The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program’s goal is to invest in research to address challenges and opportunities facing the Australian chicken meat industry, and deliver the overarching vision to grow the long-term prosperity of the industry. To ensure the Program goal is achieved, AgriFutures Australia is currently seeking research proposals to address the investment priorities within the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program RD&E Plan (2022-2027).
The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program Open Call closes at 1pm (AEST) Tuesday, 10 June 2025.
Background
The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program welcomes Preliminary Research Proposals, including post-graduate scholarships, that address the research areas below and outlined in the AgriFutures Australia Chicken Meat RD&E Plan (2022-2027).
In planning and submitting proposals for projects, prospective researchers need to familiarise themselves with the application procedures, AgriFutures Australia’s Research and Innovation Strategic Plan (2022-2027), the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program RD&E Plan (2022-2027) priorities and objectives, and any other requirements described in the sections below.
The RD&E priorities of focus for this Open Call are:
Priority 1: Improving environmental sustainability outcomes
- Strategies or opportunities to assist industry with water conservation on farm, this includes but is not limited to, reduction of water consumption at farm level for drinker efficiency, washing, cooling, minimising evaporation from dams and general reduction of water in free range areas
- Development of an industry building/shed model to assist industry in determining the water and energy consumption, thermal performance and the embodied emissions of the building materials
- Shed design and ventilation research exploring any effects on existing productivity and welfare standards associated with different shed building proportions
- Detailed analysis of alternative shed floor materials
- Analysis of the practicalities of installing and utilising batteries and solar on farm and trading electricity to provide industry with fundamentals such as associated costs, farm requirements, electricity generation and demand, and anticipated impact on farm
- Opportunities for bedding re-use within a circular economy
- Integrate and assess the environmental impacts associated with feed ingredient cultivation, processing and transportation to develop holistic environmental considerations for Australian feed ingredients
Priority 2: Enhancing chicken biosecurity, health and welfare
- Understanding the levels and effects of current water treatments – i.e. anything added to the water for hygiene control of the drinker systems – used within the industry on the microbiome and gut health throughout the life of the broiler
- Exploring the use of robotics and artificial intelligence on broiler farms for applications such as litter turning, wild bird detection and deterrent, dead bird collection and other applications
- Understanding the impact of in shed operational/routine practices on bird behaviour and welfare
- Identification of alternative sanitisation disinfectants to assist industry in transitioning from formaldehyde
- Validation that netting the ranges of free-range farms reduces the risk of HPAI through reduced contact with wild birds
Priority 4: Ensuring the food safety of Australian chicken meat
- Surveillance for antimicrobial resistance in enteric commensals and pathogens in Australian meat
Timeline
Activity |
Date |
Open Call – Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP) applications open |
Monday, 5 May 2025 |
End of period for questions or requests for information |
Tuesday, 3 June 2025 at 5pm AEST |
Open Call – Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP) applications close |
Tuesday, 10 June 2025 at 1pm AEST |
Intended completion date of evaluation of respondents’ responses |
End July 2025 |
Request for Full Research Proposals (FRP’s) – applications open |
Thursday, 31 July 2025 |
Request for Full Research Proposals (FRP’s) – applications close |
Thursday, 28 August 2025 at 1pm AEST |
Negotiations with respondents (if applicable) |
October 2025 |
Expected execution of contract or issue of agreement |
April 2026 |
Evaluation criteria
A respondent’s response will be evaluated against the following criteria:
Mandatory Requirements |
Weighting |
Capability and relevant experience |
20% |
Technical skills |
30% |
Cost and value for money |
20% |
Project plan |
30% |
Desirable Requirements |
Complies |
Provide examples of your Organisation’s ability to provide a similar service |
Yes/No |
Submitting an application
Applications for this Open Call for Research must be submitted online using the PRP application in K2. Applicants are required to review the full Open Call documentation before submitting a response.
Respondent’s responses will be expected to provide:
- A summary of the proposed research including:
- What is the problem, issue or service need?
- What are the benefits from addressing the problem?
- Is there a compelling case for investing?
- How will the project findings be communicated and extended to industry?
- An outline of the project objectives.
