Australasian Animal Studies Association: Activity Fund Guidelines 2025-2026
Open until 11:59pm 20th September 2025 (ACDT). Upload submissions here.
The Australasian Animal Studies Association (AASA) established an Activity Fund to support the work of members in the field of Animal Studies in 2021. The objective of the Fund is to stimulate activities that improve, enhance, or facilitate AASA members in undertaking activities that could not otherwise proceed without this financial support. AASA will provide grant funding each financial year to assist members in undertaking activities that foster the field of Animal Studies in Australasia.*
Funded activities can include, but are not limited to:
- Support for art and community events
- Support to publish an Advocacy publication
- Exhibition support
- Small co-branded events, such as talks, symposia, or similar
- Project funding, such as written output supports for reading groups, research or advocacy projects
- Sponsorship of animal studies communication activities such as relevant podcasts, vlogs or blogs.
- Research projects that include a plan to share findings with the animal studies community or broader Australasian publics are also considered.
Applications are available to individuals and groups of current financial members. Each member/group is eligible to receive one grant per financial year and are recommended to make one application only per round. Between AU$200 to $2000 is available per grant, which will need to be spent during the following 12-month period. A maximum of A$4000 will be awarded the 2025–2026 financial year. Unspent funds are to be returned to AASA.
Applications addressing the required information at the bottom of this page should be submitted via the link provided by the due date (20 September 2025, 11:59pm ACDT).
Submission link: https://qualtrics.flinders.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_9WQMH9bArnhQlAG
Applications will be adjudicated by a sub-committee of members nominated by the AASA Committee. The AASA Chair may appoint non-members to this Committee if their expertise is required for decision making. The Association reserves the right not to award grants in a given financial year and to vary the terms of the grant as needed to satisfy the objectives of this Fund.
Special consideration will be given to:
- Early career researchers **
- The precariously employed
- Māori, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members
- People living with disability
- HDR Student(s)
Funded activities may include non-AASA members, however preference will be given to activities that include a significant number of members (if relevant to the funded activity).
Required information
All applications are expected to:
- Include a clear description of the proposed activity
- Describe how the activity supports animal studies in Australasia
- Include an itemised budget for the activity that clearly shows what funds would be used for
- Include a description of expected outputs that includes a community engagement component***
- Indicate if the activity exceeds the maximum award amount of A$2000 and, if so, to outline whether these have been obtained (and from where)
- Waive or heavily reduce costs for AASA members if the activity would incur participation fees
- For research project proposals, clarify how project will be approved by an institutional research ethics committee (e.g. access to an institutional ethics committee).****
A report on the activities undertaken (including expenditure receipts) will be lodged with the AASA Treasurer within 6 months of the activity being undertaken. Failure to provide a report will prevent future Fund applications being considered. Successful applicants may also be asked to share their project with the AASA community through an online workshop after it is completed.
Assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed by an AASA sub-committee against a rubric with the following elements assessed on a five-point scale:
- Contribution to the field of animal studies
- Necessity of funding to applicant (access to any other funding?)
- Capacity for project to be undertaken
- Applicant(s) meeting special consideration criteria
- Ratio of AASA members to non-members in application
Applications should not exceed 2000 words (2500 words for Research Project Submissions)
Queries can be directed to the AASA Chair Zoei Sutton at zoei.sutton@flinders.edu.au using the subject “AASA Activity Fund Query”.
* Refer to the AASA mission, vision and objectives statement: https://animalstudies.org.au/about
**ECR is defined as a researcher who has held a PhD or equivalent qualification for a period less than or equal to five years at the time of their application.
*** The activity itself may be a form of community engagement. Other options may include (but are not limited to) a hybrid/online workshop with AASA members, reaching out to relevant activist/artistic/NGO communities, podcast or other form of dissemination.
**** Where an applicant does not have access to an ethics committee they are encouraged to seek a co-applicant who does have this access to ensure research undergoes the necessary approval process.