Project tools

Tools guidelines, and templates for use by commissioned organisations and their project teams.

Logo guidelines

Project Performance Monitoring Plan (PPMP) Guidance Note

ACIAR expects all projects to develop and implement an outcome-oriented, project performance monitoring plan (PPMP). This guidance note sets out the processes and minimum quality standards that ACIAR expects project leaders to negotiate with the relevant Research Program Managers during the research proposal development stage.  

Project Performance Monitoring Plan (PPMP) Guidance Note
Research proposal capacity-building guidance

One of the overarching development objectives at ACIAR is ‘Building scientific and policy capability within our partner countries’. Many ACIAR projects include elements of research capacity-building.

The ACIAR Research Proposal Capacity Building Toolkit (PDF) was developed to support ACIAR project leaders and project team members, to plan capacity-building during project development. It aligns to the ACIAR new Project Performance Monitoring Plans guidance, reporting and review templates.

ACIAR Research Proposal Capacity Building Toolkit
Research proposal gender guidelines

ACIAR is committed to tackling gender inequality in research design, delivery and impact.

ACIAR Research Proposal Gender Guidelines are designed to assist researchers to ensure proposals present aims, objectives, research activities, methods, capacity-building activities and outputs that can effectively address women’s empowerment and gendered social relations.

Annual and Final Reports

Annual reports are due by 14 July. These reports are internal documents only.

Final Reports cover the entire project period and should be a stand-alone document covering the project’s total outputs and outcomes. Final Reports will be made available on the ACIAR website.

Annual and final reports - templates and guidelines

Standard Contract Conditions and Intellectual Property Policy

ACIAR has developed the Standard Conditions which are the foundation of agreements for the research partnerships it facilitates.

Standard Contract Conditions for project agreements and Intellectual Property Policy

Project Acquittals

Commissioned organisations are required to provide ACIAR with a written acquittal for each payment period, no later than 30 days after the expiration of each Payment Period.

The ACIAR payment periods are: 1 January to 30 June and 1 July to 31 December.

Completed acquittals should be sent via email to [email protected]

Project Acquittals - templates and instructions for acquittals

Project Travel

It is a contractual requirement that all personnel travelling on an ACIAR-funded project submit a completed Travel Advice Note (TAN) prior to travel, and a trip report once the travel is complete.

You will need the relevant ACIAR project or contract number and a copy of your itinerary to complete this form (e.g.: SMCN/2015/134 or for contracts enter the contract number):

Please complete your TAN through the online form:

Travel Advice Note online form

Research Portal

About the Research Portal

The ACIAR Research Portal is a templated web hosting platform and is the preferred method for project teams to use if they are considering developing a website to capture and share project content. Using the portal from the beginning is free and is the most effective and efficient way to ensure content and knowledge developed by the project is safely stored and easily accessible with ongoing hosting support.

New Research Portal site

  • To request a new Research Portal site:
  1. Consider all communication options to determine if a site on the Research Portal is the best place for your content. 
  2. Ensure you have experienced staff on your team to manage content and adhere to government/legal requirements. 
  3. Discuss requirements with the ACIAR Research Program Manager.
  4. Request formal approval. 
  • The ACIAR Research Portal Committee will review your request. The committee includes the ACIAR Chief Scientist, ACIAR Chief Information Officer, ACIAR Outreach Director, ACIAR Digital Communications Manager and relevant ACIAR Research Program Manager. 
  • The Outreach team will assist the project team in setting up the site and provide training on how to add content and maintain the site.
  • The project team is responsible for maintaining and updating the Research Portal site.
  • The relevant ACIAR Research Program Manager is responsible for quality assurance of content on the site.

Externally hosted sites

  • Project teams can manage their own external website (hosted elsewhere), but they need to consider ongoing maintenance and hosting fees following the project conclusion.
  • External sites can be transitioned into the Research Portal, but there is a one-off fee to the project which can vary depending on how the external site is set up. The project team must allow up to 8 weeks for an external site to be transitioned. Once a website transitions into the Research Portal, the content becomes permanent and some functionality, like searching within the site or web forms, is disabled preventing any future amendments.
  • To request for an external site to be transitioned to the Research Portal please email the Outreach team.

Questions about the Research Portal

If you have any questions, please email the Outreach team.

