FHRI Fund Enabling Scheme
The Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund Enabling Scheme aimed to increase the scale and excellence of health and medical research and innovation in WA by supporting accessible local infrastructure.
The FHRI Fund Enabling Scheme provided support for capital costs associated with undertaking health and medical research and/or innovation in Western Australia.
Up to 50 per cent co-funding was made available for upgrades to laboratory, research and/or innovation facilities in order to provide greater sector access, or better support national or international partnerships.
This scheme also allows funding applications for major equipment upgrades or replacement that increases a facility’s industry offering.
The Enabling Scheme was open to organisations that undertake health and medical research and innovation that have a presence in Western Australia. Funding will be awarded through a competitive and merit-based process.
Program Status: Closed
The Enabling Scheme Program Guidelines and Conditions and Application Form can be accessed below:
Any queries related to the program can be directed to the Western Australian Department of Health, DOH.OMRI@health.wa.gov.au
Information on other FHRI Fund programs can be accessed by subscribing to updates or checking the current funding opportunities.
Can the 50 per cent co-funding contribution include in-kind contributions?
Answer:
The 50 per cent co-funding contribution must be provided as cash. The cash can be provided by the Responsible Entity or other third parties. If provided by third parties please attached letters of confirmation to the Application Form.
Question: Multiple requests
Can an application include more than 1 piece of equipment to meet the minimum requested funding of $500,000?
Answer:
The application can include a combination of requests to meet the minimum threshold.
Question: Co-funding sources
Is the co-funding limited to equipment grants or can project grants also be leveraged? Particularly if the equipment is required to complete the proposed project.
Answer:
Additional sources of funding are required to cover at least 50 per cent of the proposed cost. Funding sources may be from the Responsible Entity or from third party entities.
In all cases, the responsibility for provision of co-funding lies with the Responsible Entity. If other grant income is used as this co-funding contribution, then the Responsible Entity will need to consider if the terms and conditions of that grant income allows it to be used towards the purchase of equipment/capital and if any caps apply when it is used for equipment costs.
Reporting requirements for the FHRI Enabling Scheme (ES) will include requirements for financial reporting that shows expenditure of the identified co-funds against the facility upgrade or equipment as intended.
Question: Ownership
Do you have any guidance how ownership of the infrastructure be managed for collaborative applications with a collective of co-funding entities?
Answer:
All facility upgrades and equipment will primarily be owned by the Responsible Entity of the applicant. Any arrangements for shared ownership will be the responsibility of the Responsible Entity and third parties. For grant recipients, ownership details can be negotiated and will be reflected in the Grant Funding Agreement following the awarding of a grant.
Question: Track record
Is the Activity lead required to have an academic track record?
Answer:
The Activity Lead should be someone who has a track record of delivering on infrastructure activities. This could be the Finance Officer, technical expert, Research Director or any other person that has success in this area (i.e. business/ infrastructure development etc.).
Question: Non-physical assets
Can 'non-physical' infrastructure such as support for consumer and community involvement, cloud storage, cloud computing and other technologies be included?
Answer:
The FHRI Fund Enabling Scheme is specifically targeted at capital costs of facility upgrades and equipment. As such the non-physical costs are excluded.