Selection Report: Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2021

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Overview

The Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme fosters close partnerships between university-based researchers and other researchers. Training Centres deliver innovative Higher Degree by Research (HDR) and postdoctoral training. The focus is on creating end-user research capability that is vital to Australia's future through developing solutions relevant to the Industrial Transformation Priorities.

The objectives of the Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme are to:

support HDR candidates and postdoctoral researchers to undertake industrial training
support research collaboration between universities and organisations outside the Australian higher education sector; and
strengthen the capabilities of industry and research end-users in identified Industrial Transformation Priority areas.

Selection process

Applications for funding commencing in 2021 opened on 10 September 2020 and closed on 18 November 2020. Applications were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines recommendations from the ARC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the Minister.

These recommendations are based on advice from the Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) which:

assessed applications and reviewed assessments made by independent assessors
reviewed applicants’ comments on assessors’ reports
ranked each application relative to the others on the basis of the application, the assessors’ reports and applicants’ responses to those assessments
assessed and recommended budgets
recommended application feedback

and advice from the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program Eligibility Committee which:

considered eligibility issues identified by ARC staff, the members of the SAC 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.

This report reflects the funding recommendations to the Minister.

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Criteria and corresponding weightings for Industrial Transformation Training Centres applications are:

Investigator(s)/Capability (20%)

demonstrated Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE) of the proposed team including:
- evidence of experience in managing distributed and/or collaborative industrial and end-user focussed research
- evidence of significant outcomes on industry related projects; and
- evidence of experience in and capacity to provide effective supervision
- support and mentoring for HDR candidates and postdoctoral researchers over the life of the Training Centre
appropriateness of team research track record to achieve the Training Centre’s goals and
time and capacity of the team to undertake and manage the proposed research in collaboration with the Partner Organisation(s).

Project Quality and Innovation (30%)

the aims, concepts, methods and outcomes will drive growth, productivity and competitiveness within relevant sectors
the project builds skills and capacity in end-user focussed research
the conceptual/theoretical framework is genuinely integrated, cross-disciplinary, innovative and original; and
how the Training Centre has a wide level of collaboration, including the development of national and international networks and linkages.

Feasibility and Commitment (20%)

extent to which the proposed Training Centre represents value for money
practicality of the proposed project objectives, budget and timeframe (including identified risks and mitigation strategies)
proposed level of collaboration to support the research project
high quality intellectual support provided for the Training Centre by the research environment of the participating organisations
availability of and access to necessary facilities required to support the proposed research (physical, technical, access to infrastructure, etc)
capacity of each Partner Organisation(s) to support the Training Centre (including the plan for student placements)
extent to which the proposed Training Centre will engage, and will continue to engage, meaningfully with the relevant industry experts including Industry Growth Centre(s)
commitment by each Partner Organisation(s) to collaboration in the Training Centre and
Partner Organisation(s) facilities and personnel contribution to the effective supervision, on-site training, support and mentoring for the HDR candidates and postdoctoral researchers over the life of the project.

Benefit (30%)

the extent to which the research clearly addresses one or more of the Industrial Transformation Priorities
the economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for relevant Australian research end-users (including relevant industry sectors)
the extent to which the proposed Training Centre supports clearly identified market opportunity(ies) and intended transformation for Australian industry or other end users
the extent to which the proposed Training Centre will build the ability to exploit research outcomes in the Partner Organisations
the extent to which there are adequate strategies to encourage disseminations and promotion of research outcomes among the priority industry sector
the potential contribution of the proposed research to addressing the needs of industries and communities as articulated in Australia’s Industrial Transformation Priorities; and
where relevant, the extent to which the applicants have identified the freedom to operate in the Intellectual Property and patent landscape to enable future benefits to industry.

Assessment process

The ARC assessment and reporting process for Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2021 involved a panel of 12 SAC members and was managed in RMS. A total of 74 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC for Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2021.

Funding levels and duration

Funding of between $650,000 and $1 million per annum for the first three years and between $150,000 and $1 million per annum for the fourth year may be awarded for each Industrial Transformation Training Centre. There is no minimum for the fifth year and a maximum of $1 million.

Summary of Outcomes

The ARC received 25 applications for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding commencing in 2021. All applications met eligibility requirements.

As shown in Table 1, eight applications are recommended for funding. The overall success rate is 32.0 per cent. A comparison of success rates and funding amounts is shown in Table 2.

