Australian Research Council Act 2001 - Linkage - International - Funding Rules for Fellowships commencing in 2004 and Awards submitted in 2003 (Cth)
LINKAGE–
INTERNATIONAL
Funding Rules for applicants
for Fellowships funding commencing in 2004
and Awards submitted in 2003
Australian Research Council
Funding Rules for Fellowships commencing in 2004 and
Awards submitted in 2003
The following acronyms are used through these guidelines.
AAO Anglo-Australian Observatory
ARC Australian Research Council
IREX International Researcher Exchange Scheme
MoU Memorandum of Understanding
All research proposals should conform to the principles outlined in the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice (1997) (at Proposed research involving humans should conform to the principles outlined in the NHMRC’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (at: URL: Proposed research involving animals should conform to the principles outlined in the NHMRC’s codes on animal research (at
Australian Research Council
Funding Rules for Fellowships commencing in 2004 and
Awards submitted in 2003
This document sets out the funding rules under the
These Funding Rules are written on the basis that researchers are the applicants. However, grants from the ARC are made to institutions, not the individual researchers.
Under
•
Fellowships under international agreements for the reciprocal exchange of postdoctoral researchers; and•
Awards to build links between researchers, research teams and research centres of excellence in Australia and overseas by funding extended collaborations.
• build strong ongoing collaborations between researchers, research teams or centres of excellence in Australia and overseas;
• strengthen international research experience for early career researchers and generate opportunities for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers to link into leading edge international research networks;
• build Australian research capability by enhancing existing, and developing new collaborations among experienced and senior researchers; and
• develop innovative modes of international collaboration and links into global innovation networks.
.
Linkage–International Fellowships
Linkage–International Fellowships meet obligations under reciprocal agreements with France, Germany, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the United Kingdom for early career postdoctoral and senior researchers. A Fellowship is a grant for up to one year for the selected Fellow to work in Australia. It includes support for salary and salary on-costs, travel to a major conference in Australia, and return international travel and consumables. Refer to Appendixes 4, 5, 6 and 7 for details. The Australian-based Chief Investigator submits the application for a collaborative project with the applicant Fellow.
Linkage–International Awards
Linkage–International Awards provides funds for Australian-based researchers to participate in joint research projects with overseas researchers, establishing in new collaborations, strengthening on-going collaborations and providing international research experience for early career researchers. Funding is available to Australian-based researchers for the direct costs of the collaboration for a period of up to three years.
Applications may seek funding for reciprocal visits by leading researchers and exchanges for postgraduate and/or postdoctoral researchers working in their research teams. Visits by leading researchers (the Chief Investigators and Overseas Investigators on the application) may be for short periods but visits by early career researchers should be for more substantial uninterrupted periods, typically three months or more.
Applications for support under
Linkage–International Awards may be for collaboration with any appropriate researchers in any country or countries. Preference may be given to applications involving countries with which the ARC has a Memorandum of Understanding (see Appendix 8) and countries with which the ARC has traditional research links (the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and India). Australian researchers currently employed in overseas institutions are encouraged to useLinkage—International Awards to maintain and develop collaborations with Australian-based colleagues.Applicants may seek funding for innovative modes of research collaboration, for example through e-research networking.
Designated National Research Priorities
The Minister for Education, Science and Training has designated the following areas as national research priorities for the 2004 funding round:
• Research Priority 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia
• Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health
• Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries
• Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia
These areas of research will be referred to as Designated National Research Priorities. Within each Research Priority is a number of Priority Goals which are listed below:
• Research Priority 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia
Priority Goals
▪ PG 1 Water – a critical resource
▪ PG 2 Transforming existing industries
▪ PG 3 Overcoming soil loss, salinity and acidity
▪ PG 4 Reducing and capturing emissions in transport and energy generation
▪ PG 5 Sustainable use of Australia’s biodiversity
▪ PG 6 Developing deep earth resources
• Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining good Health
Priority Goals
▪ PG 1 A healthy start to life
▪ PG 2 Ageing well, ageing productively
▪ PG 3 Preventive healthcare
• Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries
Priority Goals
▪ PG 1 Breakthrough science
▪ PG 2 Frontier technologies
▪ PG 3 Advanced materials
▪ PG 4 Smart information use
• Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia
Priority Goals
▪ PG 1 Critical infrastructure
▪ PG 2 Protecting Australia from invasive diseases and pests
▪ PG 3 Protecting Australia from terrorism and crime
▪ PG 4 Transformational defence technologies
Full descriptions of these Designated National Research Priorities and their associated Priority Goals can be found in Appendix 9, and on the ARC web site (
There are four applicant roles available under
• Chief Investigator (CI)
• Overseas Investigator (OI)
• Fellow
• Partner Investigator (PI)
The roles and eligibility requirements for each of these are described below.
4.2 Eligibility of applicant
The Australian-based Chief Investigator(s) (CI) and Overseas Investigator(s) (OI) must be outstanding researchers of international standing in the relevant discipline or multi-disciplinary field. A team of Australian-based researchers can consist of researchers from different organisations, provided the Chief Investigator is a researcher employed by the administeringinstitution.
