Natural Hazards STEM Support Program

The Natural Hazards STEM Support Program aims to enhance STEM outreach in schools. The Program targets NSW kindergarten to the 12th grade, focusing on technology education relevant to natural hazard management and response. 

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Key information

  • Status: Closed
  • Grant amount: From $10,000 to $400,000
  • Application opened: 1 February 2024
  • Application closed: 2 April 2024, 10:00 am

Program objective

With a total of $800,000 in funding, the Natural Hazards the Program intends to make a substantial investment in the future of STEM education in NSW. The Program offers up to a maximum of $400,000 per grant application.

The Program aims to enhance the STEM education and skill development of students in kindergarten through to year 12 through the implementation of program/s that focus on technologies directly relevant to the management and response of natural hazards. This strategic focus is intended to inspire the next generation of innovators and technologists by not only educating but also igniting the curiosity of students in technological domains.

The objectives of the Program are:

  • Enhance STEM education and skill development for K–12 students in NSW.  
  • Focus on technologies that are directly relevant to the management and response of natural hazards, creating a bridge between theoretical learning and practical application.
  • Motivate and empower an emerging cohort of technologists.

This program is administered by Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer.

Eligibility

1

Who can apply

To be eligible for the Program applicants must:

  • have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • have an account with an Australian financial institution
  • be headquartered in NSW
  • demonstrate that all project activities will take place in NSW schools
  • ensure all grant monies are used on activities undertaken to deliver the program in NSW schools
  • demonstrate alignment to content descriptions and student learning outcomes in relevant fields in the NSW curriculum for students in K-12
  • demonstrate any funding received from other NSW or other state or federal government grant programs do not duplicate activities requested under the Program.

 and be one of the following entity types:

  • a company incorporated under the Corporations Act (including a company limited by guarantee)
  • an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
  • an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
  • an incorporated association
  • a partnership
  • a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation
  • a NSW public research organisation applying through its appropriate technology transfer office or the Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent) of the research organisation that will become a separate entity before entering into a legally binding funding agreement with DEIT
  • public sector organisation or other organisation, such as not-for-profit organisations
  • an individual who agrees to form such an entity so that DEIT can enter into a legally binding funding agreement.
2

Types of projects funded under this grant

For a grant activity to be eligible it must demonstrate a direct and robust alignment with the NSW curriculum. This includes:

  • For secondary education proposals, there should be a focus on STEM, Geography, and/or iSTEM curricula.
  • For primary education, alignment with the Science and Technology curriculum is essential.
  • Alternatively, proposals can demonstrate alignment with other relevant curricula that are suitable and equivalent to the ones mentioned.
3

Who can’t apply

You are not eligible to apply for the Program if you are:

  • insolvent
  • an individual
  • an unincorporated association
  • part of a consortia or partnership with a business that is insolvent.

The OCSE, at its sole discretion, may decide that an application is ineligible for funding. This may include any person or business activity that could cause reputational and/or other risks to the NSW Government.

What your application needs to include

1

Prepare your application with this checklist

To apply you must:

  1. complete the SmartyGrants online application form at https://chiefscientist.smartygrants.com.au/
  2. provide all the information requested
  3. address all the eligibility criteria
  4. address all the relevant assessment criteria
  5. include all necessary attachments
  6. submit your application by the timelines outlined in Section 4.2 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 OCSE, at its discretion, may choose not to award or recommend funding to applicants under the Program.

 

2

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.

Start the application

OCSE requires all applications to be submitted through the SmartyGrants portal. Before applying, you must read and understand these Program Guidelines. These documents may be found at chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au/natural-hazards-stem-support-program. Any alterations and addenda1 will be published on this page – nsw.gov.au/grants and-funding is the authoritative source for grants information for the NSW Government. The Program has a single application process. To apply you must: • complete the SmartyGrants online application form atchiefscientist.smartygrants.com.au• provide all the information requested• address all the eligibility criteria• address all the relevant assessment criteria• include all necessary attachments• submit your application by the timelines outlined in Keydates. 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, OCSE, 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: Chief Scientist & Engineer

The OCSE will lead the assessment of applications. Your application will be considered based on a two-stage process. Where the OCSE 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 will conduct an initial eligibility screening for all applications according to the published eligibility criteria in these Program Guidelines that are set out Section 2: Eligibility Criteria.

Only applications which meet all eligibility criteria will progress to assessment against the assessment criteria. The OCSE will record the ineligible applicants and will report the number of ineligible applications and reasons why to the Assessment Panel (Panel).

Stage 2: Assessment by the Assessment Panel

The assessment process for eligible applications by the Assessment Panel is listed below:

  • Complete, eligible applications for each challenge will be sent by the OCSE to the Panel to assess each application against the Assessment Criteria in Section 3.
  • The Panel will score all applications against the Assessment Criteria in Section 3.
  • The Panel members may request additional information from applicants. These requests will be managed by the OCSE who will communicate with the relevant applicants directly in writing to seek their response.
  • The OCSE will collate the individual scores from all Panel members and calculate an average score for all applications.
  • The Panel will meet to discuss the applications and their scores and agree on a recommendation for each eligible application. Based on this the Panel will agree on the applications to recommend for funding within the funding envelope. The OCSE will be present in these meetings.

The OCSE will develop a brief outlining the assessment process, Panel scores and the recommended applications for funding that will be submitted to the Designated Decision Maker

Support and contact

If you have any questions, please contact us at grants@chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au

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