Research environment

It’s important to align your research environment with your proposed project. Connect narratives from your grant application to the project, showcasing how your research contains the necessary facilities and expertise to succeed.

If collaborating with other universities or organisations, include their strengths in the research environment.

The description of your research environment could be judged according to Australian and international standards for your discipline, so it will be important to include information which demonstrates quality. Possible aspects of a research environment might include:

Below is a table of some questions/topics to consider when describing your research environment, along with some example wording. You can mix and match the relevant areas to suit your specific grant application.

Note that not all the sections will be relevant to every grant application, and different grant applications will have different word limits – therefore the information you include will depend on your individual application and the needs of your project.

Charles Sturt as a research institution

Does your research align with or demonstrate...

Consider mentioning

  • You could consider including a broad statement about the University's research generally.
  • Consider what’s the best angle for your project (i.e. mentioning industry collaboration and partnerships, discipline area, type of project)?
  • Does your project align to Charles Sturt research strategy or Charles Sturt values?

The Charles Sturt annual reports may also contain helpful information.

Are there any aspects of Charles Sturt that set us apart from other universities, which are relevant to your application?

For example:

  • Charles Sturt is Australia’s leading regional university with six campuses located in NSW (Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga) and a number of specialist campuses including Canberra, Goulburn, Manly and Parramatta.
  • Charles Sturt was certified as Australia’s first Carbon Neutral University in 2016.

Charles Sturt sustainability blurb (a paragraph containing information for researchers to include in external applications demonstrating our sustainability credentials).

Example wording

  • Charles Sturt has extensive experience undertaking research with government and industry partners including [name any which might be relevant to your project].
  • Charles Sturt is leading the way in [discipline/topic] research by …
  • Charles Sturt is a research-intensive university and promotes multi-disciplinary collaborations to provide meaningful outcomes for [industry, government, business and communities].
  • The [unique aspect of Charles Sturt] is the only one in Australia, with cutting-edge [equipment / resources, etc].

Does your project align with any specific Charles Sturt strategies?

Example wording

  • Charles Sturt's research strategy focuses on “research that contributes to developing communities that will be thriving economically, with strong social frameworks.” This project aligns with this research strategy by addressing [related research problem / issue].
  • The project is central to Charles Sturt's strategic plan to [aspect of strategic plan] by …

Charles Sturt research is governed and led through various governance and committees, as well as policies on integrity, ethics and compliance.

Example wording

  • Charles Sturt has an established governance structure in place to support this research, comprising [elaborate appropriate to your project].
  • The [Institute] has well-established governance which oversees the Institute's activities and projects ...
  • Charles Sturt has comprehensive policies on research integrity to ensure all research is conducted in accordance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018) …

Intellectual Research Environment

Can you (or others in the project) demonstrate...

Researcher (and/or research team) knowledge and experience relevant to your application

Consider mentioning

  • How many years of experience do you have? How many years of experience does the research team have?
  • Do you have a track record of successful projects in the field?
  • Number of publications with esteem factors (i.e. Impact factor)?
  • Do you have industry experience?
  • Are there areas of expertise or skills that you bring to the research team (including methodological skills, etc)?
  • Have you previously collaborated with any of the project team members before?
  • Are you a member of a Research Institute, research group or similar? (see below sections)
  • Are you on any Committees relevant to the project/field?

Example wording

  • CI [Name] is a full-time member of [School/Faculty] and an active member of the [Institute(s), research group(s), other relevant groups].
  • CI [Name] has an established track record in [discipline] and has successfully managed more than [number of projects and/or $ amount of external funding], including projects collaborating with [government bodies, industry orgs, etc].
  • The research team includes experts in innovative [research methodology, i.e. qualitative, quantitative etc] approaches in [discipline/topic related to project].
  • The CI’s have conducted research [assessing / evaluating / analysing / other action verbs] involving [list organisations / services / programs].
  • CI [Name] has [number of years] experience and is one of the most published researchers in [discipline], with high impact research published in [journals].
  • The multi-disciplinary project team has expertise in [range of disciplines / areas of research] and are highly experienced in [research methods appropriate to the discipline].
  • CI [Name] works in [School / Institute / Research Group] which focuses on [discipline], which is directly related to this project.
  • CI [Name] has an international reputation in [discipline area] research, evidenced by [elaborate].

