What is Cochrane Funding Program?
Cochrane is an international organisation that produces independent health advice, based on systematic reviews of the evidence, for clinicians, consumers and government. The Australian Government has supported Cochrane’s activities in Australia since 2001.
Background
Cochrane is an international, independent and not-for-profit organisation of 13,000 members and 50,000 supporters from more than 130 countries that aims to promote evidence-based practice in service provision and clinical health care. Cochrane systematic reviews are a key element in improving the quality and accessibility of the evidence to support health care decision-making.
Australia is a major contributor to the work of Cochrane. A number of Cochrane entities have their primary base in Australia.
Cochrane prepares, maintains and promotes systematic reviews of health care interventions published on the Cochrane Library, which is made available free of charge to all Australian residents with funding from the Australian Government.
Objective
The objective of the funding program is to support translational research. The intended outcomes of Cochrane reviews are to help health care providers, practitioners and patients make informed decisions about health care.
Cochrane Australia (CA) will be responsible for facilitating, supporting and promoting the work of Cochrane in Australia by:
- training and supporting review authors and editors who contribute to Cochrane in Australia
- developing and implementing research synthesis methods and improving review efficiency
- supporting the translation of research into policy and practice
- building and promoting greater recognition of Cochrane’s work through Cochrane Australia
- developing strategies to increase the accessibility of Cochrane evidence for patients, carers, policy makers and other health-care consumers
- implementing strategies to maximise usage of the Cochrane Library and other Cochrane evidence for informing healthcare decisions, and
- co-ordinating and providing support to Cochrane Review Groups and their activities nationally, regionally and internationally.
Funding
The Australian Government has announced a total of $6,211,000 over three years to support Cochrane’s activities in Australia. For this grant opportunity, $4,255,231 is available over three years.
The grant opportunity will run from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023.
- The maximum grant amount the CA can apply for is $650,000 (GST exclusive) per annum.
- The maximum amount available to support CRGs is $764,472 in the first year, $770,411 in the second year and $770,348 in the third year (all GST exclusive). All CRGs that apply and are eligible will receive a portion of the available funding.
Eligible Projects
Eligible activities must directly relate to the objectives of the program being to support translational research and can include:
- systematic review preparation
- travel to attend training, conferences and meetings
- reviewer training and support meetings
- methodology training and support
- development of health care consumer focused information
- relevant research, editorial and dissemination activities.
You must spend the grant on eligible expenditure you have incurred on relevant Cochrane activities.
Eligible expenditure items are:
- review author training and support
- development of methodological resources
- consumer involvement and staffing
- data management
- public communication expenses
- meeting expenses
- Cochrane activity related travel expenses
- equipment, consumables and capital expenses.
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible you must:
- be a national Cochrane Centre based in Australia or a CRG registered by Cochrane Australia
- be registered for the purposes of GST
- submit your application through an Administering Institution
- be located in Australia
and be one of the following entity types:
- CA, the overarching Cochrane Centre that facilitates and supports the work of Cochrane in Australia, or
- A CRG, registered with Cochrane with the primary editorial base in Australia. More information about the Cochrane registration and approval processes can be found on Cochrane’s website at www.cochrane.org.
Timing
Applications close 16 December 2019.
