Project Proposal Instructions

Project proposal
Instructions for preparing a preliminary

proposal and full proposal
ACIAR project proposals are evaluated in two stages; the preliminary proposal and the full
proposal. The project framework developed in the proposal is carried forward into annual
reports and the final report.
Preliminary proposals should not exceed 12 pages. Full proposals should not exceed
25 pages (excluding budget and appendices). Proposals exceeding the recommended
length will be returned for editing.
This template should be used in conjunction with the Project Development Guidelines and
Project Budget Proforma (spreadsheet that calculates project budget including country
splits, collaborating organisations, etc).
The project proposal template is a blank Word file that contains the basic headings and
formatting styles for preparing the preliminary and full proposals for an ACIAR project.
These instructions describe what to consider in developing the content and how to use the
template formatting. All headings in the template must be addressed as required. You may
add headings at level 2-4 as required.
Project proposal: Instructions for preparing a preliminary proposal and full proposal
Summary of contents and number of pages in the project proposal
Section
Heading
Preliminary
proposal
Full proposal
Project outline
1-2 pages
1-2 pages
1.3
Project summary
600 words
600 words
Justification
2.1
Partner country and Australian research and development

issues and priority
max 1 page
max 2 pages
2.2
Research and/or development strategy and relationship to

other ACIAR investments and other donor activities
max 1 page
max 3 pages
Objectives
max page
max 1 pages
Planned impacts and adoption pathways
4.1
Scientific impacts
max page
max 1 page
4.2
Capacity impacts
max page
max 1 page
4.3
Community impacts
max 1 page
max 3 pages
4.4
Communication and dissemination activities
max page
max 1 page
Operations
5.1
Methodology
max 1 page
max 3 pages
5.2
Activities and outputs/milestones
max page
complete tables
5.3
Project personnel
max page
max 1-2 pages
5.4
Intellectual property and other regulatory compliance
max page
complete IP form
5.5
Travel table
not applicable
complete tables
Appendix A: Intellectual property register
complete questions
complete questions
Appendix B: Budget
complete tables
budget proforma
Appendix C: Supporting documentation
desirable
as appropriate
Appendix D: Communication and dissemination checklist
max page
max 1 page
Project outline
project number
Assigned by ACIAR
project title
Title should be descriptive and concise (max 257 characters)
ACIAR program area

proposal stage
Preliminary or full
commissioned organisation
The commissioned organisation is the lead organisation in Australia, or for

multilateral projects, the lead International Agricultural Research Centre (IARC)
project type
Bilateral or multilateral; small, medium or large
geographic region(s)
Do not include Australia
country(s)
List overseas countries in which project activities will take place
project duration
proposed start date
proposed finish date
time to impact
Projects are classified into three 'time to impact' categories depending on

whether they are likely to have significant community impact within 5 years
(category 1), 510 years (category 2) or >10 years (category 3)
1.1
Funding request
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS provide annual estimates in the table.
For FULL PROPOSALS complete the table using the six-monthly payments from the
Budget spreadsheet.
Give totals for each financial year and specify years in the form 20xxyy.
Note that for projects expected to commence on 1 January, funding for the first financial
year will be for the first six months of the project.
1.2
Key contacts
For PRELIMINARY and FULL PROPOSALS, list each collaborating institution receiving
ACIAR funds. In some instances it may also be appropriate to list a key collaborator who
is funded from other sources.
One lead participant per institution is required. Copy sections as required, e.g. for multiple
collaborating organisations. The title of the nominated person (e.g. Project Coordinator,
Collaborating scientist) should reflect their role in the project.
The Administrative Contact in the Commissioned Organisation should be a contact officer
within the organisation who can assist with administrative details of the project including
the provision of payment acquittals, reports and invoices.
1.3
Project summary
For PRELIMINARY and FULL PROPOSALS, provide a project summary (maximum 600
words). The summary is used for other purposes where readers do not have access to the
full document, so should contain:
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2.1
Background statement (12 paragraphs) on the problem, the priority, the general aim
of the proposed project and the proposed collaborators
A statement of the specific objectives and expected outputs
A summary of the likely community impacts (economic, social and environmental),

and the likely time for those impacts to be achieved; adoption pathways and
dissemination of project outputs; and significant capacity enhancements
A paragraph on how the project will be undertaken, including methodology.
Justification
Partner-country and Australian research and development
issues and priority
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum 1 page) provide information on 'what' and
'why'.
For FULL PROPOSALS (maximum 2 pages) give a clear statement of the problem and
its context by addressing the following matters:
2.2
the agricultural or natural resource problem or opportunity targeted by the project, and
the potential beneficiaries of the project outputs
the size and value of the production system involved, quantification of the cost of the
problem, and/or the value of the new opportunity (a detailed assessment of planned
economic impacts will be provided in section 4.1 summarise the broader issues
here)
relevant community needs, aspirations, cultural practices and customs, including

