AINSE Awards 2008 Series Guidelines

Read these Guidelines before commencing your on-line application.

These notes are intended to clarify the information you are required to submit and are presented in the same sequence as the application form. When you commence an on-line application please make a note of your application number at the start of the application and use the save button regularly.

Access to Neutron Scattering Instruments
If you want to gain access to the neutron scattering instruments at Lucas Heights you must apply using ANSTO's Bragg Institute Form. Go to http://www.ansto.gov.au/bragg.html for more information)

Access to Neutron Activation Analysis
The OPAL research reactor will have NAA acapability. Applications for this facility should be made via the AINSE on-line application form.

GENERAL

The Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) makes awards in support of projects undertaken by its member universities which have an identifiable focus on nuclear and nuclear-related applications and/or on the use of Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) facilities and expertise. These awards are made at the discretion of the AINSE Council, through its Executive Committee, after AINSE Specialist Committees have reviewed proposals submitted by member universities.

While the average size of AINSE Awards, about $10,000, may seem small in the context of the major grant schemes they provide for training and research experience on nuclear and related facilities for the widest possible body of researchers and their students. Assistance may be in the form of provision of access to the AINSE supported facilities (ASF) at the Lucas Heights Science & Technology Centre and elsewhere.

AINSE Awards are usually in the form of cash which is transferred to the university once the facility usage is confirmed.

The Awards

• cover the costs associated with the use of the AINSE listed facilities
• contribute to the cost of travel and/or accommodation when the university researcher lives in a city different from that in which the facility is located
• contribute toward the cost of equipment and/or materials

AINSE is able to make bookings for travel and accommodation by arrangement with the visiting researcher. Contact Ms Rhiannon Still

The Awards expire at the end of the calendar year of the award.

The Awards are made on a non-recurring annual basis, and any unexpended funds revert unconditionally to AINSE at the end of the calendar year for which they are awarded. For auditing purposes, a statement of payments made on behalf of any member university can be supplied. Requests may be made to carry over funds if there is a satisfactory explanation for them not being used in the month indicated on the application form.

Funds received by way of an AINSE Award must be used for the purposes specified by AINSE, and any proposed re-allocation must be approved by AINSE, in writing, before such funds are committed.

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THE PURPOSE OF AINSE AWARDS

The primary purpose of AINSE is to enable university researchers to

• gain access to and train in the use of the ASF facilities
• gain access to the expertise at Lucas Heights and elsewhere
• meet costs associated with the use of those facilities, including a contribution towards the costs of travel to and from the facilities, and accommodation during periods of attachment, when the university researcher lives in a city different from that in which the facility is located.

University staff members and research students are encouraged to carry out appropriate parts of their projects at Lucas Heights . To this end laboratory and office accommodation and associated facilities can be made available. Motel accommodation is available at Lucas Heights for visiting university people.
AINSE Awards are generally small to enable AINSE to use its funds to support as many applications of high scientific merit as possible. AINSE Awards are often the valuable initial support, which allows a researcher to build the research profile necessary for success at other major funding bodies.

AINSE Awards do not provide for salaries or stipends. Support for post-graduate research students may be offered under the competitive AINSE Post-graduate Research Award Scheme, applications for which open in March. Supervisors should apply now under the AINSE Awards scheme for access to AINSE listed facilities likely to be required by their research students.

The applicant should discuss the proposal with the university representative on the AINSE Council and advise him/her of the status of any applications for external funding associated with the project. AINSE Councillors for each member university are listed on the AINSE website.

GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORM

Each application should be prepared by the chief investigator responsible for the project using the on-line form on AINSE’s website. Once you have completed the form you should click on the ‘print/reviewable’ button and save the application as an rtf file. When this is done click on the submit button and then print the application (copy all to a word document and save the document file on your computer), sign it and have the AINSE Councillor and the Research Office countersign it. If your submission was successful you will receive an email from AINSE notifying you of this. If you do not receive an email within 12 hours you should contact AINSE. The application is only formally submitted once AINSE has received the copy signed by the university research office.

The signed original of the completed application form must be forwarded through the Registrar, or appropriate office, to reach AINSE by the closing date of 15 September. Applications received after this date will not be considered in the present series.