An Australian-based Chief Investigator may make a maximum of one
Chief Investigators must have fulfilled all obligations from previous ARC grants (including final and progress reports).
To be eligible for consideration, each
Fellowships are available for early career postdoctoral and senior researchers from France, Germany, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Applications for Fellowships are to be made by Australian-based host researchers together with the applicant Fellow. The host researcher of a Fellowship is the Chief Investigator on the application. Chief Investigators must be employed by eligible higher education institutions as listed at Appendix 1. In the case of Fellows from Germany and South Korea, these must be employed by those listed institutions or the CSIRO.
The applicant Fellow must be able to demonstrate that he/she is covered by the relevant agreement as either a resident or a citizen of the country and that he/she has ongoing research connections with a university or research institute in that country. Refer to Appendices 4-7 for details of the relevant agreements.
The Anglo-Australian Observatory Fellowship is also supported under
To be eligible for consideration, each
Applications may include Partner Investigators (PI). Partner Investigators are researchers who are not eligible to be Chief Investigators but who are providing significant commitment, intellectual input, relevant expertise and significant financial contribution to the project.
The first-named Chief Investigator for
The eligible higher education institution at which the CI is employed must be the administering organisation for the grant.
At the time of application, the first-named Chief Investigator must be a Chief Investigator on at least one current ARC grant under
The application must be submitted by the Australian-based Chief Investigator through an eligible Australian institution. A list of eligible institutions is set out in Appendix 1. In addition, the CSIRO is eligible to submit applications for Fellows from Germany and South Korea.
To be eligible for a
A
5.1 Fellowships
5.2 Awards
The minimum
Usually, the ARC will fund international travel costs for Australian-based researchers and subsistence in Australia for visiting researchers from overseas.
Contributions from the overseas source in the form of primary project costs and salary should not be included as matching contributions and it is against the spirit of
Normally, the ARC will consider providing the following support—
• for researchers travelling
from Australia, international return economy class airfare(s) and, in some cases, a contribution to living expenses at reasonable local rates;• for researchers coming
to Australia, a contribution to living expenses (up to $600 per week), internal travel and, in exceptional circumstances (that is, where the overseas collaborator is from an economically disadvantaged country), a contribution to the international economy class airfare;• in both cases, a limited contribution to consumables directly related to the collaborative work, up to a maximum of $A5000 a year.
The ARC will consider applications which do not include matching reciprocal funding in relation to the objectives of the program, noting that strength of commitment from overseas collaborators’ institutions is a selection criterion.
Applicants may seek funding for innovative modes of research collaboration, for example through e-research networking, residencies or modes other than reciprocal visits and exchanges (see 5.2.1). Applicants should explain the nature of the innovation in the proposed collaboration, and identify and justify budget items in relation to the proposed collaboration.
5.1 Areas of investigation not supported
Research in the fields of clinical medicine and dentistry is not supported by the ARC as the National Health and Medical Research Council has responsibility for funding research in those fields.
5.2 Budget items not supported
The following items are
• salaries of academic staff engaged in teaching and research, and in research only, (including the cost of ‘buying time’ to free such staff to do more research) except for the
Linkage–International Fellowships where the salary of the fellow is funded; consideration will given to requests for contributions to Overseas Investigator salaries, on a case by case basis and in relation to the objectives of the program;• salaries of staff supporting research at the institutional level (for example, Deputy
Vice-Chancellor Research, Research Grants Manager);
• costs of the primary research activity, including field trips, equipment and support staff salaries. These should be met from another funding source (for example, an ARC
Discovery – Projects );• infrastructure support costs, which are the responsibility of an administering institution;
• costs of ongoing collaboration with overseas researchers and/or their home institutions incurred after completion of the
Linkage–International project. These are the responsibility of an administering institution; and• conferences or seminars, or exchanges that are primarily organisational.
The application must contain all the information necessary for assessment of the project without the need for further written or oral explanation, or reference to additional documentation, including the World Wide Web, unless requested by the selection committee. All details in the application, particularly concerning any successful grants, must be current.
Applications consist of two parts:
• application form
• additional text, including supporting documentation and curricula vitae.
All documents must be written in English. All pages should be in black type, use a single column and 12 point type-face on white A4 paper, printed on one side only, and unbound, with at least 2 cm margins on each side. As applications are scanned electronically, only legible typefaces should be used such as Arial, Courier, Palatino, Times New Roman, or Helvetica. Variants such as mathematical typesetting languages may also be used.
Colour graphs or colour photographs may be included but they will be reproduced in black and white.
A table of contents is not required.
The additional text, the curriculum vitae and supporting documentation must have the pages numbered consecutively, starting from page 1 of the additional text.
Pages in excess of the stipulated limits may be removed before assessment.
Application forms are available from research offices in institutions or may be downloaded from the Internet at level="6">
Applicants should note that applications are considered by a selection advisory group whose membership includes people who are not specialists in the field of the application. Consequently, the collaboration and its expected outcomes should be described in a way that can be understood by all committee members, both specialist and non-specialist.
In no more than
1. a brief outline of the aims, research plan and methodology;
2. a brief description of the nature of the applicant Fellow’s ongoing research connections with a university or research institute in his/her country;
3. information on the research environment of the host institution including physical, and intellectual resources available to the Fellow;
4. justification of all budget items;
5. the track record of the proposed Fellow.