factors that might inhibit participation in the project or its benefits, such as insufficient
training, limited literacy, lack of credit availability, labour shortages at key times and
off-farm opportunities
the researchable issue or development/extension priority
the origin of project idea (meeting, visit, previous project, project review, etc.)
alignment with priorities expressed in the ACIAR Annual Operational Plan for the
partner country/ies, and/or with the IARC Strategic Plan, and for the Australian sector.
Provide other justification if the project falls outside these priorities.
Research and/or development strategy and relationship to

other ACIAR investments and other donor activities
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum 1 page) outline proposed research or
development/extension strategies:
whether and why this is the most appropriate approach
how the approach was developed
whether the proposal builds upon previous projects.
Comment:
Please note that 'strategies' does not mean 'methodologies'. Tell us why you have chosen
particular strategies over alternatives to address the problem. For instance, top-down vs
bottom-up, systems vs component research, on-farm management vs regulation, vaccine
development vs eradication, etc. The chosen methodology will be described in detail in
Section 5.
For FULL PROPOSALS (maximum 3 pages) address the following matters:
The proposed research or development/extension strategies; why they are preferred

over other possible approaches to address the problem; whether these strategies
have been tried before.
Knowledge underpinning the problem, particularly in the context of the proposed

approach. This should include relevant work not yet published, for example
knowledge arising from related ACIAR projects. Up to eight literature references may
be included. In some circumstances, ACIAR may request that a fuller literature review
on the subject be appended to the proposal.
Proposed approaches to promoting adoption of project outputs, and strategies to

overcome constraints to adoption (constraints could include issues such as insecure
land tenure, common land use, conflicts of interest for people/agencies responsible
for resource management, distorted market systems, multiple rights to resources,
etc.).
The balance between research, extension and capacity building (for example, training
of researchers, enhancing infrastructure); why this balance is appropriate to the
problem and country/ies involved; the probability of success; and factors that may
reduce the chance of success.
How the activities in this project interact and/or draw from existing, previous and
proposed related projects on the problem, including previous or current ACIAR
projects. If appropriate, append a list of related projects (agency, project number,
project title), including projects supported by ACIAR, IARCs, Rural Industry Research
and Development Corporations, AusAID, NGOs or other agencies in Australia or
overseas. For development projects led by an NGO, briefly describe how the project
activities will contribute to and be integrated with the existing longer term community
development process of the commissioned NGO.
Details of any planned direct or indirect co-funding.
Objectives
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum page), list the Objectives and Activities as
dot-points.
For FULL PROPOSALS (maximum 1 pages), state the Objectives and subsidiary
Activities. Outputs are addressed comprehensively in Section 5.2.
ACIAR uses a hierarchy to describe the intended achievements in the general (Aim) and
specific (objectives) senses, and how they are proposed to be accomplished (Activities).
Aim: The statement of an aim, which might describe the longer term intended impacts,
can usefully establish the framework for the project. An example is The aim is to improve
farmer profitability and reduce demands on river flow by developing regional regulations
and on-farm practices for more efficient irrigation water use.
Objectives: Objectives are specific statements of intent that will ultimately be judged to
have been achieved or not. In our example, an objective might be To develop on-farm
crop management practices for rice and wheat that reduce irrigation water use by at least
30%.
Projects generally have several Objectives. In this example, another Objective would be
associated with the regional regulations aspect of the project. Where communication,
dissemination and community participation is a significant aspect of the project, as would
be likely for projects within the <5 years time to adoption category (see Section 4.2
below), this may be recognised by a separate Objective statement. The work to be done
in Australia may or may not warrant a separate Objective, depending upon how closely
aligned it is with that in the partner country/ies. If not, it may be useful to highlight it by
listing it as a specific activity.
Capacity building is a common theme for all ACIAR projects, but occasionally the lack of
capacity per se becomes a significant justification for undertaking the project. In such
cases a separate objective might be justified.
In projects adopting a participatory development approach, specific monitoring,
evaluation, documentation and reporting activities will usually be needed.
Planned impacts and adoption pathways

