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One of the actions identified in the ARC Statement of Support for Interdisciplinary Research is for the ARC to provide data on interdisciplinary applications.
This is the fourth data report (updated November 2019), enabled by the inclusion in applications of questions about whether the proposed research is interdisciplinary. The report includes the outcomes of all selection rounds for funding commencing in 2019, and Linkage Projects applied for in 2018.
The selection rounds included are:
Discovery Program
Linkage Program
The analysis of data arising from the interdisciplinary research (IDR) questions, is the first step by the ARC in seeking information to help it better understand the IDR profile of ARC-funded researchers. It informs future ARC policy and assists with the appropriate assessment of applications.
The report is indicative of the volume and range of interdisciplinary applications and outcomes. It should be noted that these are both subject to large variations between disciplines and in interdisciplinary intensity, so that drawing any direct conclusions about application versus success rate needs to be approached with caution.
What proportion of total applications received by the ARC identified as involving IDR?
Of the 5482 applications received for funding under all schemes, 3505 (or 63.9 per cent) identified as involving IDR.
Scheme round
IDR applications received (no.)
Total applications received (no.)
Proportion IDR applications (%)
DE19
735
1162
63.3
DP19
1752
2921
60.0
FL19
116
149
77.9
FT19
435
589
73.9
IC19
22
25
88.0
IH19
12
13
92.3
IN19
31
80.6
LE19
113
144
78.5
LP18
295
448
65.8
Total
3505
5482
63.9
Of the 1169 research projects funded under all schemes, 730 (or 62 per cent) identified as involving IDR.
IDR projects funded (no.)
Total projects funded (no.)
Proportion IDR funded projects (%)
129
200
64.5
377
654
57.6
16
17
94.1
73
100
73.0
6
100.0
4
9
75.0
27
36
89
140
63.6
730
1169
62.0
What is the success rate of IDR applications compared to the overall success rates?
The success rate of applications that indicated they involved IDR ranged from 13.8 per cent under the Laureate Fellowships scheme to 36 per cent under the Discovery Indigenous scheme.
Success rates for IDR applications are generally on par with overall success rates achieved for each scheme, with the largest differences recorded under the Industrial Transformation Research Hubs scheme (33.3 per cent versus 0 per cent of non-IDR applications).
IDR success rate (%)
Non-IDR applications received (no.)
Non-IDR projects funded (no.)
Non-IDR success rate (%)
Total success rate (%)
17.6
427
71
16.6
17.2
21.5
277
23.7
22.4
13.8
33
1
3.0
11.4
16.8
154
17.5
17.0
27.3
3
0
0.0
24.0
33.3
30.8
36.0
50.0
38.7
23.9
29.0
25.0
30.2
153
51
31.3
20.83
1977
439
22.2
21.3
How is the research interdisciplinary? By Design, Investigatory Team, Methodology or Other?
Of the applications across all schemes that identified as involving IDR, the largest proportion selected 'Methodology' as the means by which the research was IDR (82.8 per cent of applications and 83.2 per cent of funded projects). This was followed by 'Investigatory Team' (64.9 per cent of applications and to 64.1 per cent for funded projects), 'Design' (45.7 per cent of applications and 44.5 per cent for funded projects) and 'Other' (6.4 per cent of applications and 4.9 per cent for funded projects). Note that researchers were able to select more than one category.
*Note: This is a multiple response question so the total number of elements selected will be greater than the number of applications/funded projects.
IDR element
Element selected applications received (no.)
All IDR applications received (no.)
Proportion of IDR applications (%)
Element selected funded projects (no.)
All IDR projects funded (no.)
Methodology
2903
82.8%
607
83.2%
Design
1603
45.7%
325
44.5%
Investigatory team
2275
64.9%
468
64.1%
Other
223
6.4%
4.9%
When comparing elements across all schemes for funded projects (Figure 2), 'Methodology' made up 83 per cent of all instances identified, followed by 'Investigatory Team' (64 per cent), 'Design' (45 per cent) and 'Other' (5 per cent).
Applications received
635
251
386
61
1455
1315
716
82
93
63
371
216
224
42
21
15
11
7
20
68
43
229
265
138
Projects funded
111
28
64
312
271
10
14
38
41
5
2
8
19
24
72
79
34
In what 2-digit Fields of Research (FoR) are the largest proportion of IDR projects recorded as a proportion of total projects?
The 2-digit FoRs with the highest proportion of IDR applications (that is, IDR applications as a proportion of total applications) were Medical and Health Sciences (94.9 per cent), Studies in Creative Arts and Writing (86.7 per cent) and Agricultural and Veterinary Science (81.3 per cent).
Primary 2-digit Field of Research code
Proportion IDR (%)
01 Mathematical Sciences
53
47.2
02 Physical Sciences
76
31.6
03 Chemical Sciences
60
80
04 Earth Sciences
44
61.4
05 Environmental Sciences
72.7
06 Biological Sciences
173
64.2
07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
81.3
08 Information and Computing Sciences
32
42.1
09 Engineering
124
191
64.9
10 Technology
45
11 Medical and Health Sciences
37
39
94.9
12 Built Environment and Design
78.6
13 Education
59.3
14 Economics
46.4
15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
71.4
16 Studies in Human Society
62
75.6
17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
26
57
45.6
18 Law and Legal Studies
68.2
19 Studies in Creative Arts and Writing
86.7
20 Language, Communication and Culture
35
21 History and Archaeology
66.7
22 Philosophy and Religious Studies
80.0
62.4