In the case of a proposal for a Fellow from Germany or Korea, applicants should explain the benefit expected to flow to programs of research administered by higher education institutions as listed at Appendix 1.
A
- name
- qualifications and current appointment
- relevant employment history
- a list of the ten most significant relevant publications for the last five years and the total number of peer-reviewed research publications over the last five years
- brief details of all competitive grant funding for the last five years.
A
These documents are
Application forms are available from research offices in institutions or may be downloaded from ARC website ( persistent-id="av.2986546" version="_1_0">
Applicants should note that applications are considered by a selection committee whose membership may include people who are not specialists in the field of the application. Consequently, the collaboration and its expected outcomes should be described in a way that can be understood by all committee members, both specialist and non-specialist.
In no more than
1. a brief outline of the aims, significance, research plan and methodology for the proposed program;
2. a brief description of the nature of the collaboration including the role of, and benefit to, the Australian and overseas partners;
3. justification of all budget items;
4. a management plan for the collaboration, including a proposed schedule of research activities. If the collaboration includes visits, a schedule of visits is to be presented as a table with the following information for each visit—
- dates
- name and status of researcher(s) travelling
- destination
- activity to be performed
- funding source
Below is an example of a schedule of visits.
2003 | Mar/April | Prof John Smith, CI | Bonn Univ | Establish parameters… | Linkage–International /DFG |
Mar/Aug | Dr Susan Jones, res asst | Bonn Univ | Conduct X…. research | Linkage–International /DFG | |
2004 | Jan/May | Dr Hans Schmidt, res asst | Uni Melb | Conduct Z…. research | DFG/ Linkage–International |
April | Prof Helena Jakobs | Uni Melb | Establish …..conduct… | DFG/ Linkage–International | |
The documents listed below are
1 A curriculum vitae for Chief Investigator(s), Overseas Investigator(s), and, where appropriate, Partner Investigator(s). Each CV is to be no more than
one page in length for each Investigator and must include the following details—- name
- qualifications and current appointment
- relevant employment history
- a list of the ten most significant relevant publications for the last five years and the total number of peer-reviewed research publications over the last five years
- brief details of all competitive grant funding for the last five years.
2 A report on the outcome of any earlier ARC funded international collaborative grant (such as LX or IREX) for each Australian Chief Investigator and, where appropriate, each Australian Partner Investigator, including a list of joint publications, grants or similar evidence of successful ongoing collaboration. This report should consist of one page per grant.
3 Applicants for
Linkage–International Awards may attach a letter of support from the overseas collaborating institution if that letter indicates financial commitment to the proposed collaboration.
Fellowships Applications must be submitted by close of business (AEST)21 March 2003.
Awards Applications may be submitted to the ARC at any time. They will be batched for assessment several times during the year.
Two copies are required, an original and one identicalcopy. It is the copy that is reproduced and dispatched for assessment.
The application must be clipped, with NAL clips, not stapled
• application form
• additional text, curriculum vitae
• report on previous grant, if relevant
• letter of support, as appropriate
All applications must—
• be signed by the appropriate persons on the certifications page of the application form
• be submitted through the research office of the administering institution
Applicants should submit their applications through the Research Office of the administering institution by the institution’s closing date. Applications should be completed and submitted electronically, by the Research Office, via the Grants Application Management System (GAMS), to the ARC. (Applicants who require an alternative means to submitting the form on-line should contact their university’s Research Office.)
Research offices should send applications–
by
| by
|
Applicants should note that a separate document
8.1 Selection criteria
Selection will be based upon the following criteria and weightings:
| 30% |
| 30% |
| 20% |
| 20% |
Selection will be based upon the following criteria and weightings:
| 40% |
| 20% |
| 20% |
| 20% |
All assessments under
• In the case of applicants who have previously received grants under
Linkage—International or the former IREXprogram, the demonstrated outcomes of those collaborations, including joint publications, joint grants, contracts or similar awards, or other relevant evidence;• Any other requirements mentioned in specific agreements or indicated in the attached appendices.
8.2 Selection procedure
Assessment of applications is undertaken by a selection committee drawn from members of the Expert Advisory Committees. The selection committee:
• ranks each application relative to the others on the basis of the application;
• assesses and recommends budgets; and
• prepares funding recommendations that are submitted to the ARC Board for endorsement and then to the Minister for approval.
The ARC has procedures for declaring conflicts of interest and for members to withdraw from considering particular applications.
8.3 Offer of grant
Following the Minister’s approval, the ARC will inform the successful administering institution in a letter of offer, that will indicate the funding to be provided and will include the Funding Contract. The Minister’s decision is final.
8.5 Variation to the Funding Approval
The Funding Approval may be varied where any of the circumstances described in s.55(3) of the
(a) the organisation’s involvement with the research program ends;
(b) the research program changes so that it is no longer consistent with the description in the Funding Approval;
(c) the person named in the Funding Approval as the person leading the research program ceases to lead the program; and
(d) any other such circumstances as the ARC may, in its discretion, determine.