Table 1. Details of recommended Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021

Training Centre Title	Administering Organisation	Training Centre Director	Recommended funds over project life
ARC Training Centre for Next-Gen Technologies in Biomedical Analysis	The University of Western Australia	Prof Killugudi L Swaminatha-Iyer	$3,975,864
ARC Training Centre for Healing Country	Curtin University	Prof Stephen J van Leeuwen	$4,986,473
ARC Training Centre for Accelerated Future Crop Development	The Australian National University	Prof Barry J Pogson	$5,000,000
ARC Training Centre in Energy Technologies for Future Grids	University of Wollongong	Prof Kashem M Muttaqi	$5,000,000
ARC Training Centre for Behavioural Insights for Technology Adoption (BITA)	Queensland University of Technology	Prof Uwe Dulleck	$4,282,859
ARC Training Centre in Bioplastics and Biocomposites	The University of Queensland	A/Prof Steven Pratt	$4,943,949
ARC Training Centre for Optimal Ageing	Monash University	A/Prof Yen Ying Lim	$4,583,816
ARC Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s Bioactives (FAAB)	Macquarie University	Prof Alison Rodger	$4,997,903

Table 2. Comparison of application numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for recommended applications from Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2020 and 2021*

Funding year	Applications considered	Applications recommended	Success rate (%)	Requested funds over project life - all applications	Requested funds over project life - recommended applications	*Funds allocated over project life - recommended applications**	Allocation as a percentage of request (%)
2020	31	5	16.1	$134,366,011	$24,334,385	$24,334,385	100
2021	25	8	32	$116,100,711	$37,770,864	$37,770,864	100

*May include indicative funding amounts

Outcomes by discipline

A summary of outcomes by discipline grouping is shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Number of applications, success rates and requested and allocated funds for recommended Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2021 applications by discipline

Discipline*	Applications considered	Applications recommended	Success rate (%)	Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)	Requested funds over project life for recommended applications ($)	Funds over project life for recommended applications ($)	Return Rate for recommended applications (%)
BEM	5	2	40.0	21,875,312	9,986,473	9,986,473	100.0
ET	9	3	33.3	42,201,740	13,919,813	13,919,813	100.0
HSE	7	2	28.6	32,069,983	8,866,675	8,866,675	100.0
PMI	4	1	25.0	19,953,676	4,997,903	4,997,903	100.0
Total	25	8	32.0	116,100,711	37,770,864	37,770,864	100.0

*BEM – Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Environmental, Medical and Health Sciences; ET –Engineering and Technology; HSE – Humanities and Creative Arts, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences; PMI – Physical, Mathematical and Information Sciences

Outcomes by Administering Organisation

Institutions across five Australian States and one Territory submitted applications for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021. In addition to ARC funding, significant contributions are made by participating organisations as shown in Table 4.

Table 4. Numbers of applications, success rates and ARC recommended funding for recommended Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021

Administering Organisation	Applications considered	Applications recommended	Success rate (%)	ARC recommended funding over project life (recommended applications)	Participating organisation*# contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (recommended applications
Australian Capital Territory	1	1	100	$5,000,000	$13,472,487
The Australian National University	1	1	100100	$5,000,000	$13,472,487
New South Wales	8	2	25	$9,997,903	$31,708,909
Macquarie University	2	1	50	$4,997,903	$16,073,639
The University of New South Wales	3	0	0	$0	$0
The University of Newcastle	1	0	0	$0	$0
University of Wollongong	2	1	50	$5,000,000	$15,635,270
Queensland	7	2	28.6	$9,226,808	$18,079,030
Queensland University of Technology	3	1	33.3	$4,282,859	$10,279,039
The University of Queensland	4	1	25	$4,943,949	$7,799,991
Tasmania	1	0	0	$0	$0
University of Tasmania	1	0	0	$0	$0
Victoria	6	1	16.7	$4,583,816	$9,919,270
Deakin University	1	0	0	$0	$0
Monash University	2	1	50	$4,583,816	$9,919,270
RMIT University	1	0	0	$0	$0
The University of Melbourne	1	0	0	$0	$0
Victoria University	1	0	0	$0	$0
Western Australia	2	2	100	$8,962,337	$23,370,260
Curtin University	1	1	100	$4,986,473	$10,731,978
The University of Western Australia	1	1	100	$3,975,864	$12,638,282
Total	25	8	32	$37,770,864	$96,549,956

* Participating Organisations include the Administering Organisation, Other Eligible Organisations, Partner Organisations and Other Organisations.

# Participating Organisation contributions are shown by organisation type in Table 4.

Participating organisation contributions by organisation type

As shown in Table 5, contributions to Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021 from Partner Organisations total over $46 million, 48.4 per cent of the total organisation contributions to successful Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021.

