Introduction

How to use this document

This document is a guide for prospective applicants seeking funding under Phase 2 of the Family Violence Research Program 2021-24 (Research Program). These guidelines include information on:

• eligibility
• funding principles, parameters and agreements
• the selection process and assessment criteria
• completing the online application form
• research subject areas and priority research topics
• Frequently asked questions for prospective applicants (FAQs)

The FAQs will be updated throughout the application period to ensure all prospective applicants have access to the same information.

Request for grant applications

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (the Department), through its division Family Safety Victoria (FSV) invites applicants from across Australia to apply for research grants under Phase 2 of the Research Program.

Phase 2 provides a pool of $1.2 million to fund high-quality research to develop and augment the evidence base to support family violence reform in Victoria.

Except for the ‘system lens’ research topic, research grants will be offered in one funding range with project funding up to $150,000 (exclusive of GST) and a project duration a maximum of 1.5 years. The ‘system lens’ research grant will have a maximum budget of $300,000 (exclusive of GST) and a project duration of 1.5 years. Grant recipients must enter into a funding agreement with the Department.

Applicants must submit their application online using the Department’s grants gateway. 

Applications can be submitted by not-for-profit entities, Australian universities, and research centres.

Applications open on Monday, 6 March 2023 and close at 3.00 pm AEST on Monday, 3 April 2023.

Disclaimer

Please note: The information contained in this publication is provided for general guidance only, and on the basis that all persons accessing the information undertake responsibility for assessing its relevance and accuracy. The Department makes no representations, either expressed or implied, as to the suitability or accuracy of the information for a particular purpose, and do not accept any liability whatsoever for any error, loss, damage, cost, expense, or any other consequence that may arise from your reliance on this publication.

Privacy statement

The Department is committed to protecting your privacy.

We collect and handle any information that you have provided in your application, for the purpose of administering your grant application and informing the public of successful applications.

For us to administer your grant application effectively and efficiently, we may need to disclose this information with others for the purpose of assessment, consultation, and reporting. This may include Departmental staff, Members of Parliament and their staff, external experts, such as members of assessment panels, or other government departments.

If you intend to include personal information about third parties in your application, please ensure that they are aware of the contents of this privacy statement. Any personal information about you or a third party in your application will be collected, retained, managed, used, disclosed, or transferred in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic), the Public Records Act 1973 (Vic) and other applicable laws.

For more information, please refer to the Department’s privacy policy.

If you have any questions about the Department’s privacy statement or wish to make a complaint about the way we have collected, used, retained or disclosed your personal information, or the personal information of a third party whose information you disclosed, please contact us at privacy@dffh.vic.gov.au. You can also request access to your personal information, or request that your information be corrected at any time.

Background

The whole of Victorian Government Family Violence Research Agenda 2021–2024 (Research Agenda) and the Research Program are commitments of the Family Violence Reform Rolling Action Plan 2020–2023 (RAP) to develop a robust evidence base to support family violence reform.

The Research Agenda

The Victorian Family Violence Research Agenda 2021-2024 articulates the Victorian Government’s research priorities and provides a focus point for research commissioned by government and initiated by universities, the sector or industry partners. The Research Agenda was developed through consultation across the Victorian Government and builds on the significant engagement undertaken for the RAP.

It also draws from key reviews and recommendations, including from the Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor, engagement with representatives from sector peak bodies and sector-based organisations, and government’s ongoing discussions with key stakeholders on reform implementation.

The development of the Research Agenda included the identification of seven priority subject areas for the Research Program. These are:

1. Primary prevention of family violence and violence against women (note: out of scope for the Research Program¹)
2. Children and young people as victim survivors in their own right
3. Family violence as experienced by Aboriginal people and communities
4. Family violence as experienced by people from diverse communities
5. Sexual violence and harm
6. Adolescent family violence
7. Perpetrators and people who use violence.

The Research Program

The Research Program is the Department’s plan to deliver on its research priorities under the Research Agenda, in partnership with the sector and universities. It includes a competitive, open, merit-based research grants program delivered in two phases.

Both phases of the Research Program focus on producing research outputs that can have a practical, positive impact on Victorian policy and practice in preventing family violence and sexual violence and harm. This includes understanding the:

• prevalence, nature and impacts of various forms of family violence, sexual violence and harm
• needs of specific priority cohorts
• effectiveness and value of current interventions, services and supports
• barriers to programmatic and policy success and responding to them.

Family Violence Research Grants Program: Phase 1

In August 2022, the 13 successful projects under Phase 1 of the Research Program were confirmed. These projects address identified gaps in the evidence and help build an evidence base that supports best practice family violence and sexual assault interventions, service delivery and innovation. This will assist to achieve better outcomes for victim survivors and communities.

The successful projects will run for between one and two years. Four of the projects are led by sector organisations and nine by universities.

Funding for Phase 1 research grants totalled $2.5 million.

Family Violence Research Grants Program: Phase 2

Six priority research topics, related to the subject areas of the Research Agenda, are to be funded in Phase 2 (detailed in Section 3: Research priorities). These topics were identified through extensive consultation with Sector partners and Government agencies and build upon research priorities identified through the development of the Research Agenda and Phase 1 of the Research Program.

Proposals for funding in Phase 2 must address one of these priority research topics.

In line with the scope and approach of the Victorian family violence reform, there is an expectation that all research delivered under the Research Program will apply or be underpinned by core principles of the Research Agenda. This includes consideration of the role of Aboriginal self-determination, gender inequality, intersectionality, lived experience and application of a system lens that recognises the cross-system and multi-agency nature of Victorian reforms.

In Phase 2, the Embedding Lived Experience in Research: Guiding Elements to support a partnership model (the lived experience guiding elements) are being piloted. These elements are detailed in Section 1: Project rules and requirements. Use of the lived experience guiding elements will enable shared decision-making, leadership, and influence of people with lived experience working in partnership with researchers. Prospective applicants must demonstrate their proposed approach to implementing the lived experience guiding elements in their projects.

Grants will be awarded based on merit, in line with the assessment criteria detailed in Section 2: Submission and selection process.

Footnote

1. The Department and Respect Victoria are developing and leading projects that will address key research priorities for the prevention of family violence and sexual violence and harm in Victoria. As such, primary prevention is out of scope for Phase 2 of the Research Program.