Consent for the use of photos & videos

Background

ACIAR uses photographs and video across a range of scientific, capacity-building and outreach related activities for the purposes of:

  • Communicating scientific research
  • Promoting impacts and value of ACIAR investment to stakeholders
  • Informing stakeholders of associated events, programs and learning opportunities

Achieving these purposes involves the production and distribution of promotional material through such media as:

  • External publications, such as books, technical reports, magazines and electronic mail
  • Agency publications, such as annual reports, operational plans, banners, brochures, booklets
  • Digital media including, internet sites and social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc) along with event specific displays and public presentations.

The ACIAR Privacy Policy contains information about access to or correction of your personal information and how you may complain about a breach of your privacy.

Guidelines on ethical photography

Photographs and videos taken by ACIAR staff, commissioned organisations and affiliates should respect human dignity and ensure the rights, safety and wellbeing of the person or people being portrayed. This means:

  • Complying with local traditions or restrictions in taking or reproducing images of people, objects or places
  • Understanding and adhering to national laws related to photography, filming and privacy rights
  • Gaining appropriate verbal or written informed consent before taking photographs or videos
  • Respecting a person's right to refuse to be photographed or video. If you sense any reluctance or confusion, refrain from taking the photo or video
  • Additionally, if a person objects to a photo or video after it is taken, apologise and delete the recording
  • Not causing harm. Individuals or groups may be put at risk of reprisal, violence or rejection in their communities as a result of exposing their identity or personal story through the publication of their photograph or broadcast of any video
  • Not misrepresenting the individual, situation, context and location of the photograph or video
  • Absolutely no payments or any other form of compensation being provided to subjects in exchange for their photograph or video to be taken or for their consent or signed release for publication or broadcast

Photographs and videos of issues that are culturally sensitive, politically sensitive or socially stigmatised must protect the identity and privacy of individuals. This means:

  • Do not identify individuals. Position the camera in such a way that faces, and other unique characteristics cannot be discerned.
  • Obtain informed written consent to use real names and locations in situations where disclosure could result in harm. Otherwise, remove detailed personal information such as names and locations in captions or any other associated documentation.
  • Identifiable images of individuals should not be used to illustrate sensitive subject matter in such a way as to indicate that the individual is connected with the issue.

Photographs or videos of people with special needs are to be taken with particular care, compassion and protection of privacy. This means:

  • Photograph or videos all people with respect and dignity. Special care and compassion must be exercised with vulnerable subjects.
  • Survivors of sexual exploitation, gender-based violence or abuse are not be identified as such.
  • An individual's status as a person living with HIV, TB or any other serious health conditions must not be revealed without informed written consent.
  • An individual's engagement in sex work or other socially marginalised or criminalised (or criminal) activities must not be identified.
  • Care must be taken in photographing or filming people in times of crisis. Do not exploit an individual's vulnerability at times of trauma or grief.

Photographs or videos of children taken for work-related purposes must adhere to standards arising from the ACIAR Child Protection Policy. Before photographing or filming a child, staff or contractors must obtain informed consent from the child and a parent or guardian and explain how the image or video will be used. In group situations such as a classroom, confirmation of previous parental consent is to be obtained from a school principal or senior teacher. In addition:

  • Before photographing or filming a child, assess and comply with local laws, traditions or restrictions for reproducing personal images
  • Ensure resulting visual content (photographs, videos, social media content, graphic design elements etc), represent children in a dignified and respectful manner and not in a vulnerable or submissive manner
  • Adequately clothed and not in poses that could be seen as suggestive
  • Images must be honest representations of the context and the facts
  • Photographs and videos should be captured in a way that omits or obscures school logos or branding that may indicate the child’s location.
  • File labels must not reveal identifying information about a child when sending images or videos electronically.

Gaining consent – consent form

Obtaining consent from the subjects of photographs and videos is an important consideration when recording people in the field.

As stated in the above guidelines on ethical photography, ACIAR staff and affiliates should be aware of local laws relating to photography, filming and privacy, gaining the appropriate level of consent where necessary.

If written consent is required, please download and complete a declaration form. Please ensure relevant documentation is supplied to ACIAR when submitting photographs and videos.  

Photography tips

Capturing a good photograph can be made easier by following simple composition rules. The ACIAR Outreach Team has created guidance for researchers and project teams to follow when taking photos in the field.

Scientific Publications

Publishing with ACIAR

ACIAR publishes several series of scientific publications to support access to and dissemination of research results and project outputs. If you would like to consider publishing a book, guide, manual, technical report, or proceedings with ACIAR, please find out more by contacting the ACIAR publications manager or your research program manager.

Social media
Social media guidance for project teams