Appeals must be made on the appeals form available on the ARC website ( The form must be lodged through the institutions research office and be received
The Appeals Officer
Australian Research Council
GPO Box 2702
CANBERRA ACT 2601
10.1 Reporting requirements
Institutions are required to submit the following documents to the ARC —
•
Exceptions Report on grants that have financial exceptions by 1 November in the calendar year for which they were granted;•
End of Year Report on the expenditure of grant funds and the project by 31 March in the year following the calendar year for which funds were granted;•
Progress Report on the project 31 March (Awards only) in the year following the calendar year for which funds were granted•
Final Report on the project, within six months of the completion of the project and expenditure of all ARC funds•
Audited Financial Statement : by 30 June of the year following the year of the grant, in accordance with the appropriate Act.
The ARC reserves the right to suspend payment of further instalments of any current grant until the appropriate reports have been received and assessed as satisfactory.
Reporting should be made in sufficient detail to show that funds have been applied in the fields for which they were awarded. The Final Report should also highlight significant aspects of the research and the collaboration, and should provide an outline of how
Where an institution fails to submit satisfactory reports, as required, the Minister may determine that funds have not been used in accordance with conditions applicable to the grant, and that all or part of the grant must be repaid. In this case, the ARC may withhold the remainder of the institution’s payments under the scheme for the current year or initiate recovery of grant moneys.
10.3 Privacy of individuals
Documents containing personal information are handled and protected in accordance with the provisions of the
Persons, bodies and organisations involved in the ARC program must abide by the IPPs and the
• personal information is collected in accordance with IPPs 1-3;
• suitable storage arrangements, including appropriate filing procedures are in place;
• suitable security arrangements exist for all records containing personal information;
• access to a person’s own personal information held by the organisation is made available to the person at no charge;
• records are accurate, up-to-date, complete and not misleading;
• where a record is found to be inaccurate, the correction is made;
• where a person requests that a record be amended because it is inaccurate but the record is found to be accurate, the details of the request for amendment are noted on the record;
• the personal information is only to be used for the purposes for which it was collected, or for other purposes where expressly allowed by IPP 10; and
• personal information is only disclosed in accordance with IPP 11.
Privacy complaints can be made directly to the Federal Privacy Commissioner, but the Federal Privacy Commissioner prefers that the ARC be given an opportunity to deal with the complaint in the first instance. You can contact the Privacy Commissioner on 1300 363 992.
10.4 Confidentiality
Information contained in applications is regarded as confidential unless otherwise stated and will be received and treated as confidential by the ARC, institutions and assessors.
10.5 Intellectual property
Applicants must agree to comply with the intellectual property statute of the administering organisation and the National Principles of Intellectual Property Management for Publicly Funded Research (available at Incomplete or misleading information
The Commonwealth Government is committed to protecting its revenue, expenditure and property from any attempt, either by members of the public, contractors, sub-contractors, agents, intermediaries or its own employees to gain financial or other benefits by deceit.
Examples of malpractice include, but are not restricted to—
- providing fictitious track records
- falsifying claims in publications records (for example, describing a paper as accepted for publication when it has only been submitted).
10.7 Contact points
For further information, the institution’s Research Office should be contacted in the first instance.
Enquiries about
LX Program Coordinator
Disciplines and Programs Branch
Australian Research Council
GPO Box 2702
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Email: [email protected]
Phone: + 61 2 6284 6600
Fax: +61 2 6284 6638
Web site: 1: Eligible higher education institutions
Higher education institutions receiving Commonwealth funding on a triennial basis
New South Wales Charles Sturt University Macquarie University Southern Cross University The University of New England The University of New South Wales The University of Newcastle The University of Sydney University of Technology, Sydney University of Western Sydney University of Wollongong | Western Australia Curtin University of Technology Edith Cowan University Murdoch University The University of Notre Dame Australia The University of Western Australia South Australia The Flinders University of South Australia The University of Adelaide University of South Australia |
Victoria Deakin University La Trobe University Monash University RMIT University Swinburne University of Technology University of Ballarat The University of Melbourne Victoria University | Tasmania University of Tasmania Australian Maritime College Northern Territory Batchelor College Northern Territory University |
Queensland Bond University Central Queensland University Griffith University James Cook University Queensland University of Technology The University of the Sunshine Coast The University of Queensland University of Southern Queensland | Australian Capital Territory The Australian National University University of Canberra Multi-State Australian Catholic University |
Postdoctoral Fellowship $51,067 $13,278 $64,345
Research Fellowship
(step 1) $63,747 $16,574 $80,321
(step 2) $75,758 $19,697 $95,455
Professorial Associate $87,508 $22,752 $110,260
Professorial Fellowship$102,766 $26,719 $129,485
* salary scales and stipends will be indexed to 2003 dollars for successful applications
USA $15,000
UK/Europe/Asia (Nth Hem) $12,000
Asia (Sth Hem)/NZ $ 9,000
Australia $ 6,000
An International Research Fellowship Agreement between the United Kingdom Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council and the ARC. This Fellowship is managed by the Anglo-Australian Telescope Board.
Number and eligibility
• One Fellowship will be awarded alternately to early-career British and Australian researchers to undertake postdoctoral work at the Anglo-Australian Observatory.
• The Fellowship is funded on a 50/50 share basis between the parties to the Agreement.
