2025 Seed Funding Opportunity
Friday, 10 Oct 2025

Institute for Water Futures 

2025 Seed Funding Scheme for Strategic Engagement 

The Institute for Water Futures has a limited amount of funding available for 2025 expenditure to support the development of strategic partnerships and transdisciplinary research opportunities aligned with the IWF Strategic Plan. (All funding must be expended in 2025.) 

IWF comprises research fellows from a number of ANU colleges, representing the diversity of thought necessary to achieve systems change. The Institute brings together expertise across several research areas critical to advancing towards sustainable, just and healthy water futures.  

Download these guidelines here: 

 

The Seed Funding Opportunity 

This seed funding opportunity is shared with the ANU community to help develop new partnerships and research opportunities that return collective benefits to IWF and the ANU, either through future research funding or other strategic initiatives (e.g. executive education, public engagement, thought leadership). Engagement pathway with a key external partner (e.g. government, industry, community organisation) MUST be demonstrated.  

Note: This seed funding is NOT a top-up for implementation of existing projects, and will NOT be awarded to proposals that put forward only traditional research outputs as indications of impact.  

Download the seed funding EOI template here:

 

Objectives 

The primary objectives of this seed funding scheme are to: 

  1. Catalyse strategic partnerships for long-term benefit: 
    Support the initiation or deepening of collaborative relationships between researchers and government, industry and/or civil society partners, as a foundation to future opportunities (e.g. external funding or joint projects). 
  1. Support co-designed research: 
    Promote the co-design and co-production of research agendas, ensuring alignment with stakeholder priorities and enhancing the likelihood of real-world uptake and long-term positive impact. 
  1. Strengthen translation pathways to impact: 
    Facilitate the translation of research findings into policy, regulatory, and practice outcomes through collaborative dialogue and engagement. 

 

Eligibility Criteria 

  • Applicants must be current ANU staff (Team applications are encouraged, and can include honorary or student members but must be led by a staff member).
  • Proposals must demonstrate engagement and collaboration with member(s) of at least one IWF Member School (FSES, MSI, RSES, CSPP, SoCy, ICEDS).
  • At least one IWF School must be represented in proposal team.
  • Proposals bringing together multiple Schools and disciplines will be highly regarded.
  • Proposals must involve at least one external partner from either government, industry or civil society.
  • Proposals must have a water futures focus and demonstrate alignment with IWF priorities.

 

Selection Criteria 

Proposals will be evaluated by IWF according to the following criteria: 

  • Alignment with the IWF Strategic Plan and clear contributions to more sustainable water futures. 
  • Demonstrated strategic partnerships/research opportunities preferably at the Australian national or subnational level, with strong levels of commitment from identified external partner. Strong prospects of strategic international partnership may be considered if the link to the IWF strategic plan is articulated clearly. 
  • Activities funded must focus on relationship-building, collaborative research scoping, and/or translation activities for impact.  
  • Demonstrated consideration of impact pathways, with articulated potential for long-term collaboration and potential for future funding. Development of a funding strategy as an output is encouraged.  
  • Feasibility and value for money is clear in the proposed timeline, milestones, and budget. 

 

Funding Scope and Timelines 

It is envisioned that scoping activities may require anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 (max) of funding, depending on the breadth of partnership and complexity of work proposed.  

  • Funding cannot be used as salary offset for ANU staff.  

  • All funding MUST be expended before the end of 2025. This means the money must be spent from ANU accounts in 2025, though (contracted, paid) activities with external partners that are funded in 2025 may continue into Q1 2026.  

Funding may be used for a wide range of activities, for example: 

  • Hosting joint workshops, roundtables, or site visits; includes travel costs for engaging with researchers/partners 
  • Scoping or pilot studies developed in collaboration with partners 
  • Development of partnership strategies or joint research proposals 
  • Short-term research assistance to support collaborative project planning 

Proposals to support the delivery of existing research are unlikely to attract funding, unless the proposal clearly articulates the value add of this seed funding to encourage further strategic collaboration. 

 

Commitments and Reporting 

  • Recipients will be required a basic financial acquittal for funds expended, and to submit a short impact report outlining activities undertaken, interim outcomes or impact pathway, and next steps for the partnership (due end of Q1 2026). 

  • Any outputs committed to as part of the seed funding (e.g. a proposed future funding strategy, partnership agreement, workshop outcomes, etc) should be submitted (end of Q1 2026).  

  • IWF may request brief follow-up engagement from the seed funding lead, in the form of a short interview, blog post, or discussion about further strategic engagement. 

 

How to apply

To express your interest in applying for Seed Funding please download, complete and submit an EOI to manager.iwf@anu.edu.au. Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis through December 2025.  

Download the seed funding EOI template here: