia and the United States, primarily through the administration of Fulbright scholarships. Please note that these scholarships are not considered grants to Flinders University, and are paid to the individual rather than the institution.
National Geographic offers conservation, exploration and research grants.
The Foundation’s grant program aims to promote and coordinate enhanced cooperation between Australia and mainland China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan, in support of Australia’s national interests and the Australia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Australia-China Science and Research Fund (ACSRF) supports strategic science, technology and innovation collaboration of mutual benefit to Australia and China.
Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) helps Australian researchers to participate in leading edge scientific projects and workshops with Indian researchers.
The Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) aims at improving the research ecosystem of India’s Higher Educational Institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian Institutions and the best institutions in the world from 28 selected nations to jointly solve problems of national and / or international relevance.
The Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF) is Australia's oldest cultural council supporting people-to-people links underpinning this key bilateral and regional relationship.
Launched in 2018, Aus4Innovation is a ten-year A$33.5 million flagship program aimed at strengthening Vietnam’s innovation system to support inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.
Innovation Partnership Grants offers up to AUD 2 million in funding to support innovative initiatives that tackle climate change challenges in Vietnam’s agriculture sector—with a strong focus on inclusive and sustainable development.
The Wellcome Trust supports research around the world, across a broad range of disciplines, to understand life, health and wellbeing and to deliver equitable health solutions. Their 2023/24 annual budget was 1.5 Million pounds, with a ten-year goal of expenditure of 16 billion pounds.
The Academy of Social Sciences in Australia administer the Social Science Collaborative Research Program (delivered in partnership with the Embassy of France in Australia) and the Pacific Social Sciences Academic Grants (supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-France Indo-Pacific Studies Program). These programs provide up to $5,000 AUD funding for research activities.
The Australian Academy of Science administers the Early and Mid-Career Researcher Mobility Grants support Australian researchers to travel to France and other European countries to work with leading researchers at major science and technology organisations for between 14 and 28 days.
FASIC (French-Australia Science Innovation Collaboration Grants) is a French Australian Hubert-Curien Partnership for cooperation in science, technology and innovation. These programs are meant as a catalyst and aims to support launch and critical early-stage development of bilateral research projects between France and Australia.
Contact the Research Grants and Tenders team if you need further help or advice. Call 08 8201 7972 or email the following teams:
For tenders and international, government, industry or internal research grant enquiries:
For National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) enquiries:
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
CRICOS Provider: 00114A TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12097 TEQSA category: Australian University
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