CSANZ members hoping to get some research off the ground are reminded to submit an application for funding under the annual CSANZ-Boehringer Ingelheim Research Innovation Grant.

The $50,000 grant for early to mid-career researchers is this year focussed on interventional or observational studies in heart failure.

Associate Professor Jodie Ingles, head of the Cardio Genomics Program at the Centenary Institute and a previous recipient of the grant, told the limbic the funding was incredibly useful for her.

“Not only did we do some cool research and publish a paper from it but it also allowed me to get me to know this young researcher who was really keen.”

She said the research assistant was now a PhD candidate on her team and the research had led on to more interesting questions.

“A lot of smaller grants around for early career researchers allow you to get a bit of time from a research assistant and some consumables and usually only go for about a year.”

“It’s so hard to get funding at the moment – the success rate is so low – and for early career researchers being able to access these smaller grants actually allows you to get some research done and runs on the board in terms of a paper or two.”

“At least with this you can generate some evidence and a track record to be more competitive for those bigger grants.”

“To have the ability to hire a research assistant even if it’s not full time, it’s part of allowing you to test out your leadership abilities and help you start to become more independent. You have to make the most of that money.”

Applications for the grant are open until Monday 15 June.