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Special Research Initiatives
Selection Report
Thinking Systems for funding commencing in 2006
Overview
Objectives
Selection process
Selection criteria
National Research Priorities
Duration of Funding
Summary of Outcomes
Funding Assistance
Research Students
Outcomes by primary Discipline
Outcomes by Organisation
Scheme Budget Allocations
Overview
This report outlines outcomes from the selection process for Thinking Systems for funding commencing in 2006.
In conducting the Thinking Systems initiative, the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) are addressing collaboratively the Australian Government's national research priority of Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries and, in particular, the associated goals for Breakthrough Science and Frontier Technologies.
The Thinking Systems initiative, conducted under the
ARC's Special Research Initiatives (SRI) scheme, supports
research into 'thinking systems' which crosses sectors, institutions
and research disciplines to open up new frontiers.
It is intended that this cross-disciplinary, collaborative and
cross-organisational initiative will lead to the generation and
application of new knowledge in the development of intelligent
machines, robots and information systems, and will place Australia
at the forefront of this area internationally.
The ARC received 47 Thinking Systems proposals submitted in 2005 for funding commencing in 2006.
Objectives
The Thinking Systems initiative will support high-quality research which will assist in advancing Australia's research excellence to be globally competitive and deliver benefits to the community. It will support novel, innovative and cross-disciplinary research at the intersections of neuroscience, genetics, proteomics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, computer science and information technology. This research is expected to increase understanding of how information is transmitted, received, processed and understood in cognitive systems, including artificial systems. It is also expected to increase understanding of biological hardware, programming and the operation of 'thinking systems'.
Selection process
The application period for Thinking Systems closed on 14 December 2005. Assessment of proposals was undertaken by a Selection Advisory Committee. The Selection Advisory Committee consisted of seven distinguished researchers with both a national perspective and considerable experience of the international research scene. The Selection Advisory Committee:
- considered and advised on the eligibility of proposals;
- ranked each proposal relative to the others on the basis of the proposal, assessors’ advice and its own expertise;
- prepared a short-list of proposals, invited short-listed applicants to attend structured interviews and used information gathered from these interviews in its evaluation; and
- assessed and recommended proposals for funding.
Selection criteria
Assessment of Thinking Systems proposals was based on the following criteria and weightings:
Cross-disciplinary approach and method 40%
Assessment against this criterion considered the nature and merit
of the proposal in relation to the objectives of the SRI scheme
and Thinking Systems objectives.
Innovation 20%
Innovation is a key objective of the Thinking Systems initiative
and assessments reflected the extent to which the proposal supported
novel and innovative research.
Investigators 20%
Assessment against this criterion considered the parties who
are to be involved in, and associated with, the project, including
their track record relative to opportunities and their capacity
to undertake the proposed research and activities.
National significance and importance 20%
Assessment against this criterion took into account the relevance
of the proposal to issues of national significance and importance,
including the potential of the research results and outcomes
to result in economic and/or social benefits for Australia.
National Research Priorities
The aim of the Thinking Systems initiative was to progress the Australian Government’s national research priority for Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries and, in particular, the associated goals for Breakthrough Science and Frontier Technologies. All 47 Thinking Systems proposals identified their research as being within the national research priority area Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries. Table 1 identifies the national research priority goals indicated in submitted Thinking Systems proposals.
Table 1: National research priority goals listed in Thinking Systems proposals
| National Research Priority Frontier Technologies
for Building and Transforming Australian Industries Priority goals |
Number of proposals in which the goal was indicated - all proposals | Number of proposals in which the goal was indicated - recommended projects | Recommended funding by priority goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakthrough science | 24 | 3 | $10,000,000 |
| Frontier technologies | 29 | 1 | $3,300,000 |
| Advanced materials | 3 | 0 | Nil |
| Smart information use | 24 | 0 | Nil |
| Promoting an innovation culture and economy | 12 | 0 | Nil |
| None | 7 | 0 | Nil |
Duration of Funding
Thinking Systems proposals may be awarded funding for one to five years, subject to parliamentary appropriations. The three approved Thinking Systems projects requested, and would receive, support for five years.
Summary of Outcomes
Forty-seven proposals for the Thinking Systems initiative were considered for funding under the SRI Funding Rules, seeking a total of $97,378,503 in funding. Of these, three projects (6.4%) were approved for funding, representing a total commitment of $10,000,000 over the financial years 2006-07 to 2010-11. Forty-four Thinking Systems proposals are not approved for funding.
