FAQ for Catalyst applications

Project start date

Successful applicants have up to one year after the call closing date to start their project. If the start of your project is dependent on international travel, we recommend that you set the starting date in your application as late as possible. If needed, you are also allowed to change the starting date of your project after you have been awarded the grant as long as the projects still starts within a year after the closing date.

Contract extensions

For information on contract extensions, see Catalyst Contracting and Variations.

Allowable and non-allowable expenses for Catalyst: Seeding

Allowable Expenses for Catalyst Seeding
Expenses allowed under this Programme include the following, in connection with the Project:

Expenses for Research Exchanges
Expenses for flights at the lowest possible rate, accommodation, visa, travel insurance, ground transport, and meal expenses are permitted and should be based on the rules of the institution with which the individual undertaking the activity is affiliated. Research exchanges can involve both staff and PhDs. The cost of buying carbon offsets is a legitimate expense where those carbon offsets are directly related to the project travel activities.

Expenses for holding symposiums, seminars and meetings
Expenses related to organising symposiums, hosting workshops and similar events are permitted (for example, consumables, printing and binding expenses, honoraria, transportation and telecommunications fees, meeting fees (excluding expenses for alcoholic beverages)).

Expenses for research activities

Expenses for consumables and other research expenses.

Non-Allowable Expenses
Funding for overheads, salaries, equipment purchase and depreciation, student fees, scholarships, or conference fees are not supported under this Programme.

Allowable and non-allowable expenses for Catalyst: Leaders

Allowable expenses for Catalyst: Leaders are a bit difference to those of Catalyst: Seeding. Catalyst: Leaders first and foremost support a person. The funding therefore only allows travel support for the named Leader unless otherwise agreed to by the Society. The rules around other allowable and non-allowable expenses are the same (unless agreed to be the Society).

Note that the International Leader or Julius Von Haast Fellowship stipend can be used for other project related expenses if the Fellow's time is already supported by their organisation and the Fellow agrees to using the funding in this way. If a Fellow's stipend is being used for other expenses, this must be visible in the budget. If this is not the case, e.g. if decided after the proposal or contracting stage, this must be agreed to by the Society in a contract variation.

Note that allowable and non-allowable expenses are irrelevant to the Catalyst: Leaders New Zealand-China Scientist Exchange programme and the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship programme, which both have specific directions for how the funding will be used.