Grants Program

ASSTA Grants Program

ASSTA manages a number of grant programs which aim to provide support to members in their research in Speech Science and Technology. Past awardees and their reports can be found here

The New Researcher Award Scheme

ASSTA offers up to six SST New Researcher Awards for the best papers submitted for presentation at the SST conference.The award consists of a $750 grant, plus the SST conference dinner. Please consult the full New Research Award Guidelines for more information.

Applications close on the day the SST paper submissions are due. The next SST conference will be in 2024.

Eligibility criteria:

(a) The applicant must be a Student member of ASSTA or an Ordinary member of ASSTA no more than two years beyond their highest degree and must be financial with their membership fees for at least 6 months at the time of application.

(b) The applicant must be conducting research in Australia or New Zealand.

To apply, please print and complete the application form and email it to the ASSTA Secretary [email protected].

ASSTA Special ICPhS 2023 Student/ECR Travel Award 

(NOW CLOSED)

The ASSTA Special ICPhS2023 Student/ECR Travel Award is available to Student/ECR members who have been accepted to present a paper at the ICPhS 2023 conference in Prague. The award consists of a $1000 grant. A single award is available. Applications will be ranked by an assessment panel appointed by the Executive. 

Applications close 21st April 2023 5pm Melb/Sydney time (updated deadline). 

Eligibility criteria: 

(a) The applicant must be a Student member of ASSTA or an Ordinary member of ASSTA no more than two years beyond the conferral date of their highest degree and must be financial with their membership fees for at least 6 months at the time of application. 

(b) Applicants should be either sole or first author of the paper. In the latter case, the majority of the paper is to be the work of the applicant. 

(c) Applicants must submit a statement of need outlining why this grant is necessary for them to attend ICPhS 2023.

(d) Student applicants require their supervisor’s signature on the application form.

(e) Applicants may submit more than one paper. Each will be considered independently of the others as a separate entry. However, no applicant may win more than one award. 

To apply, please print and complete the application form and email it to the ASSTA Secretary [email protected]

This grant has been made possible through the generosity of a previous ICPhS ECR prize winner who has passed on the prize money of $1000 to support “travel funds … [for] the next ICPhS for graduate students or ECRs in precarious positions.” 

Research Event Awards

The purpose of the ASSTA Research Event Awards is to encourage and promote research in speech science and technology in Australasia. A list of past ASSTA Research Events is here.

Research Events Awards are available for two classes of events:

  1. groundwork meetings for setting up new or strengthening existing research collaborations
  2. seminars or workshops on particular issues of note, new theories, procedures, approaches, etc. Please note that you can apply for funding for online, in-person, or “hybrid” events.

The Research Events award is worth up to $5000, and up to two events may be funded per year. Applications are now open on a rolling basis. Expressions of interest are called in the first instance, with applicants asked to send a title and short abstract of 250 words to [email protected]

Only applications that fulfil the criteria listed below will be considered.

Eligibility criteria:

(a) The applicants must be an Ordinary member of ASSTA  and must be financial with their membership fees for at least 6 months at the time of application.

(b) The applicant must be conducting research in Australia or New Zealand.

To apply, please print and complete the application form and email it to the ASSTA Secretary [email protected], together with a copy of the submitted paper and the conference paper ID number, before the deadline.

ASSTA Conference Travel Awards

ASSTA offers funding to help allay the costs of travelling from Australia or New Zealand to present peer-reviewed papers at overseas conferences. The award is $500. Three major conferences have been chosen for which funding will be provided automatically. These conferences are: ICASSP, Interspeech and ICPhS. Funding will also be provided for other conferences with preference for conferences requiring full paper review.

Submissions may be made at any time after notification of acceptance, and no later than two weeks before the conference date.

Eligibility:

(a) The applicant must be an Early Career Ordinary member (i.e. within 5 years from PhD completion) or Student member of ASSTA and must be financial with their membership fees for at least 6 months at the time of application.

