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Linkage International
ARC International Fellowships
Selection Report
for Funding commencing in 2007
- Overview
- Objectives
- Selection Process
- Selection Criteria
- Funding Duration
- National Research Priorities
- Summary of Outcomes
- Funding Assistance
- Types of ARCIF Proposals
- International Collaboration
- Outcomes by Organisation
- Scheme Budget
Overview
Linkage International comprises three elements:
- Awards: to build links among researchers, research teams or research centres of excellence in Australia and overseas by funding extended collaborations;
- ARC International
Fellowships (ARCIFs), comprising:
- ARCIFs funded under international agreements for the reciprocal exchange of postdoctoral researchers, including the Anglo-Australian Observatory Fellowship Agreement;
- ARCIFs to fund overseas researchers to work in Australia;
- ARCIFs to fund Australian researchers to work in overseas institutions; and
- ARCIFs co-funded by the ARC and the Australia-Israel Scientific Exchange Foundation; and
- Internationally Coordinated Initiatives: collaborative initiatives between the ARC and overseas funding agencies to fund collaborative research proposals in targeted areas of research as defined for each specific initiative.
The selection round for Linkage International ARCIFs for funding commencing in 2007 consisted of 80 proposals.
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Objectives
Linkage International aims to:
- build strong ongoing collaborations among researchers, research teams or centres of excellence in Australia and overseas;
- strengthen international research experience for early career researchers and generate opportunities for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers to link into leading-edge international research networks;
- build Australian research capability by enhancing existing, and developing new, collaborations among experienced and senior researchers; and
- develop innovative modes of international collaboration and links into global innovation networks.
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Selection Process
The closing date for Linkage International ARCIFs proposals was 14 July 2006. Assessment of proposals was undertaken by a Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) drawn from members of the ARC's College of Experts. The Linkage International SAC:
- identified and considered ineligible proposals;
- ranked each proposal relative to the others on the basis of the proposals;
- assessed and recommended budgets; and
- prepared funding recommendations for submission to the CEO of the ARC.
The CEO considered the recommendations of the ARC College of Experts SAC before making recommendations to the Minister who, in accordance with the ARC Act, determined the funding outcomes.
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Selection Criteria
The assessment of proposals for Linkage International ARCIFs was based on the following criteria and weightings:
- excellence of the ARCIF candidate, including track record relative to opportunities and contribution and capacity to undertake the proposed research and collaborative activities 30%
- proposed program of collaborative research, in particular aims, significance, research management plan and methods 30%
- quality of the host group, including the research environment and intellectual and physical resources for the ARCIF candidate 20%
- strengths and benefits of the collaboration, taking into account the nature and merit of the collaboration including the role of, and benefit to, the Australia-based and overseas parties 20%
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Funding Duration
Funding for Linkage International ARCIFs projects may be awarded for up to 12 months subject to parliamentary appropriation and the provisions of the ARC Act.
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National Research Priorities
The Australian Government has identified four National Research Priorities and, within these, 21 national research priority goals.
Within this round, 75 of the 80 Linkage International ARCIF proposals considered were identified by their proponents as addressing a National Research Priority (93.8%). Of the 22 proposals approved for funding, 20 identified research within a priority area (90.9%).
The overall commitment for proposals addressing National Research Priorities is $1,693,756 of the total $1,764,581 approved for funding (96.0% of the total funding).
The greatest amount of funding ($731,878) is for projects in the area of Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries.
National Research Priorities identified in proposals submitted and proposals approved for funding are shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Numbers of proposals and success rates for Linkage International ARCIFs by National Research Priority
National Research Priority Area |
Proposals considered |
Approved proposals |
Success rate % |
Funds over project life for approved proposals $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
An Environmentally Sustainable Australia |
18 |
6 |
33.3% |
$448,397 |
Promoting and Maintaining Good Health |
6 |
3 |
50.0% |
$295,134 |
Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries |
46 |
9 |
19.6% |
$731,878 |
Safeguarding Australia |
5 |
2 |
40.0% |
$218,347 |
None selected |
5 |
2 |
40.0% |
$70,825 |
Total |
80 |
22 |
27.5% |
$1,764,581 |
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Summary of Outcomes
The ARC received 80 Linkage International ARCIF proposals seeking $7,238,436 of ARC funds. Twenty-two proposals were approved for funding commencing in 2007, representing a total ARC commitment of $1,764,581 over the financial years 2006-07 to 2007-08. Fifty-eight proposals were not approved for funding, including five that were deemed ineligible (that is, they did not satisfy the eligibility criteria and/or other requirements for the submission of proposals).
The overall success rate for Linkage International ARCIFs for funding commencing in 2007 is 27.5%, slightly higher than the success rate for Linkage International ARCIFs for funding commencing in 2006 (25.0%).
Numbers of proposals considered and approved and success rates, by discipline group, are shown in Table 2 below.
Table 2: Numbers of proposals and success rates for ARCIFs, by discipline area
Discipline * |
Proposals considered |
Approved proposals |
Proposals not approved for funding |
Success rate % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BSB |
12 |
6 |
6 |
50.0% |
EE |
19 |
6 |
13 |
31.6% |
HCA |
6 |
3 |
3 |
50.0% |
MIC |
9 |
0 |
9 |
0.0% |
PCG |
25 |
5 |
20 |
20.0% |
SBE |
9 |
2 |
7 |
22.2% |
Total |
80 |
22 |
58 |
27.5% |
*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
Total requested funding over the financial years 2006-07 to 2007-08 for all proposals received was $7,238,436. Total approved funding is $1,764,581 or 95.7% of the total funding requested by approved proposals, as shown in Table 3 below.