ACIAR investments are intended to achieve impacts that are assessed from a community
perspective, i.e. economic, social or environmental impacts, or in terms of capacity
building or scientific impact. Greatest weight is given to economic impact. A full description
of these impacts and the rationale for the emphasis on economic impact is provided in the
Project Development Guidelines.
Scientific and capacity building outputs are rarely the drivers of ACIAR projects, but
where this is the case, provide more information in the relevant sections to justify this
emphasis.
As indicated in the Project Development Guidelines, ACIAR has developed procedures to
sharpen its focus on the achievement of impacts.
Projects will be classified into three time to impact categories depending on whether
they are likely to have significant community impact within 5 years (Category 1), 5-10
years (Category 2), or >10 years (Category 3) of project conclusion. As a yardstick, for the
majority of projects the measurement of significant community impact will be when the
value of the impact exceeds the cost of achieving that impact by at least three-fold. You
should indicate which category you consider appropriate for the project, using information
in Appendix 1 of the Project Development Guidelines to support your judgment. That
Appendix outlines characteristics of projects in each category and can be a useful tool
when you are considering the target groups for your project outputs. Use the expected
category as a guide to the level of detail to include in these sections.
Adoption pathways: The purpose of Section 4.4 is to explain how the proposed
dissemination and communication strategies are expected to lead to uptake and use of
the project outputs and so deliver the planned impact.
4.1
Scientific impacts
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum page)
For FULL PROPOSALS (maximum 1 page)
Describe what novel scientific discovery might flow from the project and how that output
would be applied post-project by other scientists beyond the immediate project team.
4.2
Capacity impacts
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum page)
For FULL PROPOSALS (maximum 1 page)
Document how the research and development capacity of the project participants and
institutions in partner country/ies and Australia will be enhanced, and how increased
capacity will be utilised and sustained after the project is completed.
In most projects capacity-building initiatives are embedded within the array of activities
and tasks. In these cases this section should be used to present these initiatives in a
consolidated fashion. In some other projects, capacity building may have warranted a
separate Objective, so the detail will be presented in Section 5.1. In such cases refer to
that section.
4.3
Community impacts
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum 1 page)
For FULL PROPOSALS (maximum 3 pages)
Economic impacts
4.3.1
Economic impacts are defined as changes in the financial status of the individual, family
or group. Examples of economic impact would be farmer families having a higher
disposable income as a consequence of:
(i)
adopting a new crop variety;
(ii) policy changes that opened up new markets;
(iii) higher prices for market-oriented products; or
(iv) more efficient use of resources.
Provide an estimate of the expected economic impact of this project for the partner
country/ies and Australia (where relevant), taking into consideration factors such as:
the size of the particular sector or issue at the country and/or target region level
significance of the research or development problem in terms of its effect on

productivity, efficiency, trade, use of natural resources, etc
the importance of the target commodity/issue to the wellbeing of the poor
potential project-induced changes in such things as production through yield/quality

increases or disease amelioration, post-harvest benefits, trade opportunities
necessary changes in costs associated with achieving the benefits at the farm or
wider level
farm-level price changes due to changes in factors such as the quality, quantity or
marketing efficiency of the commodity
the adoption lag and the maximum adoption rate of the technology within and outside
the target area.
Comment:
The precision of your estimate, and the weighting you give to these factors, will depend to
a large degree on which time to impact category the project fits.
Projects with a long lead time to impact may only be able to define the industry/sector and
economic impact in general terms, and might need to draw on data concerning the
adoption patterns for similar technologies to estimate uptake rates. Economic impacts for
projects with long lead times will need to be discounted over time.
Projects that aim to deliver impacts in a shorter period will, by their very nature, be able to
provide more precise estimates of economic impact because the target audience is likely
to be well defined, the communication and dissemination strategies will be geared to
achieve certain uptake rates, the on-farm response levels and any cost changes are likely
to be known from previous studies, data may be available on changes in whole-farm
profitability, and some market knowledge may be available.
In the policy arena longer term projects might address a known or anticipated problem for
which there is no obvious answer, while a shorter term project might address an
immediate need from a policy/regulatory agency where appropriate answers are known,
but need local adaptation. The potential economic impact of the latter should be easily
and well defined, while the former might be less precise.
Ultimately, your analysis should be consistent with other elements of the project proposal,
including the collaborators, research strategy, and communication and dissemination
procedures. Ensure that your assumptions and discussion are consistent with the time to
impact category you designate in Section 4.4.
You should justify the various data used in the analysis, and also discuss any critical
assumptions regarding important enabling conditions (e.g. input supplies, markets) that
have been applied. Consideration can also be given to economic impact from spill-overs
to other regions or countries not actively involved in the project where there is an obvious
or clear pathway for that to occur.
4.3.2
Social impacts
Outline the expected social benefit for the partner country/ies and Australia (where
appropriate) from the project, including any significant equity, cultural, health, gender,
religious, political, ethnic or demographic impacts. Include any possible negative social
consequences - consider which sections of the community stand to benefit, and which
may suffer negative effects.
Be wary of overstating or assuming certain social benefits, particularly in circumstances
where the proposal does not include documentation of these issues.
4.3.3
Environmental impacts
If environmental impact is a significant focus of the project for the partner country/ies and
Australia, provide an estimate of the anticipated impact. If the value of that impact has
already been expressed in economic terms, you should describe here the environmental
benefits in qualitative terms. Issues such as the likely direct beneficial and adverse effects
on the physical, chemical or biological environment where the technology is adopted or
elsewhere (off-site externalities) should be considered. Such effects can arise through
changes such as erosion, pesticide residues, nutrient pollution or biodiversity.
Clarify the local regulations applying to relevant environmental matters and the likelihood
of compliance or steps to ensure compliance if these are seen as important issues that
could constrain adoption and benefit flows.
If there are potential environmental benefits from the project, describe these in a realistic
manner without overstating them, particularly in circumstances where the project does not
include study and documentation of these issues.
Adverse environmental impacts Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
The EPBC Act is the Australian Governments central piece of environmental legislation. It
provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally
important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places which are defined in
the EPBC Act as matters of national environmental significance (NES). During the design
and implementation of ACIAR projects, compliance with this legislation is a joint
responsibility for ACIAR and the commissioned organisation.
Section 160 of the EPBC Act states that a Commonwealth agency must seek formal
assessment and approval from the Minister before authorising entry by the
Commonwealth, under Australias foreign aid program, into a contract, agreement or
arrangement for the implementation of a project that has, will have or is likely to have a
significant impact on the environment anywhere in the world. If it is likely that a project will
8
have a significant impact on the environment, or there is still uncertainty whether the
proposed action is likely to have a significant impact on the environment, then a project
must be referred to the Department of the Environment to determine whether the project
will need formal assessment and approval under the EPBC Act. The Department has
prepared Significant Impact Guidelines for actions by Commonwealth and other agencies
which include guidance on Self Assessments to determine if any action within a project is
likely to have a significant environmental impact.
ACIAR has procedures that should be followed for compliance with EPBC Act
requirements during the development and implementation of ACIAR projects. If any
potentially adverse environmental impacts are identified during project development
please contact the relevant ACIAR Research Program Manager for further direction.
Adverse environmental impacts could include (but not limited to) impacts on native flora
and fauna or water systems from changed agricultural, fisheries or forestry practices,
unintended release of potential biocontrol agents, uncontrolled expansion of introduced
species to the point where they become weeds or pests.
Further information is available at http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/about/index.html.
4.4
Communication and dissemination activities