No attachments (other than copies of any publications) will be considered by the Specialist Committees when they make recommendations on applications.

Web Browser

A version of Netscape or Explorer version 4 or later is required for the use of the on-line Application Form. Earlier versions do not support this application form. Our system will check and notify you if you need to upgrade your web browser. It will point you to an address to obtain updated versions. The process will take more than 10 minutes. If you are unable to make modifications and there are no IT personnel to assist please contact Gillian Blackburn (telephone: 9717 3436 e-mail: ainse@ansto.gov.au).

1. Application PIN

To access the electronic application form you need an Applicant PIN. This reduces data entry requirements, ensures consistency in data collection, and maintains privacy. However, it also means that your details currently held by AINSE must be correct. If these have changed and you have not previously notified AINSE, or if you do not have a PIN, please complete a personal details form which can be accessed from the AINSE home page. You will receive an e-mail acknowledgment within 24 hours confirming your PIN and/or updated details. Please note that a PIN will only be issued to the Chief Investigator who will complete and submit the application.

2. Chief Investigator

Investigator must be a member of staff of a member university of AINSE or an associated institution of that university - eg teaching hospital. All correspondence concerning an Award to this project will be directed to the chief investigator, one name only, please. Co-investigators can be named in step 2 of the application form.

Your Award application number appears on the page. Write it down .

Step 1: General Details

3. Project Title

A concise title that best describes the project is required. Please use 120 characters or fewer.

4. Specialist Committees

Your application will be assessed by one of five specialist committees. You should indicate which committee you think is best placed to assess this application. This advice will be considered by AINSE but it does not constrain AINSE to send your application to the committee nominated.

Archaeology and Geosciences - Professor Patrick De Deckker, Convenor

Applications in this area would be seeking to advance knowledge in any of the branches of archaeology or geosciences. Applications may be made for AMS studies or PIXE/PIGE characterisation of materials to support the aims of the project.

Biomedical Science and Biotechnology – Dr Michael Hay , Convenor

Research into diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine, radiobiology, experimental radiation oncology, and radiation effects on biological materials.

Environmental Sciences - Professor Greg Skilbeck , Convenor

Applications in this area would be seeking to understand problems based in environmental science. This would include dating using 210 Pb, and 14 C, and the analysis of natural processes, and experiments on organic or inorganic materials, or the biota.

Materials - Structures and Dynamics - Dr Chris Ling, Convenor

Applications in this area will involve the study of the structure of materials at an atomic or molecular level involving instruments including x -ray scattering and reflectometry, electron microscopy and NMR.

Materials – Properties and Engineering – Dr Michael Brunger , Convenor

Applications in this area will typically involve the study of the properties and composition of engineering and inorganic materials; surface modification, surface characterisation and surface properties; advanced materials processing; specialist techniques in materials characterisation; materials testing, bulk and local materials properties; effects of radiation on materials.

5. Scientific Objectives

Provide a concise statement of the scientific objectives in 100 words or less.

6. Background

Supply background information that will assist the specialist committee in focussing on the scientific context of your application. This field will hold up to 500 words and should include

• the relationship of the investigation to present knowledge and to comparable investigations in progress elsewhere and

• the relationship of the investigation to your body of work.

7. Proposed Method and Program

Provide a concise outline of the program for the project, in no more than 1000 words. Specify the design of the experiment, the procedure to be followed, project milestones for the achievement of scientific objectives, and any other information which will assist AINSE in making a scientific evaluation of the proposal. Continuing or closely related projects must include a brief progress report on the applicant's current Award.

Details should be given of the facilities, equipment, services, and consultations, which the applicant plans to use. The use of such facilities must be discussed with the Contact Officer responsible (see Section 15.3, below). A list of Facilities and Services is given in the AINSE Users’ Guide.

Additional information is required for many facilities, and should be discussed with the Contact Officer before the application is submitted. This information should be included in the application.

8 . Any Other Information in Support of This Application

Use this space to provide additional supporting information, or to expand upon information given elsewhere in the form.

