Grants & Awards

ANU Philippines Institute 2026 Grants 

The ANU Philippines Institute is pleased to announce a Grants Round for 2026, supporting projects in key thematic areas.  Funding is available under three main schemes.

We offer:

• Travel grants (up to AUD 5,000) for Australia-based scholars to undertake research in the Philippines.
• Collaborative research grants (up to AUD 15,000) to support the establishment of research groups or joint projects.
• Event co-hosting grants (up to AUD 5,000) for one event to be co-organised with the ANU Philippines Institute.

For this grants round, the Institute is seeking applications in the following thematic areas:

1. Strategic studies and foreign policy, including Philippine-ASEAN leadership and regional cooperation;
2. Economic resilience;
3. Gender, women’s empowerment and peace;
4. The ongoing pursuit of peace, development and political stability in Mindanao;
5. Other threats to stability such as climate change, food insecurity and the energy crisis;
6. Rule of law, human rights and judicial governance; and
7. Governance, politics and political communications.

Dates

• Applications are scheduled to open in Q2 2026

Applications and Eligibility

Eligibility

The travel grants valued at $5,000 are open to any full-time academic staff member based at an Australian university.

PhD students are not eligible for the travel grant, however they may be co-collaborators on research or event projects led by a full-time academic staff member.

Grants for collaborative research projects and events must include researchers from at least one Australian university and one Philippine academic institution. Projects that can engage additional institutions in Australia and/or the Philippines will be viewed favourably. In cases of group applications, a lead applicant should be identified. Moreover, projects led by or including early career academics are especially encouraged.

Please note that as a condition of the award, successful applicants are required to join the Institute either as a member (ANU) or affiliate (non-ANU). Joining the Institute is very easy and can be done directly on our website.

Only one grant can be held at a time. Current recipients of Philippines Institute funding cannot apply.

Selection Criteria

• A well-designed and innovative project or event with clear aims, methods, significance, and outputs;
• Collaborations that strongly align with and add value to ANU Philippines Institute objectives and research areas of interest;
• The likelihood of publications or grant applications arising from project (where relevant);
• Evidence of impact, outreach, and engagement (where relevant);
• Evidence of good planning, including an effective communication strategy, feasible timeline, clear deliverables;
• Justified and clearly developed budget.

Conditions of Award

• As a condition of this grant, the recipient (or their home organisation) must:
  • Provide the ANU Philippines Institute with a valid payment request for the grant amount;
  • (ANU staff only: be able to provide a GLC to receive the grant funds);
  • Failure to meet either of these requirements may result in termination of the grant award.
• The grant recipient will be required to report the outcomes against expenditure upon completion of the project;
• Successful applicants must be a member or affiliate of the Institute;
• Successful applicants may be requested to participate in a survey to assist the Institute in evaluating the grant and the grants program;
• As part of the award, recipients are expected to provide a policy briefing document and public presentation;
• All projects must demonstrate academic integrity and responsible scholarly practice;
• Financial acquittal will be required within two months of the specified project end date;
• Any unspent funds will need to be returned to the Institute.

How to Apply

The Application has four parts (A – D).

Part A. Project Description

(No more than three A4 pages with at least 2 cm margins all round. Use a highly legible font type such as Arial, Palatino or Times New Roman of 12-point size)

The Project Description must provide the following information using the headings below and in this order:

1. Project Title
2. Aims and Background
3. Project Innovation: Outline the problem the research addresses, the conceptual/theoretical framework and how the design and methodology will be developed (if relevant).
4. Benefit and Collaboration: Describe how the Project contributes significant new knowledge and/or innovative economic, environmental, cultural, and social benefits; and outline the potential to build strong partnerships, linkages, and networks between Australian and Philippines academic institutions, policy-makers, and relevant interest groups
5. Explain how the Project aligns with the Institute’s objectives and strategic priorities.

Part B. Proposed Budget

Provide details of the proposed budget (itemising budget items), accompanied by a brief explanation or justification of expenditure. Costings must be in $AUD.

Please note: travel-related expenses in collaborative research projects cannot exceed $10,000 AUD or half of the requested grants amount.

Part C. Institutional Endorsement or Support

The applicant or applicants must obtain and include in their application a letter of support from the relevant institutional supervisor (e.g., dean, head of department, or supervisor). The application deadline is 27 October 2025, but letters of support may be submitted separately to philippines.institute@anu.edu.au until 2 November 2025. Applications without institutional endorsement by the end of this date will not be considered. For applications involving researchers from multiple institutions, the letter of support is required only from the lead applicant’s institution.  

Part D. Curriculum Vitae

(No more than two A4 pages per person)

Provide a CV with details of the educational qualifications, certifications, research experience, relevant publications, and professional affiliations of the Lead Applicant and each of the collaborating applicants.

Assessment Process

Funding is assessed independently by a committee in each round, with judgements made relative to other applications received. The committee will consider the eligible applications and make recommendations for decisions to the advisory board.