Students at Australia’s education institutions can apply for the latest round of research grants offered by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).

Following a successful inaugural round, the VBA is calling for applications from across the country as it seeks to support research that will help reduce moisture ingress and water damage in buildings.

VBA chief operations officer Jocelyn Crawford says the new round of funding and in-kind support was focused on addressing an important priority in the built environment: “Moisture ingress and water damage to buildings continues to be an issue affecting residential buildings across the country.

“We are looking to support research that will find, or contribute to, new and innovative solutions to minimise moisture ingress and water damage.”

The Research Grant Program offers financial and in-kind support to successful applicants, who must be a researcher from an Australian university or TAFE.

Jocelyn adds that the enthusiastic response to the first round meant the VBA was encouraged to continue the program for 2022.

“The research that comes from these grants helps provide the evidence base to inform regulatory decisions and improvements to the building regulatory system and the quality of the built environment in Victoria,” she says.

“This is a great opportunity for educational institutions to partner with the VBA to deliver research that makes a difference for the community.”

In 2021, grants were awarded to successful applicants from RMIT University, Deakin University and the University of Tasmania.

The projects supported included research into fire safety risks associated with the installation of solar panels on the facades of multi-storey buildings, the extent of defects in passive fire safety systems in apartment buildings and the risk of mould growth in new energy-efficient buildings.

Successful grant applications must be aligned to the VBA’s research priorities.

Funding can be used to support researchers or research assistants, small equipment costs, travel and other costs associated with conducting the research and/or collecting data and hiring professional services.

Researchers at Australian education institutions interested in applying for a research grant must apply by midday Monday 14 March 2021. Successful applicants will be announced in mid-2021.