MSSI 2021 Seed Funding Call

The Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute is calling for applications to our 2021 seed funding round, which seeks to support sustainability-focused, highly engaged research projects that explore themes relating to:

• Health, wellbeing, and care
• Place-based transitions
• Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (land and sea)
• Future cities (in collaboration with the Melbourne Centre for Cities)

With the recent elevation of two key university-level initiatives focused on Cities and Climate – namely the evolution of the Connected Cities Lab into the Melbourne Centre for Cities, and the establishment of Melbourne Climate Futures – MSSI is utilising our 2021 seed funding round to explore broader sustainability-related themes across the University.

Submissions are sought from inter-Faculty project teams whose interdisciplinary profile, and partnership, engagement and impact capacity will be enhanced through the seed funding model. Funding of up to $20k is available for four projects linked to the afore mentioned themes, with projects that embed cross-cutting issues of First Nations reconciliation, climate change, or resilience welcomed. Projects that map meaningfully against the Sustainable Development Goals will also be viewed favourably.

Projects must be feasible within current and reasonably anticipated constraints relating to the local and broader COVID-19 context. Guidance on managing research activity during the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here.

Proposals must demonstrate cross-Faculty collaboration within their project team, and the inclusion of a postgraduate researcher as a co-investigator is a requirement of the Future Cities stream. Projects must also connect-in early career researchers, and proposals are expected to clearly articulate engagement and translation elements that provide opportunities for practical application by external communities and partners.

Please email your project proposal on the relevant template [available here] to:

Janine Campbell, Executive Officer, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, janine.campbell@unimelb.edu.au, by COB Monday 18 October 2021

Queries regarding the seed funding call can also be directed to Janine.