Funding for collaborative science and technology projects with Chinese partners

We assess your application against the eligibility criteria and then against the assessment criteria. Only eligible applications will proceed to the assessment stage.

Eligible applications are referred to an independent external committee of experts (the committee). Experts are selected in each priority area through a rigorous analysis of academic qualifications, conflicts of interest, availability and taking into consideration gender and diversity to form the committee.

The committee will assess your application against the assessment criteria and compare it to other eligible applications in a funding round. The committee decides which projects will be referred for consideration by a joint meeting of Australian and Chinese Government officials.

The Committee will consider your application on its merits, based on:

• how well it addresses the assessment criteria
• how it compares to other applications
• whether it provides value with relevant money.

When assessing whether the application represents value with relevant money, we will have regard to:

• the overall objectives of the grant opportunity
• the evidence provided to demonstrate how your project contributes to meeting those objectives
• the relative value of the grant sought.

To be competitive you must score highly against all of the assessment criteria.

• Assessment criterion 1: The extent that your project will advance research in priority areas (25 points)
• Assessment criterion 2: Scientific quality - the appropriateness of the design and methodology for your research (25 points)
• Assessment criterion 3: Benefits to Australia and China (25 points)
• Assessment criterion 4: The capacity, capability and resources of all project partners to manage the JRC and deliver the activities (25 points)

If your application is successful, you will receive a written offer. If you are unsuccessful, we will notify you in writing and give you the chance to discuss the outcome with us.

Successful applicants must enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth. The grant agreement will specify the reporting requirements, payment schedule and milestones necessary to receive payments.

We will make payments according to an agreed schedule set out in the grant agreement. Payments are subject to satisfactory progress on the project.

Payments will be made by direct credit into a nominated bank account.

You must provide details of intellectual property (IP) issues in your application. This includes both the:

• use of any IP in your project
• proposed ownership of IP resulting from the project (and ways to protect Australia's interests)

If your application is successful, and it’s likely you’ll produce IP, you’ll need agreements with Chinese and other partners for IP management. These agreements will need to meet Australian and Chinese legislation.

When negotiating IP make sure you have:

• effective protection and fair distribution of any benefits from new IP
• new IP rights based on relative contributions and interests
• terms and conditions for commercialisation and other uses of new IP
• effective protection of pre-existing IP rights