- A detailed project plan (including proposed SMART milestones) on how the research will be conducted and detailed methodology.
- Capability and experience of the research team.
- Research timeline.
- A detailed budget.
The resultant Contract is expected to commence by April 2026.
New users need to register for access to the K2 platform, please note the provision of login details may take up to two business days.
Users must create a K2 account before submitting a proposal. To set up a secure account before submitting a proposal, please visit the login page below to access our new user or new company request forms.
Usernames and passwords will only be issued while the applicant round is open.
Terms of Reference
AgriFutures Australia uses standard form contracts and agreements for projects and research procured by AgriFutures Australia (please refer to https://agrifutures.com.au/contracts-and-agreements/). These contracts and agreements set out the terms on which AgriFutures Australia will engage successful applicants to carry out the project.
Applicants must be familiar with the contracts and agreements before submitting a response, and are advised to seek legal advice beforehand.
These contracts and agreements have been developed to reflect AgriFutures Australia’s statutory and other procurement responsibilities.
If you require any amendments to the standard agreement please complete the statement of non-compliance for each of the relevant clause. AgriFutures will then assess those requests.
Applicants will be taken to have agreed to all clauses in the Research Agreement that are not referred to in a statement of non-compliance. The extent of any non-compliance will be a factor in AgriFutures Australia’s evaluation of the application.
If you require further information regarding these contracts and agreements please contact:
Stephanie-Kate Bratton
General Counsel
Contact
Should you have any questions about the Open Call, please direct all enquires to the Chicken Meat Program (details below) prior to 5pm AEST on Tuesday, 3 June 2025 (for questions relating to making a submission in K2, please email ).
A member from the Chicken Meat Program team will take questions via email. Individual responses to questions relating to the Open Call will not be provided by the Coordinator or Manager, Research. A response, along with the question, will be posted in the Frequently Asked Questions section, below, within 24 hours of receival.
Please contact:
Stacey Gardiner
Coordinator, Levied & Emerging Industries (Chicken Meat)
0447 036 709
Frequently Asked Questions
Can previously submitted applications that have been unsuccessful in progressing through to contracting be resubmitted to new Open Calls for research?
Previously submitted applications that have been unsuccessful in progressing through to contracting can be resubmitted in response to new Open Calls for research. Please note that the application will be assessed against the requirements and assessment criteria of the new Open Call to which it is submitted against. The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program team or AgriFutures Chicken Meat Advisory Panel is unable to engage in detailed project proposal discussions or project ideation at preliminary research proposal stage. This also extends to providing guidance on whether a project suitably responds to the research advertising.
Can research proposals aligned to AgriFutures Chicken Meat RD&E Plan 2022-27 priority areas not advertised in an Open Call be submitted?
The research priorities advertised in an Open Call reflect the needs of the industry and the specific research that proposals should focus on. Proposals that align with priorities in the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Strategic RD&E Plan 2022-27 but not advertised in an Open Call can be submitted. Please note that all proposals will be assessed against the criteria in the Full Open Call Document and the research priorities advertised.
Are items such as a PhD studentship and consumables considered eligible costs under the funding offered?
Yes costs for staffing, including students, as well as operating costs covering consumables are eligible costs.
Can you provide any guidance on the average size of funding applications accepted via the open call for research and whether they should align to a certain funding band?
There is no specified duration for proposals being sought during this Open Call. However, we do recommend that the project duration sits within the timeframe of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat RD&E Plan 2022-2027 to ensure alignment against the documented industry priorities. There is also no specified funding limits for proposals, however, please note that cost and value for money is a component of the evaluation criteria against which applications will be evaluated.
What level of detail should be included in the preliminary research proposal and is there an expected number of pages the proposal should be contained to?
The AgriFutures Open Call for Research process consists of two stages that is designed to draw a wide range of responses and allow for refinement of proposals. The first stage seeks preliminary research proposals (PRPs) which requests high level detail of your proposal. A guide on Submitting a Preliminary Research Proposal (PRP) is available on the AgriFutures website K2 guides and login | AgriFutures Australia and will provide screenshots detailing the fields of information that need completing. All proposals submitted will be reviewed and assessed against the research requested and assessment criteria – this does not consider a specific page range. Supporting documentation can be included in your application as an attachment. Examples of these include detailed budget breakdown or further detail on the project methodology.