Step 2: Specific Details

9. Research Field, Courses and Disciplines Code

Using the standard Research Field, Courses and Disciplines Codes used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to classify research activity in Australia , give the code that most closely fits the project. The new Fields of Research codes were released on 31 March 2008 . Codes can be found here

10. Socio-Economic Code

Using the standard socio-economic objective classification used by the Australian Bureau of statistics give the code that most closely fits the expected outcome of the project. The new Socio-Economic codes were released on 31 March 2008 . Codes can be found here.

11. Criteria

AINSE Awards support projects undertaken by its member organisations in the fields of nuclear science and engineering or their applications.

For a project to be considered as furthering the attainment of the objectives for which AINSE was established, it must satisfy AINSE of its high scientific merit, its scientific and technical feasibility, and the adequacy of plans, personnel and resources for its execution.

Other factors that will be considered by AINSE include

• the track record of the applicant especially with regard to outputs from previous AINSE awards including progress reports.
• the degree of collaboration with ANSTO or other ASF facilities.
• the degree of alignment with national research priorities.
• the degree of alignment with ANSTO research priorities.
• the presence of research students.
• the likelihood of additional funding from other sources.

The project must meet Criteria A and B, and preferably one or more of the other following criteria:

CRITERION "A"

The project requires the use of the unique facilities or expertise at ANSTO, or other ASF which are not reasonably available to the proposer.

CRITERION "B"

The project has high scientific merit and an achievable work plan.

CRITERION "C"

The project has significance in the development of knowledge concerning materials, systems or processes that may have importance in the controlled release of nuclear energy, or in the associated technology.

CRITERION "D"

The project has significance in the development of knowledge concerning the effects of radiation on materials, systems or processes.

CRITERION "E"

The project is in a field which, in the opinion of AINSE may be important in the longer-term development of nuclear technology in Australia , and in which it is desirable to develop and maintain Australian expertise.

CRITERION "F"

The project involves direct scientific co-operation between officers of ANSTO and research workers of one or more of AINSE's other member organisations, in fields, which are related to the research priorities at ANSTO.

12. National Research Priorities

Please select the National Research Priority that best covers the work that your application will address. More information on National Research Priorities can be found at the link.

13. ANSTO Research Priorities

Please select the ANSTO Research Priority that best covers the work that your application will address or enter NR:

E1 Climate change – human impact, weather & climate prediction models

E2 Water resources – sustainability, groundwater, rainfall variability

E3 Aerosols – anthropogenic pollution, surface emissions, Aeolian dust

M1 Structural integrity of materials in high stress, high temperature, high radiation environments

M2 Microstructural evolution and remnant life

M3 Chemical Separations science actinide partitioning, group separation

M4 Weld residual stress and distortion

MR Radiation detectors for medical physics, radiation protection, radiobiological research

R1 Imaging – radiolabelling, target identification

NR Not Related

14. Commercial - In Confidence

Indicate by placing a tick in the yes box if the proposed project is commercially sensitive and should be treated as "commercial - in confidence" by AINSE, ANSTO and the Specialist Review Committee. Generally it is expected that information resulting from an AINSE award should be made freely available.

15. Other Investigators and Collaboration with ANSTO; Facility Contact Officer PIN

Give the names and affiliations of other investigators and collaborators at the ASF, who will be involved with this project. It is desirable that an ASF staff member be nominated to supervise students when they are at the facility. See also Item 16, below, relating to support from other funding bodies.

15.1 Names of Research Students

AINSE records the names of research students who benefit from AINSE Awards, as the number of students is one of the measures of success that AINSE uses.

15.2 Nationality/Citizenship of researchers intending to visit ANSTO

Please list the nationality of all researchers who intend to visit ANSTO to conduct work.

15.3 Names of Contact Officers

It is essential that the project is discussed with the Contact Officer responsible for each facility the applicant proposes to use. You will not be able to submit your application without such a discussion and receiving the primary Facility Contact Officer’s PIN.

Refer to the AINSE Users’ Guide to determine the feasibility, ethics, safety requirements, availability of facilities.

List the names of the Contact Officers who are responsible for those facilities and services the applicant proposes to use, and with whom the project has been discussed.

