Funding opportunities

The Australia Studies Institute is proud to announce the 2025 round of the King’s-Australia Partnership Seed Fund.

The King’s-Australia Partnership Seed Fund is intended to develop research collaboration between King’s College London and academic partners in Australia. It will fund research activities conducted by academic staff employed at King’s College London in collaboration with Australian researchers. We expect funded research activities will contribute to peer-reviewed research outputs, bids for larger-scale research funding, international networks and/or capacity building for early career researchers in the framework of long-term partnerships.

Research projects can be in any field or discipline relevant to applicants’ research expertise. For queries, write to menziesaustralia@kcl.ac.uk.

Complete this form to apply. Applications are open until 11:59pm (BST) on Monday 15 September 2025.

• Open to all King's academic and research staff.

• Open to all research topics, subject areas and disciplines.

• Each project must involve at least one researcher currently employed at an Australian university.

• Department/Faculty match-funding for the proposal is welcome but not necessary.

Each project must involve at least one currently employed member of academic or research staff at King’s College London, who as Lead Applicant will be responsible for submission of applications and final reports. Lead Applicants must hold a PhD at time of application and be employed on a full-time or part-time basis at any grade. (King’s postgraduate students, affiliate researchers, or emeritus staff can be part of a research team but cannot be Lead Applicant under the terms of this scheme.)

Each project must also involve at least one researcher currently employed at an Australian university (Level B to E in the Australian schema).

• This funding can be used to plan and develop research teams and projects leading to longer and sustainable collaborations. They should build towards a nominated research output (co-authored journal article, edited collection, or other publication) and/or establish a track-record of collaboration for external grant capture.

• Research activities including visits, workshops and seminars can take place at King’s or in Australia. Fieldwork, lab or archival research for a collaborative project can be conducted in the UK, Australia or elsewhere (with justification).

Activities that can be supported could include:

• Research Workshops involving both senior and early career researchers at King’s and the Australian partner organisation(s). Information about any additional support (co-funding/match funding, if available) should be provided.

• Individual Research Visit to develop concrete joint research outputs/proposals with named Australian researchers. Visits should involve Australian academics coming to King’s, or King’s staff visiting an Australian university. Applicants should provide a confirmation letter from the host/guest Australian organisation.

• Fieldwork/archival/lab research to directly contribute towards a co-written research output or as pilot for collaborative external grant application. (If King’s PhD students are involved in the project team, the application will require evidence of supervisor’s support).

In 2025, the Australia Studies Institute will offer up to £8000 per project.

All funds must be expended by 31 May 2026. A final report detailing project activities and final budget must be submitted by 15 June 2026.

Applications must include:

1. Project summary (200 words maximum)

2. Research proposal (3 pages maximum) including an outline of the research project, a justification of the project’s quality, innovation and scholarly significance, a list of proposed research outputs, proposed project timeline and proposed budget.

3. 2-page CV for lead applicant.

4. If King’s PhD students are involved in the project team, please submit evidence of supervisor’s support.

5. List of proposed workshop participants (if applicable).

6. For individual research visits, confirmation letter from the host/guest Australian university.

Funding for proposals is provided on a competitive basis. Proposals will be selected by a Australia Studies Institute/School of Global Affairs committee, giving particular attention to the following criteria:

• Defined objectives and outcome of the activities

• Project quality, innovation and scholarly significance

• Partnership sustainability or growth potential

• Alignment with the MAI research theme 'Global Australia'.

Applications are open until 11:59pm (BST) Monday 15 September 2025. Successful candidates will be notified shortly afterwards.

A final report outlining research activities, and including a final accounting of moneys spent, must be submitted to Australia Studies Institute by 31 May 2026. The Lead Applicant (employed at King’s) will be responsible for budget management and reporting.

Attaining the correct visa/s and travel documents will be the responsibility of the applicant.

Please direct queries to menziesaustralia@kcl.ac.uk

The Richard Gunter Scholarships are travel bursaries awarded annually to facilitate Australia-focused research. They are funded through the generous support of the Estate of Richard Gunter. In 2026, the Australia Studies Institute is offering:

2 x £3,500 travel and research bursaries to do research in Australia for King’s postgraduate research students;

1 x £1,500 travel bursary to facilitate research at the Australia Studies Institute for postgraduate research students based in a British or European university.

For questions, write to menziesaustralia@kcl.ac.uk.

Please note that you will have to submit a CV and a 3-page research proposal as part of the application process.

Complete this form to apply. Applications close 23:55 on 1 June 2026.

For the £3,500 research in Australia bursary, applicants must be postgraduate students enrolled in a research degree in any discipline at King’s College London.

For the £1,500 travel bursary to do research at the Australia Studies Institute, applicants must be postgraduate students enrolled in a research degree either in a British or European university.

Bursary money can be used for airfares, domestic transport and accommodation costs directly related to research in Australia or at the Australia Studies Institute at King’s.

King’s students will receive payment via the student’s home department. Non-King’s students will receive the entire bursary as a lump sum on producing evidence of travel booking. Applicants are responsible for obtaining necessary visa and travel documents.

All money must be expended by 30 December 2025. A final report outlining research activities and a final accounting of moneys spent must be submitted to the Institute by this date.