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AIRAANZ Early Career Scholar Research Grant

AIRAANZ Early Career Scholar Research Grant Guidelines

About AIRAANZ

The Association of Industrial Relations Academics in Australia and New Zealand (AIRAANZ) is a professional membership organisation which aims to:

• Promote and encourage Australasian industrial relations research and ongoing publication of the association’s journal Labour & Industry: A Journal of the Social and Economic Relations of Work;

• Foster industrial relations scholarship and community through conferences, symposia, workshop, scholarships and other events;

• Inform members on developments in industrial relations in Australasia and elsewhere;

• Represent members and make submissions/recommendations to appropriate government departments and other bodies regarding industrial relations research, teaching and other academic concerns

Grant Scheme Opportunity

AIRAANZ aims to foster research in the field of industrial relations. In 2026, AIRAANZ is offering up to $20,000 to support up to two research projects led by Early Career Researchers (ECR) to advance innovative research in the field of industrial relations. Each project will have a value of between $6,000-$10,000.

Conditions and Eligibility

  1. The grant will be awarded to an ECR which is defined as a researcher within five years of the conferral date of their PhD taking into account any career interruptions.

  2. Applicants must be a member of AIRAANZ at the time of submitting their application.

  3. The applicant must be employed at an Australian or New Zealand tertiary institution.

  4. The research project must relate directly to the field of industrial relations.

  5. Up to 2 research projects will be funded in each round. This will include:

a. One research project focused on industrial relations broadly defined

b. One research project with a dedicated focus on Indigenous, First Nations, Māori and Pasifika industrial relations broadly defined.

  1. The grant will fund a research project which is either a solo project with the ECR as sole Chief Investigator, or a team project where the ECR is the Lead Chief Investigator.

  2. The grant period is expected to be a maximum of 18 months from the awarding of funds (although in exceptional circumstances this may be extended).

  3. Funds will be allocated for new projects only. Please note any institutional (or other) ethics requirements and approvals required should be obtained promptly to avoid delay to the start of the project if funding is successful.

  4. An expectation from receiving grant funding is the production of suitable outputs from the project. Awardees are expected to:

a. Present their research at an upcoming AIRAANZ Conference b. Submit one paper from the research project to Labour and Industry c. Submit a brief one-page report to AIRAANZ Executive Committee about the research findings and outcomes at the conclusion of the project

  1. Any outputs should attribute funding received from the “AIRAANZ Early Career Scholar Research Grant.”

Funding

  1. A total of $20,000 (inclusive of GST) of funding is available in each round. This comprises $6,000-$10,000 for each project.

  2. Allowable expenses include:

a. Data collection e.g. transcription, software (not already provided by an institution) b. Salary expenses e.g. research assistant c. Travel related to data collection or dissemination (e.g. flights, accommodation, registration fees) d. Dissemination of findings (e.g. reports, symposium, conference travel)

  1. Teaching relief will not be funded.

Criteria and Judging

  1. Projects will be judged on the following criteria:

a. The quality of the application, the proposed research project, and feasibility of the project plan (40%)

b. Established/ emerging track record of the applicant relative to opportunity (30%)

c. Research development, external collaboration and outcomes including potential for peer reviewed publications in quality outlets and research impact (30%)

  1. Applications will be reviewed by the AIRAANZ Research Grants Sub-Committee with recommendations made to the AIRAANZ Executive Committee. Final decisions will be made by the AIRAANZ Executive Committee.

  2. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within 6 weeks of applying.

Grant Management and Administration

  1. The grant is to be managed by the applicant’s host institution.

  2. To submit an application, applicants should submit an application form in word using the structured headings below for no longer than 3 pages, and include a CV of no more than 4 pages to info@airaanz.org before the stated deadline.

  3. Applications close 5pm Western Standard Time on 30 September 2026.

  4. Please submit any questions about the grant opportunity to AIRAANZ: info@airaanz.org

AIRAANZ Early Career Scholar Research Grant Application Form

  1. Name

  2. Date of PhD conferral

  3. Please list any relevant career interruptions (if applicable)

  4. Stream (General Stream or Indigenous, First Nations, Māori and Pasifika Stream)

  5. Project title

  6. Aims and background

  7. Research Questions

  8. Links with the field of industrial relations

  9. Significance

  10. Design and Methods

  11. Project Timeline

  12. Ethics Requirements

  13. Feasibility

  14. Engagement and Potential Impact

  15. Expected Outputs and Outcomes

Posted on Aug 17, 2026