Strategic Fund

Overseen by the Strategic Fund Selection Panel, the Strategic Fund will allocate funding to special projects and initiatives in response to pressing need, enhance the Networks impact and emerging opportunities as the NSW-RRTN evolves.

Priority areas for funding include:

• Projects that incorporate activities across the Research and/or Training Programs within the NSW-RRTN.

• Projects that have a well-developed commercial strategy.

• Support for access to centralised facilities or specialised research capabilities to fast-track projects supported within the NSW-RRTN Programs.

• Innovative projects and initiatives that bring researchers and educators together with other stakeholders and interest groups from other sectors and the public.

• Projects that map RNA related capabilities with focus on the NSW and ACT region

• Projects that encourage gender diversity of researchers / students involved in NSW-RRTN activities.

• Projects that involve development of short courses designed to upskill the workforce in key areas of need within the sector.

The Strategic Fund is not limited to funding projects that align with these priority areas if proposals received align with the overall objectives of the NSW-RRTN (see below). This includes funding requests from the ‘non-STEM’ sector (e.g. projects relating to law, ethics, arts, outreach and communication).

It is expected that that the Strategic Fund will make two calls for projects per year. Projects that include partners from more than one research organisation within NSW and ACT will be favoured. Projects may include partners from outside NSW and ACT but those partners will be expected to make significant financial and/or people time (in-kind) contributions to the proposed work.

Eligibility

• Lead CI Institution must be one of the 12 partner Universities of the NSW-RRTN (see below). There are no restrictions on collaborating organisations (note that funding must be spent within NSW and ACT and partners external to NSW/ACT are expected to make cash or in-kind contributions).

Funding

• Project funding is expected to be between $10k-$50k/year for a maximum of 2 years. Projects seeking two years funding will be required to submit a progress report prior to receiving the second year of funding. All funded projects will be required to submit a final report.

Applying for Strategic Funding

The information sheet and application can be downloaded using the buttons below.

Submission: Completed applications must be emailed to the NSW-RRTN mailbox: rrtn@unsw.edu.au

Closing Date: 10 November 2025 @ 11:59 pm

Key Objectives of the NSW-RRTN:

• New collaborations (cross-sector, cross-region and cross-disciplinary)

  • • Within NSW+ACT

    • With other jurisdictions within Australia

    • Internationally with focus on our neighbours in the APAC region

    • Between researchers and clinicians

    • Between researchers and end-user and community groups

    • Between industry and researchers

• New capabilities and products with commercial value that support return on investment

• Engagement, training and the community

  • • Training of students, ECRs, staff, course development

    • Outreach and events

• Sustainability and Impact.

  • • New research income generated

    • Licensing to industry

    • Start-ups generated

• Publications and case studies that describe the impact of the Network

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