Seeding Grants

Terms & Conditions

Please read the following carefully. By submitting an application you agree to these terms and conditions.

Applications

• Applications are only accepted from staff and students of AUC Member Universities;
• Students must be enrolled in a current tertiary course which makes substantial use of IT technologies;
• Staff and students must be resident in Australia;
• Student applications must be sponsored by a member of the academic staff who knows the student and the course they are studying. The staff member must be prepared to support the student's application by way of stating their belief that the student has the necessary time to complete the seeding project within the 8 months available.

Applications must be:

• be lodged electronically via this web site;
• be complete, accurate and truthful in all circumstances;
• provide contact details for a supporting Academic staff member who will vouch for the students credentials

Assessment Criteria

Applications are assessed to determine the extent to which they meet the following criteria:

• Individual Commitment

The commitment of the individual and University to support the grant is important. Individuals often have great ideas, but without adequate commitment from the applicant's department or faculty, progress may be slow or sporadic. In the case of student applications, preference is given to applications that have the support of the faculty or department the student is studying with.

• Benefits to the Individual, University and AUC

Preference is given to projects which will benefit the individual, member University and the AUC. One of the desired outcomes of the Seeding Grant program is to foster the development of Macintosh applications within the member University by staff and students.

• Usefulness of the Seeding Project

The Seeding Grant program has been established to produce tangible benefits. It is not designed to support pure research or experimentation. Applications should define what the results of the project will be, when they will be completed, and how they will be made available to interested users. Projects are preferred where they will produce an outcome that does not replicate an existing solution on the Macintosh. Conversions (or "ports") of applications from other platforms are acceptable.

• Innovative use of Apple Technology

New ideas are strongly encouraged. The Seeding Grants are intended to foster these ideas. Projects that take advantage of, and enhance the value of uniquely Apple technology (such as Mac OS X, QuickTime, AppleScript, or the iPod Touch) are given a higher priority.

Applications are assessed based on the selection criteria listed above by the AUC Development Fund Committee. The Committee's determination will be final and based solely on the information provided by the applicant.

Recipient of Funding and Equipment


The University is always the grant recipient, and the AUC retains ownership of any equipment provided under the grant. Equipment provided as part of the grant must be available for the exclusive use on the project for which the grant is issued. Once the project is completed, the equipment shall be returned to the AUC. Should the project fail or run past the stated period, the AUC reserves the right to withdraw the equipment from the project.

Grant Provisions


Successful applicants receive the following as part of the grant program:

• an Apple MacBook with 2G of memory
• access to a mentor
• workshop attendance, flights and accommodation (see below)

Grant recipients are also entitled to up to $500 worth of assets to support their project. Example assets might include

• ADC student membership (for a project related to software development)
• iPod Touch (if required for project)
• any software necessary for the project
• an O'Reilly Safari Books Online subscription

All such assets must be requested in the grant application, and agreed to by the selection committee, or they will not be funded. Assets produced by Apple will be purchased and supplied by the AUC. Other assets must be purchased by the grant recipient, who will then be able to claim a reimbursement of the costs from the AUC.

Workshop


In order to help ensure the success of their projects, all grant recipients are required to attend a workshop in Sydney. The event will run over an afternoon and the following morning, and will be held shortly after the grants have been announced. The most likely date at this point is May 30th and 31st.

The purpose of the workshop is to allow grant recipients to meet the program mentor, learn how to get support, learn about reporting obligations, establish a project timeline, and network with other grant recipients. Grant recipients will be required to deliver a small presentation on their project at the workshop.

The AUC will provide return economy airfares to Sydney from the recipient's nearest major airport, overnight accommodation near the workshop venue (twin share basis, two nights for WA and FNQ attendees), and meal costs.

Purpose of Funding

Accepted projects receive grants of Apple and other third party products for the exclusive use of the grant recipient during the grant period. They are not to be used for any other purpose (including any commercial use) without the written permission of the AUC.

Copyright and Intellectual Property


Neither Apple Computer Australia or the Apple University Consortium (AUC) solicit any claim on the copyright or intellectual property of projects funded through the Seeding Grant program. These matters are left in the hands of the University and individuals concerned. Specifically, the applicant should identify who owns the results of the work, and the proposed licensing and distribution arrangements if necessary.
 Open source or Creative Commons licensing are the preferred sharing approach.

Reporting Requirements

Seeding Grant recipients will be required to submit a progress report to the program mentor at least every 2 months until the term of the grant has expired. All reports will be published on the project blog on the AUC web site. Failure to submit a report on time may result on the termination of the grant, and withdrawal of the equipment.

Ownership of Equipment


All equipment is owned by the AUC and at the end of the grant period will be returned to a seeding grant pool of equipment for the next round of grants.

Insurance and Risk


The grant recipient must take every reasonable measure to ensure the equipment is protected from damage, mishandling, incorrect usage and theft. Equipment should be part of the standard 'house and contents' insurance if available. Any repairs necessary will be covered under Apple's standard warranty terms. The grant recipient assumes all risk from the use of the computer and neither Apple nor the AUC will be responsible for any damages due to the failure of the equipment in any way.

Grant Timeline


Applications open: 16th April, 2008
Applications close: 7th May, 2008
Grants announced: 19th May, 2008
Workshop: 30th, 31st May, 2008
Program closes: 30th January, 2009

Application Form

If you agree to the above Terms & Condition you can apply for an Innovation Seeding Grant here.