Australian Research Council Act 2001 Linkage Projects Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2008 (Cth)
Linkage Projects
Funding Rules for funding commencing in
2008
Australian Research Council
Linkage Projects
Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2008
Table of Contents
Acronyms
Key Dates
Contacts
Definitions for Linkage Projects Funding Rules
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................... 8
1.1 Overview
1.2 NCGP Objectives
1.3 Linkage Projects
1.4 Fundamental principles and requirements
1.4.1 Ethics and Research Practices
1.4.2 Non-duplication
1.4.3 Conflict of Interest
1.4.4 Acknowledging ARC support
1.4.5 Dissemination of research outputs
2. Changes from last year...................................................................................................... 11
3. Funding................................................................................................................................ 14
3.1 Rounds
3.2 Level of funding
3.3 Period of funding
3.4 Types of research supported
3.5 Areas of investigation/work not supported
3.6 Restrictions on budget items
3.7 Linkage Industry Fellowships (LIFs)
3.8 Number of Proposals and funded projects
3.8.1 General Requirements
3.8.2 Duplication
4. Organisational types, roles and eligibility......................................................................... 21
4.1 Eligible Organisations
4.2 Partner Organisations
5. Roles and eligibility for researchers.................................................................................. 22
5.1 Researcher roles and general eligibility
5.2 Early Career Researchers
5.3 Eligibility criteria for Chief Investigators
5.4 Eligibility criteria for Partner Investigators
5.5 Eligibility criteria for APDI Fellows
5.5.1 General Eligibility
5.5.2 Fellowships at a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre
6. Cross-scheme issues.......................................................................................................... 27
6.1 Cross-scheme funding
6.2 Cross-scheme eligibility
6.3 Researchers from Commonwealth-funded Research Centres
6.3.1 Duplication with Commonwealth-funded Research Centres
6.3.2 Association with Commonwealth-funded Research Centres
6.4 Funding of Medical and Dental Research
7. Application process............................................................................................................. 29
7.1 Eligibility Exemption and Eligibility Ruling Process
7.2 Proposals
7.3 Certification
7.4 Submission of Proposals
7.4.2 Format
7.4.3 How to complete and submit a Proposal
7.4.4 Number of copies
7.4.5 Closing times for Proposals
8. Selection and approval process.......................................................................................... 33
8.1 Selection criteria
8.1.2 APDI(s)
8.1.3 Projects that are of benefit to a rural or regional community
8.1.4 APAI in the fields of information technology and communications
8.2 Assessment and selection procedure
8.2.1 Assessment and selection process
8.2.2 Exclusion of Proposals
8.2.3 Assessment
8.2.4 Rejoinder
8.2.5 Recommendations
8.3 Offer of funding
9. Appeals process.................................................................................................................. 38
10. Administration of funding................................................................................................. 39
10.1 Funding Agreement
10.1.4 Varying the Funding Agreement
10.1.5 Varying the Funding Approval
10.1.6 Reports
11. Other matters.................................................................................................................... 40
11.1 Applicable law
11.2 Confidentiality
11.3 Project descriptions
11.4 Intellectual property
11.5 Incomplete or misleading information
11.6 Insurance and liabilities
Appendix 1. Eligible Organisations
Appendix 2. Partner Organisations
Appendix 3. APAI information
Appendix 4. APDI information
51
Appendix 6. National Research Priorities and associated Priority Goals
Acronyms
The following acronyms are used in ARC Funding Rules.
AEST Australian Eastern Standard Time
AEDT Australian Eastern Daylight Saving (Summer) Time
AIF Australia-Israel Fellowship
AIMS Australian Institute of Marine Science
ANSTO Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
APA Australian Postgraduate Award
APAI Australian Postgraduate Award (Industry)
APD Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship
APDC Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (CSIRO)
APDI Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (Industry)
APF Australian Professorial Fellowship
ARC Australian Research Council
ARCIF Australian Research Council International Fellowship
ARF Australian Research Fellowship
AVCC Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee
CE ARC Centres of Excellence and ARC Centres
CoE ARC College of Experts
CI Chief Investigator
CRC Cooperative Research Centre
CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
DP ARC Discovery Projects
DSTO Defence Science and Technology Organisation
ECR Early Career Researcher
FF ARC Federation Fellowships
GA Geoscience Australia
GAMS Grant Application Management System
GST Goods and Services Tax
HECS Higher Education Contribution Scheme
ICI Internationally Coordinated Initiative
IRF Indigenous Research Fellowship
LASP ARC Learned Academies Special Projects
LCI LASP Chief Investigator
LIEF ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
LIF ARC Linkage Industry Fellowship
LP ARC Linkage Projects
NCGP National Competitive Grants Program
NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council
NP Network Participant
OI Overseas Investigator
PI Partner Investigator
QEII Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship
RN ARC Research Network
SPIRT Strategic Partnerships with Industry – Research and Training
SRC ARC Special Research Centre
SRI ARC Special Research Initiatives
URL Universal Resource Locator
Key Dates
| Closing time for eligibility ruling and exemption requests, Round 1 (Section 7.1) | 5.00 pm (AEDT) Friday 23 March 2007 |
| Closing time for submission of Proposals in Round 1 (subsection 7.4.5) | 5.00 pm (AEST) Friday 4 May 2007 |
| Closing time for eligibility ruling and exemption requests, Round 2 (Section 7.1) | 5.00 pm (AEST) Friday 12 October 2007 |
| Closing time for submission of Proposals in Round 2 (subsection 7.4.5) | 5.00 pm (AEDT) Friday 23 November 2007 |
Contacts
The ARC deals with thousands of Proposals each year. Where possible, researchers should direct requests for information to the Research Office within their organisation.
Enquiries about the ARC Linkage Projects scheme may be addressed as follows:
| By post to: OR | By courier to: |
| Linkage Projects Coordinator Australian Research Council GPO Box 2702 CANBERRA ACT 2601 | Linkage Projects Coordinator Australian Research Council 1st Floor, 8 Brindabella Circuit CANBERRA AIRPORT ACT 2609 |
| Other: Email: [email protected] Phone: 02 6287 6600 Fax: 02 6287 6638 Web: | |
Definitions for Linkage Projects Funding Rules
Adjunct Appointment or equivalent means that an Eligible Organisation has a formal agreement in writing with a researcher which is publicly acknowledged and which establishes an ongoing association with the Eligible Organisation, of the nature of a conjoint, emeritus or honorary academic, or visiting fellow. It would be expected that the person’s association would be listed in an official organisational publication and/or web site.
Administering Organisation means an Eligible Organisation which submits a Proposal for funding under Linkage Projects and which will receive and be responsible for the administration of the funding if the proposed project is approved for funding.
Applicant means the Administering Organisation. Funding under Linkage Projects is provided to Administering Organisations, not to individual researchers.
ARC means the Australian Research Council, as established under the ARC Act.
ARC Act means the Australian Research Council Act 2001.
ARC Centre means a research centre wholly or partly funded by the ARC and includes ARC Centres of Excellence, ARC Centres and ARC Special Research Centres.
ARC Fellow means a researcher whose salary is wholly or partly funded under an ARC Fellowship.
ARC Fellowship means, subject to this paragraph, a position held by a researcher where the salary is funded wholly or partly by the ARC and where the researcher has been nominated in a Proposal to hold a Fellowship. An ARC Fellowship may be awarded at a number of levels and in various ARC schemes. ARC Fellowship includes Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (APD), Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (Industry) (APDI), Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (CSIRO) (APDC), Australian Research Fellowship (ARF), Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship (QEII), Australian Professorial Fellowship (APF) and ARC Federation Fellowship. For the purposes of these Funding Rules it does not include an ARCIF, IRF, LIF or ARC Research Cadetship-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander award.
ARC’s Web Site is
Australian Postdoctoral Fellow means a researcher whose salary is wholly or partly funded under an Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (under the ARC Discovery Projects scheme).
Australian Postdoctoral Fellow (Industry) means a researcher whose salary is wholly or partly funded under an Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (Industry) (under the ARC Linkage Projects scheme).
Australian Professorial Fellow means a researcher whose salary is wholly or partly funded under an Australian Professorial Fellowship (under the ARC Discovery Projects scheme).
Australian Research Council International Fellow means a researcher whose salary is wholly or partly funded under an Australian Research Council International Fellowship (under the ARC Linkage International scheme).
Australian Research Fellow means a researcher whose salary is wholly or partly funded under an Australian Research Fellowship (under the ARC Discovery Projects scheme).
Centre Director means the person appointed to direct the programs of a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre.
Chief Investigator means a researcher who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a Chief Investigator as specified in Section 5.3.
Collaborating Organisation means an Eligible Organisation which is not the Administering Organisation but which is identified in the Proposal as a contributor to the project.
Commonwealth means the Commonwealth of Australia.
