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Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development
Selection Report for Funding Commencing in 2008

Overview
Selection Process
Selection Criteria
Funding Duration
Summary of Outcomes
Scheme Budget
Gender of Participants
Outcomes by Administering Organisation

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; and
  • expand Australia's knowledge base and research capability.

Selection Process

The closing date for Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development (DIRD) Proposals was 4 May 2007. The DIRD Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) comprised three 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 22 August 2007.

The CEO considered the recommendations of the SAC before making recommendations to the Minister who, in accordance with the ARC Act, determined the funding outcomes.

Selection Criteria

The assessment of Proposals was based on the scheme's selection criteria:

  • investigator(s)' track record relative to opportunities, capacity to undertake the proposed research, and the extent to which the successful completion of the research project will train and equip the researcher(s) to compete for mainstream research funding(40%);
  • significance and innovation in the proposed research (40%); and
  • quality of the research environment and/or Mentor and/or Supervisor (20%).

Funding Duration

DIRD Proposals may be awarded funding for up to five years subject to parliamentary appropriation. Indigenous Researcher Fellowships (IRFs) may be awarded for a duration of one or two years.

Summary of Outcomes

Eighteen Proposals were received with seven Proposals approved for funding commencing in 2008. Total approved ARC funding from 2007-08 to 2010-11 is $1,120,648 with an average funding per approved project of $160,093. Five Proposals were approved for funding for two years, two Proposals were approved for funding for three years, and six Proposals requested an IRF, of which five were approved for funding.

The overall success rate for DIRD Proposals in this round is 38.9% which is lower than the corresponding figure for Proposals considered in 2006 (71.4%).

Total requested funding over the financial years 2007-08 to 2010-11 was $5,722,917. Total funding for approved Proposals is $1,120,648 or 58.5% 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
1
0
1
100.0%
EE
0
0
0
N/A
HCA
10
6
4
40.0%
MIC
0
0
0
N/A
PCG
0
0
0
N/A
SBE
7
5
2
28.6%
Total
18
11
7
38.9%

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

Scheme Budget

The following allocations from the DIRD budget were approved for new Proposals to commence in 2008.

Table 2: Approved funding allocations for funding commencing in calendar year 2008

2008
2009
2010
Total
$537,000
$518,648
$65,000
$1,120,648

The average first-year funding per approved project is $76,714.

Gender of Participants

The following table shows the role and gender of nominated researchers (Chief Investigators and Indigenous Researcher Fellows). Of the seven Proposals approved for funding, four are led by female researchers and three are led by male researchers.

Table 3: Success rates for Chief Investigators and Indigenous Researcher Fellows, by gender
Number of participants (all Proposals)
Number of participants (approved Proposals)
Success rate %
Female Chief Investigators
7
4
57.1%
Male Chief Investigators
5
3
60.0%
Female Indigenous Researcher Fellowships
4
3
75.0%
Male Indigenous Researcher Fellowships
2
2
100.0%

Outcomes by Administering Organisation

The following table shows Proposal numbers and total approved funding by Administering Organisation, for funding commencing in 2008.

Table 4. Numbers of Proposals and success rates for funding commencing in 2008, by Administering Organisation

Administering Organisation
Proposals received
Proposals approved
Success rate %
Approved funding over project life
James Cook University
1
0
0.0%
$0
Monash University
2
1
50.0%
$170,648
Murdoch University
3
0
0.0%
$0
The University of Adelaide
1
0
0.0%
$0
The University of Melbourne
1
1
100.0%
$200,000
The University of Newcastle
3
0
0.0%
$0
The University of Queensland
1
1
100.0%
$160,000
The University of Sydney
1
1
100.0%
$200,000
University of Southern Queensland
1
0
0.0%
$0
University of the Sunshine Coast
1
0
0.0%
$0
University of Western Sydney
3
3
100.0%
$390,000
Total
18
7
38.9%
$1,120,648
Content Last Modified:

25/9/07


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