Call for Bids for a Share of $550 Million in Funding to Improve Infrastructure for the Benefit of Students and the Environment. (August 4, 2009)

The Ministers for Education and Science and Research, Julia Gillard and Kim Carr respectively, have called for bids from Australia's universities to share in the $550 million in funding to improve infrastructure for the benefit of students and the environment. The funding is being derived from the government's economic stimulus package.

According to the ministers' media release:

This round of the Education Investment Fund will provide $300 million for infrastructure improvements at universities, vocational education providers and research institutes throughout Australia.

The Sustainability Round funding will provide $250 million specifically for green university, vocational education and research infrastructure projects.

$2.9 billion worth of projects in the Education Investment Fund have been fast-tracked and are already supporting construction jobs throughout Australia.

The $250 million Sustainability Round will place an emphasis on advancing teaching and research in the areas of climate change through projects that also showcase environmentally sustainable design and allow for large scale demonstrations of new and emerging green technologies.

The EIF Round and the Sustainability Round will be run concurrently. Initial applications are due by 8 September 2009.

Applications to support collaborative projects that will have benefits across more than one institution are encouraged.

Program guidelines can be found at www.deewr.gov.au/eif.

What remains to be dealt with is the staffing of our universities to make significant use of the facilities to be funded. With many if not most of our universities reducing staff and freezing new appointments, the totality of the problem is far from being addressed.