Commonwealth-funded Research Centre means a research centre substantially funded from Commonwealth competitive research funding sources and includes ARC Centres, CRCs and NHMRC Program Grants. It does not include Research Networks funded by the ARC.
Earnings means the amount paid as remuneration for work a person undertakes or services they perform. It includes amounts paid under employment and/or consultancy arrangements.
Eligible Organisation means an organisation which is eligible to apply for and receive funding under the Linkage Projects Funding Rules as specified in Section 4.1.
Federation Fellow means a researcher whose salary is funded under the ARC Federation Fellowships scheme.
Funding Agreement means the agreement entered into between the ARC and the Administering Organisation if the Administering Organisation’s Proposal is approved for funding. This agreement sets out the terms and conditions under which the Commonwealth is to provide funding and the Administering Organisation is to be responsible for administration of the funding and the conduct of the project.
Funding Rules means this document.
GST has the meaning as given in section 195-1 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.
Host Organisation means an organisation at which a Fellow undertakes her/his research while holding an ARC Fellowship.
Indigenous Researcher Fellow means a researcher whose salary is wholly or partly funded under an ARC Indigenous Research Fellowship (under the ARC Discovery Projects Indigenous Researcher Development scheme).
Linkage Industry Fellow means a researcher whose salary is wholly or partly funded under an ARC Linkage Industry Fellowship (under the ARC Linkage Projects scheme).
Medical and Dental Research means research and/or training which, in the opinion of the ARC, has a significant focus on clinical medical (including dental) outcomes.
National Research Priority means a national research priority referred to in Section 1.2 and further detailed in Appendix 6.
Partner Investigator means a researcher who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a Partner Investigator as specified in Section 5.4.
Partner Organisation means an organisation, other than an Eligible Organisation, which is to be a contributor to the project, and which meets the requirements specified in Section 4.2 (and Appendix 2).
Partner Organisation Cash Contribution means the cash funding from a Partner Organisation or Partner Organisations which is provided to the Administering Organisation to administer.
Proposal means a request to the ARC for the provision of financial assistance for a research project.
Queen Elizabeth II Fellow means a researcher whose salary is wholly or partly funded under an ARC Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship (under the ARC Discovery Projects scheme).
Research Office means a business unit within an organisation that is responsible for administrative contact with the ARC regarding Proposals and research projects.
Special Condition means a special condition specified in a Funding Agreement which governs the use of the funding provided by the ARC.
Australian Research Council
Linkage Projects
Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2008
Introduction
1.1 Overview
1.1.1This document sets out the funding rules for Linkage Projects, a scheme funded under the Australian Research Council’s National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP), which comply with the requirements of the ARC Act.
1.1.2All parties involved in Proposals should read and understand the Funding Rules and the ARC’s draft Funding Agreement (which is available on the ARC’s Web Site) before submitting a Proposal to the ARC. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their Proposals are complete and accurate.
1.1.3These Funding Rules are current as at December 2006 and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the ARC Act in force at that time. These Funding Rules are subject to change at any time, for reasons including any subsequent amendment to, replacement of or supplementation of the ARC Act.
1.1.4Funding under Linkage Projects is provided to Administering Organisations, not to researchers. That is, the ARC will accept a Proposal only from an Eligible Organisation and not from any individual researcher or researchers.
1.1.5However, if, in the opinion of the ARC, any researcher nominated in a Proposal as a CI, PI or APDI Fellow has caused or has significantly contributed to the failure of an organisation to meet its obligations under any current or previous funding agreement with the ARC, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend for approval any or all Proposals involving that researcher.
1.2 NCGP Objectives
1.2.1The ARC is an Australian Government statutory authority established under the ARC Act. The primary functions of the ARC, as specified by the ARC Act, are to make recommendations regarding the funding of research programs, to administer funding to support research programs, and to provide policy advice related to research.
1.2.2The ARC has established a range of competitive funding schemes for the support of research and research training under the framework of the NCGP. A list of current NCGP funding schemes is available on the ARC’s Web Site.
1.2.3By the operation of a range of funding schemes under the NCGP, the ARC aims to:
a. maintain and build on existing research and research training;
b. build the scale and focus of research and research training;
c. encourage cross-disciplinary approaches to research and research training;
d. facilitate collaborative approaches to research and research training; and
e. support research and research training of national benefit, including in the following National Research Priorities:
i. An Environmentally Sustainable Australia;
ii. Promoting and Maintaining Good Health;
iii. Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries; and
iv. Safeguarding Australia.
1.2.4Descriptions of these National Research Priorities and their associated Priority Goals can be found in Appendix 6, and on the ARC’s Web Site.
1.3 Linkage Projects
1.3.1Linkage Projects supports research and development projects which are collaborative between higher education researchers and other parts of the national innovation system, which are undertaken to acquire new knowledge, and which involve risk or innovation.
1.3.2The objectives of Linkage Projects are to:
a. encourage and develop long-term strategic research alliances between higher education organisations and other organisations, including within industry and end-users, in order to apply advanced knowledge to problems and/or to provide opportunities to obtain national economic, social or cultural benefits;
b. support collaborative research on issues of benefit to regional and rural communities;
c. enhance the scale and focus of research in National Research Priorities (Appendix 6);
d. foster opportunities for postdoctoral researchers to pursue internationally competitive research in collaboration with organisations outside the higher education sector, targeting those who have demonstrated a clear commitment to high-quality research;
e. provide outcome-oriented research training to prepare high-calibre postgraduate research students; and
f. produce a national pool of world-class researchers to meet the needs of the broader Australian innovation system.
1.4 Fundamental principles and requirements
1.4.1Ethics and Research Practices
1.4.1.1The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) web site, provides a series of publications which outline principles of ethical conduct in research. All Proposals and ARC-funded research projects should conform to the principles outlined in the following and their successor documents:
a. the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice (1997);
b. as applicable, the NHMRC’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (1999); and
c. as applicable, the NHMRC’s other codes on animal research.
1.4.2Non-duplication
1.4.2.1The ARC will not provide financial assistance to meet the costs of a project to the extent that those costs have been, or are likely to be, met by Commonwealth funding obtained from another source (including other ARC funding). The ARC reserves the right to determine if a Proposal includes such costs and to deem a notional amount for such costs.
1.4.2.2Where a significant portion of the costs for a proposed project has been, or is likely to be, funded by the Commonwealth from other sources (including other ARC sources), the ARC may decide to recommend that the Proposal not be funded at all. In other cases, the ARC may decide to recommend a reduced amount of funding for the proposed project.
1.4.3Conflict of Interest
1.4.3.1All parties involved in or associated with Proposals and ARC-funded research projects are required to disclose to the ARC, and the other parties involved in the Proposal, affiliations with or financial involvement in any organisation which has, or is likely to have, a direct interest in the subject matter or outputs of the project. Such parties are required to disclose to the ARC at the time of the submission of a Proposal, and in reporting on ARC-funded research projects, any conflict of interest which has the potential to influence, or appear to influence, the research and activities, publications and media reports, or requests for funding related to the Proposal/project. All parties involved in a Proposal are required to disclose to the other parties involved in the Proposal (including Partner Organisations) any such conflict of interest - they must advise the other parties as soon as possible if such a conflict of interest arises during the course of an ARC-funded project.
1.4.3.2If, in the opinion of the ARC, any party involved in or associated with a Proposal has failed to disclose any such conflict of interest, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend for approval any or all Proposals involving that party.
1.4.3.3If a conflict of interest exists or arises, the Administering Organisation must have processes in place and documented for managing the conflict of interest for the life of the project. Such processes must comply with the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice (1997) and any relevant successor document. In the event of any inconsistency between the original and any successor document, the latter document is to apply.
1.4.4Acknowledging ARC support
1.4.4.1The Funding Agreement requires that any ARC contribution to research and other activities funded by the ARC be appropriately acknowledged. When, at any time during or after completion of a project, the researcher or any other party publishes or produces material such as books, articles, newsletters or other literary or artistic works which relate to the research project, the Administering Organisation must ensure (wherever possible) that the ARC’s contribution and support of the project is acknowledged in a prominent place and in an appropriate form. This acknowledgement should include the mention of the ARC as a funding body. Similar efforts should be made to acknowledge ARC support when participating in television and radio programs, and when interviewed by the print media.
1.4.4.2Advice on acceptable forms of acknowledgement and use of the ARC logo is provided on the ARC’s Web Site.
1.4.5Dissemination of research outputs
1.4.5.1The Australian Government makes a major investment in research to support its essential role in improving the wellbeing of our society. To maximise the benefits from research, findings need to be disseminated as broadly as possible to allow access by other researchers and the wider community.