Duration
• Two years with an extension of up to twelve months in exceptional circumstances.
Application
• Any Australian or British postdoctoral researcher is eligible to apply for the Fellowship when applications are called for by advertisement.
• Selection is managed by the Anglo-Australian Observatory.
Possible entitlements
• Salaries will be recommended by the administering institution from the appropriate point (dependent upon experience) on the ARC notional salary scale in 2003 set out in Appendix 2. Salaries are subject to approval by the Minister and will be paid through the administering institution.
• Reimbursement of travel costs at the cheapest direct airfare rate for an overseas resident and his/her dependants is provided, with similar return airfare provisions, provided that the Fellow has not obtained subsequent employment in Australia for a period exceeding twelve months.
• Transfer expenses for an Australian resident Fellow and his/her dependants are reimbursed on a basis comparable to those provided for overseas Fellows, including a private vehicle allowance up to the maximum equivalent of the cheapest direct airfare.
• Removal expenses of up to $A12 000 are payable for a Fellow relocating from the United Kingdom and comparable expenses are payable for an Australian resident Fellow, subject to full refund of the amount if the Fellowship is relinquished within twelve months.
• Leave (recreation, sick and maternity) may be granted during the period of the Fellowship.
• An additional Research Support Grant of $6000 a year is available.
An International Research Fellowship Agreement between the French Ministry of National Education, Research and Technology and the ARC.
Number and eligibility
• Up to five research Fellowships may be awarded by the ARC in 2004 to postdoctoral or senior researchers from France to work in Australia in the fields of humanities, social sciences, the natural sciences and engineering. Australian researchers may seek Fellowships through their French host researcher.
• Applicant Fellows must be of at least postdoctoral status at the time of application. This means that the applicant Fellow’s PhD must have been conferred before submitting the application to the ARC. Early career researchers from France are strongly encouraged.
• Applicant Fellows must be French citizens and must demonstrate ongoing research connections with a university or research institute in France.
• Fellowships cannot be extended or granted a second time.
Duration
Six to twelve months.
• Successful applicants must commence Fellowships before 30 June 2004.
Application
• Any Australian academic institution may nominate French candidates to the ARC.
• Any French academic institution may nominate Australian candidates to the Ministry.
• Nominating institutions must guarantee to provide appropriate facilities and equipment and to meet associated research costs.
Possible entitlements
• Salaries will be recommended by the administering institution from the appropriate point on the ARC notional salary scale in 2004 at Appendix 2. Salaries are subject to agreement by the ARC and approval by the Minister, and will be paid through the administering institution.
• An amount of 26 per cent of salary is payable to administering institutions for on-costs together with a contribution to consumable items for the research project.
• One return economy class airfare and associated travel expenses for the Fellow is provided.
• The cost of attendance at a major conference in Australia, during the Fellowship, including registration and travel, is covered.
• Medical and accident insurance is provided by the administering institution.
No responsibility will be taken for any costs associated with visits by family members.
An International Research Fellowship Agreement between the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (AvH) and the ARC.
Number and eligibility
• Up to five Fellowships annually to German citizens or residents, three to outstanding researchers of international standing, and two to young (or early career) researchers, in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences or engineering.
• Applicant Fellows must be of at least postdoctoral status at the time of application. This means that the applicant Fellow’s PhD must have been conferred before submitting the application to the ARC.
• Applicant Fellows must be able to demonstrate ongoing research connections with a university or research institute in Germany.
• Fellowships cannot be extended or granted a second time.
Duration
Four to twelve months.
• Successful applicants must commence Fellowships before 30 June 2004.
Application
• Any Australian higher education institution and the CSIRO can nominate German candidates to the ARC.
• Any German researcher, university or research institution can nominate Australian candidates to the AvH.
• Nominating institutions must guarantee to provide appropriate facilities and equipment and to meet associated research costs.
Possible entitlements
• Salaries will be recommended by the administering institution from the appropriate point on the ARC notional salary scale in 2004 at Appendix 2. Salaries are subject to agreement by the ARC and approval by the Minister, and will be paid through the administering institution.
• An amount of 26 per cent of salary is payable to administering institutions for on-costs together with a contribution to consumable items for the research project.
• One return business class airfare and associated travel expenses for the Fellow is provided. Air fares and associated travel expenses, at the economy rate, for a partner and dependent children can be provided if they accompany the Fellow and stay in the host country for at least six months. If the Fellow is accompanied by his/her family, he/she will be entitled to economy class travel.
• The cost of attendance at a major conference in Australia, during the Fellowship, including registration and travel can be claimed.
• The administering institution will provide health and accident insurance cover during the stay in the host country for the researcher (and partner and dependent children provided they are in continuous residence in the host country for the stay of the researcher).
An International Research Fellowship Agreement among the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF), the ARC, the Australian Academy of Science (AAS), and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATS).
Number and eligibility
• At least three Fellowships to researchers from South Korea. Up to ten each year may be available, depending on funds.
• Applicant Fellows must be of at least postdoctoral status at the time of application. This means that the applicant Fellow’s PhD must have been conferred before submitting the application to the ARC.
No restriction is placed on nationality or age.