For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum page) outline the end users of the project
results, and a brief overview of proposed Communication activities. The text should
demonstrate how these communication activities will further adoption amongst intended
users of the research, to enhance impact within the project.
For FULL PROPOSALS (maximum 1 page) address Sections 4.4.1 and 4.4.2.
4.4.1
Project communication and stakeholder engagement

Use the checklist at Appendix D to document the communication and dissemination
strategies for the project. The checklist will help define a simple strategy to deliver project
results to intended users of the research, and other relevant stakeholders. The aim of this
delivery is to enhance the prospect of achieving impacts amongst the intended users of
the project. The text should demonstrate how these communication activities will further
adoption amongst intended users of the research, to enhance impact within the project.
ACIAR research projects strive to deliver impacts to potential users of that research. An
impact is defined as a change that has occurred at the community group, in research or
development/extension capacity, and/or at the scientific level. Users of research (farmers,
extension workers, policy makers and research scientists) can come from one or all of
these groups. Impact occurs where those who would benefit from research findings are
able to have access to and use technologies, varieties, practices and knowledge created
or proven within the project. The communication strategy within a project should seek to
identify existing and simple means to engage with those users who will benefit from the
research. The communications checklist aims to help in the process of reaching users, or
stakeholders, external to the project team.
Communicating the outputs of research projects to these groups is never a one-size fits all
approach. The checklist is designed as a guide to help identify how end-users can be
reached. The time taken to go through the list should help define appropriate
communication activities that may be used to target and reach end users. From this list
the mechanics of an approach to in-project communication should become clear. It is not
comprehensive, but is designed to help identify avenues and opportunities that can help
shape a simple strategy. These avenues and opportunities should then be consolidated as
a response to this section.
4.4.2
Internal project communication

ACIAR projects increasingly operate across research programs, through multi-disciplinary
projects, and also across partner countries. Ensuring project teams keep up to date on
relevant developments, progress and reporting increases the chances of impacts, and
helps deliver results within project resources.
Detail the main approaches to ensuring communications amongst the project team.
ACIAR has developed Atrium as an electronic project collaboration tool
<www.aciar.gov.au/atrium>. If Atrium is to be used please identify which team member will
drive this engagement.
10
Operations
The purpose of this section is:
to indicate the methodology to be used, sufficient to justify the budget and time
estimates
to demonstrate the collaborative nature of the work.
The major risks to successful achievement of objectives should also be considered, with
attention to how they will be managed.
There should be a good linkage between the detail provided in this section and that in the
budget.
5.1
Methodology
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum 1 page)
For FULL PROPOSALS (maximum 3 pages)
Following the order and terminology of the Objectives and Activities, provide details on:
the methods to be adopted, noting that these, especially in the latter stages of the
project, could be uncertain if they depend on earlier progress in the project or
elsewhere; alternatives should be anticipated where possible, although without
extensive detail. Sufficient detail is needed to demonstrate that the proposed problem
solution is technically sound and to justify the budget
resources needed and the geographic deployment of project activities. Methods

relevant to capacity building should be described
any co-funding arrangements or linkages with other projects, including description

and distinction of the components of the work to be handled within other related
projects
specific details of the planned communication and dissemination activities to support

the discussion in Section 4.4 and to justify expenditure.
In large or complex projects, it may be useful to more systematically break down activities
into sub-activities or tasks and plot them against a timeline (e.g. Gantt Chart), illustrating
responsibilities for, and dependencies between, individual tasks.
All planned project activities, including dissemination activities, are required to be covered
in budget documentation.
5.2
Activities and outputs/milestones

