Funding policies

Eligibility

• Individuals and organisations may apply for grants.
• Individual applicants must be Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents. Proof of citizenship or residency may be required.
• The applicant should demonstrate an established record of achievement in the development and management of projects relevant to their proposed area of endeavour, and should provide evidence of this.
• Joint applications may be accepted from non-Australian individuals or organisations who are working in partnership with Australian individuals, groups or organisations.
• No person or organisation can hold more than one Australia-China Council grant at any given time without the prior approval of the Council.
• Grants may not be provided to organisations or individuals that have failed to provide a proper acquittal of an earlier grant provided by the Australia-China Council, or any other Foundation, Council or Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
• Competition for grant money is considerable, and the Council may decide not to award a new grant to an individual or organisation which has received a grant in the past.
• Applicants may submit a maximum of three applications within a five-year period (excluding applications re-submitted with additional information at the Council’s request).
• As a government organisation, the Australia-China Council is committed to the principles of equal opportunity and encourages individuals and organisations from target groups to apply for grants under this scheme.

Activities Not Funded

The Australia-China Council has a policy of supporting innovative proposals in a broad range of areas that further our goals and support the Australia-China bilateral relationship. Grants are not normally available for the following purposes:

• Capital expenditure, equipment or computer software
• Conference/meeting travel. An exception to the general rule may be made for participants in conferences when the subject of the conference is of direct relevance to the Australia-China relationship and the applicant is a leader in the field. Applicants must also demonstrate that a substantial program will be arranged before and/or after the conference.
• Funding support to grant-giving organisations for activities mainly involving their own personnel and/or other costs.
• Activities that are properly the responsibility of other funding bodies or other government agencies, for example:
  • Development assistance projects;
  • Activities under bilateral science and technology agreements;
  • Trade promotion activities normally handled by Austrade; and
  • Purely academic research which is more appropriately funded by universities, the Australian Research Council or other institutions, except where the Council considers there is a direct and broadly based benefit for Australia-China relations and close alignment with the Council’s strategic objectives.
• Activities that are properly the responsibility of the host institution e.g., post graduate students applying for travel assistance to do field work as part of their thesis will not normally be considered.
• Any project in which the Australia-China component is incidental to the main aims of the project.
• Activities which are commercially viable in their own right and/or which give a commercial advantage to one organisation.
• New applicants will receive preference over applicants who have received a grant in the past three years, as the Council seeks to engage new Australian participants (organisations and individuals) in the Australia-China bilateral engagement.
• Study tours or activities undertaken by schools where travel by a significant number of students is the principal element of the proposal.
• Employment of research assistants, administrative staff etc., or the payment of administrative charges levied by the applicant's organisation.
• Funding of completed projects, or recurrent funding of projects.
• Salaries and honorariums.