Environmental Research

This grant aims to facilitate collaborations undertaking applied research in priority environmental themes.

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Key information

Status: Open
Grant amount: Up to $200,000
Application opened: 17 February 2025
Application closes: 9 April 2025, 5:00 pm

Program objective

The Environmental Research program provides funding for applied research in priority environmental themes to help address contemporary environmental problems in NSW.

The objectives of the program are to:

increase knowledge and advance techniques to solve priority environmental problems in NSW
assess and test application of innovative solutions to decrease environmental degradation in NSW
discover new methods of operation for NSW industries that are less harmful to the environment.

This program is administered by Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

This program is funded by NSW Environmental Trust.

Eligibility

Applicants must demonstrate that they have the capability to undertake the applied research.

See the Program Guidelines (PDF 1.38MB) for an extensive list of eligible applicants.

Applicants must also include relevant collaborators and end-users as project partners for the proposed research.

Collaborators are partners who can help deliver the project.

End-users are partners who will use the research findings in a meaningful way.

See the Program Guidelines (PDF 1.38MB) for more information on collaborators and end-users.

Who can apply

We offer grants to eligible applicants who work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders.

Eligible applicants include:

universities
government agencies (including councils)
incorporated community organisations or groups
Local Aboriginal Land Councils.

Who can’t apply

The Trust will not fund:

research funding institutes
individuals
industry joint ventures
for-profit organisations
profit-distributing entities.

Types of projects funded under this grant

The priority themes for the Environmental Research grants program are based on the NSW Environmental Trust Strategic Plan 2024 to 2029 which funds critical issues across the state.

The plan is informed by extensive research and stakeholder consultation.

The strategic priorities are:

prioritise healthy Country and recognise and value Aboriginal peoples, their traditional knowledge and practices, and connection to Country
restore ecosystems and biodiversity
strengthen environmental management.

See the Program Guidelines (PDF 1.38MB) for more information on aligning project proposals with priority themes.

What can’t you apply for

Administration costs that exceed 10% of the total grant	See eligible activities for definition of eligible administration costs.
Core business	Projects that, in the normal course of events, are clearly the core business of local or state government authorities or educational institutions. ‘Core business’ can be difficult to define as it varies by organisation, but generally, it is considered as the essential business or legal responsibility of an organisation. The Trust will consider funding works that are related to core business but additional to the organisation’s usual work or responsibilities.
Capital expenditure	Infrastructure and large capital item purchases (e.g., vehicles, construction, buildings, machinery, amenities). Small capital equipment purchases are allowed where it can be demonstrated to be more cost effective to purchase than to lease for the life of the project. Costs for capital items should generally not exceed 20% of the total project budget.
Devolved grants	Projects that fund devolved grants (i.e., projects offering grants to other organisations). Trust funds must be managed directly by the lead organisation, and all financial transactions must be managed in line with the approved budget and Grantee Guide to Procurement
Existing commitments	Ongoing research to which organisations have committed to as part of a previous grant or their core business operations.
Cost shifting	Reimbursement of salaries of existing staff who will be supervising or working on the project unless it can be demonstrated that salaries have not already been budgeted for (See examples in Developing your EOI and Invited Application Guide).
Cost recoupment	Funding cannot be used on any activities that have commenced before the grant is offered and accepted, including application development. Activities should commence in May–June 2024.
Data collection without application	Surveys to gather data or information on subject matter which is not used to develop research outcomes or tangible environmental outcomes.
Commercialisation of existing technologies	Proposals seeking to use funds to commercialise existing technologies.
Fundamental research	Proposals that do not involve applied research. Projects with no end-user identified.

Example projects

Using mosquito DNA for detecting the occurrence of native mammals in semi-arid refuges.
GPS-tracking the endangered Hastings River mouse to assess fine-scale habitat use.
Manipulating plant odour to protect threatened plants from mammalian herbivores.
Developing a pilot biosensor that uses machine learning to identify wildlife acoustically.

What your application needs to include

The program has a 2-stage application process.

Stage 1 – Expression of Interest

EOIs must be registered and submitted in the online Grants Management System (GMS), available on the program webpage and must meet the following conditions:

Projects must aim to commence between1 May 2026 and 30 June 2026.
Projects must end no later than 31 July 2029.
It is recommended that EOIs are developed in the online GMS environment (rather than downloading and working with it offline) to take advantage of ‘pop-up’ guidance and embedded drop-down menus.

Collaboration on a proposal with project partners is possible by providing editing rights.

Please refer to the Grants Management System Online Portal User Manual – Section 4.2.6 Manage access to application.

Address the eligibility criteria

Each proposal requires a lead applicant. The lead applicant should be either the research body or an identified end-user of the research (see Part 3: What research can be funded?).

Lead organisations must be based in NSW and/or be able to demonstrate the potential environmental benefits to New South Wales.

If successful in securing a grant, the lead applicant will hold primary responsibility for the delivery of the project. This includes administration and finance requirements, and the performance of collaborators.

The following organisations are eligible to apply as the lead applicant:

universities
state government agencies and/or statutory committees
community organisations or groups
incorporated associations/non-profit organisations
non–commercial cooperatives
councils
regional organisation of councils
other local government-controlled organisations
companies limited by guarantee
Local Aboriginal Land Councils.

Unincorporated not-for-profit organisations may apply but will need the support of another organisation who will perform the role of External Manager.