For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum page), list the outputs anticipated for
each objective as dot points.
For FULL PROPOSALS use the outputs and milestones table (see example below).
This is a critical table, as it will be the point of reference in assessing project progress.
Annual reports and final reports will be centred on reporting against clearly defined
outputs and milestones. These should be SMART, i.e. specific, measurable, achievable,
realistic and time-bound. This means including reference to due dates (no time ranges),
11
quantification where possible, and an indication of who will be responsible for delivery.
Depending on the size and complexity of the project, it is likely that 2-6 outputs or
milestones will be required for each reporting year. As a guide, there should be at least
one output or milestone against each activity, but not necessarily in each year.
Columns in the table should address the Outputs, Risks/Assumptions and Applications of
each objective/activity. Issues to be considered under Risks/Assumptions are those
beyond the projects control that must be fulfilled for outputs to be realised. Where there is
a significant level of risk (e.g. travel to the project areas may be restricted by government
warnings, or negotiations concerning important IP have yet to be resolved), strategies for
managing these risks should be included in the Methodology section.
Activities: Each objective may be supported by a number of activities that are necessary
building blocks leading to the accomplishment of the objective. In this example they could
include Adapt and parameterise the SWIM water balance model for soils in the western
Yellow River basin and Conduct field experiments with rice to measure the effects of
tillage methods on groundwater loss under flooded conditions.
The following incomplete example describes the outputs from a project aiming to develop
regional regulations and on-farm practices for more efficient irrigation water use that lead
to improved farmer profitability and reduced demands on river flow. This will be attained
through a research strategy involving changes to farming practices and the development
of new regulations relating to water use.
Objective 1: To develop on-farm crop management practices for rice and wheat that
reduce irrigation water use by at least 30%
Activities
Outputs/
milestones
Due date of
outputs /
milestones
Risks / assumptions
Applications of
outputs
Activity 1.1:
Adapt and
parameterise the
SWIM water balance
model to select best
bet tillage options for
soils in the western
Yellow River Basin
Documented data sets

used to parameterise
the model (PC)
Yr 1, m6
Existing data is
accessible and
sufficiently reliable for
use in model
parameterisation
Use of model to
conduct scenario
modelling to select
best-bet soilmanagement options
for testing on-station
(input to Activity 1.2
selection of best-bet
trial treatments)
Updated SWIM model

capable of predicting
hydrological behaviour
of five major soil types
representative of the
Yellow River Basin (A)
Yr 1, m8
Model capable of
capturing key
hydrological
processes
Scenario analysis
completed and best
tillage options selected
(A)
Yr1, m10
Four collaborators
trained in the basic use
of the SWIM model (A,
PC)
Yr 1, m6
Collaborators can be
identified who are
capable of using
SWIM and who will
have time dedicated
to use model
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Activity 1.2:
Conduct field
experiments with rice
to measure the
effects of tillage
methods on
groundwater loss
under flooded
conditions
Possible best-bet
tillage options identified
(A, PC)
Yr1, m10
Selection of best-bet
options for testing onfarm
One rice field trial

established on each of
the five representative
soils (PC)
Yr1, m12
Suitable on-station
sites available for all
soil types; equipment
available in China
capable of delivering
right tillage
treatments
Yearly trial results

compiled and
documented (A, PC)
Yr2, m10
Yr3, m10
Yr4, m10
Seasonal conditions
permit normal crop
growth
Successful tillage
options tested and
communicated to
farmers and extension
agency staff (PC)
Yr3, m12
Yr4, m12
Lead farmers
selected for on-farm
evaluation
PC = partner country, A = Australia
Objective 2: To develop regulations for implementation by Local Government on

the delivery and pricing of irrigation water
Activities
Outputs/
Milestones
Due date of
outputs /
milestones
Risks / assumptions
Applications of
outputs
Activity 2.1:
Conduct a survey of
current regulations at
the Local
Government level that
apply to irrigation
water.
Survey schedule
developed, surveyors
trained and survey
conducted (A, PC)
Yr1, m6
The regulations are

well documented and
accessible.
Information fed into

drafting of
recommended
changes to regulatory
framework
Survey results
complied, analysed,
and variability of
regulations between
LG authorities
identified and
documented (A)
Yr2, m3
Farmers and staff

from the regulatory
agencies are willing
to provide factual
information.
5.3
Project personnel
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum page) only complete the first four
columns of information for major project participants in Section 5.3.1.
For FULL PROPOSALS (maximum 1-2 pages) provide the information in Sections 5.3.15.3.3.
5.3.1
List of participants involved in the project

It is usual for the commissioned organisation and overseas institution to contribute to the
salary of their respective project leaders (usually at least 20% of project leaders time).
13
In the partner country, it may be necessary to distinguish between an overall project

leader and a day-to-day project coordinator.
Multiple funding may apply for some individuals, e.g. a person allocating 60% of their time
to the project, with half funding by ACIAR (30% of annual salary) and half by their agency.
5.3.2
Description of the comparative advantage of the institutions involved

Information you provide here is intended to answer the question Are these the best
institutions to address these problems?
5.3.3
Summary details of the role of each participant involved