• Applicant Fellows must demonstrate ongoing research connections with a university or research institute in South Korea.
• Fellowships cannot be extended or granted a second time.
Duration
Four to twelve months.
• Successful applicants must commence Fellowships before 30 June 2004.
Application
• Any Australian higher education institution, including the CSIRO, can nominate candidates from South Korea to the ARC.
• Any researcher, university or research institution in South Korea can nominate Australian candidates to KOSEF.
• Nominating institutions must guarantee to provide appropriate facilities and equipment and to meet associated research costs.
Possible entitlements
• Salaries will be recommended by the administering institution from the appropriate point on the ARC notional salary scale in 2004 at Appendix 2. Salaries are subject to agreement by the ARC and approval by the Minister, and will be paid through the administering institution.
• An amount of 26 per cent of salary is payable to administering institutions for on-costs together with a contribution to consumable items for the research project.
• One return economy class airfare and associated travel expenses for the Fellow is provided. Air fares and associated travel expenses, at the economy rate, for a partner and dependent children can be provided if they accompany the Fellow and stay in the host country for at least six months.
• The cost of attendance at a major conference in Australia, during the Fellowship including registration and travel can be claimed.
• The administering institution will provide health and accident insurance cover during the stay in the host country for the researcher (and partner and dependent children provided they are in continuous residence in the host country for the stay of the researcher).
An International Research Fellowship Agreement between the United Kingdom Office of Science and Technology, administered by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the ARC.
Number and eligibility
• Up to five research Fellowships may be awarded annually by the ARC in 2004 to postdoctoral researchers from the UK to work in Australia in the fields of social sciences, mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
• Australian researchers may seek Fellowships, through their UK host researcher, for research in any branch of science or engineering that comes within the ambit of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society, and in the social sciences.
• Eligible researchers are those who have completed their doctorate within three years. Eligibility for Fellowships in 2004 is limited to researchers who have had doctorates conferred at any time during 2000, 2001, 2002 or by 30 March 2003. Applicants may seek an exemption from this requirement if the nominating institution includes a statement justifying special consideration, for example, candidates who interrupted their careers to care for children. Non-research careers do not normally qualify for exemption.
• No restriction is placed on nationality or age, subject to the normal immigration and visa requirements of the UK and Australia.
• Fellowships cannot be extended or granted a second time.
• Applicant Fellows demonstrate ongoing research connections with a university or research institute in the UK.
Duration
Four to twelve months.
• Successful applicants must commence Fellowships before 30 June 2004.
Application
• Any Australian higher education institution may nominate UK candidates to the ARC.
• Any UK academic institution may nominate Australian candidates to the Royal Academy of Engineering.
• Nominating institutions must guarantee to provide appropriate facilities and equipment and to meet associated research costs.
Possible entitlements
• Salaries will be recommended by the administering institution from the appropriate point on the ARC notional salary scale in Appendix 2. Salaries are subject to agreement by the ARC and approval by the Minister, and will be paid through the administering institution.
• An amount of 26 per cent of salary is payable to administering institutions for on-costs together with a contribution to consumable items for the research project.
• One return economy class airfare and associated travel expenses for the Fellow is provided.
• Cost of attendance at a major conference in Australia, during the Fellowship, including registration and travel.
A contribution is made towards subsistence.
Fellows are responsible for their own medical and dental treatment.
No responsibility will be taken for any costs associated with visits by family members.
Countries with which the ARC has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Austria Austrian Science Foundation (FWF)
China National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)
Czech Republic Grant Agency of the Czech Republic
France Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Germany Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Indonesia Indonesian University Research Council (IURC)
Italy National Research Council of Italy (CNR)
Japan Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
The Republic of Korea Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) and
Korea Research Foundation (KRF)
Switzerland Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
The Netherlands Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
Traditional research partners are—
• Canada
• India
• New Zealand
• The United Kingdom
• The United States of America
Grants may also be awarded for projects supported under the European Union’s Sixth Framework.
Natural resources have traditionally fuelled our national and regional economies. They have the potential to generate further wealth and employment opportunities in the future.
But our natural resources and biodiversity must be used on a sustainable basis so that the benefits continue to be enjoyed by future generations.
Australia faces significant environmental challenges:
• Efficient and sustainable water use is a critically important issue for our economic and social development;
• Significant land degradation issues, such as salinity, need to be arrested to underpin our agricultural production systems;
• Climate change can be expected to have complex, long term consequences for the environment, and for our agricultural and marine production systems; and
• The cleanliness and efficiency of our energy production systems should be enhanced.
There is substantial effort underway to develop more efficient water utilisation practices, to protect our rivers and groundwater resources, and to protect and remediate our fragile soils.
Our agricultural and mining industries are being transformed through the adoption of new technologies, and the development of new types of foods.
This will help to revitalise our regional communities and generate substantial export earnings for the nation over the coming decades.
The Government is committed to meeting the greenhouse gas emissions target set for Australia
at Kyoto.
Australia is well placed to take an international lead in developing new and improved energy technologies and in capturing and ‘sequestering’ carbon dioxide.
Other opportunities lie in managing and using our unique, rich land- and marine-based biodiversity, and in developing our deep earth resources.
