Strategic Research Accelerator Briefing

Event description:

If you're looking for UTS research funding – $75,000 for 2 years + salaries for up to 3 postdocs to support your research project – the SRA program might just be what you need. 

Aimed at mature-staged projects (TRL5 and above) the program supports researchers to transition to the next stage of research impact. Proof of concept is necessary when applying for the program. 

There will be an in-person briefing session on 29 Sept from 3.30pm at RES Hub to learn firsthand from past winners and to gain a better understanding of what the program entails. Your ADRs and Faculty Research Managers have been informed via email. Please feel free to disseminate and share this information with colleagues. 

Please feel free to reach out to the SRA team, Stella Tan, or your faculty support staff if you have any questions. 

Please note that due to the tight schedule of this program, there will be no deadline extensions this year.

Learn more and apply now

About the program

The Strategic Research Accelerator (SRA) is a cornerstone initiative within the UTS Research to Impact (R2I) program. It is designed to support mature-stage research with a validated proof of concept and strong potential for translation, adoption, or commercialisation.

Now entering its fourth year, the SRA has supported collaborative teams using different cross-, multi- and transdisciplinary approaches to deliver working prototypes, secure external grants, influence policy, and build new research and innovation capabilities. It is a scheme that recognises that translation takes time, talent, and coordinated effort — and that accelerating the journey from research to impact requires more than just additional funding. It requires strategic foresight, strong partnerships, and deliberate capacity-building.

A distinctive feature of the SRA is its focus on postdoctoral researchers as critical enablers of momentum and continuity. The scheme offers not just research funding, but the opportunity to recruit 2–3 postdocs per team and a cohort of postdocs across the full SRA suite of supported projects, helping to build the collective capability required to drive our research forward. We see these postdocs not simply as project resources, but as conduits to impact — emerging leaders whose development and positioning will play a vital role in advancing the research towards impact.

We are seeking project teams who are not only ready to move quickly but who are actively preparing for what comes next. Successful applicants will be those who can articulate a clear line of sight from their SRA project to external funding, sustained research activity, and outcomes that have the potential to deliver benefit across society, industry, policy, legislation, or the environment.

FOR APPLICATION SUPPORT OR FURTHER ENQUIRIES, PLEASE EMAIL: StrategicResearchAccelerator@uts.edu.au

Learn more and apply now

Important dates

Applications Open: 15 September 2025

In-person Briefing (RES HUB): 
(Knowledge share from past winners. Please email StrategicResearchAccelerator@uts.edu.au your intention to attend.)
29 September 2025, 3:30pm - 4:30pm, RES Hub space – Building 2, Level 5.

Applications close: 31 October 2025

Shortlisted applicants notification: 14 November 2025

Final Presentations: 17 November 2025 
A representative presenter from each short-listed team must be available to present their project on the day. Each presenter is given 5 minutes to present their research and 10 minutes of Q&A with the panel judges. 
Note: A representative from each team must be available to present in person at the finals.

Winners will be announced: 18 November 2025

Funding for postdoctoral researchers will commence from the start of 2026.