Curricula vitae are required as an attachment for the senior participants in the project
(max 1 page per person and usually only 3-4 people.) The description of the role of
individuals within the project should be consistent with the time allocation.
5.4
Intellectual property and other regulatory compliance

For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS (maximum page) indicate briefly whether there are
likely to be significant IP issues, and how they will be addressed.
For FULL PROPOSALS, provide a more comprehensive discussion as required.
Appendix A must be completed and accompany the proposal.
ACIAR, the commissioned organisation, and the collaborators must fulfil all relevant
obligations under international arrangements on intellectual property (IP) and biological
resources (for example, the Convention on Biological Diversity) to which Australia is a
signatory.
Intellectual property includes the actual or future legal ownership of techniques or
information (via patent, materials transfer agreement or copyright) or living germplasm (via
patent or plant variety rights or international treaty). ACIAR aims for equitable sharing of
new IP between Australia and the partner countries, and between collaborators, and for
the free flow of knowledge. In accordance with its mandate, ACIAR especially seeks ready
access to new technologies arising from its projects for the benefit of poor farmers in
partner countries. The full details of ACIARs policy on IP in projects it funds are at
http://aciar.gov.au/conditions. Projects involving IARCs must also fulfil agreed IARC
Intellectual Property policies, as determined in consultation with the IARC partner.
In addition to IP matters, a project may have to comply with other legal requirements
related to the research or development and technology. These include regulations for
germplasm transfer, quarantine on plant, soil and animal movement, biosafety,
recombinant DNA release, and animal rights. If any of these are relevant, details of
compliance with applicable regulations should be outlined, and supported by a covering
letter from the commissioned organisation. The final ACIAR agreements request the
project's collaborating organisations to warrant that in carrying out the project they will
comply with any such regulations.
This clause must be completed. It is not sufficient to refer to Appendix A.
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5.5
Travel table
This section is only required for FULL PROPOSALS.
The travel table provides details of planned international and domestic travel. The travel
table forms the basis for calculating travel budgets and must correspond with the
footnotes of each budget section in the Excel spreadsheet, for easy cross-checking.
Quote the trip number from the Travel Table in the budget footnotes.
A chronological listing of travel is preferred, including scheduled major project

planning meetings and internal mid-project reviews.
Country and organisation should be specified for each traveller.
The timing of project coordination and reporting meetings should take into account
the required annual reporting to ACIAR.
Medium and large projects may require a final external project review before
conclusion or soon thereafter, and five-year projects may need a mid-term external
review before being approved to proceed to completion. Costs for project staff
participating in these meetings or reviews should be included in the project budget
(ACIAR only covers costs of its staff and any external reviewers). A review is often
combined with an end-of-project workshop.
(Parts A, B and C indicate the section under which the item is listed in the budget
spreadsheet. Please ensure that this table and the travel footnotes in the budget
spreadsheet are consistent, and that payments for travel are in the correct payment
columns.)
PART A Commissioned organisation or IARC
Trip #
Person or position
Estimated date
of travel
From / to
Purpose
Duration
(days)
Project leader (name) (A)
Yr 1, m1
Sydney to
Beijing
Project planning
Etc.
PART B Australian collaborating organisation/s

Trip #
Person or position
Estimated date
of travel
From / to
Purpose
Duration
(days)
Project scientist,
modelling (A)
Yr 1, m1
Brisbane to
Beijing
Project planning &

training
25
Etc.
PART C overseas partner organisation/s

Trip #
Person or position
Estimated date
of travel
From / to
Purpose
Duration
(days)
Project scientists x 3
(PC)
Yr 1, m8
Beijing to
Sydney
Training, procedure
verification
20
Project scientist,
economist (PC)
Yr 2, m2
Lanzhou to
Brisbane
Policy development
training
14
Leader and two scientists

