Expressin f Interest: A research grant t undertake practitiner research in 2014/2015 AASW Practitiner Research Grant 2014/2015 The AASW invites Expressins f Interest fr a research grant f $5,000 frm AASW member/s wishing t undertake a practice research prject in an area f scial wrk practice. Overview The research grant is an initiative f the Australian Assciatin f Scial Wrkers Natinal Research Cmmittee. Research is key t the cntinued develpment f the thery, knwledge and evidence base f scial wrk practice. As such it is a key area f scial wrk practice. Scial wrkers utilise research and create knwledge in their wrk in diverse settings, engaged in a range f activities including case wrk and case management, cmmunity wrk, grup wrk, rganisatinal develpment, scial plicy and educatinal rles. The purpse f this grant is t encurage research by scial wrkers (practitiners) wh are utside the frmal research institutins and wh have limited access t research funding. The grant scheme encurages scial wrk practitiners t develp and implement a research prject which will make a cntributin t the evidence and knwledge base f scial wrk. The grant is available fr qualitative, quantitative, theretical and applied research, prjects r prgrams assciated with scial wrk practice. Thrugh this grant scheme, the AASW hpes t widen the expertise f scial wrk practitiners in cnceptualising, develping and implementing practice research. The research, prject r prgram grant can be used t supprt practice research r prjects including, but nt limited t: Research prjects fcussed n a particular practice issue. These will typically cmprise data cllectin, methdlgical develpment/refinement, instrument/schedule develpment and data analysis. Pilt prjects (but nt an initial literature review) that will typically cmprise data cllectin, methdlgical develpment/refinement, instrument/schedule develpment, and data analysis valuatin prjects which may cmprise utcme evaluatins f scial wrk practice. Evidence based practice research designed t prduce, synthesise, implement and disseminate evidence in relatin t scial wrk practice. Insert Title f Dcument here 1 <Insert Mnth and Year in full here>
Objectives f the prgram scheme The bjectives f the prgram are t: Prvide supprt fr practice based research Prvide funding fr prgressing ideas that address emerging areas f practice and plicy Facilitate and fster cllabrative research, planning and develpment with a fcus n supprting practitiner researchers Encurage mentring amng research teams. Timelines First call fr applicatins: 13 August 2014 Deadline fr applicatins: 25 September 2014. Late applicatins will nt be accepted Successful applicatins annunced early Nvember 2014. Research prject cmmencement immediately after successful applicant has been ntified Funding will be available fr 12 mnths. Additinal funding will nt be prvided fr extensins required t cmplete the prject. Eligibility General Cnditins Applicants must be members f the AASW All applicatins must include all the dcumentatin requested by the clsing date. As these are cmpetitive grants assessed by a panel including external reviewers, lack f clarity r cmpleteness in dcumentatin may rule an applicatin ineligible Specific Cnditins In additin t the general cnditins, the fllwing specific cnditins apply: The research, prject r prgram must cmmence n later than December 2014. The successful applicant must file a 6 mnth prgress reprt (emailed t AASW Prfessinal Officer Standards at research@aasw.asn.au highlighting key milestnes and tracking t budget. Acknwledge the AASW in all presentatins and publicatins relating t the research, prject r prgram. Grant recipients are expected t present the utcmes f their research at an apprpriate cnference r thrugh publicatin. Australian Scial Wrk shuld be cnsidered as a publicatin destinatin. Greater weighting is given t applicatins where the Principal Researcher is a Practitiner emplyed in a nn-academic psitin. 2