1.4.5.2The ARC acknowledges that researchers take into account a wide range of factors in deciding on the best outlets for publications arising from their research. Such considerations include the status and reputation of a journal or publisher, the peer review process of evaluating their research outputs, access by other stakeholders to their work, the likely impact of their work on users of research and the further dissemination and production of knowledge. Taking heed of these considerations, the ARC wants to ensure the widest possible dissemination of the research supported under its funding, in the most effective manner and at the earliest opportunity.
1.4.5.3The ARC therefore encourages researchers to consider the benefits of depositing their data and any publications arising from a research project in an appropriate subject and/or institutional repository wherever such a repository is available to the researcher(s). If a researcher is not intending to deposit the data from a project in a repository within a six-month period, she/he should include the reasons in the project’s Final Report. Any research outputs that have been or will be deposited in appropriate repositories should be identified in the Final Report.
Changes from last year
2.1.1A number of clarifications and revisions have been made in these Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2008 (the 2008 Linkage Projects Funding Rules). Significant changes from the 2007 Linkage Projects Funding Rules include:
a.The Definitions Section contains a definition of Medical and Dental Research. This replaces the use of the term “clinical medical and dental research and training” used in previous funding rules. Provision has been made in Linkage Projects nevertheless for the ARC to fund Proposals which involve Medical and Dental Research if, in the opinion of the ARC, the Proposal has demonstrated that the expected outcomes are likely to have significant relevance or application beyond the medical and dental context (subsection 6.4.2). In addition, the ARC’s processes for dealing with, and issuing eligibility rulings relating to, Proposals involving medical research have been modified and now explicitly permit the ARC to consult with the NHMRC regarding the likelihood of the NHMRC’s funding research in the proposed research area (section 6.4). Clarification has been provided that Applicants may obtain an Eligibility Ruling from the ARC prior to the submission of a Proposal only following the submission of an Eligibility Ruling Request submitted in accordance with the requirements of Section 7.1.
b.The Definitions Section contains a definition of Earnings. This term is used in relation to the eligibility of LIF candidates and CIs (subsections 3.7.3 and 5.3.2). In particular, provision has been made for consultancy and contract payments to be taken into account in addition to salary in determining eligibility for LIFs and CIs.
c.Subsection 1.4.3 stipulates the right of the ARC to not recommend Proposals for approval if, in the opinion of the ARC, any party involved in or associated with the Proposal has failed to disclose a conflict of interest. There is a requirement for conflicts of interest to be declared not just to the ARC but to all other parties involved on a Proposal prior to the submission of the Proposal.
d.A new subsection has been added which deals with the dissemination of research outputs (subsection 1.4.5).
e.For the purposes of interpreting a number of sections of these Funding Rules, subsection 3.3.5 provides clarification regarding the term of a person’s fellowship.
f.The employment-related eligibility criteria for LIFs and CIs have been changed slightly, with the use of the term “Earnings” (being salary and/or consultancy/contract payments) replacing the term “salary” for the purposes of determining a person’s eligibility. Hence, provision has been made for consultancy and contract payments to be taken into account in addition to salary in determining eligibility (subsections 3.7.3 and 5.3.2).
g.The arrangements for LIFs have been modified. The maximum amount of funding available to support a LIF has increased to $200,000 and there is no longer the requirement for the temporary transfer of the LIF Fellow to be for a single continuous period of 3 to 12 months duration (Section 3.7).
h.The limits on the number of Proposals/projects for an APDI Fellow have been modified (subsection 3.8.1.2.c).
i.A CI or APDI must not be nominated in a Proposal (or involved in the project) if her/his involvement would generate or represent a conflict of interest unless in that particular case the ARC approves the relaxation of the prohibition on conflicts of interest for CI and APDIs (subsections 5.1.8 - 5.1.11). The ARC’s approval may be sought either by using the Eligibility Exemption process outlined in Section 7.1 or by identifying the conflict of interest in the Proposal and providing details regarding the nature of the conflict and how it will be managed throughout the life of the project. The ARC will consider whether the circumstances are such that the conflict of interest, if managed effectively and proactively, would not be likely to compromise the integrity, management or outcomes of the project. If there has been a failure to declare a conflict of interest the Proposal may not be recommended or approved for funding (subsections 1.4.3.2 and 8.2.2.2.b).
j.Clarification has been provided about the timing requirements for the eligibility of Chief Investigators and the ability for replacement Chief Investigators and Partner Investigators to be approved after a Proposal has been approved (Sections 5.3 and 5.4).
k.Clarification has been provided about the Eligibility Exemption process for obtaining eligibility exemptions for APDI candidates who do not meet the PhD qualification and/or timing requirements (subsection 5.5.1.2 and Section 7.1). The ARC may grant an exemption from the eligibility requirements only if an Eligibility Exemption Request has been submitted in accordance with the requirements of Section 7.1.
l.Changes have been made to the timing requirements for satisfying eligibility requirements for Fellowship candidates (Section 5.5).
m.Clarification has been provided that, unless otherwise specified in these Funding Rules, Proposals requesting a Fellowship must be made on the basis that the Fellow’s research will be carried out on a full-time basis only, but during the term of the Fellowship approval may be sought from the ARC for part of the Fellowship to be undertaken on a part-time basis for limited period(s) of time (subsection 5.5.1.7).
n.Clarification has been provided that, if a funding request for any proposed research project, salary or equipment has been, or is being submitted, under this or any other ARC scheme or to any other Commonwealth funding body, each Proposal must be cross-referenced and summary details of all other funding requests must be included in the Proposal and that, if these processes are not observed or the ARC determines that incomplete, misleading or inaccurate details were included in the Proposal, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Linkage Projects Proposal for approval (Sections 6.1 and 6.2).
o.Clarification has been provided about the involvement of researchers associated with Commonwealth-funded Research Centres in Linkage Projects Proposals submitted under these Funding Rules (subsection 5.5.2 and Section 6.3).
p.Clarification has also been provided that, if a Proposal identifies a CI or Fellowship candidate who is associated (not “substantially associated” as used in previous funding rules) with a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre and the person will continue to be associated with the Centre after 31 December 2007, the Proposal must include a letter from the Centre Director. The requirements of the letter are also modified (subsection 6.3.2.1).
q.The operation of the Eligibility Exemption Request and Eligibility Ruling Request processes have been clarified (Section 7.1).
r.Clarification has been provided about the agreements, signatures and certifications Administering Organisations must obtain and be able to provide to the ARC (Section 7.3).
s.Provision has been made for the ARC, in deciding whether or not to recommend a late Proposal for approval, to take into account whether the documents were despatched by the Administering Organisation sufficiently in advance of the closing time to enable the documents to have been delivered to the ARC by the closing time in the normal course of events (providing the Administering Organisation is able to provide such evidence to the satisfaction of the ARC) (subsection 7.4.5.3).
t.A number of modifications have been made to the selection criteria in Section 8.1. It is now explicit that the assessment of the track record of the investigators will take into account the track record of CIs, PIs and APDI Fellowship candidates on a Proposal. Assessment against the “track record” criterion may also take into account the capacity of the investigators to undertake and manage the proposed research. The previous criterion relating to Partner Organisations has also been modified somewhat and now focuses on the nature of the alliance between the Administering Organisation and the Partner Organisations, as well as budget issues to do with the commitment of the Partner Organisation(s), value for money and budget justification.
u.The provision for the ARC to not recommend Proposals if there has been incomplete, inaccurate or misleading material provided in relation to the reporting of progress of a funded project has been broadened to encompass situations where such deficiencies occur in the provision of advice to the ARC in relation to the project in general (i.e. not just in the reporting of progress) (subsections 8.2.2.2.i and 11.5.3).
v.Explicit provision is now made for Proposals requesting greater than $500,000 per year from the ARC (Large Linkage Projects) to be subjected to additional assessment which may include short-listing (within the group of Large Linkage Projects proposals) and the conduct of an interview process (subsections 8.2.3.2. – 8.2.3.4).
w.There is now a requirement for Administering Organisations which wish to provide written notification to the ARC naming any person or persons whom they do not wish to assess a Proposal to submit this request on the ARC’s “Request not to Assess” form (subsection 8.2.3.6).
x.In order to more fully explain the situation, provision is explicitly made for the Minister to vary a funding approval if the desirable period of funding for the project is not consistent with the period in the funding approval as previously approved or as otherwise varied (subsection 10.1.5.3).
y.The information in Appendix 2 regarding contributions by Partner Organisations has been re-worded for greater clarity. Further instruction is provided regarding the Eligibility Ruling Request process for Partner Organisations. When seeking an Eligibility Ruling for a proposed Partner Organisation more detail will be required to be provided to the ARC with the request in certain cases (A2.1.3 - A2.1.4). Partner Organisation contributions may not be used to assist the project with personnel costs of Partner Organisation personnel (A2.3.2).
z.Clarification has been provided that, as a general rule, the valuation of in-kind contributions provided by Partner Organisations should reflect current market values (Appendix 5, A5.1.2).
