Selection Report: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2017

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Overview

The Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme provides funding for early-career researchers in both teaching and research, and research-only positions. It supports research in areas of critical national importance by enabling outstanding Australian and international early-career researchers to conduct their research in Australia.

The objectives of DECRA scheme are to:

• support excellent basic and applied research by early career researchers;
• advance promising early career researchers and promote enhanced opportunities for diverse career pathways;
• enable research and research training in high quality and supportive environments;
• expand Australia’s knowledge base and research capability; and
• enhance the scale and focus of research in the Science and Research Priorities.

Selection Process

Proposals for funding commencing in 2017 opened on 3 February 2016, and closed on 22 March 2016. Proposals were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines approved recommendations from the selection process for that round.

Funding recommendations have been prepared for submission to the Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The recommendations are based on advice from the ARC College of Experts which:

• assigned independent assessors to review the proposals
• assessed proposals and reviewed assessments made by independent assessors
• reviewed Applicants’ comments on assessors’ reports
• ranked each proposal relative to the others on the basis of the proposal, the assessors’ reports and Applicants’ responses to those assessments
• assessed and recommended budgets

and, advice from the ARC Eligibility Committee which:

• considered eligibility issues identified by ARC staff, the ARC College of Experts or independent assessors
• where required, sought clarification from Administering Organisations with respect to issues raised
•  made recommendations to the Acting CEO in respect of ineligible proposals.

This report reflects the approved recommendations by the Minister. Unless otherwise specified, figures presented in this report exclude withdrawn proposals.

Selection Criteria

Selection criteria and corresponding weightings for DECRA 2017 proposals are:

• Project Quality and Innovation 40%
• DECRA Candidate 35%
• Project Research and Environment 15%
• Feasibility and Benefit 10%

The ARC assessment process for DECRA 2017 used 79 College of Experts members across five discipline panels and was managed in the Research Management System (RMS). A total of 3889 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC for DECRA 2017.

Funding levels and duration

DECRA are funded for three consecutive years on a full-time basis. In addition to the annual salary contribution of $97,708 (2015$), including 30 per cent on-costs, the ARC may provide up to $40,000 in project costs per annum.

Summary of Outcomes

The ARC received a total of 1203 DECRA proposals for funding commencing in 2017, of which six proposals were withdrawn. This is a slight decrease from the 1220 proposals received for DECRA for funding commencing in 2016. Of the unsuccessful proposals, 12 were found to not meet eligibility requirements.

The overall success rate for DECRA for funding commencing in 2017 is 16.7 per cent, with a slightly lower percentage of allocation of requested funds compared to DECRA for funding commencing in 2016.

Table 1. Comparison of proposal numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for approved DECRA proposals from 2016 to 2017

Funding year	Proposals considered	Proposals  approved	Success rate	Requested funds over project life (all proposals)	Requested funds over project life (approved proposals)	Approved funds over project life (approved proposals)	Approved funds as % of requested funds
2016	1220	200	16.4%	$465,496,683	$77,377,579	$70,736,647	91.4%
2017	1197	200	16.7%	$468,165,487	$79,199,718	$71,700,673	90.5%

Outcomes by discipline panels

Table 2. Comparison of proposal numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved DECRA 2017 proposals by discipline panel

Panel †	Proposals considered	Proposals approved	Success rate	Requested funds over project life for all proposals considered	Requested funds over project life for approved proposals	Approved funds over project  life (approved proposals)	Approved funds as % of requested funds
BSB	266	45	16.9%	$105,977,223	$18,219,213	$16,675,279	91.5%
EIC	284	47	16.5%	$110,875,140	$18,485,347	$16,893,875	91.4%
HCA	167	28	16.8%	$64,096,469	$11,207,183	$9,888,602	88.2%
MPCE	234	39	16.7%	$91,080,208	$15,213,041	$13,773,552	90.5%
SBE	246	41	16.7%	$96,136,447	$16,074,934	$14,469,365	90.0%
Total	1197	200	16.7%	$468,165,487	$79,199,718	$71,700,673	90.5%

† BSB—Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EIC—Engineering, Information and Computing Sciences, MPCE—Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences; SBE—Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences; HCA—Humanities and Creative Arts

Outcomes by Science and Research Priorities

Table 3. Approved funding and success rate for DECRA 2017 proposals by Science and Research Priorities

Science and Research Priorities	Proposals considered	Proposals approved	Success  rate (%)	Approved funds (over project life)
Advanced manufacturing	157	30	19.1%	$10,840,561
Cybersecurity	39	8	20.5%	$2,825,754
Energy	74	14	18.9%	$5,023,832
Environmental change	168	25	14.9%	$9,038,261
Food	42	8	19.0%	$2,932,095
Health	199	30	15.1%	$10,701,659
Resources	35	3	8.6%	$1,105,508
Soil and water	41	1	2.4%	$372,000
Transport	30	5	16.7%	$1,810,000
Unspecified	412	76	18.4%	$27,051,003
Total	1197	200	16.7%	$71,700,673
Total within Science and Research Priorities	785	124	15.8%	$44,649,670
Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%)	65.6%	62.0%		62.3%

