The core aspiration of the Innovation Grants is to assist members of the AUC community in developing software and other resources which are relevant to the use of Apple technology in Higher Education and which are freely or inexpensively available to the AUC community, and the wider Higher Education community. The primary objectives of the Grants are to:-

• Inspire and foster innovation
• Support projects for which an outcome is wider adoption of Apple technology
• Support projects which produce a shared, tangible and valuable result. This result need not be a computer program but often it is.

The current environment is characterised by:

• an ever increasing range of third-party devices - cameras of all kinds, GPS, laboratory instruments and others - that can interact with MacOS X through Firewire, Wireless networking, Bluetooth or USB - or which could do so, given the right MacOS X software
• the completion of the transition to the Intel architecture
• a vision, shared by the AUC and Apple, of Macintosh users as creators, not just consumers, of online content and other resources
• phenomenal developments in blogging, podcasting, and other uses of RSS and similar technologies
• ever more capable mobile and wearable devices, such as the iPhone and the iPod Touch
•  increasing use of laptops by students and staff

The AUC is keen to support individual or collaborative development efforts aimed at producing innovative and productive applications for these times. In particular:

•  finding ways to harness the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPod (and associated peripherals) for educational purposes;
•  applications that support content creation - including iApp plugins and tools which exploit the iApps and Apple's other software for creators;
• tools that enhance the relationship between Mac OS X and other operating systems typically running on x86 platforms;
• distributed-technology applications that harness the power of the Macintosh and Xgrid;
• applications that harness the Mac Pro in the High Performance Computing realm;
• innovative applications harnessing various video and audio standards, for example AAC and H264;
• applications to support group collaboration over ad-hoc networks and over the internet;
• innovative Bluetooth and wireless applications;
• improved tools for system and network administration and performance analysis.

The AUC would be interested to receive applications requesting support for individual, departmental or inter-institutional collaborative projects as discussed above. And, as always, applications for innovative and useful projects that will benefit the entire AUC will be well received.

The AUC's expectation is that the products of AUC-assisted projects will be licensed for not-for-profit use by AUC universities, and their staff and students, at zero or low cost, whether through open source and similar arrangements, Creative Commons licensing, or as inexpensive shareware.

Eligibility

Staff and students of AUC member Universities are eligible to apply. Applications for Innovation Grants are carefully assessed so that grants awarded will be beneficial to the recipient and to AUC member Universities.

Grant Resources

The grants generally comprise Apple computer hardware or software that is relevant to the project and applicants need to be both specific and realistic about what they require. All equipment is supplied on a loan basis for the duration of the grant period and usage of the equipment and resources provided is subject to periodic review of the project status by the AUC Development Fund Review Committee. At the conclusion of the project, the equipment might be ceded to the applicant's university or recalled by the AUC, at its sole discretion.

Innovation Grants do not provide funds for time release or for employment of staff or contractors, but applications for funding of HECS-remission or similar-valued scholarships for students who will be making a substantial contribution to a university-sponsored project will be considered favourably.

You can find more information about the terms and conditions and the application process here.

Important Dates

• Applications Open - 3 August 2009
  
• Applications Close - EXTENDED - 10 September 2009 (5.00pm Sydney time)
  
• Announced - 9 October 2009