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Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects
Selection Report for Funding commencing in 2010

Overview and Objectives

The objectives of the Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects (LASP) funding scheme is to support the development of Australian research and provide the Learned Academies and/or the National Academies Forum with the flexibility to achieve that objective. Research programs must encompass research that advances Australian research itself and/or addresses substantive research topics.

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Selection Process

The closing date for LASP proposals was 20 January 2010. Five proposals were submitted by the closing date.

The proposals were assessed by ARC Executive Directors (EDs) who also recommended funding levels at a selection meeting on 16 March 2010.

The ARC prepared funding recommendations for consideration by the ARC Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Five proposals were recommended for funding.

The ARC CEO considered these recommendations before making recommendations to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. This report reflects the recommendations of the ARC CEO to the Minister.

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Selection Criteria

Assessment of proposals for LASP was based on the following criteria:

  1. the contribution to the development of Australian research;
  2. collaborative approaches to research and research training;
  3. research and research training in the research themes outlined in the Funding Rules;
  4. the merit of the Proposal in relation to its:
      1. goals and potential outcomes;
      2. conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses;
      3. budget justification and value for money; and
  5. the extent to which the Proposal may be expected to have results of broad benefit for research and scholarship in the natural and applied sciences, technological development and applied technology, the social sciences and/or the humanities; and
  6. the potential for the research to contribute to issues of national significance.

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National Research Priorities

In this round, all five LASP proposals considered were identified by their proponents as addressing one or more National Research Priorities. Of those, five (100 percent) are approved for funding.

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Research Themes

Under the revised LASP scheme each research program is required to encompass research that advances Australian research itself and to address substantive topics based around broad research themes. Table 1 shows the research themes for 2010–2012 identified in proposals submitted for funding.

Table 1: Identified research themes

Themes for research programs
Identified in proposals
National and international collaboration in research 2
Discipline research development 1
Professional development for early and mid-career researchers 2
Science, humanities, social science and technical and engineering research policy 4
Multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, or cross disciplinary research 5
Other areas, as approved in advance by the ARC 1

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Funding Levels and Duration

LASP projects may be awarded funding for up to three years subject to parliamentary appropriation and the provisions of the Australian Research Council Act 2001 (the ARC Act).

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Summary of Selection Outcomes

Five LASP proposals were considered, seeking $1,719,537 in funding. Five proposals are approved for funding commencing in 2010, representing a total commitment of $1,439,000 over the financial years 2009–10 to 2012–13. On the basis of these approvals, the overall success rate is 100 per cent. This compares to a success rate of 67 per cent for LASP funding in 2009. The variation in success rates between 2009 and 2010 is due to the changes introduced to the LASP scheme for funding commencing in 2010 which limit the number of Proposals that can be submitted by each of the Learned Academies and the National Academies Forum in 2010 and increased the funding duration for projects to up to three years.

Total requested funding over the financial years 2009–10 to 2012–13 for all proposals received was $1,719,537. Total approved funding is $1,439,000 equating to 84 per cent of the total funding requested for approved proposals, as shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Amounts requested and approved, by discipline group

Total requested over project life (all proposals)
Total approved over project life
Total approved funding as a % of funding requested
Total $1,719,537 $1,439,000 84%

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Selection Outcomes by Organisation

The number of proposals considered and recommended, and funding requested and approved, by administering organisation are shown in Table 3.

Table 3: Number of proposals and percentage funded, by administering organisation

Administering Organisation Funding requested (all proposals) Funding recommended over project life (approved proposals) Proposals considered Proposals approved Approved funding as a percentage of requested funding
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia $340,250 $300,000 1 1 88%
Australian Academy of Science $360,000 $315,000 1 1 87%
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering $660,000 $599,000 2 2 91%
The Australian Academy of the Humanities $359,287 $225,000 1 1 63%
Total $1,719,537 $1,439,000 5 5 84%

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Funding Assistance

The average funding per approved proposal for LASP commencing in 2010 is $287,800 as shown in Table 4.

Table 4: Average approved funding

Number of proposals approved
Amount requested for approved proposals
Funding over project life 2010-2012
Average total approved funding per proposal
5 $1,719,537 2010 = $481,000
2011 = $475,000
2012 = $483,000
Total = $1,439,000		 $287,800

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Scheme Budget by Financial Year

The allocations from the LASP budget approved for commencement in 2010 are shown in Table 5 below.

Table 5: Approved allocations by financial year

2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
Total
Total $240,500 $478,000 $479,000 $241,500 $1,439,000
Content Last Modified:

28/04/10


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