(PC)
Yr 3, m9
Beijing to
Sydney &
Brisbane
Workshop

15
Appendix A: Intellectual property register

ACIAR maintains a register of Intellectual Property developed either in ACIAR-funded
projects or derived from prior IP, including that of third parties that may be required to
enable the results of ACIAR-funded research to be applied. The register contains details
of actual or future legal ownership of techniques or information (via patent or copyright) or
germplasm, as identified in the IP proforma.
The intent of ACIARs IP register is to ensure that developing-country partners have the
freedom to operate in order to utilise the outcomes of ACIAR-funded projects. The
register (i) identifies constraints that will affect the application of the results of ACIAR
projects especially by developing countries; (ii) provides triggers to address these
constraints in project development (or, in certain cases, at a later stage agreed between
the project participants and ACIAR); and (iii) ensures that the ownership of plant
germplasm exchanged in projects is identified and tracked.
In completing the IP proforma, the commissioned organisation has a responsibility to
discuss its content with any Australian collaborating and overseas collaborating
organisations and to provide those organisations with a copy of the appendix. ACIAR
requires copies of all Materials (including germplasm) Transfer Agreements and certain
other documentation (as specified in ACIARs Standard Conditions of Agreement, which
also has important clauses relating to IP) before the project can commence.
Any information that is classified Commercial-in-Confidence should be provided as a
separately annexed document.
Where deemed necessary, a separate agreement signed between collaborators and
covering their understanding of access to and the sharing of background and new IP, will
need to be seen and accepted by ACIAR before final approval of the project. This
agreement comes under, but is separate from, the project agreement between ACIAR and
the commissioned organisation.
Examples of the major types of IP in projects in each program area include:
Animal Sciences: germplasm (forages and sometimes livestock); diagnostics (target
DNA/protein sequences and DNA and antibody probes and molecular markers); vaccines
(methods of production, target sequences, expression systems); rumen microbes;
processes used for livestock feed formulations and modifications; information systems;
processing technologies.
Crop Sciences: germplasm, transgenic crops (enabling technologies and marker genes),
diagnostics (antibody- and DNA-based and molecular markers), fungal and other species
with bio-control properties; insect and weed control techniques; information systems.
Economics Programs: decision support systems for water allocation; CGE and other
economic models; copyright in reports; confidential information on markets and marketing
of particular commodities; databases (e.g. industry price and production data, GIS
databases).
Fisheries: genetic resources; new technologies for hatchery, grow-out and diet
formulation; new technologies for disease management and production enhancement in
aquaculture; diagnostic tests.
16
Forestry: germplasm (especially of Australian trees); nursery and propagation

technologies; processing technologies for wood and non-wood forest products; bio-actives
from forestry products; molecular markers; diagnostic tests for diseases; bio-control
agents; models, databases and information systems.
Horticulture: germplasm; decision-support systems; analytical techniques (including
antibodies); bio-control methods; natural disease protectants; disinfestation technologies;
market information; product-processing technologies.
Land and Water Resources: equipment design for tillage and cropping beds; software for
managing irrigation systems; diagnostic keys for nutrient deficiencies; engineering
technology for wastewater management; decision support systems; crop simulation
models; remote sensing/GIS data sets and data sets for cropping systems simulation;
germplasm/fermentation/application technology for rhizobial inoculants and bio-fertilisers.
17
Appendix B: Budget
For PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS use the tables in the template to provide an indication
of the total funds required and distribution over financial years (1 July 30 June). This
information will help ACIAR judge how the planned expenditure matches the strategies
outlined in the proposal.
For FULL PROPOSALS use the ACIAR budget proforma and guidelines to provide a
detailed budget.
18
Appendix C: Supporting documentation

The following information must be attached:
Letters of support
Letters of support from each national research institution and/or government planning
agency of the partner country/ies, IARCs (if involved in the project) and the Australian
institution/s should be attached if possible, although in some cases these are not
obtainable until the proposal is approved by ACIAR. Letters of support should include a
statement confirming that the project leader will be available for the percentage of his/her
time indicated, and will not be absent from the project for significant times (usually greater
than two months) during the project without prior agreement with ACIAR.
Letters of approval
Letters of approval for use of Genetically Modified Organisms and/or experimental
animals if relevant. Document procedures required in all countries where such
experiments will be undertaken and attach copies of approvals obtained.
Letters confirming compliance
Any letters confirming compliance with regulations related to germplasm transfer,
quarantine on plant, soil and animal movement, biosafety, recombinant DNA release,
animal rights, etc as addressed in Section 5.4.
Curricula vitae
Short (max 1 page) curricula vitae (resumes, biodata) of the key project staff for the
Australian commissioned organisation, collaborating organisations and the partner
country/ies and IARCs (if involved in the project). CV for the leaders and key researchers
from each collaborating institution would usually be sufficient. Publication lists need not be
included.
Privacy Statement
(the Privacy Statement is also included in the Project Proposal Template)
ACIAR, as a Commonwealth government agency, is required to comply with the eleven
Information Privacy Principles as set out in Section 14 of the Privacy Act 1988
(www.privacy.gov.au/publications/ipps.html). These are based on the 1980 OECD
guidelines governing the protection of privacy and trans-border flows of personal data.
The personal information provided in this project proposal, including CVs, is stored in hard
copy and electronic format in ACIAR. The information is reproduced internally for the
purpose of meetings to consider project proposals. It is reproduced for restricted external
purposes as part of the contractual documentation exchanged with the commissioned
organisation, collaborating institution(s) and partner-country government(s).
Personal information (individuals contact details) is also stored in ACIARs project
information system. ACIAR endeavours to keep this information as up to date as possible,
with the assistance of the individuals whose details are recorded.
The names and contact details of Project Leaders may be listed with project details on the
ACIAR web site, provided to other databases and media in the context of briefings and
19
publicity on the ACIAR project portfolio, and used for mailouts of ACIAR corporate
publications.
ACIAR does not divulge any other personal information to third parties for any other
purpose.
20
Appendix D: Communication and dissemination

checklist
Refer to 4.4.1 Project communication and stakeholder engagement.
21
ACIAR Template formatting styles

Enable macros
The ACIAR templates use macros. You will need to enable the macros when you create a
new document based on any of the templates.
ACIAR form
The ACIAR form appears when you open any of the ACIAR templates. The fields on the
form correspond to the title page. Once completed, the title page will become populated.
Tip: To access the form again, click the Show ACIAR form button from the ACIAR styles
toolbar.
22
Formatting styles
You can only use the pre-defined styles when you prepare your ACIAR project
documentation.
The pre-defined ACIAR styles can be accessed using the following methods:
Microsoft Word Formatting toolbar.
ACIAR styles toolbar.

