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Linkage International
Awards Round 2
Selection Report for Funding commencing in 2007

Overview
Objectives
Selection Process
Selection Criteria
Funding Duration
National Research Priorities
Summary of Outcomes
Funding Assistance
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.

Fifty-three proposals were submitted for Linkage International Awards (Round 2) for funding commencing in 2007. Three proposals were subsequently withdrawn by the applicants and, unless otherwise specified, figures presented in this report do not include withdrawn proposals. 

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.

Selection Process

The closing date for Linkage International Awards (Round 2) 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.

Selection Criteria

The assessment of proposals for Linkage International Awards (Round 2) was based on the following criteria and weightings:

  • 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) 40%
  • Australia-based investigators, including track record and research management skills 20%
  • overseas investigators, including track record and research management skills 20%
  • proposed program of collaborative research, in particular aims, significance, research management plan and  methods 20%

Funding Duration

Funding for Linkage International Awards projects may be awarded for one to three years subject to parliamentary appropriation and the provisions of the ARC Act.

Unless otherwise specified, figures presented in this report exclude withdrawn proposals.

National Research Priorities

The Australian Government has identified four National Research Priorities and, within these, 21 national research priority goals.

Within this round, 45 of the 50 Linkage International Awards (Round 2) proposals considered were identified by their proponents as addressing a National Research Priority (90.0%).  Of the 14 proposals approved for funding, 13 proposals identified research within a priority area (92.9%).

The overall commitment for proposals addressing National Research Priorities is $392,500 of the total $416,200 approved for funding (94.3% of the total funding).

The greatest amount of funding ($322,800) 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.

Table 1: Numbers of proposals and success rates for Linkage International Awards (Round 2) by National Research Priority

National Research Priority Area
Proposals considered
Approved proposals
Success rate %
Funding allocations over project life for approved proposals $
An Environmentally Sustainable Australia
2
1
50.0%
$22,000
Promoting and Maintaining Good Health
3
1
33.3%
$10,700
Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries
35
10
28.6%
$322,800
Safeguarding Australia
5
1
20.0%
$37,000
None selected
5
1
20.0%
$23,700
Total
50
14
28.0%
$416,200

Summary of Outcomes

The ARC received 53 Linkage International Awards (Round 2) proposals seeking $2,248,312 of ARC funds. Three proposals were subsequently withdrawn. Of the 50 proposals considered, 14 proposals were approved for funding commencing in 2007, representing a total ARC indicative funding commitment of $416,200 over the financial years 2006-07 to 2009-10. Thirty-six proposals were not approved for funding including 6 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 Awards (Round 2) for funding commencing in 2007 is 28.0%, slightly higher than the success rate for Linkage International Awards (Round 1) for funding commencing in 2006 (26.7%).

Numbers of proposals considered and approved and success rates, by discipline group, are shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Numbers of proposals and success rates for Linkage International Awards (Round 2), by discipline area

Discipline *
Proposals considered
Approved proposals
Proposals not approved for funding
Success rate %
BSB
3
2
1
66.7%
EE
9
0
9
0.0%
HCA
2
1
1
50.0%
MIC
10
3
7
30.0%
PCG
22
8
14
36.4%
SBE
4
0
4
0.0%
Total
50
14
36
28.0%

*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 2009-10 for the 50 proposals considered was $2,119,312. Total funding allocated is $416,200 or 70.9% of the total funding requested for approved proposals, as shown in Table 3.

Table 3: Amounts requested and allocated funding for Linkage International Awards (Round 2), 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
$115,900
$73,500
$50,000
68.0%
EE
$386,615
n/a
n/a
n/a
HCA
$87,100
$54,530
$37,000
67.9%
MIC
$437,695
$97,975
$66,600
68.0%
PCG
$949,788
$361,162
$262,600
72.7%
SBE
$142,214
n/a
n/a
n/a
Total
$2,119,312
$587,167
$416,200
70.9%

*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

Funding Assistance

The average funding per approved Linkage International Awards (Round 2) project for funding commencing in 2007 is $29,729, as shown in Table 4. This is slightly lower than the corresponding figure for Linkage International Awards (Round 1) ($32,915).

Table 4: Funding for approved Linkage International Awards (Round 2)

Number of proposals approved
Amount requested
for approved proposals
Funding over project life
Average funding per approved proposal

14

$587,167

2006-07 = $89,500
2007-08 = $165,100
2008-09 = $118,600
2009-10 = $43,000
Total = $416,200

$29,729

International Collaboration

Applicants have foreshadowed 18 incidences of international collaboration with researchers in 12 countries on the 14 approved proposals. The highest incidence of collaboration foreshadowed is with researchers in the United States of America, followed by China and Ireland, as indicated in Table 5.

Table 5: Collaborations by country in approved Linkage International Awards (Round 2) proposals

Location of collaborators
Incidences of international collaboration
United States of America
5
China
2
Ireland
2
Canada
1
Chile
1
France
1
Germany
1
Indonesia
1
Italy
1
Netherlands
1
Switzerland
1
United Kingdom
1
TOTAL
18

Outcomes by Organisation

The number of proposals considered and approved, and funding requested and allocated, by Administering Organisation, is shown in Table 6.

Table 6: Numbers of proposals, success rates and funding allocations for Linkage International Awards (Round 2) for funding commencing in 2007, by Administering Organisation

Administering Organisation
Funding requested for all proposals $
Funding over project life for approved proposals $
Proposals considered
Proposals approved
Success
rate %
Charles Sturt University
38,714
n/a
1
0
0.0
Curtin University of Technology
39,050
36,000
1
1
100.0
Griffith University
95,100
n/a
2
0
0.0
La Trobe University
24,700
n/a
1
0
0.0
Macquarie University
86,465
n/a
2
0
0.0
Monash University
97,100
28,000
3
1
33.3
Queensland University of Technology
42,400
n/a
1
0
0.0
RMIT University
40,350
9,800
2
1
50.0
Swinburne University of Technology
90,800
n/a
2
0
0.0
The Australian National University
302,552
94,000
7
3
42.9
The University of Adelaide
82,490
n/a
2
0
0.0
The University of Melbourne
130,200
n/a
2
0
0.0
The University of New South Wales
271,880
n/a
5
0
0.0
The University of Queensland
214,510
68,400
7
4
57.1
The University of Sydney
103,270
n/a
3
0
0.0
The University of Western Australia
262,645
103,100
3
2
66.7
University of South Australia
24,000
n/a
1
0
0.0
University of Southern Queensland
38,300
n/a
1
0
0.0
University of Tasmania
20,606
n/a
1
0
0.0
University of Wollongong
114,180
76,900
3
2
66.7
TOTAL
2,119,312
416,200
50
14
28.0

Scheme Budget

The following table shows funds for Linkage International Awards (Round 2) proposals approved for commencement in 2007, by financial year.

Table 7: Funding allocations for approved Linkage International Awards (Round 2) proposals for funding commencing in 2007, by financial year
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
TOTAL
Funding Allocations
$89,500
$165,100
$118,600
$43,000
$416,200

The following table shows funds for Linkage International Awards (Round 2) proposals approved for commencement in 2007, by calendar year.

Table 8: Funding allocations for approved Linkage International Awards (Round 2) proposals for funding commencing in 2007, by calendar year
2007
2008
2009
TOTAL
Funding Allocations
$179,000
$151,200
$86,000
$416,200

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