Selection Report: Future Fellowships 2019
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Overview
The Future Fellowships scheme provides support for excellent mid-career researchers to undertake high quality research in areas of national and international benefit by enabling outstanding Australian and international mid-career researchers to conduct their research in Australia.
The objectives of Future Fellowships scheme are to:
- support outstanding mid-career researchers to be recruited and retained, by universities in continuing academic positions
- build collaboration across industry and/or research organisations and/or disciplines
- support research in Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities that will result in economic, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia
- strengthen Australia’s research capacity by supporting innovative, internationally-competitive research.
Selection Process
Applications for funding commencing in 2019 opened on 15 October 2018 and closed on 21 December 2018. Applications were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines the outcomes from the selection process for that round.
Funding recommendations have been prepared for submission to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The outcomes are based on advice from the ARC College of Experts which:
- assigned independent assessors to review the applications
- assessed applications and reviewed assessments made by independent assessors
- reviewed candidates’ comments on assessors’ reports
- ranked each application relative to the others on the basis of the application, the assessors’ reports and candidates’ 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 advice from the ARC’s Medical Research Advisory Group
- made recommendations to the CEO in respect of ineligible applications.
The ARC assessment process for Future Fellowships 2019 used 54 College of Experts members across four discipline panels and was managed in RMS. A total of 2038 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC for Future Fellowships 2019.
This report reflects the outcomes approved by the Minister. Unless otherwise specified, figures presented in this report exclude withdrawn applications.
Assessment Criteria
Assessment criteria and corresponding weightings for Future Fellowships 2019 applications are:
- Future Fellowship Candidate (40%)
- Project Quality and Innovation (35%)
- Feasibility and Strategic Alignment (10%)
- Benefit and Collaboration (15%)
Funding levels and duration
Future Fellowships are funded for four consecutive years on a full-time basis. The annual salary contribution may be awarded at one of three salary levels, either $154,920 or $187,537 or $220,150, (2018$) including 30 per cent on-costs. In addition, the ARC may provide up to $50,000 in project costs per annum.
Summary of Outcomes
The ARC received a total of 591 Future Fellowships applications for funding commencing in 2019, of which two applications were withdrawn. Of the unsuccessful applications, 12 were found to not meet eligibility requirements.
The overall success rate for Future Fellowships for funding commencing in 2019 is 17.0 per cent.
Table 1. Application numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for approved Future Fellowships applications 2019
Salary Level |
Applications considered |
Applications approved |
Success rate |
Requested funds over project life (all applications) |
Requested funds over project life (approved applications) |
Approved funds over project life (approved applications) |
Approved funds as % of requested funds |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Level 1 |
167 |
28 |
16.8 |
$131,830,967 |
$22,522,916 |
$20,922,963 |
92.9 |
Level 2 |
223 |
38 |
17.0 |
$206,353,368 |
$35,521,926 |
$33,303,226 |
93.8 |
Level 3 |
199 |
34 |
17.1 |
$210,599,243 |
$36,228,067 |
$33,617,255 |
92.8 |
Total |
589 |
100 |
17.0 |
$548,783,578 |
$94,272,909 |
$87,843,444 |
93.2 |
Outcomes by discipline panels
Table 2. Comparison of application numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved Future Fellowships 2019 applications by discipline panel
Panel † |
Applications considered |
Applications approved |
Success rate (%) |
Requested funds over project life for all applications considered |
Requested funds over project life for approved applications |
Approved funds over project |
Approved funds as % of requested funds |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BSB |
137 |
23 |
16.8 |
$123,814,977 |
$20,853,737 |
$19,428,849 |
93.2 |
EIC |
128 |
23 |
18.0 |
$121,278,156 |
$22,022,724 |
$20,602,403 |
93.6 |
HSE |
192 |
31 |
16.1 |
$186,140,667 |
$30,477,174 |
$28,412,073 |
93.2 |
MPCE |
132 |
23 |
17.4 |
$117,549,778 |
$20,919,274 |
$19,400,119 |
92.7 |
Total |
589 |
100 |
17.0 |
$548,783,578 |
$94,272,909 |
$87,843,444 |
93.2 |
† BSB - Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EIC – Engineering, Information and Computing Sciences; HSE – Humanities and Creative Arts, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences; MPCE – Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Science and Research Priorities
Of the 589 Future Fellowship applications submitted, at least 367 (62.3%) of the applications fall within one of the Science and Research Priorities (Table 3).
