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Linkage International Selection Report
Awards (Round 2) 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
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 Three proposals were subsequently withdrawn by the applicants and, unless otherwise specified, figures presented in this report do not include withdrawn proposals.
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 |
$29,729 |
International Collaboration
Applicants have foreshadowed 18 incidences of international collaboration with researchers in 12 countries on the 14 approved proposals. The highest incidence of collaboration foreshadowed is with researchers in the United States of America, followed by China and Ireland, as indicated in Table 5.
Table 5: Collaborations by country in approved Linkage International Awards (Round 2) proposals
| Location of collaborators | Incidences of international collaboration |
|---|---|
| United States of America | 5 |
| China | 2 |
| Ireland | 2 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Chile | 1 |
| France | 1 |
| Germany | 1 |
| Indonesia | 1 |
| Italy | 1 |
| Netherlands | 1 |
| Switzerland | 1 |
| United Kingdom | 1 |
| TOTAL | 18 |
Outcomes by Organisation
The number of proposals considered and approved, and funding requested and allocated, by Administering Organisation, is shown in Table 6.
Table 6: Numbers of proposals, success rates and funding allocations for Linkage International Awards (Round 2) for funding commencing in 2007, by Administering Organisation
| Administering Organisation | Funding requested for all proposals ($) | 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 |
