I was told about the Academy’s Workshops Program by a colleague who works at another university. Their research centre received an invitation to apply, but we didn’t. Can we still apply?

Yes. The Workshops Program is open to all social science researchers across Australia, and you are welcome and encouraged to apply. Indeed, if you register your interest in the Workshops Program with us, we’ll make sure you get a personal invitation next time.

The Academy Fellow who is willing to act as co-convenor used to serve as a judge for the Workshops Program. Does that impact our eligibility?

No. All Fellows are eligible to apply as co-convenors for the Workshops Program.

Is it possible to be included in two proposals? (e.g., leading one, listed as a participant on another?)

Yes. Being listed in multiple applications does not impact on your eligibility, nor your chances of success (whether you are a Fellow or non-Fellow applicant). Ultimately, the decision to participate or not in multiple applications should come down to each researcher’s interest in the workshops’ topics and their availability to contribute.

I don’t know any Academy Fellows. Can I still apply?

Yes. We highly encourage applying teams to invite Academy Fellows as co-convenors, as one of the objectives of the Workshops Program is to promote dialogue among researchers in different career stages. Search our Fellow Directory to identify potential collaborators, and either contact them directly or reach out to the Workshops Program team to facilitate an introduction (via email to: workshops@socialsciences.org.au).

If you are unable to secure a suitable Fellow as co-convenor, you are still able to apply. Use the ‘Convenors’ section of the application form to explain your situation, and whether you remain open to collaborating with an Academy Fellow in the future (should your workshop be successful).

Can I apply to the Academy’s Workshops Program if the proposed workshop will physically take place overseas?

No. The Workshops Program is specifically targeted to benefit Australian researchers and universities. International collaborators are welcome to attend, though, either in-person or online.

My workshop will be virtual. Instead of travel and accommodation, can I allocate budget towards things like a research assistant and website development?

Yes. Past workshop winners have allocated budget in many creative ways, such as hiring a note-taking or scribe (so everyone can concentrate on the conversation), hiring a specialist science-writer or editor, or flying a couple of representatives to present their ideas at Parliament. Having said that, many do still appreciate the opportunity to use the funding largely for travel, accommodation or a welcome dinner. Particularly for workshops where participants have no pre-existing relationships or collaborations, in-person events create the most opportunities to build those bonds.

We would like to allocate some of the budget to pay travel and accommodation for some of our interstate participants. Is that OK?

Yes. In fact, travel and accommodation expenses have traditionally comprised a significant portion of the budget in many applications (until recently, as COVID has led many teams to opt for hybrid or virtual workshop formats).

Would it be acceptable to charge facilitators or participants a registration fee? Fee-paying participants would give us much-needed additional funds to scale our event

This may be considered in exceptional circumstances, but the Workshops Program is intended to bring together a broad and diverse group of social science researchers and practitioners based on their interest and expertise rather than their capacity to pay. We would encourage convenors to seek external funds from other sources first (university departments or other not for profits), or potentially request participants attending in person to fund all or part of their travel and accommodation expenses to allow funds to stretch further.

Note also that co-investment (cash or in-kind) is not a requirement for applications but is well regarded by assessors and has been successfully implemented by winners in the past.

We are having difficulties getting all prospective workshop participants to confirm attendance before the closing deadline. Can you advise how flexible you are in this regard?

Very flexible. In drafting the Participants section of your application, your goal should be to give assessors a clear idea about the spread of disciplines, research career stages, and types of stakeholders you plan on bringing together. Having a few critical participants confirmed will give assessors reassurance you are well positioned in your planning, but a well-designed participant mix should be your main objective. To this end, it is ok to list unconfirmed attendees, or even placeholders with descriptors of the participants you plan on bringing in (e.g., Senior Policy Officer from Treasury; Director of an Advocacy Organisation in the nutrition space). A well-balanced participant mix is a key indicator of potential success for your workshop.

I’m having trouble with the online application form! Who can I contact for help?

Get in touch with our Workshops Program team via workshops@socialsciences.org.au.

On application closing day, what’s the latest time we can submit?

Close of business or 5pm EDST. If you have difficulties submitting (e.g., technical), please get in touch and we will do our best to help you resolve the issue (email us to workshops@socialsciences.org.au).