2.1.2The list of changes above is not comprehensive. Applicants and other parties involved in Proposals should read and understand the entire Funding Rules and draft Funding Agreement before a Proposal is submitted to the ARC.
Funding
3.1 Rounds
3.1.1Funding under Linkage Projects will be made available in rounds. Applicants are able to apply in the first round by 5:00pm (AEST) 4 May 2007 for funding to commence in January 2008 (Round 1), or in the second round by 5:00pm (AEDT) 23 November 2007 for funding to commence in July 2008 (Round 2). Prior to commencement of a round the ARC will advise the opening date for lodgment of Proposals. The ARC will allocate funds between the two rounds as it determines necessary and appropriate.
3.2 Level of funding
3.2.1All amounts referred to in these Funding Rules are to be read as exclusive of GST (if any), unless expressly stated otherwise.
3.2.2The minimum level of funding which will be provided by the ARC for a project is $20,000 per year. Applicants must make a request of at least $20,000 per year.
3.2.3Generally, the maximum level of ARC funding for a project is $500,000 per annum. In exceptional circumstances, the ARC is prepared to consider higher funding levels, where an outstanding case is made, and where there is clear evidence of a very high level of commitment by, and very significant cash contributions from, the Partner Organisation(s).
3.2.4In any case, the amount of funding sought in a Linkage Projects Proposal will depend on the Applicant’s capacity to obtain the required contribution from its Partner Organisation(s), as described in Appendix 2.
3.2.5If an APDI is requested, the Proposal should include a request for the Fellowship salary and on-costs in the budget. APDIs are awarded at the level outlined in Appendix 4.
3.2.6The ARC reserves the right to recommend the levels of funding allocated to a project at levels which may differ from those requested in the Proposal.
3.3 Period of funding
3.3.1Financial assistance may be payable under these Funding Rules for Linkage Projects projects in respect of the financial year 2007-08 and any subsequent years to which the ARC Act applies. Funding for approved projects will commence with effect 1 January 2008 (for Round 1 Proposals) and 1 July 2008 (for Round 2 Proposals), unless other arrangements are approved by the ARC.
3.3.2Projects may be funded for 1 to 5 years, subject to sufficient funding being available for Linkage Projects, the provisions of the ARC Act and continued satisfactory performance of the project.
3.3.3APDIs may be awarded for a standard duration of three years. The ARC may award an APDI with a duration of less than three years where the Proposal provides reasons, to the satisfaction of the ARC, why an award of the APDI for a period of less than three years is justified. (Further details regarding APDIs are provided in Appendix 4.)
3.3.4APAI stipends may be awarded for a period of up to three years with provision under certain conditions for an additional six months’ support from the Commonwealth for PhD students. If a Proposal seeks APAI funding for less than the three-year maximum, including for a Master’s degree, there is no provision for an additional six months’ stipend.
3.3.5For the purposes of these Funding Rules, the term of a researcher’s fellowship is determined based on the date on which the researcher commenced the fellowship. In the case of fellowships awarded under these Funding Rules, the commencement date will be 1 January 2008 (for fellowships awarded under Round 1) and 1 July 2008 (for fellowships awarded under for Round 2), unless the commencement has been deferred to a later date with the approval of the ARC.
3.3.6The ARC may recommend funding for a project for a duration different from that requested in the Proposal.
3.4 Types of research supported
3.4.1Subject to Sections 3.5 and 3.6, Linkage Projects supports all types of research, including:
a.pure basic research which is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge without looking for long-term benefits other than the advancement of knowledge;
b.strategic basic research which is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge directed into specified broad areas that are expected to lead to useful discoveries. Such research provides the broad base of knowledge necessary to solve recognised practical problems; and
c.applied research which is original work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge with a specific application in view. Such research is undertaken either to determine possible uses for the findings of basic research or to determine new ways of achieving some specific and predetermined objectives.
3.4.2The following project costs may be supported under Linkage Projects:
a.personnel (salaries and on-costs), including:
i.research associates, technicians and laboratory attendants;
ii.Australian Postgraduate Awards (Industry) (APAI) for postgraduate research students studying towards a Masters or PhD award (see Appendix 3 for APAI entitlements);
iii.Australian Postdoctoral Fellowships (Industry) (APDI) for researchers with less than three years’ postdoctoral experience (see Appendix 4 for entitlements); and
iv.Linkage Industry Fellowships (LIFs) – salary support associated with short-term transfers for CIs or PIs between Eligible Organisations and Partner Organisations, where, in the opinion of the ARC, an outstanding case is made (Section 3.7);
but excluding those items not permitted pursuant to subsections 3.6.2.b and e.
b.teaching relief for Chief Investigators, but only where the request is justified to the satisfaction of the ARC (see subsection 3.6.2c );
c.equipment;
d.maintenance; and
e.travel.
3.5 Areas of investigation/work not supported
3.5.1Linkage Projects does not support:
a.Medical and Dental Research;
b.activities leading solely to the creation or performance of a work of art, including visual art, musical compositions, drama, dance, film, broadcasts, designs and literary works. These areas are generally covered by other Commonwealth Government funding agencies, such as the Australia Council for the Arts;
c.scholarly investigations that, while important in themselves, do not lead to conceptual advances or discoveries, or to novel practical outcomes or applications. Projects such as uncritical compilations and purely descriptive catalogues or editions that do not involve original research are not funded;
d.projects where, in the ARC’s opinion, one or more Partner Organisations is seeking expert external assistance, not available within their own organisation, in order to develop specific applications involving little innovation or low risk, which the ARC deems to be contracted research or consultancies;
e.projects that, in the opinion of the ARC, do not significantly enhance links with organisations outside the publicly funded research and higher education sectors;
f.production of teaching materials, even though some research may be involved in their production;
g.compilation of data, unless this is an integral part of a project, in which case the Proposal must include a statement indicating the research objectives to which the data would contribute; and/or
h.development of research aids and tools (including computer programs), unless they form an integral part of the Proposal, in which case the Proposal must include a statement indicating the research objectives to which these activities would contribute.
3.5.2If the ARC considers that a Proposal seeks funding for a project that involves any of the items not permitted under Sections 3.5 or 3.6, then to that extent part or all of the Proposal will not be recommended or approved for funding. However, if the ARC considers that other parts of the proposed project remain worthy of support, the ARC may recommend that a reduced amount of funding be approved for the Proposal.
3.6 Restrictions on budget items
3.6.1Linkage Projects supports only costs which directly support a research project. The ARC may in its absolute discretion determine whether any project costs meet this requirement.
3.6.2Linkage Projects has restrictions on the following budget items:
a. Capital works and general infrastructure
Capital works and general infrastructure costs are not funded by the ARC, in whole or in part, under Linkage Projects. In addition, they must not be included in the required matching contributions made by Partner Organisations. This does not, however, preclude Partner Organisations from contributing to capital works and general infrastructure costs if the contribution is over and above the required matching contribution.
b. Salaries of Chief Investigators (CIs) and Partner Investigators (PIs)
The Commonwealth will not provide support, in whole or in part, to meet the salaries of CIs or PIs under Linkage Projects, apart from the possibility of support for costs associated with a LIF (Section 3.7).
c. Teaching and Teaching Relief
Linkage Projects funding is not usually provided to fund teaching and/or teaching relief. Commonwealth funds may be used for teaching relief only if specifically approved for that purpose. The ARC may fund fully justified teaching relief for a single period per year of not more than six months, per CI. If approved, the funding contribution is limited to a maximum rate of $32,972 (2008$) for 6 months per year (or pro rata for a lesser period) per CI, and is a Special Condition.
d. Special Studies Programs
Funds are not provided for travel or related expenses for researchers when on a Special Studies Program. However, some specified expenses may be funded for CIs, if approved by the ARC as a Special Condition, and provided that the Proposal clearly demonstrates that such expenses are not covered by a Special Studies Program and that the research to be undertaken directly relates to the project.
e. Research support for Partner Investigators
Funds are not provided for PIs, apart from short-term project support for investigators visiting from overseas and funding for approved LIF Fellows. Short-term project support may include support for travel within Australia for investigators visiting from overseas but excludes the cost of their travel to and from Australia.
f. International students’ fees, Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) liabilities.
