Timeline for Each Year

First Round:
March 14 – Applications close,
April 30 – Assessment of applications completed,
End of first week in May – Letters mailed to all applicants
June Newsletter – Formal publication of successful applicants

Second Round
September 14 – Applications close
October 31 – Assessments completed
End of first week in November – Letters mailed to all applicants
December Newsletter – Formal publication of successful applicants

General Notes

1. The Scientific Committee may decide to make no awards in a particular round.
   
   
2. The maximum award will normally not exceed $2000.
   
   
3. The maximum amount available for all grants in any one year will be determined by ASBS Council before applications are called.
   
   
4. No large capital items (e.g. computer components) will be funded by the Eichler Grant.
   
   
5. The Australian Systematic Botany Society Inc. achieved Approved Research Institute status on the 7th July 1998. Under this ruling gifts ($2 and upwards) made to the Society for scientific research are tax deductible. Scientific Research is defined as any activity in the fields of natural or applied science for the extension of knowledge. The words "extension of knowledge" are interpreted by the Australian Tax Office as meaning an addition to the sum total of knowledge and not the informing of people about existing knowledge. On these grounds the publication of journals and books, and the attendance at research conferences are specifically excluded as items for consideration by the Eichler Research Fund.
   
   
6. For those applicants applying for funding for work which is part of a larger project, such as a Ph.D., preference will be given to those applications which specify a particular, well circumscribed part of the project which will be wholly funded by the Eichler Award.

Essential Criteria

1. The project contributes to Australian systematic botany (including cryptogams).
   
   
2. The project is carried out within Australia.
   
   
3. The applicant must be a current financial member of ASBS
   
   
4. The project is approved by an appropriate manager/director, and in the case of students, also by a supervisor.
   
   
5. The applicant is attached to an Australian research institute (in the very broadest sense, including herbaria, universities, government agencies). They need not be on staff but the institution must support their application.

Guidelines for completing your application

The Hansjörg Eichler research grants are competitive. Proposals are viewed against other proposals submitted both for the current round of funding and previous rounds. If no proposal is of a suitably high standard, no grant will be made in that round. Therefore applicants should prepare their proposals carefully and completely, giving brief personal details, academic record (undergraduate as well as postgraduate, and level of honours awarded, if applicable), and institution where project will be carried out. Apart from the academic standing of the applicant, the following will be taken into account in assessing proposals:

• Evidence of applicant’s ability to carry out the project, such as relevant experience with the techniques, previous experience in carrying out research and any publications (published or accepted only). In cases of excessive completion times for previous projects and/or study programmes, or failure to achieve reasonable outputs (e.g. publications) justification should be provided.
• The scientific and/or theoretical merit of the proposal and the likelihood that it will make a worthwhile contribution to Australian systematic botany.
• Identification and proper budgeting of the particular aspect of the project that funding will make possible, rather than a request for partial support of a large project. Preference will be given to applications that request funding to enable the extension of a project into some new and worthwhile area.
• The feasibility of the project being carried out within the proposed timetable and with the available resources.
• The soundness of the proposed methodology and planning of the work schedule. Without becoming exhaustive or voluminous, briefly justify the selected method and provide sufficient detail of it to allow assessment of its suitability and your appreciation of its strengths and weaknesses.

An example proposal which meets all the criteria is available < example >. For details of other types of research project that have been funded in the past, consult reports on these grants published in the Australian Systematic Society Newsletter.

Requirements of Successful Applicant

1. Brief summary of project for the Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter within 12 months of grant being issued
   
   
2. Provide statement to ASBS Treasurer of how money was spent (within 12 months of grant being issued).