Australia has a strong record of achievement in research in fields such as agriculture, natural resource management, climate change, horticulture, forestry, mining, energy, and marine sciences.
We must build on these strengths to improve our competitive advantages while enhancing our understanding of natural systems and the interplay of human activities.
To understand and manage these complex interactions better will require significant collaboration within the research community and with other stakeholders.
Priority goals for research fall in the six areas of water utilisation, transforming resource-based industries, overcoming land degradation, developing cleaner, more efficient fuels and energy sources, managing biodiversity and deep earth resources.
Priority Goals
Australia is one of the driest continents and is dependent upon access to freshwater supplies for economic and social development. It has a complex geological structure and unique ecosystems, flora and fauna. Enhancing our understanding of the links between water availability and these factors will result in a better understanding of sustainable water management practices.
Resource-based industries underpin much of Australia’s prosperity and have the potential to do so in the future. For example, Australia remains highly prospective for minerals discoveries and highly attractive for the development of new era foods from agricultural and marine sources. Our competitive advantage will depend on research and new technologies.
The Australian landscape is fragile: soil salinity, acidity, and nutrient levels pose significant, long term challenges for agriculture and the environment. Research is helping to find solutions to these problems. For example, the
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Reducing and capturing emissions in transport and energy generation
Australia is well positioned to produce world class solutions to reduce and capture greenhouse gas emissions and the Government is committed to meeting the emissions target set for Australia at Kyoto. We are also well placed to develop alternative energy technologies and ecologically sustainable transport and power generation systems.
Australia has a unique and rich flora and fauna. Our complex ecosystems are resilient and have adapted to events such as drought and fire, and underpin the health of our agricultural, fisheries and tourism industries. There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of these natural systems and the interplay with human activities.
Many of Australia’s known mineral assets may be nearly exhausted within the next decade. New land-based deposits are believed to be buried deeper in the crust and the deep marine areas surrounding Australia are also largely unexplored. New technologies, such as remote sensing, indicate scientists are on the brink of being able to ‘see’ inside the earth and identify deeply buried deposits.
Average life expectancies have increased markedly in recent decades. Australians also expect to lead longer and healthier lives in the future, and to remain productive and independent over an extended period.
Enhancing the health outcomes of Australians will yield economic and social benefits and add materially to national well-being.
Australians expect that their children and grandchildren should have a healthy start to life.
Developing strategies to promote the healthy development of young Australians, and reducing the impact of the genetic, social and environmental factors which diminish their life potential will be critical.
A revolution is also underway at the other end of the life cycle. Australia, like many other developed nations, is undergoing a major demographic shift involving significant growth in the aged population.
To meet this challenge, it will be important to promote healthy ageing by developing better social and medical strategies to ensure that older Australians enjoy healthy and productive lives.
Informed insights into the causes of disease and of mental and physical degeneration will contribute to the achievement of this goal.
All Australians stand to benefit from preventive healthcare through the adoption of healthier attitudes, habits and lifestyles.
Evidence-based preventive interventions may help reduce the incidence and severity of many diseases, including major health problems such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, mental ill-health, obesity, diabetes, asthma and chronic inflammatory conditions.
Improvements in the health and well being of the young, of older Australians and in preventive healthcare will be underpinned by research.
However, while Australia has an enviable record in health and medical research, the research effort is spread across the many universities, hospitals and health and medical research institutes, resulting in critical mass only in limited areas of research.
There is also a need to draw on multi-disciplinary approaches that include research contributions from the social sciences and humanities.
This priority is designed to promote health and prevent disease through a more focused and collaborative effort.
Priority goals for research fall in the three areas of a healthy start to life, ageing well, ageing productively, and health promotion and disease prevention healthcare.
Human health in the developing foetus and in early childhood is absolutely critical to the future well being of the adult. Research shows that health and well being in early childhood is predictive of later positive outcomes, and that health in middle and late childhood is also crucial. This goal fits well with the Government’s
Australia’s population is ageing, with a significant projected increase in the number of people aged over 65 and over 85. While Australia is relatively well placed compared with many other OECD nations, major shifts in cultural expectations and attitude are necessary to respond constructively to ageing, at both an individual and population level. This goal fits well with the Government’s
Preventive healthcare research will improve the prediction and prevention of disease and injury through the adoption of healthier behaviours, lifestyles and environments. Research will generate an improvement in the design, delivery and uptake of programmes such as exercise-based rehabilitation. There are several major disease targets amenable to immediate study, such as cardiovascular health, neurodegenerative diseases, mental ill-health, obesity, diabetes, asthma and chronic inflammatory conditions. Research in prevention will emphasise interdisciplinary research, drawing on contributions from the social sciences and humanities, as well as from the health and medical sciences.
Wealth often derives from the unforeseen application of new discoveries.
Australia must be at the leading edge if it is to stay abreast of international developments and take advantage of opportunities.
Our national capabilities in emerging sciences and their underpinning disciplines determine our capacity to develop and implement new technologies.
Australia has a strong base of expertise, skills and technological capacities in the fundamental sciences and key technologies.
Our strengths are in a wide range of areas such as biotechnology, material sciences, information and communications technology (ICT), photonics, nanotechnology and sensor technology.
ICT is currently the critical enabling technology and is a major contributor to national productivity and growth.
