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Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development
Selection Report for Funding Commencing in 2010

Overview

The Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development scheme aims to:

  • develop the research expertise of Indigenous Researchers who have not participated as a Chief Investigator on a project funded under any of the ARC’s other funding schemes or previously been awarded an ARC Fellowship;
  • support fundamental research and research training by Indigenous Researchers, either individually or in teams;
  • provide Indigenous Researchers with experience in the preparation of research funding proposals;
  • attract and retain established Indigenous Researchers; and
  • expand Australia’s knowledge base and research capability.

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Selection Process

The closing date for Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development (DIRD) proposals was 13 May 2009. The DIRD Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) comprised four members of the ARC’s College of Experts. The SAC considered the assessments and any responses to those assessments, ranked the proposals, and prepared funding recommendations at a selection meeting conducted on 27 August 2009.

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Selection Criteria

The assessment of proposals was based on the scheme’s selection criteria:

  • Investigator(s) (40%)
  • Proposed project content (40%)
  • Quality of the research environment and/or Mentor and/or Supervisor (20%)

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Funding Levels and Duration

DIRD proposals may be awarded funding for up to three years subject to parliamentary appropriation.  Australian Research Fellowships - Indigenous (ARF-Is) may be awarded for a duration of two or three years.  Indigenous Researcher Fellowships (IRFs) may be awarded for a duration of one or two years.

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Summary of Outcomes

Twenty-three proposals were received with nine proposals approved for funding commencing in 2010. Total approved ARC funding for 2009-10 to 2012-13 is $1,809,820 with an average funding per approved proposal of $201,091.  Four proposals are approved for funding for two years and five proposals are approved for funding for three years. Six proposals requested an ARF-I, of which two were approved for funding. Five proposals requested an IRF, of which three were approved for funding.

The overall success rate for DIRD proposals in this round is 39.1 per cent which is higher than the corresponding figure for proposals considered in 2008 (34 per cent). Total requested funding over the financial years 2009-10 to 2012-13 was $4,663,006. Total funding for approved proposals is $1,809,820 or 38.8 per cent of the total funding requested by those proposals.

Table 1: Numbers of proposals and success rates, by discipline group

Discipline Group
Proposals Received
Not Approved
Approved
Success rate
BSB
7
7
0
0.0%
EE
2
0
2
100%
HCA
7
3
4
57.1%
MIC
0
0
0
0.0%
PCE
0
0
0
0.0%
SBE
7
4
3
42.9%
Total
23
14
9
39.1%

*BSB = Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EE = Engineering and Environmental Sciences; HCA = Humanities and Creative Arts; MIC = Mathematics, Information and Communication Sciences; PCE = Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences; SBE = Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences

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Project Size

The following allocations are for DIRD proposals to commence in 2010

Table 2: Approved funding allocations for funding commencing in calendar year 2010

2010
2011
2012
Total
$772,114
$714,734
$322,972
$1,809,820

The average first-year funding per approved proposal is $85,790.

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Participants

The following table shows the role and gender of participants*. Of the nine proposals approved for funding, six are led by female researchers and three are led by male researchers.

Table 3: Success rates for participants, by gender, for funding commencing in calendar years 2008 to 2010
Number of participants
(all proposals)
Number of participants
(funded proposals)
Success rate
2008
2009
2010
2008
2009
2010
2008
2009
2010
Female Chief Investigators
7
9
8
1
3
3
14.3%
33.3%
37.5%
Male Chief Investigators
5
8
3
1
5
1
20.0%
62.5%
33.3%
Female Australian Researcher Fellowships - Indigenous - - 3 - - 0 - - 0%
Male Australian Researcher Fellowships - Indigenous - - 3 - - 2 - - 66.7%
Female Indigenous Researcher Fellowships
4
8
5
3
1
3
75.0%
12.5%
60%
Male Indigenous Researcher Fellowships
2
0
0
2
0
0
100.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Total
18
25
22
7
9
9
38.9%
36.0%
40.9%

* Chief Investigators, Australian Researcher Fellowships – Indigenous, and Indigenous Researcher Fellows

Table 4 shows the success rate of participants who have previously applied for, but not been awarded, funding for DIRD. This indicates that 42.9 per cent of proposals involving participants whose earlier proposals had been unsuccessful have been approved for funding commencing in 2010.

Table 4: Numbers and success rate for participants who have previously applied for funding under DIRD

Proposals received 23
Proposals involving participants who have applied in previous rounds 7
Approved proposals involving participants who have applied in previous rounds 3
Success rate of participants who have applied in previous rounds 42.9%

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Outcomes by Administering Organisation

The following table shows proposal numbers and total approved funding by Administering Organisation, for funding commencing in 2010.

Table 5: Numbers of proposals and success rates for funding commencing in 2010, by Administering Organisation

Administering Organisation
Proposals received
Proposals approved
Success rate
Approved funding over project life
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education 1 1 100% $177,000
Flinders University 1 1 100% $158,000
Griffith University 1 0 0% $0
James Cook University 2 1 50% $180,834
La Trobe University 1 0 0% $0
Macquarie University 1 0 0% $0
Queensland University of Technology 1 0 0% $0
The Australian National University 1 1 100% $155,000
The University of Newcastle 4 0 0% $0
The University of Sydney 2 1 50% $366,000
University of South Australia 1 0 0% $0
University of Southern Queensland 1 0 0% $0
University of Technology Sydney 1 1 100% $103,236
University of Western Sydney 4 3 75% $669,750
Victoria University 1 0 0% $0
Total 23 9 39.10% $1,809,820
Content Last Modified:

26/10/09


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