Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $10,000
- Application opened: 1 August 2025
- Application closed: 26 September 2025, 10:00 am
Program objective
The Program supports research conferences taking place in NSW in 2026 in areas of relevance to the NSW 20-Year R&D Roadmap.
The intended objectives of the Program are to:
- disseminate knowledge leading to advancements in science and technology, benefiting NSW’s overall intellectual capital
- foster collaboration, knowledge exchange and expertise sharing among participants, leading to significant contributions and outcomes
- collaborate and drive change through innovation.
This program is administered by Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for the Program applicants must be from an NSW public sector research institution or from the NSW community sector.
This includes:
- Non-profit organisations incorporated under the Federal Corporations Act 2001 as applied in NSW OR a national non-profit organisation planning a conference in NSW
- Community groups
- Universities
- Government associations
- A Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) may apply in partnership with the above entities.
The research area of the conference must fall into one of the following categories:
- Mathematical, information and computing sciences
- Physical, chemical and earth sciences
- Engineering, environmental sciences and renewable energy
- Biological and biotechnological sciences.
Sponsorship grants will be available for scientific conferences to be held between January and December 2026.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Funds can be expended on any aspect of conference organisation occurring in NSW.
Examples include (but not limited to):
- speaker costs – airfares and accommodation
- student travel/registration grants
- venue hire
- catering
- promotion – marketing/advertising
- audiovisual services
- conference management fees
- transportation
insurance.
When the project can start and end
The project should be started by 1 January 2026 and the project must be completed by 31 December 2026.
Who can’t apply
Applicants are not eligible to apply for the Program if they are:
- insolvent
- an individual
- a partnership
- unincorporated association
- a private company
- a Commonwealth, state, territory or local government agency or body excluding government corporate entities.
Conferences that received funding from OCSE in 2025 are ineligible.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Before applying, you must read and understand the Program Guidelines.
Applications are due by 10:00 AEST Friday 19 September 2025.
To apply you must:
- complete the SmartyGrants online application form at Conference Sponsorship Program | Chief Scientist (nsw.gov.au)
- provide all the information requested
- address all the eligibility criteria
- include all necessary attachments
- submit your application by the timelines
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Address the assessment criteria
The Assessment Panel will make recommendations for funding against the assessment criteria:
- Purpose of conference – demonstrate value of conference to the community, research sector and the NSW Government, including how the conference will recognise the financial contribution of the Department.
- Alignment with the NSW 20-Year R&D Roadmap.
- Evidence the conference would deliver economic, environmental, social and/or technological benefits to NSW.
- Evidence of engagement and collaboration with established research entities, networks or platforms.
- Demonstration of how diversity, equity and inclusion will be considered and implemented in the planning and delivery of the conference. Note: Diversity metrics may include gender, age, cultural and linguistic background, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, neurodiversity, LGBTIQ+, non-binary or gender diversity, disability/chronic illness, and regional/remote location.
- Demonstrate need for funding through a budget breakdown, including co-sponsorship and other financial contributors.
Start the application
To apply you must:
- complete the SmartyGrants online application form at Conference Sponsorship Program | Chief Scientist (nsw.gov.au)
- provide all the information requested
- address all the eligibility criteria
- include all necessary attachments
- submit your application by the timelines outlined in Section 3.2 Key dates.
Note:
- The application must be completed in its entirety to be eligible for consideration.
- Clearly mark any information that should be treated confidentially.
- All eligible applicants will be assessed on merit against the assessment criteria. However, the Department, at its discretion, may choose not to award or recommend funding to applicants under the Program.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology
The assessment of applications will be led by the Department. Your application will be considered based on a two-stage process. Where the Department considers an application unsuitable or unsatisfactory against any criteria, we may exclude that application from further evaluation. Only eligible applications will move to the next stage. We consider eligible applications through an open competitive grant process.
Stage 1: Eligibility Assessment
The OCSE Secretariat will conduct an initial eligibility screening for all applications according to the published eligibility criteria in the Program Guidelines that are set out in Section 2.1: Eligibility criteria. Only applications which meet all eligibility criteria will progress to assessment against the assessment criteria.
Stage 2: Assessment by the Assessment Panel
The membership of the Assessment Panel (Panel) will be determined by OCSE in its sole discretion and may include independent assessors from the broader NSW public sector.
The Panel will assess each application against the assessment criteria and compare it to other eligible applications before recommending which applications should be awarded a grant.
On behalf of the Panel, the Department may seek additional information about you or your application.
The Panel has the discretion to recommend that an applicant receive a smaller amount of funding than indicated in their application.
The Panel members are expected to assess all eligible applications unless they have a declared conflict of interest for a certain application(s).
Panel members will individually assess all eligible applications against each criterion set out in Section 2.2. All criteria have equal weighting.
When making their recommendations, the Assessment Panel may take the following into consideration:
- the total funding available for the Conference Sponsorship Program 2026 round
- the assessment criteria outlined in these Guidelines
- the requested amount against the scope of the project i.e. could the applicant effectively deliver the conference with less funding
- whether a reduction could pose significant risks to the success of a conference
- whether applicants have sufficient or additional resources or avenues available to raise capital other than this grant that could assist with the success of their conference
- whether a decrease of funding will impact achieving the overall aim of the Conference Sponsorship Program.
Anticipated assessment outcome date is 122025
Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is 022026
Support and contact
raap.grants@chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au and 02 9228 4184