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Applied Research and Innovation Project

Applied research funding for TAFEs to drive innovation, industry collaboration, and workforce solutions in Victoria’s care economy.

Providing real-world applied research solutions for Victoria’s care economy

The Applied Research and Innovation (ARI) Project positions Victorian TAFEs as trusted innovation partners for industry and community organisations within the care economy.

Through funding by the Victorian Government, the ARI project aims to enable applied research projects to develop practical solutions that drive positive industry-community impact.

TAFEs across Victoria are invited to collaborate with industry and community organisations and apply for funding to support applied research projects

The care economy: A critical sector for Victoria

The care economy is one of Victoria’s fastest-growing sectors, recognised as a government priority in the Victorian Skills Plan (2023–2024). It includes essential services such as:

  • Aged care and disability support
  • Community support services
  • Early childhood education and care
  • Hospital and medical services
  • Housing, wellbeing, and allied health

By connecting with this government priority, the ARI Project helps TAFEs play a key role in preparing a workforce that's ready for the future. Plus, it sparks innovation by teaming up with industry and community partners.

Funding opportunities for applied research projects

Who is eligible to apply?

Victorian TAFEs can apply for grant funding to support collaborative applied research projects with care economy organisations.

How to Apply

Application deadline: Friday 04 July, 5pm

This is a unique opportunity to:

  • Contribute to innovation in the care economy
  • Enhance your TAFE’s research capability
  • Grow industry and community partnerships
Download the Grant Application Form (PDF 131KB)

Want full details?

View the Applied Research and Innovation Prospectus (PDF 2.2MB) for guidelines, project examples, and funding criteria.

How will my research application be reviewed?

Once a research project application is submitted, it will be reviewed by the Research Projects Advisory Committee (RPAC), which will consist of the Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery (OTCD), Victorian Skills Authority, Victorian TAFE Institutes, and industry stakeholders, and care economy stakeholders. The outcome of the submissions will be communicated within 2 weeks of the application deadline date. Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by email.

Ethics approval

Keeping things ethical is important when doing applied research. If your project involves human participants, you may require ethics approval.

  • All applied research projects needing ethics approval will require approval from an external accredited human research ethics organisation (e.g., Bellberry Limited).
  • Budgeting for ethics approval? Ensure external review costs are factored into your grant application.

Learn more about ethics approval and research compliance

Intellectual Property

All successful project participants must reach an agreement on an intellectual property management strategy before project commencement. The ARI Project Agreement may include clauses that will detail how intellectual property will be established.

Building research capability

The ARI Project supports TAFE staff in developing applied research skills through tailored training programs.

Proposed workshops topics include:

  • Generating research ideas
  • Crafting effective research questions and project proposals
  • Ethics approval processes
  • Developing a literature review
  • Data collection methods and tools
  • Collaborating with industry
  • Presenting at a conference
  • Writing and publishing research outcomes

Online training modules are also in development for flexible learning.  Express your interest in attending the workshops

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) for prospective applicants

Questions and responses that will be updated throughout the period of the program.

No. Only Victorian TAFEs are eligible to apply.

All projects need to:

  • Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of Victorian care economy context.
  • Clearly demonstrate how it will address challenges or opportunities within the care economy and provide tangible benefits to the sector.

Yes. We encourage interdisciplinary and collaborative research across the care economy spectrum.

Your TAFE may apply for funding under more than one care economy research topic. Each project must be submitted in a separate application.

There is no limit to the number of applications that can be submitted for different care economy research topics from a single TAFE applicant.

There is no restriction on how many applications a TAFE can be involved in as a partner.

encourage researchers within each TAFE institute who shared common research interests, to submit one project. 

No. There is no minimum or maximum number of investigators required.

Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed project team is able to successfully undertake the research project within the parameters of the requested grant amount, and where applicable, internal resourcing and in-kind donations from partner organisations.

No. This project funding is only available for Victorian TAFE applicants.

Applicants that receive funding from outside institutions, dual sector or tertiary funding are not eligible for further funding from ARI.

Yes, partnerships between other Victorian TAFEs and peak bodies are encouraged.

Where a lead TAFE chooses to partner with other TAFEs, peak bodies or organisations it must demonstrate these partnerships in the application form and provide a letter of support from partner organisations. These partnerships should be robust and based on principles of knowledge exchange and transfer in the care economy context. 

Yes. Prospective applicants must list all partnerships in their application.

Applicants will need to attach a letter of support from each partner organisation.

For example, if the proposed project has three partner organisations, include the details of all three partner organisations and attach three letters of support.

The letter confirming the partnership should be written from each partnering organisation to your organisation.

The letter should cover:

  • the purpose of the research project
  • why they are partnering with your TAFE and what the partnership will achieve
  • the type of support they will provide – including both funding and in-kind support.

The letter should be signed by the relevant executive from the partnering TAFE/organisation.

Only the lead TAFE that will deliver the research project needs to fill out the application form.

A project reporting template will be provided prior commencement of the project, as agreed upon the signed Research Agreement. This report will identify specific milestone reporting periods, preliminary findings and project progress status.

We also encourage successful applicants to publish their project findings as widely as possible. Publication is not restricted to one or the other mode, such as a report, conference or journal article. There will also be opportunities to showcase project findings throughout the Applied Research and Innovation program events and conferences. 

In Australia, Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) review research proposals that involve human participants to ensure that they meet ethical standards and guidelines. All research projects involving human participants must undergo ethical review and approved by a HREC.  A HREC determines whether a research proposal is more than ‘low or negligible risk’ if involving human participants, especially those with more than minimal risk or those involving sensitive data collection methods. 

Prospective applicants will be asked to indicate in their funding application where they believe their research may entail ethical risks. Where such risks exist, applicants must explain how they will be mitigated, especially where there are risks to human participants.

These guidelines include the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (National Statement). The National Statement requires almost all human research to undergo ethics review.

Important: Successful applicants must hold appropriate ethics approval from a registered HREC, and budget appropriately for HREC approval costs and provide evidence of this in their Research Application Form. 

Yes. You may choose any registered Australian HREC.

Successful project teams may have the option to use other HRECs if the research project does not fall under specific requirements or if the project lead TAFE institution has its own HREC.

There are approximately 200 HRECs in research organisations across Australia or operating independently. To find a HREC, visit the NHRMC website.

Join us in driving innovation

The Applied Research and Innovation Project is an exciting opportunity for TAFEs to collaborate, innovate, and shape the future of Victoria’s care economy.

Got questions? We’d love to hear from you!
Contact us at: appliedresearch@holmesglen.edu.au.