Selection Report: Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2016
[TOC]
Overview
The Industrial Transformation Training Centres is a scheme that fosters close partnerships between university-based researchers and other research end-users to provide innovative Higher Degree by Research (HDR) and postdoctoral training for the end-user focused research industries vital to Australia’s future.
The objectives of the Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme are to:
- foster opportunities for Higher Degree by Research candidates and postdoctoral fellows to pursue industrial training
- drive growth, productivity and competitiveness within key growth sectors
- enhance competitive research collaboration between universities and organisations outside the Australian higher education sector
- strengthen the capabilities of industries and other research end-users in identified Industrial Transformation Priority areas.
Selection process
Proposals for projects commencing in 2016 opened on 10 September 2015 and closed on 10 December 2015. Proposals were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines recommendations from the selection process for that round.
The ARC prepared funding recommendations for submission to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The outcomes were based on advice from the Industry Advisory Panel (IAP) which:
- 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
- recommended proposal feedback;
and, on advice from the ARC Eligibility Committee which:
- considered eligibility issues identified by ARC staff, the IAP or independent assessors
- where required, sought advice from institutions 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 weights for Industrial Transformation Training Centres proposals are:
- Proposed Project (30%)
- Feasibility and Benefit (30%)
- Collaborative Project Research Environment (20%)
- Training Centre Director and Supervisors (20%).
The ARC assessment and subsequent reporting process for Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2016 used a total of 10 IAP members and was managed in RMS. A total of 76 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC for Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2016.
Summary of Outcomes
The ARC received a total of 27 proposals for Industrial Transformation Training Centresfor funding in 2016. There were no withdrawn proposals. The overall success rate was 22.2 per cent, lower than the success rate for the previous round of 29.4 per cent. Please note that within this selection report approved funding may include indicative funding amounts.
Table 1. Comparison of proposal numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for successful proposals from Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2015 and 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 |
17 |
5 |
29.4 |
$67,420,481 |
$21,222,107 |
$20,895,677 |
98.5 |
|
2016 |
27 |
6 |
22.2 |
$108,649,447 |
$25,397,871 |
$22,044,067 |
86.8 |
Approved Training Centres for funding
Table 2. Details of approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2016
|
Training Centre Title |
Administering Organisation |
Training Centre Director |
Approved funds over project life |
|---|---|---|---|
|
ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry
|
The University of Sydney |
A/Prof Robyn McConchie |
$2,259,000
|
|
ARC Training Centre in Additive Biomanufacturing |
Queensland University of Technology |
Prof Dietmar W Hutmacher |
$3,722,989 |
|
ARC Training Centre for Biopharmaceutical Innovation |
The University of Queensland |
A/Prof Stephen Mahler |
$4,340,802 |
|
ARC Training Centre in Lightweight Automotive Structures |
RMIT University |
Prof Chun Wang |
$3,024,379 |
|
ARC Training Centre in Alloy Innovation for Mining Efficiency |
Deakin University |
Prof Matthew Barnett |
$4,881,754 |
|
ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites |
The University of New South Wales |
Prof Gangadhara Prusty |
$3,815,143 |
Selection outcomes by Administering Organisation
Table 3. Numbers of proposals, success rates and ARC approved funding for approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2016 proposals by Administering Organisation
|
Administering Organisation |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate (%) |
ARC approved funding over project life (approved proposals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New South Wales |
16 |
2 |
12.5 |
$6,074,143 |
|
Macquarie University |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
Southern Cross University |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
The University of New South Wales |
2 |
1 |
50.0 |
$3,815,143 |
|
The University of Newcastle |
7 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
The University of Sydney |
4 |
1 |
25.0 |
$2,259,000 |
|
The University of Wollongong |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
Queensland |
3 |
2 |
66.7 |
$8,063,791 |
|
Queensland University of Technology |
1 |
1 |
100.0 |
$3,722,989 |
|
The University of Queensland |
2 |
1 |
50.0 |
$4,340,802 |
|
South Australia |
2 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
The University of Adelaide |
2 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
Tasmania |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
University of Tasmania |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
Victoria |
3 |
2 |
66.7 |
$7,906,133 |
|
Deakin University |
1 |
1 |
100.0 |
$4,881,754 |
|
Monash University |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
RMIT University |
1 |
1 |
100.0 |
$3,024,379 |
|
Western Australia |
2 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
Curtin University of Technology |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
The University of Western Australia |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
Total |
27 |
6 |
22.2 |
$22,044,067 |
Participating organisation contributions by organisation type
Table 4. Participating organisation contributions by organisation type for approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2016 proposals
|
Organisation type |
Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved proposals) |
|---|---|
|
Administering Organisation |
$15,421,233 |
|
Other Eligible Organisation |
$5,602,669 |
|
Partner Organisation |
$17,719,665 |
|
Other Organisation |
$754,775 |
|
Total |
$39,498,342 |
Partner Organisation contributions by sector
Partner Organisations were identified as either Australian, international, government, non-profit, industry or overseas higher education organisations. The Partner Organisation contributions in these categories for proposals approved for funding in 2016 are shown below in Table 5.
