Project Description
The Australia Awards Fellowship is a partnership between Griffith University and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) of India to develop technical assistance materials aimed at enhancing project managers’ ability to design investment-ready projects for climate-resilient development. The Fellowship focused on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction. By strengthening TERI’s capacity and facilitating engagement with the Indian Government, the programme promoted cross-institutional knowledge sharing in the field of public-private climate finance and innovative funding mechanisms. A key objective was to create educational resources to address gaps in technical assistance for funding applications.
The programme comprised a four-day online introduction, a three-week visit to Australia for capacity-building and policy engagement, an online mentoring component in India, and a final four-day session in India where Fellows presented project case studies. The initiative aligned with the Indian Government’s priorities and built on Griffith’s established relationship with TERI through previous collaborative projects and training programmes.
The Fellowship strengthened Griffith University’s longstanding partnership with TERI by supporting the development of TERI’s technical skills and capacity, which contributed significantly to India’s climate finance ecosystem and aligned with the Indian Government’s priorities. Previous collaborations, including joint projects and the Australia Awards Short Course on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction in South Asia, saw Griffith staff actively engaging with TERI, notably through mentoring a participating TERI staff member.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
A needs assessment was conducted to identify the learning requirements of Fellows, enabling the Fellowship programme to deliver targeted, beneficial learning through engagement with Griffith staff. This exposure enriched TERI staff’s understanding of diverse approaches and fostered innovative thinking in tackling climate finance challenges. Fellows undertook research to produce industry-relevant materials for a knowledge platform, which TERI planned to utilise in future programme offerings. Given TERI’s low staff turnover, the capacity-building efforts promised long-term benefits for both the Fellows and the organisation. Developing expertise in climate-resilient development, including project design for climate adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction.
Outcomes to Date
Key outcomes included the development of content on essential elements such as Briefing Papers, and the creation of case studies detailing successful grant applications across diverse climate finance mechanisms and funding bodies.
TERI also improved its capacity for executive education and technical support through collaboration with Griffith University, which also strengthened its grant application on socio-economic climate vulnerability modelling. Workshops applied GESDI principles to TERI’s projects, while a Green Climate Fund official enhanced Fellows’ understanding of funding criteria. Collaborative efforts led to a grant submission and G20 abstract, improving public-private engagement. Fellows gained practical skills in developing investment-ready climate-resilient projects. The programme fostered long-term capacity building and strengthened bilateral networks.
Project Significance
The Fellowship programme built the capacity of Fellows to develop investment-ready platforms for climate-resilient development, with an emphasis on social inclusion and gender equity. It offered theoretical and practical learning, case study analysis, fieldwork in Australia, and guidance in applying knowledge within Indian contexts. Griffith University, in collaboration with Australian academics, facilitated knowledge exchange and nurtured future partnerships—supported by its longstanding relationship with TERI.
Griffith signed an MOU with TERI to deepen Australia–India cooperation across research, training, staff exchanges, and sustainability-focused projects. Fellowship activities produced resources for a future platform to aid project managers in accessing climate finance, incorporating ESG, risk, and gender inclusion. Fellows developed reports on climate finance principles, technical assistance topics, and bankable climate adaptation case studies. They completed reflection reports and contributed to a book proposal on climate adaptation finance.