Funding rules Prjects within the prgram can have the supprt f a partner rganisatin and this supprt may be financial r in kind funding. Funding cannt be transferred t anther institutin, prject r prgram. A maximum f 50% f funds may be used fr wrk release. Applicants must be cntinuing members f the Australian Assciatin f Scial Wrkers (AASW). Applicants wh are Accredited Scial Wrkers as defined by the AASW will be awarded extra weighting t their applicatins. All applicatins must address all f the selectin criteria n the applicatin frm. Applicatins fr research, prjects r prgrams already in receipt f funding will nt be accepted Cnference funding is limited t a maximum f 10% f the ttal f the grant awarded. Grant recipients are required t prvide tw reprts n the prject, at an agreed mid-pint and a final reprt at the end f the prject t the AASW. Funding disbursement The grant will be disbursed in tw payments. An initial payment f $2,500 will be made n signature f the MOU between the AASW and the successful rganisatin. A final payment fr the balance f the grant will be made fllwing review f a midway prgress reprt t be submitted at an agreed mid-pint f the research and subject t the MOU agreement. Submissin Details One signed hard cpy f the applicatin as well as a sft cpy via email is required. The submissin must include (please refer t EOI Required Details at the end f this dcument): A cver letter that: Requests cnsideratin f the applicatin Intrduce applicant(s) and the research, prject r prgram Specifies hw the grant mney will be used Requests cnsideratin f the applicatin A research, prject r summary (that includes an verview f the research, prject r prgram including statement f significance, current status and cite relevant extant literature (Backgrund), questins and gals f the research, prject r prgram being undertaken (Aims,) methds (Apprach), ethics apprval prcess, schedule (Timeframe, scale and budget), ethics clearance arrangements (NB all successful prjects are dependent n ethics apprval, which may be granted after the Grant is awarded); Budget details; prpsed cmmunicatin strategy f results. CV fr all applicants. 3
The hard cpy shuld be frwarded t: AASW CEO - AASW Melburne Office PO Bx 2008 Ryal Melburne Hspital VIC 3050 The electrnic (sft) cpy shuld be frwarded by the due date t: AASW CEO ce@aasw.asn.au 4
Selectin Criteria The grant is designed t prvide financial supprt t meet the csts f cnducting an imprtant piece f practice research including (but nt limited t): staffing, travel, library services, recrding equipment, sftware r administrative supprt. The research must be fcused n practice research and it is the intentin that the grant supprts practitiners undertaking research, r research that is intimately tied t practitiner issues as the pririty. The fllwing selectin criteria apply and must be addressed explicitly in the applicatin: 1. The significance f the practice issue (Aims and apprach). 2. Links t current practice knwledge, demnstrated by a succinct accunt f recent research int the field f inquiry and ther evidence. (Backgrund & significance) 3. Apprpriateness and achievability f methd, timeframe, scale, and budget. (Feasibility f apprach) 4. The qualificatin f the research team t undertake the prject. The team must include at least ne current practitiner. (Cmpsitin, relevance and expertise f team) Each f the fur selectin criteria is assessed accrding t the fllwing weighting: Criterin 1 25% Criterin 2 25% Criterin 3 25% Criterin 4 25% The selectin cmmittee will cmprise three members f the AASW Natinal Research Cmmittee. If required, additinal evaluatrs frm the Natinal Research Cmmittee will be invited t frm part f the selectin cmmittee. All applicants will be advised fllwing final apprval frm the AASW Bard f the Natinal Research Cmmittee s recmmendatins. Applicants will be advised in writing. If yu have any queries relating t the Practitiner Grants please cntact: Ftina Hardy Email - ftina.hardy@qut.edu.au Telephne 0419 773 395 / 0481 008 597 5
Expressin f Interest Required Details (Please adhere t the wrd cunt specified) 1. Research prject summary: Title f prpsed research. Overview f the issue/s that the research will address including statement f significance fr hw the research will cntribute t the scial wrk prfessin and evidence base (500 wrds max) Backgrund - brief literature review (minimum 5 articles), indicating the justificatin fr the prject. Aims and bjectives f the research. 2. Methdlgy/Apprach: Outline f prpsed research methdlgy (500 wrds max). 3. Ethics apprval: including prpsed methd f gaining Ethics apprval, including wh this will be sught frm. 4. Timeframe fr the research. 5. Budget: Outline f hw the funds will be spent with timeframe. 6. Results: prpsed cmmunicatin f results. 7. Applicant/s Details: Name f Chief Researcher Qualificatins f Chief Researcher Curriculum vitae that includes details f previus research experience, publicatins, including any peer review publicatins, areas f expertise (t be attached) Details f the researcher s supervisr/mentr Details f ther researchers t be invlved (include names, qualificatins, CV) 8. Hsting rganisatin: details f the rganisatin at which the research will be cnducted, including evidence f supprt fr the research by the emplying rganisatin. 6