(b) The applicant must be conducting research in Australia or New Zealand.

(c) The paper/abstract must have already been accepted for publication by the conference.

(d) The conference must not be held in Australia or New Zealand.

(e) The applicant has not already held an award for that calendar year, i.e. one award per year per person is given.

(f) The applicant must be the first named author of the paper/abstract (principal investigator of the work).

If successful, you will be required to provide proof that you attended the conference (i.e. payment of registration and travel costs) and submit a conference report to the ASSTA newsletter, before payment will be made. You can view reports from past recipients here. ASSTA Travel award claims by successful recipients must be made no later than 3 months after the conference date.

To apply, please complete the application form email it, along with a copy of your paper or abstract, to the ASSTA secretary [email protected]

ASSTA Special Initiative Awards

The purpose of the ASSTA Special Initiative Awards is to encourage and promote national high-level initiatives in speech science and technology in Australasia by supporting ASSTA members’ application to nationally competitive research grants.

No more than two Special Initiative Awards will be awarded in any one year and each award is worth up to $5000. Submissions can be made at any time and a decision will be made within 4 weeks, whichever is sooner (if submitting in December/January, however, please allow up to 8 weeks).

Note that if there is insufficient time or evidence provided to properly consider the submission an award will not be made.

Special Initiative Awards Proposal Guidelines

The following principles will be considered. While each application may not address all of these, they should be borne in mind when preparing your application. Special Initiative Award applications are designed to:

  1. Promote and enhance research activity in speech science and technology in Australia and New Zealand and promote national and/or international collaboration in speech science and technology.
  2. Be used as part of a nationally competitive program or scheme (e.g. ARC LIEF, ARC Linkage, etc.) which will involve co-investigators and participating academic or commercial organisations which will provide matching funds (i.e. the same amount or more).
  3. Provide tangible benefits to the ASSTA membership through shared infrastructure or services.

Eligibility Criteria

The principal applicant(s) must be:

  1. A long-standing ordinary member of ASSTA (financial for at least 2 years continuous at time of application), and
  2. Employed in Australia or New Zealand.

There may be partner applicants who do not fulfil these criteria, but preference will be given to applications which include a critical mass of Australasian ASSTA members.

Application Procedure

Applicants should complete the Special Initiative Awards Form. Applications should emailed to the ASSTA Secretary [email protected]

ASSTA Carer Support Scheme

The Primary Carer Support Scheme aims to support members with primary carer responsibilities to present their work at significant national or international conferences, workshops, or symposia relevant to their careers. The award of up to $500 and can be used to contribute to:

  • flights/travel for the dependent and an additional carer to accompany the applicant interstate or overseas;
  • dependent carer services in the location of the conference, workshop, symposium or fieldwork site;
  • alternative carer services in the primary carer’s home base.

Eligibility:

(a) The applicant must be a member of ASSTA and must be financial with their membership fees for at least six months at the time of application.
(b) The paper must have already been accepted for presentation by the conference/workshop/symposium.
(c) The applicant must be the first named author of the paper/abstract (principal investigator of the work).
(d) Please note that applicants are eligible for one ASSTA grant (excluding ASSTA event grant) per calendar year;
(e) Applicants will be required to provide the following details in their application:

  • proof of registration for the conference/workshop/symposium (i.e. payment of registration)
  • a detailed rationale with the following subheadings;
    1. nature of participation in the conference
    2. justification of application for carer support in view of usual and extraordinary caring arrangements and detailing why particular costs are necessary. Describe, where appropriate, why alternative, less expensive options are not available, including care by other family members;
    3. budget and budget justification.

Award recipients must submit a conference report to the ASSTA newsletter within 3 months of conference/workshop/symposium attendance.

Application:

To apply, please email a copy of your paper, your confirmation of registration, and your rationale to the ASSTA secretary [email protected].