What level of detail is required for the budget section?
The only fields that need to be completed for the budget section are the budget table indicating the cash (direct) and in-kind (indirect) contributions to the project by financial year as well as any explanatory notes in the “Budget Detail” section. Further information such as a detailed budget and/or justification may be provided as an attachment, however, is not a minimum requirement during the preliminary research proposal stage.
Can you provide any guidance on the average length of funding applications preferred via the open call for research?
There is no specified duration for proposals being sought during this Open Call. However, we do recommend that the project duration sits within the timeframe of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat RD&E Plan 2022-2027 to ensure alignment against the documented industry priorities.
Is the "Application to other sources of funding" the same as "industry contribution"?
No, this field seeks details on applications to other R&D Corporations, funding bodies or grants for the same proposed work.
What is the expected start date for successful proposals resulting from this Open Call?
The expected start date for successful proposals resulting from the 2025/26 Open Call is within the 2025/26 financial year. The timeline available on AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program Open Call | AgriFutures Australia indicates that this is expected to be April 2026, however, the start date may be earlier if contract negotiation and exchange takes place earlier.
Does AgriFutures have access to industry data for sharing with applicants?
AgriFutures has access to industry data that is publicly available. Any data that is not publicly available is not shared by AgriFutures with applicants during an open call process.
Should referees be included as part of this Open Call response?
No, there is no requirement for referees to be included part of your response to this Open Call process.
Should a curriculum vitae (CV) be included as part of this Open Call response?
There is no requirement for CV’s to be included part of the Open Call response. Demonstrating the project lead and team’s experience can be addressed under the “Project Detail” tab in the field “Organisational capability & experience”. Provision of additional information can be supplied as an attachment to the proposal but is optional.
Can you provide any guidance on the preferred duration (i.e. single or multi-year) of funding applications received via the open call for research?
There is no specified duration for proposals being sought during this Open Call. However, we do recommend that the project duration sits within the timeframe of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat RD&E Plan 2022-2027 to ensure alignment against the documented industry priorities.
Will the successful applicant have access from AgriFutures to data relevant to their proposed research?
Any data that is not publicly available is not shared by AgriFutures with applicants during an open call process.
Can researchers or service providers discuss their project proposals in detail with the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program Team?
To ensure a transparent and fair process which enables all researchers and service providers equal access to information and guidance prior to submitting their proposal, the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program team is unable to engage in detailed project proposal discussions or project ideation at PRP stage. This also extends to the members of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Advisory Panel. Any questions received that can be answered will be answered and published in the FAQ area on the AgriFutures Chicken Meat webpage advertising this Open Call.
Does AgriFutures recommend any particular industry partners which might be approached in the development of a proposal?
Outside of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program team and Chicken Meat Advisory Panel members, project proposals can be discussed with anyone from the wider chicken meat industry. It is recommended to discuss your proposal with industry to ensure that your proposal will test and provide a solution to solve a real industry problem. Please refer to the following webpage to familiarise yourself with the current Chicken Meat Advisory Panel members Our people | AgriFutures Australia
Can Agrifutures provide an indication of the budget for this open call?
AgriFutures does not provide a budget range for proposals to be submitted in response to this Open Call. While there is no specified funding limits for proposals, please note that cost and value for money is a component of the evaluation criteria against which applications will be evaluated.
Do proposals need to nominate an individual as Project Lead, or is it possible for projects to have several co-leads?
All project proposals need to nominate an individual as the Project Lead. If you wish to nominate co-leads please note this in the field “Organisational capability & experience”.
In the proposed budget, is it permissible for project leads to request the funding of their salary (pro rata) corresponding to their nominated research time commitment?
Direct costs of a project are those which would not be incurred unless the project took place, e.g., salary, laboratory supplies for the research, travel etc. A project lead’s time corresponding to their nominated research time commitment can be requested within the project budget and included as a Direct cost.