Applied Research and Innovation Project

The Applied Research and Innovation (ARI) Project is a groundbreaking initiative designed to position Victorian TAFEs as trusted innovation partners for industry and community organisations within the care economy. By fostering applied research capability across the Victorian TAFE sector, this project aims to address the unique challenges, opportunities, and needs of the care economy, driving impactful outcomes for the sector.

Victorian TAFEs are encouraged to collaborate with care economy industry and community organisations and apply for funding to support applied research projects that deliver practical solutions and innovations.

The care economy is at the heart of Victoria’s future workforce and economic strategies. Recognised in the Victorian Skills Plan for 2023–2024, the care economy represents one of the largest sectors of Victoria’s economy. It encompasses essential services such as:

The Victorian TAFE Network plays a pivotal role in equipping the workforce to meet the care economy’s evolving demands. By aligning the ARI Project with this key government priority, the TAFE sector strengthens its position as an integral part of the state’s innovation ecosystem, working alongside government, industry, and community stakeholders to advance solutions for this vital sector.

The Applied Research and Innovation Prospectus provides a detailed overview of the initiative, including:

✔  The project’s mission and vision
✔  Potential project examples
✔  Governance structure
✔ Guidelines for project formation and grant applications

 View the Applied Research and Innovation Prospectus (PDF 2.2MB)

Victorian TAFEs are invited to apply for grant funding to support applied research projects in partnership with care economy organisations.

Application deadline: 5 pm, Friday 2 May

This is a unique opportunity to:

• Drive innovation in the care economy
• Build research capability within your organisation
• Strengthen collaboration with industry and community partners

For full details on the application process, funding criteria, and project eligibility, please refer to the Applied Research and Innovation Prospectus.

To apply, please download and complete the Grant Application Form, then submit it along with your attachment form to appliedresearch@holmesglen.edu.au.

When developing your research proposal, it is essential to consider the ethical implications of your project. This includes assessing whether your research requires ethics approval and determining the level of risk associated with conducting the project. Ethics approval is a critical step in ensuring the integrity of your research, the protection of participants, and compliance with national standards for ethical conduct in human research.

Holmesglen Institute has a Human Research Ethics Review Panel (HRERP), which is authorised to approve research projects that are deemed low or negligible risk. If your project involves greater than low or negligible risk, it will need to be reviewed by an external organisation approved to conduct ethical reviews of human research projects, such as Bellberry Limited. Please ensure that any associated costs for external ethics approval are accounted for in your grant application budget.

For more information about ethics approval, the process of submitting for approval, and guidance on determining the level of risk for your project, please refer to Information for researchers.

The ARI Project is committed to empowering TAFE staff with the skills and confidence needed to undertake high-quality applied research. A tailored capability-building training program will provide workshops, online modules, and resources designed to prepare participants for successful research projects.

Workshop topics Include:

• Generating a research idea
• Developing a research proposal
• Working with industry on a research project
• Applying for funding
• Conducting literature searches and reviews
• Designing education evaluation surveys
• Applying for ethics approval
• Collecting and analysing data (quantitative and qualitative)
• Writing research reports
• Presenting research findings
• Publishing research
• Using research software (SPSS, NVivo, EndNote)

Stay tuned for confirmation of workshop conference dates, times, format and locations.

Online applied research training modules are also in development to provide flexible learning opportunities. Stay tuned for more details on how these resources can support your applied research journey.