Table 3: Amounts requested and approved for ARCIFs, by discipline area
Discipline * |
Requested funds over project life for all proposals $ |
Requested funds over project life for approved proposals $ |
Funds over project life for approved proposals $ |
Funding as % of funding requested for approved proposals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BSB |
$1,007,359 |
$453,410 |
$440,910 |
97.2% |
EE |
$1,917,210 |
$602,006 |
$572,506 |
95.1% |
HCA |
$440,166 |
$282,734 |
$271,734 |
96.1% |
MIC |
$726,481 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
PCG |
$2,320,601 |
$389,082 |
$371,082 |
95.4% |
SBE |
$826,619 |
$116,344 |
$108,349 |
93.1% |
Total |
$7,238,436 |
$1,843,576 |
$1,764,581 |
95.7% |
*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
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Funding Assistance
The average funding per approved Linkage International ARCIF project for funding commencing in 2007 is $80,208, as shown in Table 4 below.
Table 4: Funding assistance for approved Linkage International ARCIFs
Number of proposals approved |
Amount requested for approved proposals |
Funding over project life |
Average funding per approved proposal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
22 |
$1,843,576 |
2006-07 = $882,283 |
$80,208 |
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Types of ARCIF Proposals
The funding allocated for Linkage International ARCIFs for funding commencing in 2007, by ARCIF type, are shown in Table 5 below.
Table 5: Numbers of proposals and success rates for ARCIFs, by ARCIF type
ARCIF type |
Proposals received |
Approved proposals |
Success rate % |
|---|---|---|---|
MOU with France |
6 |
1 |
16.7% |
MOU with Germany (von Mueller Fellowship) |
7 |
2 |
28.6% |
MOU with the Republic of Korea |
3 |
1 |
33.3% |
Australia-Israel Fellowships |
4 |
1 |
25% |
Overseas researchers to work in Australia |
49 |
12 |
24.5% |
Australian researchers to work in overseas institutions |
11 |
5 |
45.5% |
Total |
80 |
22 |
27.5% |
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International Collaboration
Applicants have foreshadowed 31 incidences of international collaboration with researchers in 19 countries on the 22 approved proposals. The highest incidence of international collaboration foreshadowed is with researchers in the United Kingdom, followed by Germany and the Netherlands, as indicated in Table 6 below.
Table 6: Collaborations by country in approved Linkage International ARCIF proposals
Location of collaborators |
Incidences of international collaboration |
Location of collaborators |
Incidences of international collaboration |
|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom |
5 |
Israel |
1 |
Germany |
3 |
Italy |
1 |
Netherlands |
3 |
Japan |
1 |
China |
2 |
Republic of Korea |
1 |
France |
2 |
Malaysia |
1 |
Sweden |
2 |
New Zealand |
1 |
United States of America |
2 |
Papua New Guinea |
1 |
Austria |
1 |
Poland |
1 |
Belgium |
1 |
Switzerland |
1 |
Canada |
1 |
TOTAL |
31 |
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Outcomes by Organisation
The number of proposals considered and approved, and funding requested and allocated, by Administering Organisation, is shown in Table 7 below.
Table 7: Numbers of proposals, success rates and funding allocations for Linkage International ARCIFs for funding commencing in 2007, by Administering Organisation Scheme Budget
Administering Organisation |
Funding requested for all proposals $ |
Funding over project life for approved proposals $ |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Curtin University of Technology |
266,691 |
159,061 |
2 |
1 |
50.0 |
Edith Cowan University |
86,430 |
n/a |
1 |
0 |
0.0 |
Griffith University |
124,693 |
119,693 |
1 |
1 |
100.0 |
La Trobe University |
284,675 |
81,931 |
3 |
1 |
33.3 |
Macquarie University |
438,000 |
n/a |
5 |
0 |
0.0 |
Monash University |
325,915 |
137,771 |
3 |
1 |
33.3 |
Queensland University of Technology |
379,045 |
42,215 |
5 |
1 |
20.0 |
RMIT University |
224,708 |
n/a |
2 |
0 |
0.0 |
The Australian National University |
1,066,003 |
269,933 |
12 |
3 |
25.0 |
The University of Adelaide |
122,583 |
40,306 |
2 |
1 |
50.0 |
The University of Melbourne |
439,606 |
170,060 |
5 |
2 |
40.0 |
The University of New South Wales |
744,399 |
108,349 |
9 |
2 |
22.2 |
The University of Newcastle |
87,270 |
n/a |
1 |
0 |
0.0 |
The University of Queensland |
869,925 |
348,300 |
11 |
5 |
45.5 |
The University of Sydney |
353,930 |
n/a |
4 |
0 |
0.0 |
The University of Western Australia |
585,874 |
144,138 |
5 |
2 |
40.0 |
University of Southern Queensland |
86,650 |
n/a |
1 |
0 |
0.0 |
University of Technology, Sydney |
174,671 |
n/a |
2 |
0 |
0.0 |
University of Western Sydney |
59,507 |
n/a |
1 |
0 |
0.0 |
University of Wollongong |
517,861 |
142,824 |
5 |
2 |
40.0 |
TOTAL |
7,238,436 |
1,764,581 |
80 |
22 |
27.5 |
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Scheme Budget
The following table shows funds for Linkage International ARCIF proposals approved for commencement in 2007, by financial year.
Table 8: Funding allocations for approved Linkage International ARCIF proposals for funding commencing in 2007, by financial year
2006-07 |
2007-08 |
TOTAL |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Funding Allocations |
$882,283 |
$882,298 |
$1,764,581 |
The following table shows funds for Linkage International ARCIF proposals approved for commencement in 2007, by calendar year.
Table 9: Funding allocations for approved Linkage International ARCIF proposals for funding commencing in 2007, by calendar year
2007 |
TOTAL |
|
|---|---|---|
Funding Allocations |
$1,764,581 |
$1,764,581 |
