HEMF Research Grants

The Hanny Exiner Memorial Foundation grants are awarded annually for research studies and projects conducted in Australasia, which contribute to the knowledge base of dance movement therapy (DMT) and advance understandings of dance as a healing art through Dance for Wellbeing (DW) and Therapeutic Dance (TD).

HEMF has made the decision to pause the 2026 grant round to give support to the two 2025 grant recipients and their research projects. We apologise to those who intended to submit a proposal to HEMF this year, and encourage you instead to apply when grant rounds open again in 2027.

Eligible HEMF Grant applicants include individuals living in Australia, NZ and PNG, plus professional members in nearby countries with research projects that are beneficial to the wider community.

These may be studies/projects in dance movement therapy, therapeutic dance or dance for wellbeing.  A definition of these approaches to dance are provided below.

Definitions
Research Resources

Applications are invited for studies/projects which fit within one of the following three streams:

Qualification Level:  Dance Movement Therapist (Professional Member DTAA or equivalent)

Area of Enquiry:  Dance Movement Therapy

Project Level: A fully formed research proposal requiring little significant mentoring on methodology, etc.

Funds Allocation:

up to $4000 –project.  These funds are allocated to support the research project and do not normally cover the facilitation fees of the researcher.

up to $1000 –supervision (regarding therapy facilitation/practice or other aspects of conducting the research)

The aim of this stream is to develop research capacity in applicants who may have little research experience, by including a mentoring process to assist in developing a research idea into a fully formed research study.

Qualification Level: Professional or Associate Member DTAA or equivalent

Area of Inquiry:  DMT* or Therapeutic Dance/Dance for Wellbeing

*In the case of a study into DMT conducted by an Associate Member (or equivalent), the grant recipient may need to have a professional member facilitate the program sessions.

Project Level:  Applicant to nominate an idea they would like to enquire into as a pilot study or as an evaluation of practice, which requires mentoring to fully develop the project methodology etc.

Funds Allocation:

up to $3000 – project. These funds are allocated to support the research project and do not normally cover facilitation fees of the researcher.

up to $1000 – research mentoring – to develop the topic, the methodology, within an ethical framework.

up to $1000 – project supervision (or facilitation), and any issues around conducting the research.

Qualification: Associate Member DTAA or equivalent

Topic: Projects, not captured in Streams 1 & 2, e.g., creation of educational support material, mentoring support for peer review journal writing.

Funds Allocation:

up to $4000 –project (e.g., film crew, software creation, mentor)

up to $1000 – project supervision

Applying for a Hanny Exiner Memorial Foundation Research Grant

Application:  Visit HEMF Research Resources for grant writing advice.

Complete application form for relevant stream:

Stream 1: DMT Research studies.

Download Grant Application Stream 1

Download Stream 1 Grant Referee Letter

Stream 2: Projects contributing to the knowledge base of DMT, TD or DW, supported by the pre-study mentoring process.

Download Grant Application Stream 2 (A) – Submission of study idea for mentoring

Download Grant Application Stream 2 (B) – Submission of final research proposal

Download Stream 2 Grant Referee Letter

Stream 3: Providing educational support material, also to aid in the development of the profession.

Download Grant Application Stream 3

Download Stream 3 Grant Referee Letter

HEMF Funding Conditions

Grant money can be used to finance goods and services related to the project.

HEMF will fund the researcher’s time for either or both of the following:

Carrying out the research/evaluation study, e.g. data recording, data analysis etc.

Facilitating the Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), Therapeutic Dance (TD) or Dance for Wellbeing (DW) sessions for the research/evaluation study.

This is ONLY IF the researcher is not being paid for these activities by another organization and the selection panel approve it.

Code of Ethics

All applicants for the three streams must comply with the DTAA Code of Ethics (http://dtaa.org.au/about/ethics).

All participants in the research study must provide informed consent in writing. The template provided below may be amended as appropriate for your study.

As part of the approval process, for applicants who are not within a recognized institution with an Ethics committee, HEMF will assist as follows:

  • Connect the applicant with an appropriate institution with an ethics committee, or
  • Refer the applicant to an Ethics committee drawn together by HEMF.
  • All researchers are required to abide by principles of professional conduct, responsibility, and confidentiality.
  • The researcher(s)
    • will not misrepresent their level of training
    • will present a high standard of personal conduct in professional practice
    • where the research is to be carried out with clients, will safeguard the needs of their clients physically, mentally and emotionally and respect the rights and dignity of the individual, serving all in a non-discriminatory manner where the research is to be carried out with clients
    • will comply with all procedures, ethical requirements and practices of the parent organisation
    • will treat all client information confidentially and only discuss it with other professionals involved in the care of the clients concerned.
    • Where applicable, the anonymity of the subjects and research sites must be preserved in the final report.
    • HEMF will not publish the findings or reports of any grant recipient who breaches the code of ethics nor would we ever consider them for any future grants.
  •  

Additional Ethics information can be obtained via the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007.

Informed Consent Form

Approval Process

Once a grant application is received, HEMF will follow an approval process that includes:

  • Preliminary discussion by HEMF Committee.
  • Applications submitted to two external reviewers.
  • Returned to HEMF for discussion.
  • If approved, sent to Ethics committee before final sign off.
  • Successful applicants will be notified directly after a decision is reached.
  • A grant agreement will then be signed by HEMF and the recipient, and arrangements for payment will be negotiated.
  • The decision on the awarding of grants is final.

An announcement will be published in Moving On, the DTAA’s journal, naming the successful applicants and the nature of their projects.

The findings of the study will be reported in Moving On and on the Hanny Exiner Memorial Foundation website. If appropriate, the findings will also be published or reported in other journals or at suitable conferences and seminars. The researchers may also choose to report on their findings apart from the activities of HEMF and DTAA.

Tax Implications

The liability of the recipient of a Hanny Exiner Memorial Foundation grant for income tax is a matter of decision by the A.T.O. The Foundation has no responsibility or authority in the matter. It is recommended that recipients keep receipts for all expenditures of their grant funds and seek independent advice with respect to their eligibility for claiming tax deductions.

Note

All documents sent to HEMF for grant applications become the property of HEMF and unsuccessful applications will be destroyed.

The gaining of a HEMF Research or DMT Developmental Grant does not contribute towards the completion or acquiring of any formal qualification.

HEMF is committed to supporting grant recipients through this process, and potential applicants are encouraged to email if they have any questions about a proposed project. 

Enquiries: Heather Hill, email info@hemf.org.au