Selection Report: Discovery Indigenous 2016
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Overview
The Discovery Indigenous scheme provides funding to support research programmes led by an Indigenous Australian researcher and builds the research capacity of higher degree research and early career researchers.
The objectives of Discovery Indigenous are to:
- develop the research expertise of Indigenous Australian researchers
- support fundamental research and research training by Indigenous Australian researchers as individuals and as teams
- support and retain established Indigenous Australian researchers in Australian higher education institutions
- expand Australia’s knowledge base and research capability.
Discovery Indigenous supports Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award (DAATSIA) for researchers who are Indigenous Australians.
Selection Process
Discovery Indigenous for funding commencing in 2016 opened on 4 February 2015 and closed on 1 April 2015. Proposals were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System. This report outlines approved recommendations from the selection process for that round.
ARC Executive Directors, assisted by relevant ARC staff, prepared funding recommendations for submission to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The recommendations were based on advice from the ARC College of Experts which:
- assessed proposals and reviewed assessments made by independent readers
- reviewed applicants’ comments on assessors’ reports
- ranked each proposal relative to the others on the basis of the proposal and 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, independent assessors or the members of the ARC College of Experts
- sought clarification from Administering Organisations with respect to issues raised
- made recommendations to the CEO in respect of ineligible proposals.
This report reflects the approved recommendations by the Minister.
Selection Criteria
Selection criteria and corresponding weightings for Discovery Indigenous 2016 proposals are:
- Project Quality and Innovation (40%)
- Investigators (35%)
- Research Environment (15%)
- Feasibility and Benefit (10%)
The ARC assessment and subsequent reporting process for 2016 used 64 College of Experts members and was managed in the Research Management System. A total of 110 independent assessor reports were submitted to the ARC for Discovery Indigenous 2016.
Summary of Outcomes
The ARC received a total of 31 proposals for Discovery Indigenous for funding commencing in 2016, one proposal less than for the previous round. The overall success rate of 32.3 per cent represents a slight increase from the success rate of 31.3 per cent in the previous round due to a lower number of proposals being received in this round. Additionally, there was a decrease in the total value of funding for Discovery Indigenous 2016 of $4.05 million compared with the previous round of $4.39 million.
Table 1. Comparison of proposal numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funding for approved Discovery Indigenous proposals from 2015 to 2016
|
Funding year |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate |
Requested funds over project life (all proposals) |
Requested funds over project life (approved proposals) |
Funds allocated over project life |
Allocation as a percentage of request |
|
2015 |
32 |
10 |
31.3% |
$18,423,384 |
$6,571,998 |
$4,392,609 |
66.8% |
|
2016 |
31 |
10 |
32.3% |
$20,945,638 |
$5,441,127 |
$4,059,356 |
74.6% |
Project Size
Table 2. Comparison of the average first year funding allocation and the average funding allocation over the project life for approved Discovery Indigenous proposals from 2015 to 2016.
|
Funding year |
Average year 1 request |
Average year 1 allocation |
Allocation as a percentage of year 1 request |
Average project life request |
Average project life allocation |
Allocation as a percentage of project life request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2015 |
$218,068 |
$142,010 |
65.1% |
$657,200 |
$439,261 |
66.8% |
|
2016 |
$172,086 |
$134,930 |
78.4% |
$544,113 |
$405,936 |
74.6% |
Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award
The Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award (DAATSIA), formerly known as the Discovery Indigenous Award (DIA), was introduced into the Discovery Indigenous scheme in 2012. Chief Investigators who are Indigenous Australians are eligible to apply for a DAATSIA.
Table 3. Comparison of Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award (DAATSIA) success rates from 2015 to 2016
|
Funding year |
Number of Proposals requesting one or more DAATSIA |
Number of approved Proposals awarded one or more DAATSIA |
Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2015 |
14* |
4* |
28.6% |
|
2016 |
14 |
3 |
21.4% |
* Represents data for Discovery Indigenous Award (DIA), now known as Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award (DAATSIA)
Gender of Participants
A total of 120 participants were named on all proposals considered in 2016. This includes 14 candidates nominated for the Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award (DAATSIA).
