MNF Subscriber eNewsletter | Feb 2025

Director's message

Welcome to the latest edition of the Marine National Facility (MNF) Newsletter. I hope you had a happy and relaxing holiday season and, like us, are preparing for another big year of marine science.

Never has it been more important to conduct research into our vast marine estate than it is now. In a rapidly changing world, this research is critical for generating the knowledge to help us address the challenges we face in ensuring the health and prosperity of our marine environment and for unlocking the full potential of our blue economy.

To this end, I’m pleased to announce that our Primary Application Call for 2025 is now open. Australian researchers are invited to apply for fully funded grants of sea time on research vessel (RV) Investigator to conduct research in the 2027-28 financial year. The Primary Application Call will be open for a period of 3 months and close on 20 May 2025.

In addition, our Supplementary Application Call for 2025 is also currently open and invites applications to fill available capacity on several voyages in the 2026-27 voyage schedule. The Supplementary Application Call opened on 11 February 2025 and will close on 11 March 2025.

I encourage all Australian researchers and their international collaborators to explore the opportunities that our research infrastructure, suite of advanced equipment, and specialist knowledge and expertise offer for your research. Also worthy of noting, in relation to the future capability offered by RV Investigator, is the current program of capability upgrades and enhancements that are being made through the vessel’s Mid-Life Refit program. This opens opportunities for both your input and research.

To support sea time applicants, the MNF team are available to lend their expertise and advice in all aspects of the application process and to discuss the capability, including future enhancements, that we offer to enable your research. For applicants awarded sea time, the MNF team will support you throughout voyage planning, coordination and delivery process to ensure the success of your voyage.

Read below for further information about the opportunities offered through the Primary and Supplementary Application Calls for 2025.

I'm proud to say that the record of marine research delivered by collaborative teams aboard RV Investigator is unrivalled and the vessel recently passed a significant milestone. In December 2024, we joined with members of the research community for an event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of vessel commissioning. The event provided a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the diversity of research, education and training that has been delivered over the past 10 years. This includes completing more than 110 voyages to nearly all corners of our vast marine estate.

In addition to research, RV Investigator also delivers important training opportunities for our marine experts and seafarers. In the coming month, we are incredibly excited to have the next voyage in the collaborative CAPSTAN sea training program depart from Hobart. Congratulations to all our university students - and trainers - who will be taking part in this unique 10-day circumnavigation voyage of Tasmania, which will be the first time the vessel has completed this journey. We look forward to hearing about your experiences and contributing towards your development as our next generation of marine experts.

With the wide body of work that’s delivered by the MNF team and our partners, it’s always a challenge to cover everything that’s going on in a short message. Please read on for further updates about our programs, activities and the opportunities we offer to support your research.

For all those heading to sea, I wish you successful voyages with fair winds and following seas.

Toni Moate
MNF Director

Australia has a vast and valuable marine estate rich in diversity and resources. But we still know very little about it. The Marine National Facility provides Australia with a world-class resource to enable marine research for national benefit. So how can you get your research on board?

Let’s look at the application process and follow the streams that can take your science out to sea.

Each year, fully funded grants of sea time are offered on Australia’s ocean research vessel Investigator via a competitive application process.

Applications can be made by researchers employed by Australian research organisations. Collaborators from overseas research organisations can also be included.

Applying for sea time is easy via our online Marine Application and Planning System – MAPS – accessed via our website. Create your MAPS account to: enter, save, review and submit applications, and plan your voyage, if awarded sea time.

To apply, you will need to pick one of five streams of access. These streams ensure that we deliver a broad range of research to meet the needs of our users and for the greatest national benefit. Let’s dive into each stream.

Stream 1 is for policy-driven research, projects that address national research priorities, which will be set every three years in consultation with relevant government agencies and end-users. Research priorities are listed in the MNF Operations Rolling Plan, released annually when the application call is made.

Stream 2 is for discipline-driven research including fundamental and frontier research. This stream is for projects that advance scientific knowledge without directly addressing policy-driven priorities from Stream 1.

Stream 3 is for strategic partnerships. This stream supports nationally funded research programs that need regular and repeated access to our capabilities to collect long time-series data and samples.

Stream 4 is for technology and innovation projects. This stream supports the development of innnovative technologies that seek to advance our national research capability and our marine industries.

Stream 5 is for user-funded projects. This stream provides access to our capabilities for industry and other groups to conduct research of national benefit.

Revenue from user-funded projects is reinvested back into the Marine National Facility for the benefit of all its users.

Regardless of stream, all applications are assessed against two merit principles: Research Quality and Research Benefit.

This assessment is made by two independent commitees: the Research Advisory Committee and the National Benefit Advisory Committee, with help from expert external assessors. Applications are scored and used to build a Primary Voyage Schedule, which is reviewed by our Steering Committee. Successful applicants will then be offered a grant of sea time.

Every step of the way, from application to voyage, the Marine National Facility is here to help. Contact us to discuss how to get your science out to sea.

mnf.csiro.au

VIDEO: Access Streams

When applying for grants of sea time on RV Investigator, applicants must select one of five access Streams under which to make their application in MFP (previously called MAPS). These Streams cater to both the diverse needs of our research community and our national priorities for marine research. Watch the featured video to discover how the access Streams can take your research out to sea!