Funds are not provided to pay the fees of international students or the HECS or the HELP liabilities for students.
g. Computer facilities for molecular analysis
Applicants for projects involving molecular biology should be aware that a number of organisations provide access to a range of databases and a large suite of analysis programs. As a result, Proposals seeking funding for computer facilities to undertake molecular analysis must justify such needs thoroughly and to the satisfaction of the ARC.
h. Basic facilities
The Administering Organisation must agree to provide the following basic facilities (where relevant to the Proposal), which will not be funded under Linkage Projects:
i. accommodation (e.g. laboratory and office, suitably equipped and furnished in standard ways);
ii. access to workshop services (e.g. machine tools and qualified technicians available to each member of staff, according to need, for research);
iii. access to film or music editing facilities;
iv. access to a basic library collection;
v. standard reference materials or funds for abstracting services;
vi. provision of computers, including laptops (excluding access to high-performance computers or other specialised applications) and basic computing facilities such as printers, word processing and other standard software; and
vii. use of photocopiers, telephones, mail, fax, email and internet services.
i. Publication Costs
Publication costs, including printing and page costs, will not be funded under Linkage Projects.
j. Costs not directly related to a project
Costs not directly related to a project will not be funded, for example costs of a personal nature such as child care.
3.7 Linkage Industry Fellowships (LIFs)
3.7.1Linkage Projects offers the opportunity to request a LIF, which provides support for salary-related costs involved in a temporary transfer of a researcher from one of the Eligible Organisations listed on a Proposal to one of the Partner Organisations listed on that Proposal, or vice versa.
3.7.2Proposals may include a request for funding for salary and salary-related on-costs (at the rate of 28%) for a LIF, up to a maximum of $200,000 over the duration of the fellowship. A Proposal may not request more than one LIF. LIFs will be funded, if, in the opinion of the ARC, an outstanding case is made for the fellowship. Only funds specifically approved for a LIF via a Special Condition may be used for that purpose.
3.7.3To request a LIF, a Proposal must:
a. identify the proposed Linkage Industry Fellow, who must be:
i. an eligible Chief Investigator on the Proposal; or
ii. an eligible Partner Investigator on the Proposal who is an employee of, and derives more than 50% of her/his Earnings from, one of the Partner Organisations on the Proposal;
b. identify and provide justification for the amount of salary-related support requested for the fellowship (not more than $200,000) and the proposed duration and timing of the fellowship and detail how the support requested will be used;
c. describe and justify the nature of the temporary transfer, which must include physical transfer of the Linkage Industry Fellow for the duration of the fellowship from one of the Eligible Organisations listed on the Proposal to one of the Partner Organisations listed on the Proposal, or vice versa; and
d. make a strong case for the Fellowship in terms of the benefits to the project and the contribution towards the objectives of Linkage Projects.
3.7.4The ARC reserves the right to make a recommendation on the level of support for, and duration of, a LIF. The ARC may recommend a level and duration which differ from those requested.
3.7.5The Linkage Projects Instructions to Applicants for Funding Commencing in 2008 provides more detailed information on how to request a LIF within a Proposal.
3.8 Number of Proposals and funded projects
3.8.1General Requirements
3.8.1.1Proposals may be submitted only to the extent that, if all were successful, the researchers nominated on those Proposals would not be involved in more than the maximum number of projects permitted in 2008 (subsection 3.8.1.2). For the purpose of applying these limits, the number of ongoing research projects which are to be funded for 2008, and the number of Proposals on which a researcher is nominated, are evaluated as at the closing time for the submission of Proposals for the relevant round, regardless of any subsequent change in, or withdrawal of, Proposals. Submitting Proposals that exceed this limit may result in all Proposals involving the relevant researcher(s) not being recommended or approved for funding.
3.8.1.2Specific limits on the number of projects funded in 2008:
Limit type
Limit description
a. CI limit
CIs may participate in up to four concurrent Linkage Projects projects which have ARC funding for project costs and/or APDIs (these four may or may not also include APAI funding).
CIs may also participate in up to four concurrent Linkage Projects projects which have ARC funding only for APAIs.
b. PI limit
There is no limit on the number of concurrent projects for PIs.
c. APDI limit
An APDI Fellow may participate in up to five concurrent Linkage Projects projects which have funding for project costs and/or APDIs (these five may or may not also include APAI funding).
3.8.1.3For the purposes of the limits applying in these Funding Rules, a project for which funding was/is to be carried over, or deferred, into the next year is considered to be funded for the years notified in the letter of offer of funding provided by the ARC. For example, if a project was originally funded for four years and funding is subsequently carried over to a fifth year, the project will still be considered for these purposes as funded for the original four years.
3.8.2Duplication
3.8.2.1Various components underpinning a project are to be included in a single Linkage Projects Proposal. For example, separate Proposals cannot be submitted seeking project funding for APDIs and APAIs for essentially the same project. If the ARC considers that separate Proposals are submitted in the same funding round seeking funding for separate components for essentially the same project the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Proposals for approval.
3.8.2.2Only one Proposal may be submitted to Linkage Projects in respect of a particular project in the same funding round, regardless of any variation in the listed researchers and/or Administering Organisation. If the ARC considers that a project described in a Proposal is the same as or similar (in whole or in part) to a project described in another Proposal that is submitted in the same funding round, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend for approval any or all of those Proposals, or recommend that a reduced amount of funding be provided for that or any similar Proposal. The ARC reserves the right to determine whether Proposals are duplicates or sufficiently similar to warrant one or more Proposals’ being not recommended for approval.
3.8.2.3A Linkage Projects Proposal may not be submitted if it is essentially the same as an eligible Proposal submitted in the previous Linkage Projects round. If the ARC considers that a Proposal in a round is for essentially the same project as a Proposal submitted in the previous round, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the later Proposal for approval. However, if a Linkage Projects Proposal was not funded in a previous round because the ARC considered it as ineligible for funding because it did not meet the eligibility criteria or accountability requirements, a similar Proposal which meets the eligibility and accountability requirements may be submitted in the immediately following round.
Organisational types, roles and eligibility
4.1 Eligible Organisations
4.1.1A Proposal may be submitted only by an Eligible Organisation. Appendix 1 specifies Eligible Organisations for Linkage Projects.
4.1.2More than one Eligible Organisation may be involved in a single Proposal – such organisations are generally identified by virtue of the organisational affiliations of the Chief Investigators listed on the Proposal. However, each Proposal must specify a single Eligible Organisation (the Administering Organisation) which submits the Proposal and which will receive and administer ARC financial assistance if the Proposal is successful.
4.2 Partner Organisations
4.2.1Each Proposal must identify at least one Partner Organisation which will be involved in the proposed project. Partner Organisation(s) must satisfy the requirements in Appendix 2. Interaction with a Partner Organisation is required for the whole period of the project.
4.2.2Information about the eligibility of Partner Organisations is set out in Appendix 2, together with information about the required contributions and possible tax incentives for Partner Organisations.
4.2.3Each Proposal must indicate agreed contributions from the Partner Organisation(s), and these contributions must meet the requirements specified in Appendix 2. Applicants determine, in collaboration with the Partner Organisation(s), which types of resources are appropriate and necessary for the project they wish to undertake. Contributions from the Partner Organisation(s) must be specific to the project and must not be part of a broader contribution to an Eligible Organisation.
4.2.4The Proposal should include a detailed description of the collaborative arrangements proposed. Details of the nature of the collaboration should be presented in both descriptive terms and in figures. Proposals should make clear how each Partner Organisation is involved in the project, how the project fits into each Partner Organisation’s overall strategic plan and how the project is of value to each of the Partner Organisations involved.
4.2.5The Proposal must include a letter of support (of no more than two A4 pages) from each Partner Organisation on its letterhead, including a brief profile of the Partner Organisation and details of the cash and in-kind support that will be provided.
4.2.6Each Partner Organisation must certify at Part F of the Proposal:
a. that no part of its cash contribution is drawn from funds previously appropriated from government sources for the purposes of research, research evaluation and/or consultancy activity; and
b. that the Partner Organisation has read and understood the requirements in the draft Funding Agreement about Partner Organisation agreements, including the requirement to enter into arrangements regarding intellectual property.
4.2.7Proposals which fail to meet any of the requirements specified in Section 4.2 will not be recommended or approved for funding.
Roles and eligibility for researchers
5.1 Researcher roles and general eligibility
5.1.1Roles that may be undertaken by researchers under Linkage Projects are:
a. Chief Investigator (CI);
b. Partner Investigator (PI); or
c. Australian Postdoctoral Fellow (Industry) (APDI).
5.1.2A Proposal must nominate at least one CI or APDI Fellow candidate.
5.1.3All CIs, PIs and APDI Fellows candidates must satisfy the eligibility criteria for their nominated role as specified in Section 5, and if applicable the criterion at subsection 6.3.1.2.a, of these Funding Rules.
5.1.4The first-named CI or APDI Fellow on a Proposal will be considered the ‘Project Leader’ of the project.
5.1.5If a Linkage Projects Proposal seeks support for an APAI stipend, the Proposal must identify at least one CI as supervisor for the student.
5.1.6A researcher nominated as a CI, PI or APDI Fellow must take significant intellectual responsibility for the proposed project, its conception, and any strategic decisions called for in its pursuit and the communication of results. The researcher must have the capacity to make a serious commitment to the project and cannot assume the role of a supplier of resources for work that will largely be placed in the hands of others. The ARC reserves the right to determine whether a person has the requisite capacity to perform the role.
