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Linkage International
ARC International Fellowships
Selection Report for Funding commencing in 2008

Overview
Objectives
Selection Process
Selection Criteria
Funding Levels and Duration
National Research Priorities
Summary of Selection Outcomes
Funding Assistance
Types of ARCIF Proposals
International Collaboration
Outcomes by Administering 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 to fund overseas researchers to work in Australia;
    • ARCIFs to fund Australian researchers to work in overseas institutions; 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 2008 consisted of 76 proposals.

Objectives

Linkage International aims to:

  • build collaborations among researchers, research teams and/or research centres of excellence in Australia and overseas;
  • generate opportunities for researchers to participate in leading-edge international research networks and strengthen their international research experience;
  • build Australian research capability by enhancing existing and developing new collaborations among researchers;
  • develop innovative modes of international collaboration; and
  • foster participation in global innovation networks.

Selection Process

The closing date for Linkage International ARCIFs proposals was 20 April 2007.  Assessment of proposals was undertaken by a Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) comprising members of the ARC's College of Experts. The Linkage International SAC:

  • ranked each proposal relative to the others on the basis of the proposals;
  • assessed each proposal and recommended budgets; and
  • prepared funding recommendations. 

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

Selection Criteria

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%
  • aims and significance of the Proposal, the approach and the research management plan 30%
  • quality of the host group, including the research environment and intellectual and physical resources for the ARCIF candidate 30%
  • the potential of the research project to result in economic, environmental and/or social benefits for Australia from the expected results and outcomes of the project 10%

Funding Levels and Duration

Linkage International ARCIFs may be awarded funding for up to 12 months.

National Research Priorities

Of the 76 Linkage International ARCIF proposals, 73 were identified by their proponents as addressing a National Research Priority (96.1%).  Of the 22 proposals approved for funding, 20 proposals identified research within priority areas (90.9%) and would receive $1,834,679 of the total $2,000,000 approved for funding (91.7%).

  • Research Priority 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia
  • Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health
  • Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries
  • Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia

National Research Priorities identified in proposals submitted and proposals approved for funding are shown in Table 1. The greatest amount of approved funding ($1,063,261) is for proposals in the area of Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries.

Table 1: Numbers of proposals and success rates for Linkage International ARCIFs by National Research Priority

Priority area
ARCIF proposals received
ARCIF proposals approved
Success rate %
Funding approved $
An Environmentally Sustainable Australia
20
2
10.0%
$160,182
Promoting and Maintaining Good Health
13
5
38.5%
$427,481
Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries
31
11
35.5%
$1,063,261
Safeguarding Australia
9
2
22.2%
$183,755
None selected
3
2
66.7%
$165,321
Total
76
22
28.9%
$2,000,000

Summary of Selection Outcomes

Of the 76 Linkage International ARCIF proposals considered, 22 are approved for funding.  The remaining 54 are not approved for funding.  The overall success rate would be 28.9%.  Table 2 shows the number of proposals considered, approved and the success rate by discipline group.

The success rate for Linkage International ARCIFs for funding commencing in 2008 (28.9%) would be slightly higher than the success rate for Linkage International ARCIFs for funding commencing in 2007 (27.5%).

Table 2: Numbers of proposals and success rates for ARCIFs, by discipline group

Discipline group*
ARCIF proposals received
ARCIF proposals approved
ARCIF proposals not approved for funding
Success rate %
BSB
17
5
12
29.4%
EE
11
2
9
18.2%
HCA
5
3
2
60.0%
MIC
11
3
8
27.3%
PCG
25
9
16
36.0%
SBE
7
0
7
0.0%
Total
76
22
54
28.9%

*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

Total requested funding over the financial years 2007-08 to 2008-09 for all proposals received was $7,496,917. Total funding would be $2,000,000 or 95.2% of the total funding requested by approved proposals, as shown in Table 3.

