Research Funding and Other Opportunities

Call For Proposals - Now Open

Countering Violent Extremism Research That Supports Policy and Practice in Australia

Overview
As part of Phase 2 of the National Research Project, the Department of Home Affairs is seeking to fund up to four research projects addressing critical challenges in countering violent extremism (CVE) and supporting Australia's counter-terrorism (CT) strategies. This call for proposals aligns with the AVERT Research Network's mission to share and promote opportunities for impactful research that informs practice and policy making in this critical field.

Phase 1 Literature Review

The recent literature review into radicalisation and violent extremism in Australia commissioned under Phase 1 of the National Research Project also assisted in determining these research topics. The report can be found here.

Priority Research Topics
Based on trends of radicalisation and violent extremism in Australia and Australian government P/CVE priorities, proposals should address one of the following topics:

1. What are international best practices or innovations for programmatic and frontline practitioner interventions in understanding and addressing new forms of violent extremism, including violent extremism fuelled by disinformation, social polarisation and/or grievances?

a. How can we best identify and counter disinformation fuelling violent extremism and what are best practices/innovations in addressing disinformation fuelled violence?

b. How does social polarisation contribute to violent extremism and what are best practices/innovations in addressing violent extremism fuelled by social polarisation?

c. How do disinformation, social polarisation and/or grievances contribute to radicalisation? How do they inform or make up extremist appeals and recruitment processes?

2. What does best practice support for the families or carers of young people who are identified as being at risk of radicalisation to violence look like?

a. What are the most effective ways of identifying the needs of families or carers of young people who may be at risk of radicalisation to violence?

b. What kinds of support are prioritised by families/carers of young people who may be at risk of radicalisation to violence, e.g. psychological, informational, logistical, other?

c. What can we learn from support mechanisms for the families or carers of young people who may be at risk of other forms of anti-social or harmful behaviour that may be applied to such support in the context of young people radicalising to violence?

d. How can we effectively monitor and evaluate support mechanisms for families/carers in real time in ways that do not ethically or practically compromise the quality, impact or nature of such support?            

3. What are effective CVE interventions for neuro-diverse clients (ASD and ADHD)?

a. How do elements of neurodiversity affect vulnerability to radicalisation? Do neuro-diverse clients engage with violent extremist content or individuals differently? What elements of neuro-diversity potentially lead to greater susceptibility to radicalisation? What elements of neurodiversity can potentially provide protective factors to radicalisation?

b. How can we gather more robust data regarding neurodiversity while respecting ethical boundaries?

c. What are the protective factors in neurodiverse populations? How can these inform tailored preventative measures?

d. How can we develop nuanced assessment tools to prevent misclassification between neuro-diversity and radicalization?

e. Are Australia’s current CVE interventions tailored to be sufficiently neuro-diverse conscious/aware? How can these programs be adapted to address specific communication and cognitive processing needs?

f. How can practitioners delivering such interventions best be supported, and what might effective evaluation measures for such support frameworks look like?

g. How can we effectively monitor and evaluate neuro-diverse client interventions?

4. What youth bystander approaches work in relation to violent extremism? Bystander behaviour and responses surrounding concern for someone who may be radicalising to violence have been covered in the research literature. However, our understanding of young people’s bystander perceptions and behaviours remains limited:

a. What do successful youth-focused bystander initiatives look like?

b. What might we learn from existing ‘active bystander’ programs surrounding youth and other social harms, such as bullying, that could be applied to dealing with violent extremism?

c. What knowledge of youth-based peer influence and networks are needed to help inform youth-focused bystander policy and programming?

d. What kinds of support do young people require to become effective bystanders in relation to peers who may be radicalising to violent extremism?

e. What risks need to be mitigated for young people in bystander programming around violent extremism?

For full details of the proposal, please read the Call for Proposals document.

Funding

The Department seeks to fund up to 4 research projects. Projects will be funded up to AUD$200,000 (GST exclusive). Funding will be administered by the Department of Home Affairs.

Eligibility

1. Open to both AVERT and non-AVERT members.

2. Australian and international applicants may apply.

3. At least one team member must be affiliated with an accredited Australian institution.

   Reviewers and those involved in the administration of this call are ineligible to apply.

Key Dates

• Call Opens: 20 December 2024

• Deadline for queries: 15 January 2025

• Proposal Submission Deadline: 5 February 2025

• Notification of Application Outcome: 1 March 2025

• Progress Report Due: 10 June 2025

• Final Deliverable Due: December 2025

How to apply

1. For submission requirements, please read the Call for Proposals document and Assessment Criteria.

2. Prepare your application using the Proposal Template provided.

3. Include a two-page CV for each applicant.

4. Submit your full application to the AVERT Coordinator at adi-avert@deakin.edu.au by 5 February 2025 (Please note deadline for queries is 15 January 2025)