Archived Grant Opportunity View - GO5245

Applications are being accepted for up to $5 million total funding over 4 years for the Soil Science Challenge.

The competitive process is aimed at research organisations, with new projects that add to Australia’s soil health knowledge and address one of the following research priorities:

• Soil carbon dynamics
• Soil hydrology
• Soil biology and nutrients
• Soil/root interface

The objectives of the Soil Science Challenge are to:

• support research to address priority gaps in the current soil-related science knowledge base; those findings are to be provided for peer review and should be prepared in a manner suitable for publishing
• support research that contributes to the knowledge base necessary to achieve the goals of the National Soil Strategy
• provide Australia, including industry, farmers and other land managers, with new and improved soil science to influence soil health, leading to improved productivity, profitability, resilience and to assist in mitigating climate change.

The Soil Science Challenge is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to a $214.9 million National Soil Package to implement the National Soil Strategy. The National Soil Strategy sets out how Australia will value, manage and improve its soil for the next 20 years. The strategy prioritises soil health, empowers soil innovation and stewards, and strengthens soil knowledge and capability. For more information about the National Soil Package and the National Soil Strategy visit the National Soil Package website.

To be eligible you must:

• be a research organisation; a company that fits one or more of the following descriptions: research and development corporation; primary industry and scientific organisation; cooperative research centre; state or territory government; corporate Commonwealth entity; university; or public or private research organisation
• have an account with an Australian financial institution.

and be one of the following entity types:

• Indigenous Corporation
• Company
• Corporate Commonwealth Entity
• Commonwealth Company
• Corporate State or Territory Entity
• Incorporated Association.

Applications from consortia are acceptable, as long as you have a lead applicant who is solely accountable to the Commonwealth for the delivery of grant activities and is an eligible entity as per the list above.

To apply go to the application form here.