The ins and outs of contract funding Fran Press, SOTE

My experience Government and NGOs Research and consultancy Local, state and national

Why do it? To support your community (geographic, professional) To bridge the academic – practitioner – policy divide To connect your work with ‘on-the-ground’ issues and problems

How does it come about? Professional connections Reputation and recommendation Selected invited tenders Open tenders Invitation

Opportunities Learning from people ‘on the ground’ Producing research with practical impact Informing policy What you learn can then inform: Teaching Publications Future research questions Building long term relationships with people and organisations

Pitfalls Lack of clarity about the focus of research Poor understandings of various research methods and what they can deliver Tight timeframes Leading questions Pressure (internal or external) to produce favourable results Changing agendas/ personnel within the granting agency

Tips Talk about the tender with key contact before applying Sound out your understanding to see if it is the same as the organisation’s understanding Alert the CSU Research Office the turn around time for contract tenders is often very brief The NTS has to be submitted in time for the RO to check it. A day in advance is not enough. The RO will check for quality and compliance. It does not edit etc – so make sure it is a professional submission.

Tips If you can, build a team. Sort problems out as they arise. Facilitates an ongoing research agenda Can mentor and share leadership Supports co-publications Sort problems out as they arise. Respectful, frank and honest discussion Utilise your networks and build research alliances and collaborations (

Building a program of research Wong, S., Press, F. & Cumming, T. (2015). Pilot Outcomes Evaluation of the National Community Hubs Program. Migrant Council of Australia, Scanlon Foundation   Wong, S., Press, F. & Cumming, T. (2015) Discussion Paper and Evaluation for the National Community Hubs Program, Migrant Council of Australia, Scanlon Foundation   Press, F., Wong, S., Rivalland, C., Miller, M. & Woods, A. (2014-2015). Evaluation of Community Hubs. Migrant Council of Australia, Scanlon Foundation. Wong & F. Press. (2012-2015). The Infant’s Home Journey to Integration. The Infants’ Home. Wong & F. Press. (2013). Beranga SDN: Program Logic. SDN Children’s Services Press, F & Wong, S. & Sumsion, J. (2012). Share your story: A Resource for the National Symposium on Early Childhood Development, DEECD SA, Wong, S., Press, F. & Sumsion, J. (2012). Resource to support leaders in Australian early childhood integrated services. CHILD Australia. Wong, S. & Press, F. (2011-2012). The Art of Integration: Delivering Integrated Education, Care and Support for Young Children and Their Families. The Infants Home, Ashfield. Wong, S., Press, F., Sumsion, J. & Hard, L. (2011-2012). Collaborative Practice Research Project. Department Education and Early Child Development (Victoria). 2010 Press, F. Sumsion, J. & Wong, S. Integrated Early Years Provision in Australia. The Professional Support Coordinators Alliance (PSCA) (2009-2010). ). 6,000-150,000

Publications Sumsion, J., Press, F., & Wong, S. (2012). Theorizing integrated service provision in Australia: Policies, philosophies, practices. In J. Duncan & S. Te One, Comparative early childhood education and care services. Palgrave Macmillan Hard, L., Press, F. & Gibson, M. (2013). ‘Doing’ justice in early childhood. The potential of leadership. Contemporary issues in Early Childhood, 14(4), 324-334. Wong, S. & Press, F. (2013). Integrated services in Australian early childhood education and care: what can we learn from our past? Australian Journal of Social Issues 47 (2), 153-173. Press, F. (2012). Embedding collaboration in integrated early childhood services: The strategic role of governance and leadership. Waikato Journal of Education – Te Hautaka Mātauranga o Waikato 17(1), 29-42. Press, F., Wong, S. & Sumsion (2012). Child-centred, family centred, de-centred: Positioning children as rights holders in early childhood program collaborations. Global Studies of Childhood. 2 (1), 26-37. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/gsch.2012.2.1.26 Wong S., Sumsion, J. & Press, F. (2012). Early childhood professionals and inter-professional work in integrated early childhood services in Australia. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood. 37(1), 81-88. http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=216896027650458;res=IELHSS