Tip: If the toolbar is not visible, select View | Toolbars | ACIAR styles.
Microsoft Word Styles and Formatting task pane on the right-hand side of the
screen.
Tip: If the task pane is not visible, click the Styles and Formatting
Formatting toolbar.
button on the
23
ACIAR styles
The ACIAR toolbar has been specifically created for you with all of the pre-defined styles.
24
Show ACIAR form
Displays the ACIAR form. See above.
Heading 1
10Heading 1, auto-numbered
Heading 2
10.1 Heading 2, auto-numbered

Heading 3
10.1.1 Heading 3, auto-numbered

Heading 4
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 5
Normal
Normal text Normal text Normal text Normal text Normal text Normal
text Normal text Normal text Normal text Normal text Normal text
Normal indent text Normal indent text Normal indent text Normal
indent text Normal indent text Normal indent text
Normal indent
Normal hang indent
ACIAR bold
ACIAR italics
ACIAR subscript
ACIAR superscript
ACIAR bullet 1
ACIAR bullet 2
Normal hang indent text Normal hang indent text Normal hang
indent text Normal hang indent text Normal hang indent text
Normal text
Normal text
subcript text
superscript text
Bullet text 1
Bullet text 1
Bullet text 2
Bullet text 2
ACIAR numbered L1
1. Numbered text level 1 (auto-numbered)

2. Numbered text level 1 (auto-numbered)
ACIAR numbered L2
1.
Numbered text level 2 (auto-numbered)
2.
Numbered text level 2 (auto-numbered)
25
ACIAR table formatting

The following pre-defined styles can be used to format tables.
Table text heading
Table heading
Table text left
Table text left
Table text right
Table text right
Table text centre
Table text centre
Insert ACIAR table 1
Inserts the following pre-defined table:
Insert ACIAR table 2
Inserts the following pre-defined table:
Table caption
Table caption
Table/Figure label
Table/Figure label
Examples of ACIAR tables

The following examples show the ACIAR tables and table formatting.
ACIAR table 1
Table heading
Table text left
Table text right
Table text centre
Table caption
ACIAR table 2
Table heading
Table text left

Table text right
Table text centre
Table caption
26

Project Proposal Instructions

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Project Proposal Instructions

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Project proposal

Instructions for preparing a preliminary

Summary of contents and number of pages in the project proposal

Partner country and Australian research and development

Research and/or development strategy and relationship to

Planned impacts and adoption pathways

Communication and dissemination activities

Activities and outputs/milestones

max 1-2 pages

Intellectual property and other regulatory compliance

Appendix A: Intellectual property register

Appendix C: Supporting documentation

Appendix D: Communication and dissemination checklist

Title should be descriptive and concise (max 257 characters)

ACIAR program area

The commissioned organisation is the lead organisation in Australia, or for

Bilateral or multilateral; small, medium or large

Do not include Australia

List overseas countries in which project activities will take place

Projects are classified into three 'time to impact' categories depending on

A statement of the specific objectives and expected outputs

A summary of the likely community impacts (economic, social and environmental),

A paragraph on how the project will be undertaken, including methodology.

relevant community needs, aspirations, cultural practices and customs, including

the researchable issue or development/extension priority

Research and/or development strategy and relationship to

whether and why this is the most appropriate approach

how the approach was developed

whether the proposal builds upon previous projects.

The proposed research or development/extension strategies; why they are preferred

Knowledge underpinning the problem, particularly in the context of the proposed

Proposed approaches to promoting adoption of project outputs, and strategies to

Details of any planned direct or indirect co-funding.

Planned impacts and adoption pathways

significance of the research or development problem in terms of its effect on

the importance of the target commodity/issue to the wellbeing of the poor

potential project-induced changes in such things as production through yield/quality

Communication and dissemination activities

Project communication and stakeholder engagement

Internal project communication

to demonstrate the collaborative nature of the work.

resources needed and the geographic deployment of project activities. Methods

any co-funding arrangements or linkages with other projects, including description

specific details of the planned communication and dissemination activities to support

Activities and outputs/milestones

Documented data sets

Updated SWIM model

One rice field trial

Yearly trial results

PC = partner country, A = Australia

Objective 2: To develop regulations for implementation by Local Government on

The regulations are

Information fed into

Farmers and staff

PC = partner country, A = Australia

List of participants involved in the project

In the partner country, it may be necessary to distinguish between an overall project

Description of the comparative advantage of the institutions involved

Summary details of the role of each participant involved

Intellectual property and other regulatory compliance

A chronological listing of travel is preferred, including scheduled major project

Country and organisation should be specified for each traveller.