NSSN Grand Challenge Fund 2025 announced 

The latest round of the NSSN Grand Challenge Fund (GCF) opened today and is accepting applications through to the deadline of 17 February. 

(From L to R): NSSN Grand Challenges span across human health, natural hazards, clean tech, smart places, and environment & agriculture. Photos: Adobe Stock and Shutterstock.


Round 5 of the GCF invites applications to support innovative, collaborative research projects that respond to the five NSSN Priority Themes of: 

Grants of up to $100,000 per project will support the development of projects that link with industry or government partners and devise a smart sensing solution that has a defined pathway to genuine impact, either through commercialisation or operationalisation.  

The priority themes  address complex challenges that are critical to our environment, health, economy and society and which demand innovative solutions that will impact future generations.  
 
They have been selected for the important role smart sensing can play in responding to the issue and where technological innovation holds the promise of creating significant change.  
 
The priority themes align well with state and federal priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and have been selected based on the NSSN’s unique ability to mobilise the world-class R&D capability across its member universities, in partnership with industry and government, for practical, impactful outcomes.   

NSSN Chief Operating Officer, Nicholas Haskins said the NSSN Grand Challenge Fund is focussed on creating impact pathways.  

“The NSSN is keenly focussed on getting cutting-edge research out of the lab and out to market,” Mr Haskins said. 

“The GCF allows us to support industry and government partners to solve a pressing challenge by matching them with our brightest research minds and catalysing great innovation.
 
”The impact for industry is commercialisation of novel technology that will increase productivity and give them a competitive advantage. For our government agency partners it means more effective, more efficient delivery of technology-enabled services to citizens”.  

Information sessions 

Researchers interested in applying to the NSSN Grand Challenge Fund 2025 can register to attend online webinars providing information on the fund, tips on submitting a successful application and an opportunity to ask questions.  
 

Webinar I - Tuesday 19 November 2024 - Register 
 

Eligibility  

To be eligible, funding proposals must meet the following eligibility criteria:  

  • Leadership: be led by an NSSN member university.  

  • Collaboration: involve a minimum of two NSSN member universities (incl. the lead).  

  • Partnership: partner with at least one industry or government partner.  

  • Co-investment: attract cash co-investment from industry/government partners at least equal to the requested amount.  
     

Proposals that do not meet these criteria will not be assessed.   
 

Assessment criteria  
 

Proposals will be assessed on the following criteria:  

  • Significance: how the proposal represents a significant and novel approach to addressing the defined Grand Challenge. 30%  

  • Collaboration: how the proposal integrates and fosters genuine collaboration between NSSN member universities. 15%  

  • Partnership: how the proposal integrates genuine partnership with industry and government partners and responds to a defined industry or government need. 15%  

  • Governance: how the proposal defines a realistic research plan and the measures that will ensure delivery on milestones. 15%  

  • Impact pathway: how the proposal defines a pathway to commercialisation. 15%  

  • Diversity: How does the proposal represents diversity of gender and under-represented cohorts in the team. 10% 

Applicants are encouraged to speak with their local NSSN Coordinator and the relevant NSSN Theme Leader as early as possible in the application process. This will help to ensure alignment with the NSSN Priority Themes and provide applications with the greatest chance of success. The NSSN can provide assistance in connecting with relevant industry and government partners.  

NSSN Theme Leaders  

NSSN Coordinators 

ANU: Nishank Shah  
Macquarie University: Matt Bevin  
University of Newcastle: Joss Kesby 
UNSW: Emily Zeng 
University of Sydney: Andrew Kemp  
UTS: Petra Becker  
Western Sydney University: André Urfer  
University of Wollongong:  Robert Beretov  
 
Applications close on 17 February 2024 at 5pm.    

Diane Nazaroff