5.1.7At the time of the submission of a Proposal all obligations regarding previously funded projects involving the nominated CIs and APDI Fellows on the Proposal must have been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the ARC. Such obligations include the provision of satisfactory progress and final reports.
5.1.8Subject to subsections 5.1.9 – 5.1.11, a CI or APDI must not be nominated in a Proposal, or involved in the project if successful, if her/his involvement would generate or represent a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest includes, among other things, a researcher’s:
a. having a substantial direct or indirect financial interest in any of the proposed Partner Organisations for the project; or
b. holding a position of Director, Board member, or other paid or unpaid senior management position in any of the proposed Partner Organisations for the project.
5.1.9If a conflict of interest exists it may be possible for approval to be given in that particular case by the ARC for the relaxation of the criteria specified in subsection 5.1.8. Administering Organisations may seek this approval by:
a. submitting an Eligibility Exemption Request pursuant to the process outlined in Section 7.1. The Eligibility Exemption Request must contain supporting information describing the nature and details of the conflict of interest and how it will be managed throughout the life of the project. (Note: The conflict must still be declared in the Proposal even if an eligibility exemption has been granted by the ARC); or
b. identifying the conflict of interest in the Proposal and providing details regarding the nature of the conflict and how it will be managed throughout the life of the project.
5.1.10In deciding whether to provide an eligibility exemption and/or relax the eligibility criteria specified in subsection 5.1.8, the ARC will consider whether, based on the material provided by the Administering Organisation in the Eligibility Exemption Request or in the Proposal, the circumstances are such that the conflict of interest, if managed effectively and proactively, would not be likely to compromise the integrity, management or outcomes of the project. For example, depending upon the circumstances of the case, it may be possible for the ARC to approve the relaxation of the eligibility criteria specified in subsection 5.1.8 if it considers that the parties will implement sufficiently robust practices which, in keeping with good corporate governance arrangements, provide for the declaration of conflicts and abstention of conflicted parties from decisions impacting on the research/project.
5.1.11The Eligibility Exemption Request and/or Proposal must contain all the information necessary for the ARC to assess the issue of conflicts of interest without the need for further written or oral explanation, or reference to additional documentation, unless requested by the ARC. Notwithstanding the disclosure of any conflicts of interest to the ARC, pursuant to subsection 1.4.3 the Administering Organisation is required to disclose to any other participating organisations (including Partner Organisations) any conflict of interest which has the potential to influence, or appear to influence, the research and activities associated with the Proposal.
5.1.12If the ARC considers that a researcher nominated in the Proposal as a CI, PI or APDI Fellow does not meet the eligibility criteria in this Section or Sections 5.3, 5.4 or 5.5 for the role which that researcher is to perform, the Proposal will not be recommended or approved for funding.
5.2 Early Career Researchers
5.2.1The ‘Early Career Researcher’ category applies in the ARC Discovery Projects scheme. It is not used in these Funding Rules.
5.3 Eligibility criteria for Chief Investigators
5.3.1To be eligible to be a CI, a person must meet the criteria stipulated in Section 5.3 and subsections 5.1.6, 5.1.7 and 5.1.8.
5.3.2A researcher nominated on a Proposal as a CI must meet at least one of the following criteria as at 1 January 2008 for Round 1, or as at 1 July 2008 for Round 2 and for the full term of her/his participation in the project:
a. be an employee of, and derive at least 50 per cent of her/his Earnings from, an Eligible Organisation listed in Appendix 1 or
b. be a holder of an Adjunct Appointment or equivalent at an Eligible Organisation (listed in Appendix 1) who does not have a substantive position or paid appointment elsewhere.
5.3.3She/he must reside predominantly in Australia for the full term of her/his participation in the project. If the person does not have permanent resident status she/he must obtain temporary or permanent resident status from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs before she/he may commence on the project.
5.3.4A CI must not receive any Earnings from ARC funding for the project (subject to Section 3.7 concerning Linkage Industry Fellows).
5.3.5Notwithstanding a researcher’s eligibility under the criteria above or below in this Section, a researcher undertaking undergraduate or postgraduate studies is not eligible to be a CI, unless those studies lie outside the scope and area of the research proposed in the Proposal.
5.3.6If a Proposal has been approved for funding and any or all of the CIs are at any time during the project no longer able to work on the project, the project may be continued under replacement CIs provided that:
a. approval is obtained from the Minister for the change in CI; and
b. a replacement CI meets the following criteria at the time she/he is nominated as a replacement and for the full term of her/his participation in the project:
i. she/he meet the criterion stipulated in subsection 5.1.8;
ii. she/he must take significant intellectual responsibility for the proposed project and any strategic decisions called for in its pursuit and the communication of results. The researcher must have the capacity to make a serious commitment and contribution to the project and cannot assume the role of a supplier of resources for work that will largely be placed in the hands of others;
iii. she/he must reside predominantly in Australia for the full term of her/his participation in the project;
iv. all obligations regarding previously funded projects involving the nominated replacement CI must have been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the ARC; and
v. she/he must be:
(a) be an employee of, and derive at least 50 per cent of her/his Earnings from, an Eligible Organisation listed in Appendix 1; or
(b) be a holder of an Adjunct Appointment or equivalent at an Eligible Organisation (as listed in Appendix 1) who does not have a substantive position or paid appointment elsewhere.
5.4 Eligibility criteria for Partner Investigators
5.4.1To be eligible to be a PI, a researcher must:
a. not meet the eligibility criteria specified in Section 5.3.2 for a CI;
b. secure an appropriate contribution of time and operating costs from her/his organisation for the proposed project;
c. not receive salary support from the ARC funding for the project, unless approved as a Linkage Industry Fellow (see Section 3.7); and
d. take significant intellectual responsibility as outlined in subsection 5.1.6.
5.4.2A PI may act as a supervisor for an APAI in conjunction with a CI who is also involved in the proposed project.
5.4.3PI and CI roles are mutually exclusive. An individual cannot be identified as having both roles on Proposals in the same round.
5.4.4If a Proposal has been approved for funding and any or all PIs are at any time during the project no longer able to work on the project, the project may be continued with replacement PIs provided that:
a. approval is obtained from the Minister for the change in PI; and
b. a replacement PI must:
i. meet the eligibility criteria specified in subsections 5.4.1.a - 5.4.1.d at the time of her/his nomination and for the full term of her/his participation in the project; and
ii. not meet the eligibility criteria specified in subsection 5.3.6.b.v for a CI.
5.5 Eligibility criteria for APDI Fellows
5.5.1General Eligibility
5.5.1.1APDI candidates must satisfy the criteria specified at subsections 5.1.6, 5.1.7, 5.1.8, and the eligibility criteria for CIs specified at subsection 5.3.3.
5.5.1.2APDI candidates must also:
a. have been awarded a PhD not more than three years before the closing time for the relevant round or have not yet submitted a PhD but will do so within six months after the closing time in the relevant round (in which case the Fellowship cannot commence until the PhD has been awarded - if the PhD is not submitted within six months of the closing time for the relevant round any offer of funding for a project involving the APDI Fellow will be withdrawn or the Funding Agreement will be terminated); or
b. have obtained approval from the ARC, via the submission of an Eligibility Exemption Request pursuant to the process outlined in Section 7.1, for the:
i. recognition of an equivalent research qualification; and/or
ii. relaxation of the qualification and/or timing requirements.
The Eligibility Exemption Request must contain supporting information justifying the Fellowship candidate’s special circumstances for an eligibility exemption, including information indicating that the candidate’s qualifications and experience are equivalent to a PhD obtained within the time limits specified above and/or a case justifying the relaxation of the timing requirements in terms of issues such as, but not limited to, research career interruption, non-research employment, misadventure or carer responsibilities. Exemptions may be given by the ARC only if the exemption has been sought in accordance with the process described in Section 7.1.
5.5.1.3The ARC may, in its absolute discretion, determine the validity and date of effect for the attainment of PhD-equivalent status for researchers for the purpose of determining the eligibility of APDI candidates and whether to relax the timing requirements.
5.5.1.4In addition, APDI candidates must:
a. not have previously been awarded any other ARC Fellowship;
b. make a full-time commitment to ARC funded projects, other than circumstances where these Funding Rules (e.g. Section 3.8) or other ARC funding rules make provision for an APDI Fellow to participate in additional ARC-funded projects; and
c. ensure that their involvement in the proposed project does not generate or represent a conflict of interest (see subsections 5.1.8 – 5.1.11 regarding the circumstances where conflicts may arise and the potential for exemptions/relaxation of this requirement to be granted by the ARC).