But breakthrough science underpins technological advancements in many areas and Australia needs to foster an environment that stimulates creativity and innovation.
Applications for frontier technologies are potentially very large. Australia has the capacity to exploit niche markets for new products and services.
Australia also has an enviable track record as an innovator and developer of advanced materials and must grasp the opportunity to stay ahead.
Smart information use involving improved data management, intelligent transport systems and creative applications for digital technologies provides huge opportunities to improve the performance of key Australian industries.
Australia needs to invest in this research area as it is fundamental to our future competitiveness and well being.
This priority will help to strengthen the capacity of Australian researchers to participate in new areas of research, enhance Australia’s international scientific reputation, stimulate local expertise, and help create vibrant new industries.
Enhanced research effort will also be achieved through initiatives that develop a critical mass of researchers in key areas.
Priority goals for research fall in the four areas of breakthrough science, frontier technologies, advanced materials and smart information use.
Breakthrough science underpins technological innovation across a range of industries critical to maintaining Australia’s position as a developed country. Some examples include bio- and geo-informatics, nano-assembly and quantum computing. Technological advances are often unexpected and a strong foundation in mathematics and the fundamental sciences will provide an environment that fosters creativity and innovation. Early participation in leading edge areas of research will enable Australian researchers to benefit more fully from international developments.
The development of advanced materials will underpin growth in many areas of industrial and economic activity in Australia. Australia has substantial infrastructure in this area and an enviable track record as an innovator and developer of advanced materials. The era of advanced materials is just beginning in spite of the tremendous progress in recent years. Substantial scientific and technological challenges remain ahead, including the development of more sophisticated and specialised materials. Some examples include ceramics, organics, biomaterials, smart materials and fabrics, composites, polymers, and light metals.
ICT applications are providing huge opportunities to deliver new systems, products, business solutions, and to make more efficient use of infrastructure. Examples include e-finance, multimedia, content generation and imaging. Improved data management is central to the future competitiveness of key industries such as agriculture, biotechnology, finance, banking, education, transport, government, health and ‘infotainment’. The ability of organisations to operate virtually and collaborate across huge distances in Australia and internationally hinges on our capabilities in this area. Research is also needed to exploit the huge potential in the digital media industry.
The importance of security and safety to Australia has been underscored by recent events.
Australia has to be capable of anticipating and tackling critical threats to society, strategic areas of the national economy and the environment.
The threats can potentially come from within and outside Australia.
The world is now characterised by the widespread and rapid movements of people, digitally coded data, goods and services, and exotic biological agents.
Critical infrastructure in Australia is increasingly dependent on digital technology for its management and integration.
Information protection and the integrity of security systems are now more important than ever before.
It is also necessary to protect the status of Australia as a nation free of many of the diseases affecting primary production around the world.
Terrorism has emerged as a very real global threat and crime is taking a significant toll on Australian society and economy.
Maintaining the operational advantage of Australia’s defence forces through superior capabilities is also fundamental to our national security.
Leading edge research in Australia is already yielding high dividends and as a national research priority will improve the effectiveness of that contribution.
Stronger research capabilities will ensure that solutions are tailored to Australia’s unique circumstances, reflecting its geographic features and small population.
Greater collaboration within the research community and with other stakeholders will allow us to better understand and manage potential threats to Australia.
Harnessing the knowledge and capabilities across Australia offers us the best chance of developing innovative and rapid solutions to serious threats.
Australia’s international relations and its regional influence will be strengthened through new science and technologies that enhance security and safety.
The heightened interest in personal and electronic security across the world also provides opportunities for Australian solutions.
Priority goals for research fall in the four areas of critical infrastructure, protecting Australia from invasive diseases and pests, protecting Australia from terrorism and crime, and transformational defence technologies.
Priority goals
Protecting our critical infrastructure is important to national security and to the social and economic well being of Australia. An important aspect of this priority goal is e-security which is an enabler of e-commerce. Maintaining a critical mass of research in e-security will be essential in providing Australia with the tools to protect our way of life.
Australia is free of many of the pests and diseases affecting primary production around the world. This status needs to be protected as the introduction of exotic species has the potential to adversely affect our exports and the environment. Australia already has strong skills and expertise in this area of research and further work will offer immediate benefits to the community. A greater level of coordination of our research effort will mean that Australia can more effectively develop innovative and rapid solutions to serious threats.
Protecting Australia from terrorism is now more important than ever before in light of recent events and our involvement in the ‘war on terror’. Crime takes a significant toll on Australian society and economy. The June 2000 report from the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council estimated that crime costs Australia at least $18 billion per annum. Personal identification, information protection and the integrity of security systems are fundamental towards ensuring the national security of Australia. An effective solution will include building on Australia’s existing strengths in rapid detection using new analytical technologies and managing significant data collections.
Australia has a small defence force to protect a large continent and a substantial maritime region of responsibility. Its operational advantage has been maintained through a superior capability which is dependent on leveraging innovative technologies. Although some benefits can be gained from overseas research, Australia has to conduct its own research to address uniquely Australian demands. A systems approach which harnesses the research capabilities of all stakeholders is essential to the successful development and introduction of innovative technologies.
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