Funding Assistance
The allocations from the Special Research Initiatives budget for approved Thinking Systems projects to commence in 2006 are shown in Table 2 below. The total amount allocated to Thinking Systems projects ($10,000,000) represents 90.2% of the total requested ($11,090,559) by those projects. Average funding per approved Thinking Systems project equates to $3,333,333 over five years.
Table 2: Funding assistance for approved Thinking Systems projects
| Number of Thinking Systems projects | Amount requested for approved projects | Total Amount approved | Average per project |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | $11,090,559 | $10,000,000 | $3,333,333 |
Research Students
A total of 44 PhD and Honours students will be supported in developing international research experience and networks through Thinking Systems projects as shown in Table 3 below. The three projects approved for funding included 24 PhD students and 20 Honours students.
Table 3: Research Students
| Research student type | Number of researchers listed in all proposals | Number of researchers listed in approved projects |
|---|---|---|
| PhD | 256 | 24 |
| Masters | 50 | 0 |
| Honours | 250 | 20 |
| Total | 556 | 44 |
Outcomes by primary Discipline
The Thinking Systems initiative will support novel,
innovative and cross-disciplinary research. The primary disciplines
of proposals, as identified by RFCD codes selected by applicants,
are shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Numbers and success rates for Thinking Systems proposals
by discipline group
| Discipline Group | Proposals received | Projects approved | Success rate | Requested funding over project life – approved projects | Recommended funding over project life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSB | 7 | 1 | 14.3% | $3,644,393 | $3,300,000 |
| EE | 2 | 0 | 0.0% | - | $0 |
| HCA | 2 | 0 | 0.0% | - | $0 |
| MIC | 28 | 1 | 3.6% | $3,749,086 | $3,300,000 |
| PCG | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | - | $0 |
| SBE | 8 | 1 | 12.5% | $3,697,080 | $3,400,000 |
| Total | 47 | 3 | 6.4% | $11,090,559 | $10,000,000 |
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
Outcomes by Organisation
The number of Thinking Systems proposals considered and approved, and funding requested and approved, by organisation, is shown in Table 5 below.
Table 5: Thinking Systems proposals by organisation: total requested and approved funding
| Administering Organisation | Total Funding Requested | Funding recommended over project life | Thinking System Proposals considered | Projects Approved | Success rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macquarie University | $1,923,875 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The University of New England | $107,571 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The University of New South Wales | $7,659,487 | $3,300,000 | 3 | 1 | 33.3 |
| The University of Newcastle | $1,814,144 | $0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The University of Sydney | $9,770,210 | $0 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 |
| University of Western Sydney | $3,697,080 | $3,400,000 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 |
| University of Wollongong | $5,907,561 | $0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| La Trobe University | $1,206,476 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Monash University | $9,547,527 | $0 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 |
| RMIT University | $3,642,880 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Swinburne University of Technology | $2,094,449 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The University of Melbourne | $13,924,547 | $0 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Griffith University | $3,607,015 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| James Cook University | $1,539,125 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Queensland University of Technology | $2,587,223 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| University of Southern Queensland | $294,331 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The University of Queensland | $10,608,822 | $3,300,000 | 4 | 1 | 25.0 |
| Edith Cowan University | $423,100 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The University of Western Australia | $985,670 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The Flinders University of South Australia | $2,690,009 | $0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The University of Adelaide | $3,747,158 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| University of South Australia | $1,377,416 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| University of Tasmania | $1,187,558 | $0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The Australian National University | $6,717,144 | $0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 |
| University of Canberra | $318,125 | $0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| TOTAL | $97,378,503 | $10,000,000 | 47 | 3 | 6.4 |
Scheme Budget Allocations
The allocations from the Special Research Initiatives budget for approved Thinking Systems projects to commence in 2006, by financial year, are shown in Table 6 below.
Table 6: SRI allocations for Thinking Systems, by financial year
| Financial Year allocations | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | $1,900,000 | $1,951,000 | $2,114,000 | $2,050,000 | $1,985,000 | $10,000,000 |
The allocations from the Special Research Initiatives budget for approved Thinking Systems projects to commence in 2006, by calendar year, are shown in Table 7 below.
Table 7: SRI allocations for Thinking Systems, by calendar year
| Calendar Year allocations |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total |
$950,000 | $1,925,500 | $2,032,500 | $2,082,000 | $2,017,500 | $992,500 | $10,000,000 |