5.5.1.5A researcher who has held an IRF (or ARC Research Cadetship-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander award) may apply for an APDI only during or after the final year of her/his IRF/Research Cadetship.
5.5.1.6If the ARC considers the proposed APDI Fellow to be critical to the success of the project and if the proposed APDI Fellow cannot take up the Fellowship, the offer of funding for the project involving the proposed APDI Fellow may be withdrawn or the Funding Agreement may be terminated.
5.5.1.7Unless otherwise specified in these Funding Rules, Proposals requesting an APDI must be made on the basis that the Fellow’s research will be carried out on a full-time basis only. Nevertheless, if a Fellowship Proposal is successful the Fellow may, during the term of the Fellowship, and subject to the agreement of the Partner Organisations, request approval from the ARC for part of the Fellowship to be undertaken on a part-time basis for one or more limited periods of time. The ARC may, in its absolute discretion, approve the conversion of the Fellowship to part-time status for one or more periods of time.
5.5.1.8Further information on entitlements for APDI Fellows is set out in Appendix 4.
5.5.2Fellowships at a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre
5.5.2.1Funding for APDI Fellows who will be undertaking research which forms a part of a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre’s funded research activities will be limited to the provision of support for salary plus on-costs as specified in Appendix 4. Proposals requesting such Fellowships must contain a letter from the Centre Director confirming that the Fellow, if successful, will have her/his research costs funded by the Centre for research on the proposed project. This confirmation may be contained in the same letter as that required under Section 6.3.2.1. If the Proposal does not contain this confirmation, then the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Proposal for approval.
5.5.2.2Proposals involving existing and proposed Fellowships at a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre should have regard to Section 6.3.
Cross-scheme issues
6.1 Cross-scheme funding
6.1.1The ARC will not duplicate financial assistance for research already funded by the Commonwealth or which is likely to be funded from other Commonwealth funding sources (including under this or any other ARC funding scheme). The ARC reserves the right to determine if a Proposal duplicates or is likely to duplicate research being funded by another Commonwealth source. In such circumstances, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Proposal for approval. However, if the ARC considers parts of the proposed project remain worthy of support, the ARC may assess the Proposal in the usual way and the ARC may instead recommend that a reduced amount of funding be approved for the Proposal.
6.2 Cross-scheme eligibility
6.2.1If a funding request for any proposed research project, salary or equipment has been or is being submitted under this or any other ARC scheme or to any other Commonwealth funding body, each Proposal must be cross-referenced and summary details of all other funding and requests must be included in the Proposal. Proposals must indicate the level of funding obtained, or being sought, from all Commonwealth funding sources and must list all existing research funding from all Commonwealth sources. If these processes are not observed or the ARC determines that incomplete, misleading or inaccurate details were included in the Proposal, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Linkage Projects Proposal for approval.
6.2.2If a researcher is concurrently the subject of multiple Fellowship requests, whether these are in one or more ARC schemes, the Proposals must be cross-referenced. If more than one of these Fellowship requests is approved for funding, only one Fellowship can be accepted.
6.2.3The ARC may liaise with other funding agencies to discuss any overlap between proposed or existing research projects in order to avoid duplication of funding. The ARC may, for this purpose, disclose to that agency any information in a Proposal.
6.3 Researchers from Commonwealth-funded Research Centres
6.3.1Duplication with Commonwealth-funded Research Centres
6.3.1.1Funding will not be provided for research already funded by a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre or which could reasonably be expected to be supported by the Centre given its research program and its level of funding. The proposed research must not duplicate work that, in the opinion of the ARC, is or will be, or could reasonably be expected to be, undertaken by a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre.
6.3.1.2A researcher who is associated with a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre must:
a. not be nominated on a Proposal which duplicates existing Commonwealth-funded research within the Centre or research which could reasonably be expected to be supported by the Centre given its research program and its level of funding; and
b. meet all other relevant eligibility requirements for the role which she/he is to perform.
6.3.1.3Regardless of the provisions of the funding rules and funding agreements for ARC Centres of Excellence, Centre Directors who may be required under the funding agreement for the Centre to undertake the function on a full-time basis may participate in Linkage Projects Proposals and projects funded under these Funding Rules. However, they may do so only if the proposed research is:
a. related, and complementary, to the research activities of the Centre; and
b. not already funded by a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre or could reasonably be expected to be supported by the Centre (per subsection 6.3.1.1).
6.3.2Association with Commonwealth-funded Research Centres
6.3.2.1If a Proposal nominates a CI or APDI candidate who is associated with a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre, and the person will continue to be associated with the Centre after 31 December 2007 for Round 1 Proposals or 30 June 2008 for Round 2 Proposals, the Proposal must include a letter from the Centre Director which:
a. describes the relationship between the proposed research and the research undertaken by the Centre; and
b. explains how, and explicitly states that, the proposed research does not duplicate work that is already funded or could reasonably be expected to be funded by the Centre; and
c. if Commonwealth funding for the Centre is likely, or is due, to terminate during the 2008 calendar year, provides details regarding the future of the Centre’s research activities and the employment circumstances of the CI or APDI candidate.
6.3.2.2This letter should be no longer than one page. If such a letter is not provided in the Proposal, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Proposal for approval.
6.3.2.3The ARC reserves the right to determine if a proposed project duplicates work funded or likely to be funded as part of a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre. In making a determination the ARC may have regard to, among other matters, the Centre application, Centre funding agreement, business plans, strategic plans and/or Annual Reports. If the ARC considers any information contained in the Linkage Projects Proposal, the accompanying letter from the Centre Director and/or the Centre Annual Report is inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading in a material respect, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Proposal for approval. If, however, the ARC considers that parts of the proposed project remain worthy of support, the ARC may assess the Proposal in the usual way and instead recommend that reduced funding be approved for the Proposal. If the ARC becomes aware of duplication of funding after a project has been funded, the project may be terminated and the Centre Director may be asked to show cause why any ARC funding for the Commonwealth-funded Research Centre should not be terminated.
6.3.2.4Subsection 5.5.2.1 provides further details on the requirements for statements pertaining to Fellowships proposed to be held by researchers within Commonwealth-funded Research Centres which may need to be included in the letter from the Centre Director.
6.4 Funding of Medical and Dental Research
6.4.1Pursuant to subsections 3.5.1.a and 3.5.2, the ARC does not fund Medical and Dental Research under Linkage Projects.
6.4.2Notwithstanding subsections 6.4.1, 3.5.1.a and 3.5.2, a Proposal which focuses on the development of novel materials, technologies, tools and other innovative applications may be recommended and approved for funding if, in the opinion of the ARC, the Proposal has demonstrated that the expected outcomes are likely to have significant relevance or application beyond the medical and dental context.
6.4.3The ARC reserves the right to determine at its absolute discretion conclusively whether:
a. proposed research involves Medical and Dental Research; and
b. the expected outcomes of a proposed project are likely to have significant relevance or application beyond the medical and dental context.
6.4.4The NHMRC funds a range of Medical and Dental Research. In some instances, it may not be clear to the intended Administering Organisation whether or not a Proposal would fall within this area of research such that it would not be funded by the ARC. In these cases, an Eligibility Ruling Request may be submitted to the ARC, by forwarding a summary of not more than two pages, outlining the proposed research, according to the process described in Section 7.1. The ARC may use the Eligibility Ruling Request to decide whether it would be willing to accept a Proposal involving the proposed research. For the purpose of determining a ruling in relation to proposed research, the ARC may, but is under no obligation to, refer Eligibility Ruling Requests to the NHMRC in order to consult with the NHMRC about the likelihood of the NHMRC’s funding research in the proposed research area. The intended Administering Organisation will be advised of the ARC’s decision approximately two weeks after the due date for such requests.
6.4.5If the Administering Organisation submits, or intends to submit, applications to the ARC and the NHMRC for similar research it must cross-reference the Proposals and must declare the dual submission on the ARC application form.
6.4.6In all cases, whether or not the above process is observed, the ARC reserves the right to decide whether a proposed project, or elements of a project, falls within the area of Medical and Dental Research.
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, for our agricultural and marine production systems and for communities; 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 in the natural sciences, such as agriculture, natural resource management, climate change, horticulture, forestry, mining, energy, and marine sciences, as well as in the social sciences and humanities.
We must build on these strengths to improve our competitive advantages while enhancing our understanding of natural systems and the interplay of human activities.
In particular, there needs to be an increased understanding of the contributions of human behaviour to environmental and climate change, and on appropriate adaptive responses and strategies.
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 seven areas of water utilisation, transforming resource-based industries, overcoming land degradation, developing cleaner, more efficient fuels and energy sources, managing biodiversity, deep earth resources and responding to climate change and variability.
Priority Goals
Water – a critical resource
Sustainable ways of improving water productivity, using less water in agriculture and other industries, providing increased protection of rivers and groundwater and the re-use of urban and industrial waste waters.