Table 5. Partner Organisation contributions by sector for approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2016 proposals
|
Type |
Cash |
In-kind |
Total |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | ||
|
Government |
|||||||
|
Australian Federal Government |
$237,500 |
4.4 |
$1,190,204 |
9.6 |
$1,427,704 |
8.1 |
|
|
Australian state, territory and local government |
$235,000 |
4.4 |
$224,000 |
1.8 |
$459,000 |
2.6 |
|
|
International Government |
$20,000 |
0.4 |
$60,000 |
0.5 |
$80,000 |
0.5 |
|
|
Sub-total |
$492,500 |
9.2 |
$1,474,204 |
11.9 |
$1,966,704 |
11.1 |
|
|
Industry Body |
|||||||
|
Australian |
$4,135,409 |
76.9 |
$8,589,427 |
69.6 |
$12,724,836 |
71.8 |
|
|
International |
$225,000 |
4.2 |
$884,750 |
7.2 |
$1,109,750 |
6.3 |
|
|
Sub-total |
$4,360,409 |
81.1 |
$9,474,177 |
76.8 |
$13,834,586 |
78.1 |
|
|
Non-profit |
|||||||
|
Australian |
$475,000 |
8.8 |
$740,000 |
6.0 |
$1,215,000 |
6.9 |
|
|
Sub-total |
$475,000 |
8.8 |
$740,000 |
6.0 |
$1,215,000 |
6.9 |
|
|
Education |
|||||||
|
International |
$0 |
0.0 |
$253,375 |
2.1 |
$253,375 |
1.4 |
|
|
Sub-total |
$0 |
0.0 |
$253,375 |
2.1 |
$253,375 |
1.4 |
|
|
Other |
|||||||
|
Other |
$50,000 |
0.9 |
$400,000 |
3.2 |
$450,000 |
2.5 |
|
|
Sub-total |
$50,000 |
0.9 |
$400,000 |
3.2 |
$450,000 |
2.5 |
|
|
Total |
$5,377,909 |
100.0 |
$12,341,756 |
100.0 |
$17,719,665 |
100.0 |
|
Note: All totals and percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum.
Leverage of ARC funding
Of the 27 proposals considered, six were approved with a total approved funding, over the life of these projects, of $22.0 million. There are 50 Partner Organisations involved with these proposals, committing a total of $17.7 million in cash and in-kind funding. This represents $0.80 from Partner Organisations for every dollar of funding from the ARC.
Industrial Transformation Priorities
Table 6. Instances of identified Industrial Transformation Priorities in Industrial Transformation Training Centres proposals approved for funding commencing in 2016
|
Industrial Transformation Priorities |
Instances in proposals considered* |
Instances in proposals approved* |
|---|---|---|
|
Advanced Manufacturing |
15 |
5 |
|
Food and Agribusiness |
5 |
1 |
|
Oil, Gas and Energy Resources |
2 |
0 |
|
Mining Equipment, Technology and Services |
6 |
1 |
|
Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals |
13 |
2 |
|
Total |
41 |
9 |
* A single proposal may select multiple Industrial Transformation Priorities
Science and Research Priorities
Table 7. Approved funding for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2016 by Science and Research Priority
|
Priority area |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate (%) |
Approved funds (over project life) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Food |
4 |
1 |
25.0 |
$2,259,000 |
|
Resources |
3 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
Advanced Manufacturing |
13 |
3 |
23.1 |
$11,721,276 |
|
Health |
7 |
2 |
28.6 |
$8,063,791 |
|
Total |
27 |
6 |
22.2 |
$22,044,067 |
|
Total within Science and Research Priorities |
27 |
6 |
22.2 |
$22,044,067 |
|
Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%) |
100% |
100% |
|
100% |
Table 8. Proposal data by Field of Research category for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2016
|
Field of Research category |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
ARC approved funding over project life (approved proposals) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chemical Sciences |
2 |
0 |
- |
|
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
2 |
0 |
- |
|
Information and Computing Sciences |
1 |
0 |
- |
|
Engineering |
16 |
5 |
$17,703,265 |
|
Technology |
2 |
1 |
$4,340,802 |
|
Medical and Health Sciences |
2 |
0 |
- |
|
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services |
1 |
0 |
- |
|
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences |
1 |
0 |
- |
|
Total |
27 |
6 |
$22,044,067 |
Components
The components that can be funded in the Industrial Transformation Training Centres are Higher Degree by Research candidates (ICHDR) and Postdoctoral Fellows (ICPD). The component types, number requested and success rates are shown below in Table 9.
Table 9. Numbers and success rates for Industrial Transformation Training Centres components
|
Component |
Number Requested |
Number Approved |
Success rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
ICHDR |
316 |
70 |
22.2 |
|
ICPD |
104 |
24 |
23.1 |
|
Total |
420 |
94 |
22.4 |
Gender
A total of 520 participants were named as Training Centre Director, Chief Investigator or Partner Investigator on all proposals considered in this round. Of these, 435 are male and 85 are female. The success rates for male and female participants in this round are 26.4 per cent and 30.6 per cent respectively. Of the six Training Centre Directors, five are male and one is female.
International collaboration
Figure 1. Instances of international collaboration on approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2016 proposals