Are you (or others in the project) a member of a Research Institute?

Identify anything relevant to your project which can be used to demonstrate a strong research environment. For example:

Example wording

  • CI [Name] is a member of CSU’s [Research Institute].
  • The [Research Institute] provides a research environment which supports collaboration and evidence-based research practices to address important issues at local, national and international levels.
  • The [Research Institute] is one of three accredited Research Institutes at CSU and aims to … [information relevant to your project].
  • The [Research Institute's] research in [FOR Code Name] was rated [Well Above World Standard, Above World Standard, At World Standard] in the most recent ERA assessment.
  • Since [year] the [Research Institute] has attracted $X in competitive external research income.
  • The [Research Institute] has established partnerships and linkages with State and Federal Government departments, agencies, organisations and other tertiary institutions both in Australia and overseas. Funding partners include [name relevant partners]. (Note this sentence is taken directly from the ILWS website under ‘Funding Partners’.)
  • The strength of the [Research Institute] lies in the diverse skills-base of scientists who form cohesive and multi-disciplinary teams to address the complexities of [topic].

Are you (or others in the project) a member of a research group?

Consider mentioning:

  • Name of the group
  • Discipline area
  • Strengths of the group
  • Group activities (i.e. workshops, seminars, publications, etc) – are there strategies to encourage dissemination of research?
  • Are there high-profile researchers in the group which may be able to offer support for your project, even informally?
  • How is the group aligned with Charles Sturt's research strategy and/or other Charles Sturt priorities?
  • What other information about the research group aligns with your project?
  • Does the research group align with any external bodies, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

Are there research groups at Charles Sturt which you could mention to demonstrate the breadth of research conducted at Charles Sturt?

BJBS Research Groups

  • Marketing
  • Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour
  • Regional Entrepreneurship
  • Accounting and Finance
  • Applied economics
  • Imaging and sensing
  • Data mining
  • Advanced Networks Research Group
  • Machine Vision and Digital Health (MaViDH) Research Group
  • Cyber Security
  • Health Services
  • Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
  • Resilience across the lifespan
  • Workforce wellness
  • Ageing
  • Home Affairs, Policing and Security Science
  • Law, Justice and Resilience

Arts and Education Research Groups

  • Future of the Professions Research Group
  • Environmental & Social Justice Research Group
  • STEM Education Research Group
  • Libraries Research Group
  • Critical Research in Indigenous Studies Research Group
  • Early Childhood Research Group
  • Professional Practice, Learning and Education Group
  • Practical and Public Ethics Research Group (PAPER)
  • Creative Practice Circle
  • Wellbeing and Mental Health Group
  • Social Equality, Intersectionality and Inclusion Research Group

Science Research

Example wording

  • CI [Name] is a member of the [Research Group] which conducts cutting edge research in [topics/areas of expertise].
  • The [Research Group] is involved in [initiatives, projects].
  • The [Research Group] has been actively involved in [large projects or initiatives] with [stakeholders / government / industry orgs].
  • The [Research Group] has a strong track record of collaboration with [stakeholders / government / industry orgs] relevant to [discipline, area related to project.
  • CI [Name] is a part of the [Research Group] which includes senior researchers [details?].
  • The [Research Group] has had publications in [journal names] which are ranked [include measure of esteem, i.e. impact factor, quartile ranking, etc].
  • Since [year] the [Research Group] has received $X in competitive external research income.
  • The [Research Group] regularly holds seminars and workshops in [topics] which provides opportunities for dissemination, particularly with [relevant external parties / stakeholders].
  • The Early Childhood Research Group aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of good health and wellbeing; quality education; decent work and economic growth; and reduced inequalities. This project is directly related to [UN goal].

Are there are existing or previous projects at Charles Sturt which have demonstrated impact?

Consider if any existing projects with high impact were conducted within the same Research Centre or Research Group you are a member of.

Charles Sturt research impact stories

Example wording

  • The [School / Research Centre] has active collaborations with [external stakeholders] and is involved with high impact projects including [name relevant projects].
  • The [School / Research Centre] has wide-reaching impact through its regular seminars on [discipline/topic] with industry partners.