Outcomes by Administering Organisation

Table 4. Numbers of proposals and success rates for approved DECRA 2017 proposals by Administering Organisation

Administering Organisation	Proposals considered	Proposals approved	Success rate (%)	Approved funds over project life ($)
Australian Capital Territory	82	26	31.7%	$9,409,949
The Australian National University	77	26	33.8%	$9,409,949
University of Canberra	5	0	0.0%	$0
New South Wales	393	67	17.0%	$23,929,575
Australian Catholic University	6	2	33.3%	$704,506
Charles Sturt University	6	1	16.7%	$372,000
Macquarie University	51	7	13.7%	$2,562,000
Southern Cross University	4	0	0.0%	$0
The University of New England	9	3	33.3%	$1,056,029
The University of New South Wales	115	21	18.3%	$7,511,404
The University of Newcastle	30	6	20.0%	$2,181,000
The University of Sydney	83	13	15.7%	$4,652,298
University of Technology, Sydney	31	5	16.1%	$1,762,208
University of Wollongong	37	8	21.6%	$2,759,130
Western Sydney University	21	1	4.8%	$369,000
Northern Territory	2	0	0.0%	$0
Charles Darwin University	2	0	0.0%	$0
Queensland	188	30	16.0%	$10,809,346
Central Queensland University	3	0	0.0%	$0
Griffith University	26	5	19.2%	$1,728,624
James Cook University	9	1	11.1%	$372,000
Queensland University of Technology	30	4	13.3%	$1,409,000
The University of Queensland	112	19	17.0%	$6,954,598
University of Southern Queensland	5	1	20.0%	$345,124
University of the Sunshine Coast	3	0	0.0%	$0
South Australia	87	10	11.5%	$3,562,271
The Flinders University of South Australia	17	1	5.9%	$359,586
The University of Adelaide	50	5	10.0%	$1,761,708
University of South Australia	20	4	20.0%	$1,440,977
Tasmania	15	2	13.3%	$742,159
University of Tasmania	15	2	13.3%	$742,159
Victoria	331	55	16.6%	$19,685,969
Deakin University	29	3	10.3%	$1,093,124
Federation University Australia	1	0	0.0%	$0
La Trobe University	16	1	6.3%	$343,000
Monash University	92	21	22.8%	$7,495,303
RMIT University	42	5	11.9%	$1,761,593
Swinburne University of Technology	15	2	13.3%	$720,000
The University of Melbourne	134	23	17.2%	$8,272,949
Victoria University	2	0	0.0%	$0
Western Australia	99	10	10.1%	$3,561,404
Curtin University of Technology	33	2	6.1%	$720,000
Edith Cowan University	2	1	50.0%	$372,000
Murdoch University	9	1	11.1%	$304,080
The University of Notre Dame Australia	2	0	0.0%	$0
The University of Western Australia	53	6	11.3%	$2,165,324
Total	1197	200	16.7%	$71,700,673

 

Career age and gender

A total of 1197 DECRA candidates were named on all proposals considered in this round. Of these, 435 were female and 759 were male. Three candidates did not provide gender information. The success rate for female and male in this round of DECRA proposals is 17.7 per cent and 16.2 per cent respectively.

At the closing time of submission of proposals, of the 1197 candidates, 1024 were within five years of the award of their PhD and 173 candidates were beyond five years of the award of their PhD. To be eligible to apply for DECRA, the latter group of researchers evidenced their significant career interruptions on the ARC Eligibility Exemption Request that was consequently scrutinised by the ARC Eligibility Committee and approved by the ARC CEO.

Of the approved DECRA, 175 candidates are within five years of the award of their PhD and 25 candidates are beyond five years of the award of their PhD.

Success rates of DECRA candidates by career age and gender in the current DECRA round are represented in Figure 1 below. DECRA candidates who did not provide gender information are not represented in the figure below.

Figure 1. Participation and success rate of DECRA 2017 Candidates by gender and career age*

* Career age is calculated as years since PhD.

 

Attracting and retaining outstanding researchers

Proposals were open to Eligible Organisations to nominate candidates who are promising early career researchers, resident either within Australia or overseas.

Table 5. Citizenship/residency status of DECRA 2017 Candidates and approved Awardees

Citizenship/residency status	Proposals considered	% of Proposals considered	Proposals approved	Success rate (%)
Foreign Nationals	353	29.5%	60	17.0%
Resident Australians	752	62.8%	124	16.5%
Returning Australians	65	5.4%	13	20.0%
Unspecified	27	2.3%	3	11.1%
Total	1197	100%	200	16.7%

 

International Collaboration

Applicants foreshadowed 1674 instances of collaboration with researchers in 108 overseas locations on 800 proposals. Of the proposals approved for funding, 137 foreshadowed 323 instances of collaboration with researchers in 64 overseas locations.

Figure 2. International collaborations by location in approved DECRA 2017 proposals