Apply now for sea time in 2024 onboard southern coastal research vessels

 

Australian researchers are invited to apply for fully-funded grants offering sea time of up to a maximum of 14 days per voyage on the South Australia research vessel MRV Ngerin or the Western Australian research vessel, the RV Naturaliste for sea time in 2024.

Funded sea time does not include vessel transit time to the agreed port of departure. Sea time begins when the researchers board the vessel from the agreed port of departure and commence their voyage. Therefore, the time required to get to the first sampling point and return to the port of arrival after sampling is completed needs to be included in the application for sea time.

There will be approximately 50 days of sea time available across both vessels to support this funding call. Multiple applications for funded sea time will be supported.

These opportunities are available to Australian researchers based in southern Australia (South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and south of Shark Bay in Western Australia).

The 25 metre-long MRV Ngerin is operated by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the research arm of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), while the 22 m RV Naturaliste is operated by Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

As a guide, voyages as far north as Shark Bay in Western Australia when departing from Perth, across South Australia to Lakes Entrance in Victoria and around Tasmania will be considered. However, the location of proposed voyages may be restricted by the limits of the current fleet.

Applications will be assessed against criteria related to research quality and benefit, with a focus on research that has national benefit.

These opportunities are provided through the Australian government-funded ‘Supporting the establishment of a southern coastal research vessel fleet’ project. The Southern Coastal Research Vessel Fleet is a partnership between the South Australian Research and Development Program (SARDI) and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), with funding from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and support from the CSIRO Marine National Facility (MNF), to provide the marine research community with better access to coastal research vessels in Southern Australia.

To apply, and for more information on the available dates and vessels’ capabilities, visit the MRV Ngerin page on the PIRSA website.

Applications close at 11.59 pm (ACDT) on Monday 28 August 2023.