The primary Facility Contact Officer will provide you with their Contact PIN and additional information to include in the Application Form.

Enquiries concerning preliminary visits to Lucas Heights to discuss matters, which cannot be resolved by correspondence or telephone, should be made directly to AINSE. Funds may be provided for this purpose in certain cases, and persons wishing to make such a visit should contact the Executive Secretary, AINSE, before 25 August 2008

15.4 Collaborative or Service Project?

Before an Application is submitted, the applicant and ANSTO facility officer should discuss whether the application is for "service" work, or is to be collaborative research with ANSTO staff.

Non-Collaborative (or service) projects are those which involve routine measurements, standard processing, and delivery of results with no analysis or interpretation by ANSTO staff. Joint publication is not expected.

A collaborative project involves intellectual input from both parties. The ANSTO contribution may involve experimental design, development of the proposal and its scientific objectives, detailed analysis or interpretation of results. ANSTO staff contribute to collaborative projects when they are in a priority research area, or in an area in which ANSTO wishes to explore new directions.

It is expected that a collaborative project will result in joint publication and discussion of intellectual property (see below). Further advice will be given in the "Conditions of the Award", which is sent with offers of AINSE Awards to successful applicants.

AINSE encourages collaboration, although it is not a necessary condition for an AINSE Award. Collaborative projects may receive higher priority than service projects when the facility is over-subscribed. See the entry under "Availability" in the AINSE User's Guide.

Facility costs are the same whether or not the project is collaborative.

16. Intellectual Property Rights

For service projects, ownership of intellectual property (IP) related to the project measurements resides with the university or researcher. New techniques or capabilities developed by ANSTO in execution of the project will reside with ANSTO.

For collaborative projects, both parties must be aware of each other’s expectations for protection and exploitation of intellectual property, including patents and publications. The project investigator and ANSTO collaborator agree to advise their respective institutions if

• at the time of writing the proposal, there is intent to generate IP that potentially could be patented or commercialised; or
• during the course of the investigation, any IP develops that potentially could be patented or commercialised.

The institutions, in endorsing the application, agree to enter into IP negotiations if requested by either party.

17. Safety

It is important that potential hazards are identified before experiments are commenced. If you are unsure about your answer to any of these questions please discuss with the facility contact officer prior to submitting the application.

18. Most Relevant Publications

List the four most relevant publications that have arisen from previous work carried out by the applicants. Put a tick to indicate that AINSE support was acknowledged and an asterisk to indicate that AINSE has been provided with a copy. Appropriate acknowledgment should be made when the results of work undertaken with AINSE assistance are submitted for publication.

Attention is drawn to the AINSE Gold Medal Award for excellence in research based on publications over the past five years which acknowledge AINSE support. Anyone wishing to nominate someone for this Award should complete the Gold Medal nomination form.

19. Project Titles of Any Other Current and Previous AINSE Awards

List the Award numbers and project titles of any other current or previous AINSE Awards awarded over the past five years to any of the investigators nominated in this application. For each current Award that is relevant to this application, provide a brief progress report in the ‘Other Supporting Information’ box in step 1.

20. Other publications

Details of all published work from previous AINSE Awards where AINSE has not already been notified should be cited here. Put a tick to indicate that AINSE support was acknowledged and an asterisk to indicate that AINSE has been provided with a copy.

Step 3: Previous funding

21. Previous Awards and Future Funding

Include the amounts relating to previous AINSE awards and, where known, the amounts actually expended. This information can be obtained from AINSE.

22. Amount Requested from Other Funding Bodies

Include the amounts awarded to this project by other funding bodies, and the amounts applied for which cover, or will cover, access to ASF facilities.

AINSE Awards are not normally awarded for projects where alternative funding is available. If work is supported financially by industry or other government agencies it should be done outside the AINSE system.

Applications for AINSE Awards from university staff attached to a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) in support of projects not directly funded by a CRC, that is, not part of the approved research plan of the CRC, may be accepted. The application must be processed through the university’s Research Office.

AINSE will not normally support an Award to a researcher where their student holds an AINSE Postgraduate Research Award for the use of the same facilities to analyse the same samples.

