AASW Practitioner Research Grant 2024-25
AASW Practitioner Research Grant 2024/25 round – Grant Information and Requirements
The AASW invites applications for three competitive research grants: two $10,000 (inclusive of GST) and one $5,000 smaller start-up Grant from AASW member/s wishing to undertake a practitioner research project in an area of social work practice. All areas of practitioner research are eligible. At least one $10,000 grant is dedicated to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander social workers and/or research projects.
Overview
Through this grant scheme, the AASW hopes to widen the expertise of social work practitioners in conceptualising, developing, and implementing practice research.
The research grants are an initiative of the Australian Association of Social Workers National Research Committee.
Practice research is key to improving social work practice in health and social services that promote the wellbeing of service users and communities. As such, it is a key area of social work practice and often involves collaboration amongst a range of stakeholders. Social workers utilise research and create knowledge in their work in diverse settings, engage in a range of activities including direct practice and case management, community work, group work, organisational development, social policy, and educational roles.
The particular purpose of each grant is to support a research team led by a Principal Investigator who is a social work practitioner sitting outside a formal research institution. Each team is also encouraged to have a research mentor on the research team who may be an academic. If further information is required on this, please email [email protected]. Applications that involve a partnership between a university, practitioners and services users which is based on reciprocity and a mutual respect for each other’s expertise are encouraged.
The grant scheme encourages social work practitioners to develop and implement a research project which will contribute to the evidence and knowledge base of social work. The grants are available for qualitative, quantitative, theoretical, and applied research projects or programs associated with social work practice. It is important to demonstrate how practitioners and other end-users will benefit from their participation in the application and project.
In writing about the state of practice research in social work, Joubert et al. (2022) call for optimism given there is a move towards the shared space that both researchers and practitioners inhabit. This shared space promotes conversations, collaboration, and innovation. It is in this shared space that practice meets research and the promising future for practice research in social work lies (p.7).
The research, project or program grant can be used to support practice research or projects including, but not limited to:
- Research projects including pilot research projects focussed on a particular practice issue. The proposal will typically comprise a project rationale, methodology including researcher positionality, data collection approaches and data analysis, and identify who will benefit from the research. The smaller start-up project can also be a desktop or scoping review which draws on the literature to address a particular research question, for example, what is best practice or what gaps in knowledge exist in any given area of practice
- Evaluation projects which may comprise outcome evaluations of social work practice.
- Evidence-based practice research (translation or implementation) designed to produce, synthesise, implement and disseminate evidence in relation to social work practice.
Objectives of the grant scheme
The objectives of the program are to:
- Provide support for developing practice-based research.
- Provide funding for progressing ideas that address areas of practice and policy.
- Facilitate and foster collaborative research networks, planning and development with a focus on supporting practitioner researchers.
- Encourage mentoring relationships between practitioners and academic researchers.
Timelines
- First call for applications: Monday, 22 July 2024.
- Deadline for applications: Sunday, 15 December Midnight AEST. Late applications will not be accepted.
- Successful applications announced by end of January 2025
- Research project commencement – as soon as necessary Ethics Approval granted (preferably no later than 30 April 2025)
- It is anticipated that projects will be completed within 12 months. Additional funding will not be provided for extensions required to complete the project.
Eligibility
General Conditions
- The Principal Researcher only needs be a member of the AASW. Up to four Co-Principal Researchers, including a social work research mentor who may be an academic, can also be nominated.
- All applications must include all the required documentation as requested by the closing date. A lack of clarity or completeness in documentation may rule an application ineligible.
Specific Conditions
In addition to the general conditions, the following specific conditions apply:
- The research, project or program must commence in 2025.
- The successful applicant must file a mid-project progress report at an agreed mid-point of the project (emailed to AASW Professional Officer – Standards at [email protected] highlighting key milestones and tracking to budget.
- Acknowledge the AASW in all presentations and publications relating to the research, project or program.
- Grant recipients are expected to present the outcomes of their research at an appropriate conference or through publication. Australian Social Work or Social Work Focus could be considered as a publication destination.
- The applicant should be nominated as the Principal Researcher. The Principal Researcher is responsible for the conduct of the grant and reporting to the AASW.
Funding rules
- Projects within the program can have the support of a partner organisation and this support may be financial or ‘in-kind’ funding.
- Up to 20% of each grant can be used to fund any necessary ethics approval from a registered Human Research Ethics Committee, that is, $2,000 of each $10,000 grant and $1,000 of the $5,000 grant. An academic research mentor on the team may be able to facilitate this.
- Funding cannot be transferred to another institution, project, or program.
- A maximum of 50% of funds may be used for work release.
- Applicants must be continuing members of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
- Applications must address all the selection criteria on the application form.
- Applications for research, projects, or programs already in receipt of funding will not be accepted
- Conference funding is limited to a maximum of 10% of the total of the grant awarded.
- Grant recipients are required to provide two reports on the project, at an agreed mid-point and a final report at the end of the project to the AASW.
Funding disbursement
The $10,000 grants will be disbursed in two payments. An initial payment of $6,000 will be made on signature of the contract between the AASW and the successful organisation. It is expected that part of this initial payment can be used to fund the nominated ethics committee application. A final payment for the balance of the grant will be made following review of a midway progress report to be submitted at an agreed mid-point of the research and subject to the contract agreement.
The smaller start-up $5,000 grant will be disbursed in two payments. An initial payment of $3,000 will be made on signature of the contract between the AASW and the successful organisation. It is expected that part of this initial payment can be used to fund a nominated ethics committee application if required. A final payment for the balance of the grant will be made following review of a midway progress report to be submitted at an agreed mid-point of the research and subject to the contract agreement.
Research Grant Submission Details
The submission must include:
- A completed application form
- CV for all applicants (including supervisor or research mentor as appropriate)
- A specific plan for research mentorship and ethics approval (if further information is required, please email [email protected] )
- Any other relevant attachments
Research Grant Selection Criteria
The grant is designed to provide financial support to help to meet the costs of conducting an important piece of practice research including (but not limited to): staffing, travel, library services, recording equipment, costs of an ethics application, software, or administrative support. The research must be focused on practice research, and it is the intention that the grant supports practitioners undertaking research, or research that is intimately tied to practitioner issues as the priority.
The following selection criteria apply and must be addressed explicitly in the application:
- The significance of the practice issue and expected outcomes or contribution to social work practice.
- Links to current social work practice knowledge, demonstrated by a succinct account of recent research into the field of inquiry and other evidence.
- Appropriateness and feasibility of method, timeframe, scale, budget, and findings/knowledge dissemination plan to the practice research issue.
- The qualification and capacity of the research team to undertake the project.
Each of the four selection criteria is assessed according to the following weighting:
Criterion 1 – 20%
Criterion 2 – 20%
Criterion 3 – 40%
Criterion 4 – 20%
If you have any queries relating to the Practitioner Research Grant, please contact:
Vanessa Paparone
Email – [email protected]
Telephone – 03 9320 1014
Applications should be forwarded by the due date to [email protected]
Reference
Joubert L., Webber M., Uggerhøj, L., Julkunen I., Yliruka L., Hampson R., Simpson G., Sim T., Alys-Marie Manguy, A-M. & Austin, M.J. (2022). The Melbourne statement on practice research in social work: Practice meets research. Research on Social Work Practice, 1-8. DOI: 10.1177/1049731522113983