Table 3: Amounts requested and approved for ARCIFs, by discipline group

Discipline group*
Total requested over project life (all ARCIF proposals) $
Total requested over project life (approved ARCIF proposals) $
Total approved over project life $
Total approved funding as % of funding requested (approved ARCIF proposals)
BSB
$1,831,013
$556,660
$515,671
92.6%
EE
$1,165,589
$190,956
$185,956
97.4%
HCA
$398,003
$265,978
$265,128
99.7%
MIC
$982,082
$213,255
$205,255
96.2%
PCG
$2,299,913
$872,985
$827,990
94.8%
SBE
$820,317
$0
$0
0.0%
Total
$7,496,917
$2,099,834
$2,000,000
95.2%

*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

Proposed funding for ARCIFs approved to commence in 2008 is shown in Table 4.

Table 4: Proposed funding for approved Linkage International ARCIFs

Number of proposals approved
Amount requested for approved proposals
Amount approved
Average funding per approved proposal
22
$2,099,834
2007-08 = $1,000,000
2008-09 = $1,000,000
Total = $2,000,000
$90,909

Types of ARCIF Proposals

The recommendations for Linkage International ARCIFs for funding commencing in 2008, by ARCIF type, are shown in Table 5.

Table 5: Numbers of proposals and success rates for ARCIFs, by ARCIF type

ARCIF type
ARCIF proposals received
ARCIF proposals approved
Success rate %
Overseas researchers to work in Australia
64
16
25.0%
Australian researchers to work in overseas institutions
12
6
50.0%
Total
76
22
28.9%

International Collaboration

Participants on Linkage International proposals are asked to indicate which countries will be involved in the proposed collaborations.  There were 29 instances of international collaboration reported within the 22 approved proposals. The highest incidence of international collaboration was with the United States of America, followed by Germany, as indicated in Table 6.

Table 6: Instances of international collaboration on approved Linkage International ARCIF Proposals

Location of collaborators
Instances of international collaboration
United States of America
7
Germany
5
France
2
Israel
2
Sweden
2
Switzerland
2
United Kingdom
2
Denmark
1
Hong Kong
1
Italy
1
Japan
1
New Zealand
1
Puerto Rico
1
Ukraine
1
TOTAL
29

Selection Outcomes by Administering Organisation

The number of proposals considered and approved, and funding requested and approved, by organisation, is shown in Table 7.

Table 7: ARCIF proposals by Administering Organisation: total requested and approved funding

Administering Organisation
Funding Requested (all proposals) $
Funding approved over project life (approved proposals) $
ARCIF proposals considered
ARCIF proposals approved
Success rate %
Curtin University of Technology
287,035
0
3
0
0.0
Griffith University
338,949
0
3
0
0.0
La Trobe University
81,312
0
1
0
0.0
Macquarie University
143,068
0
1
0
0.0
Monash University
728,108
108,543
8
1
12.5
Murdoch University
110,255
0
1
0
0.0
Queensland University of Technology
158,437
101,806
3
2
66.7
RMIT University
92,648
0
1
0
0.0
The Australian National University
601,134
100,643
7
1
14.3
The University of Adelaide
435,430
118,793
4
1
25.0
The University of Melbourne
830,568
364,420
8
4
50.0
The University of New South Wales
584,196
109,864
6
2
33.3
The University of Newcastle
57,102
0
1
0
0.0
The University of Queensland
800,183
131,306
7
1
14.3
The University of Sydney
595,031
328,237
6
4
66.7
The University of Western Australia
393,545
252,369
3
2
66.7
University of Tasmania
266,597
81,373
3
1
33.3
University of Wollongong
887,871
302,646
9
3
33.3
Victoria University
105,448
0
1
0
0.0
TOTAL
7,496,917
2,000,000
76
22
28.9

Scheme Budget

The proposed allocations from the Linkage International budget for ARCIFs approved to commence in 2008 are shown in Table 8 and Table 9.

Table 8: Proposed funding allocations, by financial year
2007-08
2008-09
TOTAL
Funding Allocations
$1,000,000
$1,000,000
$2,000,000

Table 9: Proposed funding allocations, by calendar year
2008
TOTAL
Funding Allocations
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
Content Last Modified:

25/9/07


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