Step 4: Requested funding

23. Requested Funds

NOTE: AINSE Awards do NOT provide for salaries or stipends.

AINSE Awards may comprise one or more of the following components:

23.1 University Costs

Where some part of the project cannot reasonably be carried out at ANSTO, funds may be awarded to a university for the procurement of small items of equipment. Each separate item, for example chemicals, materials, components, or construction costs should be listed; the total should be less than $3000; and each item should be essential for the research component at ANSTO and have no other useful purpose at the university. Note that such items can normally be funded from ARC funds and only in exceptional circumstances will AINSE fund such items.

23.2 Travel and Accommodation

An award for travel and accommodation may be made to help cover the expenses of researchers visiting AINSE - listed facilities for the purposes specified in the Award. Such an award will normally take the form of a credit which has been calculated on the basis of reasonably available discount air fares, or their equivalent for other forms of travel; transport to and from the airport; and accommodation charges (including breakfast and evening meal) at the Lucas Heights Motel. See the AINSE Users’ Guide for further details. Accommodation Awards for access to AINSE listed facilities other than those at Lucas Heights will be based on College style accommodation costs.

In the case of Awards granted to researchers from universities within reasonable driving distance of Lucas Heights , petrol allowances for research students involved with the project are based on the distance between the university and Lucas Heights , and the number of access days awarded.

NB Information on air fares, local petrol allowances, accommodation at the Lucas Heights Motel, and site transport timetables, etc. can be found in the AINSE Users' Guide . These were current when the Guide was updated in July 2008.

The expenses which AINSE will normally approve from credits awarded for travel and accommodation are limited to those involved in visits to AINSE-listed facilities only, except in special cases included in the Notification of Award, or in other special cases in which AINSE's written approval has been obtained prior to the journey.

23.3 Facilities

Details of facilities are given at the AINSE Users' Guide. As mentioned above, you should already have contacted the facility officers and agreed on the most appropriate facilities, number of days (or samples) required, and availability of the facility and ANSTO staff during the requested time.

You will need to ensure that you state clearly and concisely why the facility you have chosen is the best for the project.

After completing this section click the Update button.

NB: Since access to facilities and services is limited (particularly during the second half of the year), preference may be given to those components of the project which will be ready to begin in January or early in the year. On some facilities access may be awarded for specified dates only. Researchers unable to use the facilities on those dates may forfeit their Award.

Costs: The charges associated with access to AINSE supported facilities and services are reviewed and agreed by AINSE and ANSTO, or other ASF, each year. Where the use of AINSE listed facilities is requested the applicant must discuss and agree with the appropriate contact officer, as listed in the AINSE Users' Guide, the proposed method and program.

The costs involved in the use of facilities will be paid to the university by AINSE when each Award is activated, up to the maximum amount allocated for that purpose in the award.

The take-up of AINSE Awards is reviewed each year by Specialist Committees, once at the end May and once at the end of October. Any unused amounts at the end of the stated month, in the year of the award, may be re-allocated by AINSE.

23.4 ANSTO equipment and materials

Essential equipment and materials required for the project, which are not available at the ANSTO facility, may be requested for purchase with AINSE funds. Such items become the property of ANSTO and are made available for use by members of university research groups. The total cost should be less than $3000.

Please click “Update total” before saving and continuing to Step 5 or to “Review Application”

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

When you a satisfied that the details in your application are complete you should

• submit the form on-line and print a copy (if you want to save a copy of the file, select all text, copy and paste to a new document and save)
• the printed copy must be signed by

• the chief investigator
• the AINSE Councillor for your university
• a member of the Research Office of your university

Completed application form should then be submitted to AINSE through the Registrar or Research Office of the member university to which the chief investigator belongs.

The signed original of the completed application of the application form must be received by AINSE by the closing date 15 SEPTEMBER 2008.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

AINSE is interested in your thoughts and suggestions for improving the submission process. Please enter any suggestions you have in the box.

Address to

Scientific Secretary
AINSE, PMB 1
Menai NSW 2234

For further information
Phone: 02 9717 3436
Fax: 02 9717 9268
Email: ainse@ansto.gov.au

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This page last updated 01-Aug-2008