2018 Victorian Cancer Agency Early Career Seed Grants

Submissions closed at midnight 12 June 2018 (AEST).

IMPORTANT: Please read information below to assist you in completing your application online.

Before you begin

The Victorian Cancer Agency uses SmartyGrants to administer our grants. SmartyGrants is an online grant management system that provides easy-to-use online application forms, as well as report management for successful applicants.

You must confirm your eligibility on the checklist page prior to completing the application form. Please ensure you save as you go.

If an error occurs, fear not – SmartyGrants staff are available and ready to help. Contact them on 03 9320 6888 during business hours or email service@smartygrants.com.au and quote your application number. For queries about the guidelines, deadlines, or questions in the form, please contact the Victorian Cancer Agency on 1300 664 737 during business hours or email victorian.canceragency@dhhs.vic.gov.au and quote your application number.

If you need more help using this form, access the Help Guide for Applicants.

Grant information

The VCA Early Career Seed Grants are designed to support early career researchers undertaking high quality translational cancer research. The grants provide limited seed funding to encourage and retain talented individuals in the field of cancer research in Victoria.

The objectives of the Early Career Seed Grants are to:

  • Support high quality cancer research conducted by early career researchers who are able to demonstrate clear evidence of translational research capacity
  • Provide limited seed funding as a means of enhancing competitiveness of early career researchers to enable leverage of further funding from granting bodies or industry
  • Facilitate collaboration related to the research project

Applicants who are able to demonstrate their project would be enhanced by undertaking research at a National Cancer Institute (NCI) or a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centre will be eligible to apply for the Victoria-USA Cancer Fellowship Exchange Program. This will provide support for up to 12 months to enable the Applicant to undertake part of their Fellowship in the United States.

Before completing this application, it is important that you read the Victorian Cancer Agency Early Career Seed Grant Guidelines 2018 (PDF 434KB).

For our funding rules, including our policy on organisations that administer the funding, please see the Victorian Cancer Agency Funding Rules (PDF 265KB).

Reports and certifications

You must allow enough time for: 

  • a report from an independent referee;  
  • a report from the head of the proposed research team;  
  • a certification from the Administering Organisation; and  
  • a certification from the Research Organisation. 

For certifications, you will be required to download a copy of the completed application and distribute it to the Administering Organisation and Research Organisation for their certification.

Detailed instructions are provided in the application. We recommend you read these early in the application process so that you know what is required.

NAVIGATING (MOVING THROUGH) THE APPLICATION FORM

On every screen (page of the form) you will find a Form Navigation contents box, this links directly to every page of the application. Click the link to jump directly to the page you want.

You can also click 'next page' or 'previous page' on the top or bottom of each page to move forward or backward through the application.

SAVING YOUR DRAFT APPLICATION

If you wish to leave a partially completed application, press 'save' and log out. When you log back in and click on the 'My Submissions' link at the top of the screen, you will find a list of any applications you have started or submitted. You can reopen your draft application and start where you left off.

You can also download any application, whether draft or completed, as a PDF. Click on the 'Download' button located at the bottom of the last page of the application form.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it.

Once you have reviewed your application you can submit it by clicking on 'Submit' at the top of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the compulsory questions are completed.

Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible.

When you submit your application, you will receive an automated confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email you used to register.

If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email then you should presume that your submission has NOT been submitted.

ATTACHMENTS AND SUPPORT DOCUMENTS

You may need to upload/submit attachments to support your application. This is very simple, but requires you to have the documents saved on your computer, or on a storage device.

You need to allow enough time for each file to upload before trying to attach another file. Files can be up to 25MB each; however, we do recommend trying to keep files to a maximum of 5MB – the larger the file, the longer the upload time.

COMPLETING AN APPLICATION IN A GROUP/TEAM

A number of people can work on an application using the same log in details as long as only one person is working at a time. Ensure you save as you go.

SPELL CHECK

Most internet browsers (including Firefox v2.0 and above; Safari; and Google Chrome) have spell checking facilities built in – you can switch this function on or off by adjusting your browser settings.

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