Alumni Grant Scheme
The Australian Embassy is pleased to announce a call for project proposals under the Alumni Grant Scheme (AGS). The AGS aims to strengthen Australia-Indonesia linkages and encourage alumni to leverage their experience and knowledge, put their ideas into action and create meaningful change. The AGS offers seed funding, on a competitive basis, for initiatives that create impact in your professional field, organisation and community.

The objectives of the AGS are:

to provide alumni with opportunities to enhance and capitalise on their knowledge and skills to improve practice in their professional fields and communities;
to develop, maintain and strengthen professional linkages and partnerships between alumni and the Australian government, and Australian businesses, organisations and educational institutions;
to connect alumni to each other across disciplines and professions, organisations and institutions, and geographic areas in order to share good practice and create opportunities for collaboration; to develop a network of alumni who view Australia’s capabilities and credentials in a positive light; and,
to showcase Australia’s excellence as a global provider of high quality education and research.
Grant Categories

Up to 25 grants are available under the current AGS round.

Category 1: Project Grant

The Project Grant provides up to AUD 10,000 for alumni to undertake their initiative. Additional funding (up to $5,000) is available for proposals that partner with an Australian organisation or secure funding from alternate sources:

while the AGS is about utilising alumni skills and knowledge, we also want alumni to maintain and build their links to Australia. If your project is in partnership with an Australian organisation or institution, you may be eligible for an additional AUD 2,000.
the AGS provides financial incentives for securing alternate funding sources to support project delivery. We will provide alumni with an additional 50% of a third party contribution, to a maximum of AUD 3,000.
Thus the overall budget for an AGS project grant can be up to AUD $15,000.

Category 2: Follow-on Grant

The Follow-on Grant is intended to scale-up or conduct follow-up activities of an AGS project. If alumni were previously awarded an AGS, and they wish to continue delivering your project, they may also apply for a grant of up to AUD 10,000.

Note: Applicants will need to clearly demonstrate that their current project is achieving the objectives stated in the original proposal, if they wish to apply for a Follow-on Grant.

AGS Projects

We envisage the AGS projects will be innovative and offer alumni the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills to good use. For example, past recipients have used their grants for the following:

computer literacy training at a children’s detention centre in Palembang
training and mentoring for English language teachers in West Nusa Tenggara
cataloguing traditional medicinal plants in Kurudu Island, Papua
improving rice preparation methods to help control diabetes in Kalimantan
skills training and microcredit for returned female migrant workers in Indramayu
establishing a local food cooperative in Yogyakarta
We also welcome project proposals from alumni which promote gender equality and women’s empowerment and inclusion, and improved quality of life for people with a disability.

For more information: http://www.australiaawardsindonesia.org/content/169/15/alumni-grant-scheme?sub=true