The Australian Venom Innovation and Discovery Initiative – Request for Partnership 2025 now open

Oct 15, 2025 | Agriculture and Food, Biodiversity and Environment, Human Health

Request for Partnership 2025

The Australian Venom Innovation and Discovery (AVID) Initiative is pleased to announce that the 2025 Request for Partnership is now open!

Initiative background

Australia is home to one of the world’s most diverse ranges of venomous and toxin-producing species, yet the majority remain poorly characterised at the molecular level. These organisms play critical ecological roles and hold significant potential for applications in medicine, agriculture, biosecurity, and national defence.

The Australian Venom Innovation and Discovery (AVID) Initiative is a national collaborative effort to generate foundational genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data for venomous and toxin-producing species of ecological, medical, agricultural, and strategic importance. By building interoperable and openly accessible molecular datasets, AVID will advance understanding of venom evolution, gene regulation, and functional diversity, while also enabling research into the ecological roles of venom systems and their responses to environmental change.

Read more at the AVID Initiative page here.

Request for Partnership 2025 Guidelines

Projects will be assessed on their alignment with the AVID Initiative’s objectives and their potential to generate high-value, reusable data that advances knowledge of Australia’s venomous species.

1. Project rationale and value
The project clearly explains why the genomic and proteomic data are needed now, how they will fill knowledge gaps, and identifies potential applications or benefits (e.g. ecology, evolution, adaptation, biodiscovery). The program aims to study venomous species and their venom systems, and therefore purely toxin-producing species are not currently in scope.

2. Sample suitability and availability
The project team has access to, or can collect, suitable samples within the required timeframe that are appropriate for both genomic and proteomic analyses, with material to be submitted for sequencing within 12 months of project acceptance.

3. Team capability and collaboration
The team includes or partners with collaborators who have the expertise to complete the project and make use of its outputs (e.g. taxonomy, venom biology, data analysis, application). Collaboration with relevant research, industry, or collections partners is encouraged. AVID will provide sequencing, data management, and bioinformatics infrastructure support.

4. Contribution and shared benefit
The project demonstrates the required in-kind co-contribution (e.g. sample provision, data analysis, publication) and a commitment to open data sharing and collaboration. Cash contributions or plans to leverage additional grant funding will be viewed favourably.

The Australian Venom Innovation and Discovery (AVID) Initiative aims to support all projects that align with its objectives, within the limits of our available budget. The Request for Partnership applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and support is given to projects that can demonstrate the ability to complete the proposed project. Project assessment will be guided by the AVID Initiative Advisory Committee.

Notes

  • The AVID Initiative welcomes proposals from international collaborators on Australian-relevant venomous species, provided meaningful collaborations with Australian researchers are established.
  • Genomic and proteomic sequencing will be conducted through the Bioplatforms network of facilities, and data will be managed through the Bioplatforms Data Portal in accordance with the Data and Collaboration Policy.
  • The AVID Initiative, in collaboration with the labs of our Advisory Committee members, will provide specialist venom extraction capabilities to all approved projects of the Initiative. Please note that live specimens will be required. Shipping costs for specimens to the relevant lab group may be supported by the Initiative.

Instructions for Applying

  1. Please ensure you have read all information on this page
  2. Complete the Request for Partnership (RFP) form.
  3. Complete one form per species or taxonomic group. Where multiple species are closely related or form part of a single research question, a single form may be submitted for that species group or complex. You are welcome to submit more than one proposal if you wish to nominate additional, unrelated species or research groupings.
  4. Address all criteria and questions listed in the form. Please note you can edit the form after submitting it, until the deadline.

Deadline: 5:00PM (AEDT) Wednesday 19th November 2025

Please email any questions or additional documentation to Aude Touffu at atouffu@bioplatforms.com with the subject: AVID Initiative – [Species of interest]

Contact information