Table 4. Success rates for all participants (Chief Investigators (including DAATSIA candidates) and Partner Investigators) by gender, in Discovery Indigenous 2016
|
Gender of Participants |
Participants (all proposals) |
Participants (approved proposals) |
Participant success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Female |
68 |
13 |
19.1% |
|
Male |
52 |
17 |
32.7% |
|
Total |
120 |
30 |
25.0% |
Table 5. Success rates for Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award (DAATSIA) candidates, by gender, in Discovery Indigenous 2016
|
Gender of DAATSIA candidates |
DAATSIA candidates |
DAATSIA recipients |
Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Female candidates |
8 |
1 |
12.5% |
|
Male candidates |
6 |
2 |
25% |
|
Total |
14 |
3 |
21.4% |
International Collaboration
Table 6. Instances of international collaboration in Discovery Indigenous 2016
|
Country |
Instances of international collaboration on proposals considered |
Instances of international collaboration on approved proposals |
|---|---|---|
|
Canada |
3 |
1 |
|
England |
3 |
1 |
|
Ireland |
1 |
0 |
|
Japan |
1 |
0 |
|
Netherlands |
1 |
0 |
|
New Zealand |
4 |
1 |
|
Portugal |
1 |
1 |
|
United States of America |
7 |
3 |
|
Total instances of international collaboration |
21 |
7 |
|
Total number of proposals listing instances of international collaboration |
14 |
4 |
Strategic Research Priorities
Table 7. Approved funding for Discovery Indigenous 2016 by Strategic Research Priority
|
Strategic Research Priority area |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate |
Approved funds over project life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lifting productivity and economic growth |
6 |
2 |
33.3% |
$402,000 |
|
Living in a changing environment |
5 |
2 |
40.0% |
$1,039,000 |
|
Promoting population health and wellbeing |
18 |
5 |
27.8% |
$2,368,356 |
|
Securing Australia’s place in a changing world |
1 |
1 |
100.0% |
$250,000 |
|
Unspecified |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
Total all proposals |
31 |
10 |
32.3% |
$4,059,356 |
|
Total within Strategic Research Priority areas |
30 |
10 |
33.3% |
$4,059,356 |
|
Percentage within priority areas |
96.8% |
100% |
|
100% |
Selection Outcomes by Administering Organisation
Table 8. Numbers of proposals, success rates and approved funding for Discovery Indigenous 2016 proposals by Administering Organisation
|
Administering Organisation |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate |
Approved funding over project life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New South Wales |
12 |
6 |
50.0% |
$2,274,712 |
|
Australian Catholic University |
2 |
1 |
50.0% |
$572,000 |
|
Southern Cross University |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
The University of New South Wales |
3 |
1 |
33.3% |
$404,000 |
|
The University of Newcastle |
1 |
1 |
100.0% |
$112,000 |
|
The University of Sydney |
2 |
2 |
100.0% |
$803,783 |
|
University of Technology, Sydney |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
University of Wollongong |
2 |
1 |
50.0% |
$382,929 |
|
Northern Territory |
2 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
Charles Darwin University |
2 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
Queensland |
2 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
Queensland University of Technology |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
The University of Queensland |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
South Australia |
2 |
1 |
50.0% |
$635,000 |
|
The University of Adelaide |
2 |
1 |
50.0% |
$635,000 |
|
Tasmania |
2 |
1 |
50.0% |
$310,000 |
|
University of Tasmania |
2 |
1 |
50.0% |
$310,000 |
|
Victoria |
10 |
2 |
20.0% |
$839,644 |
|
Deakin University |
2 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
La Trobe University |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
Monash University |
2 |
1 |
50.0% |
$250,000 |
|
The University of Melbourne |
5 |
1 |
20.0% |
$589,644 |
|
Western Australia |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
Murdoch University |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
$0 |
|
Total |
31 |
10 |
32.3% |
$4,059,356 |