REQUEST FOR PARTNERSHIP GUIDELINES
Background and Aims
Environmental monitoring is vital for detecting ecosystem change and guiding conservation, restoration and climate adaptation. Genomic data can complement existing monitoring approaches by providing insight into genetic diversity, population connectivity and adaptive variation, helping to understand how species respond to environmental and anthropogenic pressures.
The Australian Sentinel Species Genomics Initiative is a national collaborative effort to develop reference genomes and population-scale genomic datasets for sentinel species across marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments. The initiative comprises two complementary themes:
Theme 1 – Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-Forming Species focuses on species that provide insight into ecosystem resilience. Through targeted campaigns, it will prioritise ecosystem-forming species from four marine and coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, kelp forests, seagrass meadows and mangrove systems. These campaigns will be guided by National Working Groups to develop shared sampling, sequencing and analysis approaches across institutions and regions.
Theme 2 – Indicator Species focuses on species that may provide early warning of environmental change. Through this theme, the initiative will support community-led projects to identify and test species with strong potential to serve as sentinel species that act as indicators of environmental change. Projects will generate reference genomes and population genomic datasets across environmental and anthropogenic pressure gradients, helping to assess genetic diversity, connectivity and adaptive variation associated with environmental change.
This Request for Partnership is seeking proposals specifically under Theme 2: Indicator Species.
Projects should focus on species that have the potential to provide biological insight into environmental change. Proposals may consider species that:
- are sensitive or responsive to environmental or anthropogenic pressures;
- occupy habitats or environments where measurable environmental change is occurring;
- have populations distributed across relevant environmental or pressure gradients;
- have ecological, conservation or management significance; and/or
- have characteristics that make them suitable for testing whether genomic variation can provide an early biological signal of ecosystem stress, resilience or recovery.
Proposals should clearly articulate why the nominated species is a suitable indicator of environmental change and how the proposed genomic data will contribute to testing this potential.
Projects may focus on a single species or a closely related comparative species group where this supports a common research question.
The following are out of scope for this Request for Partnership:
- coral, kelp, seagrass and mangrove species, which are being addressed through Theme 1 of the Sentinel Species Genomics Initiative;
- microbial species; and
- projects that do not have a clear connection to the objectives of Theme 2.
Other species associated with coral reefs, kelp forests, seagrass meadows and mangrove systems are strongly encouraged where they have potential to act as indicator species.
Support provided
Through the Sentinel Species Genomics Initiative, Bioplatforms Australia and Minderoo Foundation will provide the following resources:
- DNA extraction services (where required)
- Genomics data generation, including high-quality reference genome sequencing and population-scale short-read whole genome sequencing, through our network of facilities including AGRF, ANU-BRF, Ramaciotti, SAGC and Genomics WA
- Transcriptomics datasets, where required to support the project objectives
- Project management and data management, including raw data storage and access, with associated metadata
- Automated reference genome assembly and data submission to the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) through the Australian Tree of Life Genome Engine pipeline
- Access to required high-performance computing and analytical resources through the Australian BioCommons Leadership Share (ABLeS), including Pawsey and NCI
- Collaboration through a national consortium of genomics experts working on sentinel species.
Co-contributions
Project teams will provide co-contributions for the following:
- Project design, including defining the environmental or anthropogenic gradients and sampling strategy relevant to the research question
- Sample provision and preparation, including DNA extraction where not undertaken through the Initiative, shipping and supply of sample metadata
- Samples for sequencing and other data generation must be provided within 12 months of project acceptance.
- Bioinformatics and data analysis
- Application and interpretation of the data in relation to environmental change, conservation, restoration or climate adaptation
- Data publication
- Submission of raw and analysed sequence data to international repositories, as required.
Important note
Support through the Australian Sentinel Species Genomics Initiative is intended to be catalytic, enabling or enhancing existing research activities rather than serving as the sole source of funding for data acquisition within a project. The Initiative is expected to support approximately 35–45 projects over the life of the program, with multiple opportunities to apply for support. A second Request for Partnership is anticipated to open in 2027.
Data and Collaboration Policy
The Australian Sentinel Species Genomics Initiative is an open data initiative. Data generated through the Initiative will be made accessible in accordance with the Initiative’s Data and Collaboration Policy. Applicants should review the full policy before submitting a proposal.
Assessment criteria
The Initiative aims to create genomic resources that are broadly useful to researchers and environmental monitoring programs. Applicants should therefore consider how the proposed datasets could contribute to ongoing or future monitoring, research and management activities.
Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with priority given to projects that demonstrate:
- strong scientific justification for the nominated species as an indicator;
- a clear research question linking genomic variation to environmental or anthropogenic pressures;
- an appropriate sampling strategy across relevant environmental or pressure gradients;
- the potential for the resulting genomic resources to support future research, monitoring or management; and
- the ability to undertake the proposed project and provide samples for data generation within the required timeframe.
To submit a partnership proposal
- Submit your Request for Partnership using the online form, and address all criteria and questions listed. A PDF copy of the application form is available to assist with preparation.
- Complete one form per species or comparative species group. Where multiple closely related species form part of a single research question, a single proposal may be submitted for that species group or complex. You are welcome to submit more than one proposal if you wish to nominate additional species.
- Please provide an estimated or known genome size and ploidy, where available, to assist with proposal review and project planning.
- The form will remain editable until the deadline if you have logged in to edit your responses. If you accidentally submit multiple responses, please contact us to remove the duplicate submission.
- Please review the Data and Collaboration Policy before submitting your proposal.
Deadline: 5:00 pm AEDT on Friday 6 November 2026
Contact information
Aude Touffu, Project Manager, atouffu@bioplatforms.com, 0403 271 059
Kelly Scarlett, Partnerships and Engagement Lead, kscarlett@bioplatforms.com, 0435 984 739