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, a highly variable climate, unique ecosystems, flora and fauna and a distinctive indigenous and settler history. Enhancing our understanding of the links between these factors and water availability will result in a better understanding of sustainable water management practices.
Transforming existing industries
New technologies for resource-based industries to deliver substantial increases in national wealth while minimising environmental impacts on land and sea.
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 and national well being will depend on research and on the development and adoption of new technologies.
Overcoming soil loss, salinity and acidity
Identifying causes and solutions to land degradation using a multidisciplinary approach to restore land surfaces.
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 National Land and Water Resources Audit shows the extent of salinity, soil erosion and soil acidification in the Australian environment and illustrates Australia’s leading edge in national mapping of critical resource data. Further multidisciplinary effort is required to develop sustainable land management practices that are appropriate for Australian conditions and mitigate major land degradation processes and increase biodiversity.
Reducing and capturing emissions in transport and energy generation
Alternative transport technologies and clean combustion and efficient new power generation systems and capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide.
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.
Sustainable use of Australia’s biodiversity
Managing and protecting Australia’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity both for its own value and to develop long term use of ecosystem goods and services ranging from fisheries to ecotourism.
Australia has a unique and rich flora and fauna. Many of our complex ecosystems – on which our agricultural, fisheries and tourism industries depend - have adapted to events such as drought and fire, and have been shaped by indigenous and settler management practices. There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of these natural systems and the interplay with human activities, and the effects of management and protection measures.
Developing deep earth resources
Smart high-technology exploration methodologies, including imaging and mapping the deep earth and ocean floors, and novel efficient ways of commodity extraction and processing (examples include minerals, oil and gas) while minimising negative ecological and social impacts.
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.
Responding to climate change and variability
Increasing our understanding of the impact of climate change and variability at the regional level across Australia, and addressing the consequences of these factors on the environment and on communities.
Australia already has a highly variable climate, and climate change can be expected to have further significant impacts. It is important to enhance our understanding of the consequences of climate change and variability at the regional level across Australia, and the implications for the environment and for communities. It is also important to explore beneficial adaptation strategies to climate change and variability to ensure ongoing social, economic and environmental well being.
Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health
Promoting good health and well being for all Australians
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.
Enabling individuals and families to make choices that lead to healthy, productive and fulfilling lives 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 addressing the causes 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. These could include interventions that reduce exposure to contamination of the physical environment (eg air pollution).
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 multidisciplinary 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 four areas of a healthy start to life, ageing well, ageing productively, preventive healthcare and strengthening Australia’s social and economic fabric.
Priority Goals
A healthy start to life
Counteracting the impact of genetic, social and environmental factors which predispose infants and children to ill health and reduce their well being and life potential.
Human health in the developing foetus and in early childhood is 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 supports the Government’s National Agenda for Early Childhood initiative.
Ageing well, ageing productively
Developing better social, medical and population health strategies to improve the mental and physical capacities of ageing people.
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 OECD nations, major shifts in cultural expectations and attitudes about ageing are necessary to respond constructively, at both an individual and population level. A healthy aged population will contribute actively to the life of the nation through participation in the labour market or through voluntary work. This goal supports the Government’s National Strategy for an Ageing Australia.
Preventive healthcare
New ethical, evidence-based strategies to promote health and prevent disease through the adoption of healthier lifestyles and diet, and the development of health-promoting products.
Preventive healthcare research will improve the prediction and prevention of disease and injury for all Australians through the adoption of healthier behaviours, lifestyles and environments. Research will generate an improvement in the design, delivery and uptake of programs 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 on prevention will emphasise interdisciplinary approaches, including research on ethics, drawing on contributions from the social sciences and humanities, as well as from the health and medical sciences. It will also focus on developing new health promoting foods and nutraceuticals. This goal supports the Government’s Focus on Prevention initiative.
Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric
Understanding and strengthening key elements of Australia's social and economic fabric to help families and individuals live healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives.
Living in today's society involves a complex web of choices, yet many of the traditional support structures are weaker than they have been in the past. Enabling people to make choices that lead to positive pathways to self reliance and supportive family structures is more important than ever. The interactions between the social safety net, social and economic participation, financial incentives and community and private sources of support are critical in helping people maximise their potential and achieve good, healthy, lifetime outcomes. In the decade ahead, it will be vital to understand and support the drivers for workforce participation and the broader social and economic trends influencing Australian families and communities. This goal supports the Government's welfare reform and participation agendas. Research in this area will emphasise interdisciplinary approaches, drawing on contributions from the economic, behavioural and social sciences.
Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries
Stimulating the growth of world-class Australian industries using innovative
technologies developed from cutting-edge research
Progress and wealth often derive 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 digital media to develop 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.
A better understanding of the conditions that are conducive to innovation will ensure that Australia’s investment in research will maximise the benefits for Australia.
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 five areas of breakthrough science, frontier technologies, advanced materials, smart information use, and promoting an innovation culture and economy.
Priority Goals
Breakthrough science
Better understanding of the fundamental processes that will advance knowledge and facilitate the development of technological innovations.
Breakthrough science underpins technological innovation across a range of industries critical to maintaining Australia’s position as a developed country. Some examples include bio-, cultural- 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.
Frontier technologies
Enhanced capacity in frontier technologies to power world-class industries of the future and build on Australia’s strengths in research and innovation (examples include nanotechnology, biotechnology, ICT, photonics, genomics/phenomics, and complex systems).
The potential applications of frontier technologies across a range of industries in Australia are vast. Australia has significant capacity to exploit niche markets for new products and services emerging from frontier technologies. Australia has world-class research expertise in many such areas. Some examples include nanotechnology, biotechnology, ICT, photonics, genomics and phenomics. Also important are advanced frameworks such as complex systems in which these technologies are applied. Future directions in this priority area need to target the cutting-edge science critical for each emerging technology.
Advanced materials
Advanced materials for applications in construction, communications, transport, agriculture and medicine (examples include ceramics, organics, biomaterials, smart material and fabrics, composites, polymers and light metals).
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.
Smart information use
Improved data management for existing and new business applications and creative applications for digital technologies (examples include e-finance, interactive systems, multi-platform media, creative industries, digital media creative design, content generation and imaging).
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, multi-media, 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, and health and ‘info-tainment’. The ability of organisations to operate virtually and collaborate across huge distances in Australia and internationally hinges on our capabilities in this area. The media and creative industries are among the fastest growing sectors of the new economy. Research is needed to exploit the huge potential in the digital media industry.
Promoting an innovation culture and economy
Maximising Australia’s creative and technological capability by understanding the factors conducive to innovation and its acceptance.
Understanding the factors that lead to highly creative and innovative ideas and concepts, and the conditions that lead to their introduction, transfer and uptake is critical for any nation that aspires to lead the world in breakthrough science, frontier technologies, and in other forms of innovation. Promoting an innovation culture and economy requires research with a focus on developing and fostering human talent, societal and cultural values favourable to creativity and innovation, and structures and processes for encouraging and managing innovation.
Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia
Safeguarding Australia from terrorism, crime, invasive diseases and pests, strengthening our understanding of Australia’s place in the region and the world, and securing our infrastructure, particularly with respect to our digital systems.
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.
Enhancing our nation’s understanding of social, political and cultural issues will help Australia to engage with our neighbours and the wider global community and to respond to emerging issues.
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 collaborative approaches and 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 five areas of critical infrastructure, understanding our region and the world, protecting Australia from invasive diseases and pests, protecting Australia from terrorism and crime, and transformational defence technologies.
Priority goals
Critical infrastructure
Protecting Australia’s critical infrastructure including our financial, energy, communications, and transport systems.
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.
Understanding our region and the world
Enhancing Australia’s capacity to interpret and engage with its regional and global environment through a greater understanding of languages, societies, politics and cultures.
Social, cultural and religious issues are of growing significance due to the insecurities of globalisation and the increasing role of non-state players in the security environment. Australia’s capacity to interpret and engage with its regional and global environment will be substantially improved by enhancing its research base in apposite languages, societies and cultures. An approach that enhances Australia’s capacity to interpret itself to the rest of the world is also needed.
Protecting Australia from invasive diseases and pests
Counteract the impact of invasive species through the application of new technologies and by integrating approaches across agencies and jurisdictions.
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 and crime
By promoting a healthy and diverse research and development system that anticipates threats and supports core competencies in modern and rapid identification techniques.
Protecting Australia from terrorism is now more important than ever before in light of recent events and our involvement in the ‘war on terror’. The new threat requires a more sophisticated response which should harness Australia’s research capabilities, and which will focus on all phases of counter-terrorism; prevention, preparedness, detection, response and recovery. 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.
Transformational defence technologies
Transform military operations for the defence of Australia by providing superior technologies, better information and improved ways of operation.
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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