What are strengths of research in your School and/or Faculty?

  • What are the areas of research?
  • Are any of the areas of research assessed as world standard or above? (see section below on ERA)

Example wording

  • CI’s [Names] are academics in the [School], [Faculty].
  • The School has [number of years] experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate education in [discipline], attracting students from [around Australia? Internationally?].
  • The [School] is the perfect place for this project as it has [research groups? Strategies? Goals?] which are clearly aligned with the proposed outcomes of this project.
  • The [School] has a well-established reputation in [discipline] …

Is your project in a discipline area which meets world standards (or above) in ERA?

Charles Sturt ERA results

Example wording

  • In the most recent Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) rankings Charles Sturt ranked 4 (above world standard) for [discipline].
  • Charles Sturt has an excellent reputation in [discipline] as evidenced in the most recent ERA round, ranking [world standard? Above world standard?], which is directly related to this project.

Physical Research Environment

Are there facilities or laboratories at Charles Sturt which could be mentioned which demonstrate a strong research environment?

There are a number of facilities and laboratories at Charles Sturt which specialise in different discipline areas, including:

  • GRDC Glasshouses – for research in plants and micro-organisms
  • Phytotron plant growth chambers – research in plant science and pathology
  • Charles Sturt Rhizolysimeter – research in soil and plants (the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere)
  • The National Life Sciences Hub (NaLSH) – research in agriculture, wine science, animal and veterinary science, and biomedical science
  • Environmental and Analytical Laboratories Wagga – research testing service
  • Food and Soil Laboratory PMQ – research testing service

Other Charles Sturt facilities include (but are not limited to):

  • The [laboratory] is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and [other resources related to the project] which provides the ideal research environment for this project.
  • CI’s have access to cutting-edge facilities for [discipline] …
  • Charles Sturt has invested significantly in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment which will directly support this project, including [name relevant infrastructure and resources].

Charles Sturt Research Support

Are there Charles Sturt research supports which would add to the strength of your project’s research environment?

The Charles Sturt Library provides researchers with access to digital journals, databases and other online tools necessary for research.

Researcher Development (professional development) is available to all researchers in academic writing, project design, ethics, budgeting, accessing ABS data and other datasets, etc.

Spatial Data Analysis Network (SPAN) Unit is a specialist unit in the Research Office which provides researchers support in statistics, analysis, simulation and modelling, data sourcing, etc.

The Quantitative Consulting Unit (QCU) runs statistics workshops and tutorials for various tools and software.

Data analysis software available to Charles Sturt researchers.

  • Charles Sturt provides comprehensive research support, training and mentoring in [PD topics?] …
  • All CI’s have access to the CSU Library which hosts up-to-date online journals and literature, databases and [other resources] necessary for this project.
  • Charles Sturt's Spatial Data Analysis Network (SPAN) Unit strengthens the research environment by providing technical expertise to researchers, supporting them in complex statistical analysis, survey development, simulation and modelling … [areas related to your project].
  • The PhD students involved in the project will be supported through extensive mentoring and [PD? Specific topics related to the project?].
  • The project will be supported through the technical expertise of the CSU’s Spatial Data Analysis Network (SPAN) Unit’s expertise for the complex simulation and modelling required.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Are there existing partnerships with other universities, government and/or organisations which relate to your project, or are in the same discipline as your project?

Collaborations could be at various levels:

  • With individual researchers and/or teams
  • With research centres
  • With Schools or Faculties
  • With CSU as a whole

Ask your colleagues whether they’re aware of any. You can also have a look at existing research, projects and impact case studies published on the website, for example:

You can also search CRO to identify existing and previous collaborations.

  • Charles Sturt has extensive experience partnering with industry organisations including [list relevant organisations].
  • [Charles Sturt / The School / CI Name] has well-established and long-standing partnerships with [list relevant partners], particularly on projects [name relevant projects] which have delivered [key outcomes? Impact?].
  • One of the strengths of Charles Sturt is research in [discipline], where partnerships with [external partners] have addressed [significant issue or problem? Quality of life?] …

External Research Income

Is your project in an area which has attracted external research income?

Since [year] the [Research Institute / School] has attracted $X in competitive external research income.

Resources

Examples of responses to 'Research Environment' for grant applications