Table 3. Approved funding and success rate for Future Fellowships 2019 applications by Science and Research Priorities
Science and Research Priorities |
Applications considered |
Applications approved |
Success |
Approved funds (over project life) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Advanced manufacturing |
79 |
14 |
17.7 |
$12,077,605 |
Cybersecurity |
19 |
6 |
31.6 |
$5,460,060 |
Energy |
37 |
6 |
16.2 |
$5,198,014 |
Environmental change |
94 |
16 |
17.0 |
$13,753,159 |
Food |
23 |
2 |
8.7 |
$1,493,290 |
Health |
78 |
11 |
14.1 |
$10,053,293 |
Resources |
13 |
3 |
23.1 |
$2,645,870 |
Soil and water |
18 |
3 |
16.7 |
$2,594,716 |
Transport |
6 |
0 |
0.0 |
$0 |
Unspecified |
222 |
39 |
17.6 |
$34,567,437 |
Total |
589 |
100 |
17.0 |
$87,843,444 |
Total within Science and Research Priorities |
367 |
61 |
16.6 |
$53,276,007 |
Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%) |
62.3 |
61 |
|
60.6 |
Outcomes by Administering Organisation
Table 4. Numbers of applications and success rates for approved Future Fellowships 2019 applications by Administering Organisation
Administering Organisation |
Applications considered |
Applications approved |
Success rate (%) |
Approved funds over project life ($) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Capital Territory |
39 |
2 |
5.1 |
$1,769,900 |
The Australian National University |
36 |
2 |
5.6 |
$1,769,900 |
University of Canberra |
3 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
New South Wales |
186 |
28 |
15.1 |
$25,098,831 |
Australian Catholic University |
1 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
Charles Sturt University |
1 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
Macquarie University |
27 |
6 |
22.2 |
$5,410,268 |
Southern Cross University |
4 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
The University of New South Wales |
51 |
13 |
25.5 |
$11,547,805 |
The University of Newcastle |
19 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
The University of Sydney |
37 |
2 |
5.4 |
$1,733,016 |
University of Technology Sydney |
14 |
2 |
14.3 |
$1,884,000 |
University of Wollongong |
26 |
2 |
7.7 |
$1,723,162 |
Western Sydney University |
6 |
3 |
50.0 |
$2,800,580 |
Northern Territory |
2 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
Charles Darwin University |
2 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
Queensland |
84 |
15 |
17.9 |
$12,582,243 |
Griffith University |
15 |
1 |
6.7 |
$913,150 |
James Cook University |
3 |
1 |
33.3 |
$710,470 |
Queensland University of Technology |
12 |
4 |
33.3 |
$3,477,930 |
The University of Queensland |
47 |
8 |
17 |
$6,592,693 |
University of Southern Queensland |
2 |
1 |
50.0 |
$888,000 |
University of the Sunshine Coast |
5 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
South Australia |
37 |
11 |
29.7 |
$9,032,331 |
Flinders University |
2 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
The University of Adelaide |
23 |
7 |
30.4 |
$5,763,146 |
University of South Australia |
12 |
4 |
33.3 |
$3,269,185 |
Tasmania |
13 |
3 |
23.1 |
$2,579,911 |
University of Tasmania |
13 |
3 |
23.1 |
$2,579,911 |
Victoria |
191 |
33 |
17.3 |
$29,560,208 |
Deakin University |
10 |
1 |
10.0 |
$931,148 |
La Trobe University |
14 |
1 |
7.1 |
$843,270 |
Monash University |
61 |
13 |
21.3 |
$11,369,267 |
RMIT University |
18 |
2 |
11.1 |
$1,821,810 |
Swinburne University of Technology |
12 |
1 |
8.3 |
$784,832 |
The University of Melbourne |
76 |
15 |
19.7 |
$13,809,881 |
Western Australia |
37 |
8 |
21.6 |
$7,220,020 |
Curtin University |
16 |
4 |
25.0 |
$3,298,218 |
Murdoch University |
1 |
0 |
0 |
$0 |
The University of Western Australia |
20 |
4 |
20.0 |
$3,921,802 |
Total |
589 |
100 |
17.0 |
$87,843,444 |
Career age and gender
A total of 589 Future Fellowship candidates were named on all applications considered in this round. Of these, 200 were female, 387 were male and two candidates have chosen not to specify their gender. The success rate for female and male candidates is 20.5 per cent and 15.2 per cent respectively (Figure 1).
At the closing time of submission of applications, of the 589 candidates, 530 were between five to 15 years of the award of their PhD and 59 were beyond 15 years of the award of their PhD. To be eligible to apply for Future Fellowships, the latter group of researchers had their significant career interruptions certified by their Administering Organisation.
Of the approved Future Fellowships, 92 candidates were within five to 15 years of the award of their PhD and eight candidates were beyond 15 years of the award of their PhD.
Success rates of Future Fellowships candidates by career age and gender in the current round are represented in Figure 1 below. Future Fellowships candidates who did not provide gender information (0.3 per cent) are not represented in the figure below.
Figure 1. Participation and success rate of Future Fellowships 2019 candidates by gender and career age*
* Career age is calculated as years since PhD.
Attracting and retaining outstanding researchers
Applications were open to Eligible Organisations to nominate candidates who are outstanding mid-career researchers of international repute, resident either within Australia or overseas.
Table 5. Citizenship/residency status of Future Fellowships 2019 candidates and approved Awardees
Citizenship/residency status |
Applications considered |
% of Applications considered |
Applications approved |
Success rate (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Foreign Nationals |
71 |
12.1 |
8 |
11.3 |
Resident Australians |
493 |
83.7 |
90 |
18.3 |
Returning Australians |
25 |
4.2 |
2 |
8.0 |
Total |
589 |
100 |
100 |
17.0 |
Note: All totals and percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum.
International Collaboration
Applicants foreshadowed 1530 instances of collaboration with researchers in 103 overseas locations on 553 applications. Of the applications approved for funding, 98 foreshadowed 286 instances of collaboration with researchers in 49 overseas locations.
Figure 2. International collaborations by location in approved Future Fellowships 2019 applications*
*The top 10 international collaboration locations are listed in Figure 2 and the remaining are grouped in the ‘other’ category.