Table 5. Participating organisation contributions by organisation type for recommended Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021 applications

Organisation type	Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (recommended applications)
Administering Organisation	$32,640,404
Other Eligible Organisation	$15,551,137
Partner Organisation	$46,761,661
Other Organisation	$1,596,754
Total	$96,549,956

Partner Organisation contributions by sector

Partner Organisations were identified as either Australian State, Territory and local government, Australian Federal government, company industry body (Australian and International) non-profit (Australian and International), overseas higher education organisations and other contributions. The Partner Organisation contributions in these categories for applications recommended for funding in 2021 are shown in Table 6.

Table 6. Partner Organisation contributions by sector for recommended Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021 applications

Type		Cash		In-kind		Total
		$	%	$	%	$	%
Government
Australian State, Territory and Local Government		$2,875,000	20.99	$4,153,830	12.56	$7,028,830	15.03
Australian Federal Government		$1,217,276	8.89	$1,629,480	4.93	$2,846,756	6.09
	Sub-total	$4,092,276	29.88	$5,783,310	17.49	$9,875,586	21.12
Industry Body
Australian Company Industry Body		$7,717,500	56.35	$20,581,554	62.24	$28,299,054	60.52
International Company Industry Body		$441,000	3.22	$1,921,301	5.81	$2,362,301	5.05
	Sub-total	$8,158,500	59.57	$22,502,855	68.05	$30,661,355	65.57
Non-profit
Australian Non Profit		$1,245,000	9.09	$2,718,475	8.22	$3,963,475	8.48
International Non Profit		$0	0.00	$585,000	1.77	$585,000	1.25
	Sub-total	$1,245,000	9.09	$3,303,475	9.99	$4,548,475	9.73
Education
Higher Education International		$0	0.00	$563,745	1.70	$563,745	1.21
	Sub-total	$0	0.00	$563,745	1.70	$563,745	1.21
Other
Other		$200,000	1.46	$912,500	2.76	$1,112,500	2.38
	Sub-total	$200,000	1.46	$912,500	2.76	$1,112,500	2.38
	Total	$13,695,776	100.00	$33,065,885	100.00	$46,761,661	100.00

Note: All totals and percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum.

Leverage of ARC funding

Of the 25 applications considered, 8 were recommended with a total recommended funding, over the life of these projects, of $37.8 million. There are unique 119 Partner Organisations involved, committing a total of $46.8 million in cash and in-kind funding. This represents $1.24 from Partner Organisations for every dollar of funding from the ARC.

Industrial Transformation Priorities

As shown in Table 7, applications for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021 were submitted in all Industrial Transformation Priorities.

Table 7. Instances of identified Industrial Transformation Priorities in Industrial Transformation Training Centres applications recommended for funding commencing in 2021

Industrial Transformation Priorities	Instances in applications considered*	Instances in applications recommended*
Advanced Manufacturing	13	2
Cyber Security	6	2
Food and Agribusiness	7	3
Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals	9	4
Mining Equipment, Technology and Services	4	0
Oil, Gas and Energy Resources	3	1
Total	42	12

* A single application may select multiple Industrial Transformation Priorities

Outcomes by Science and Research Priorities

As shown in Table 8, all applications for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021 selected a Science and Research Priority.

Table 8. Recommended funding for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021 by Science and Research Priority

Priority area	Applications considered	Applications recommended	Success rate (%)	Recommended funds (over project life)
Advanced Manufacturing	9	2	22.2	$9,941,852
Cybersecurity	2	0
Energy	2	1	50.0	$5,000,000
Environmental change	1	1	100.0	$4,986,473
Food	4	1	25.0	$5,000,000
Health	3	3	100.0	$12,842,539
Resources	3	0
Transport	1	0
Total	25	8	32.0	$37,770,864
Total within Science and Research Priorities	25	8	32.0	$37,770,864
Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%)	100.0	100.0		100.0

Field of Research Categories

Table 9. Application data by Field of Research category for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021

Field of Research category	Applications considered	Applications recommended	ARC recommended funding over project life (recommended applications)	Participating Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (recommended applications)
Chemical Sciences	4	2	$8,973,767	$28,711,921
Environmental Sciences	1	1	$4,986,473	$10,731,978
Biological Sciences	1	1	$5,000,000	$13,472,487
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences	3	0	$0	$0
Information and Computing Sciences	1	0	$0	$0
Engineering	8	2	$9,943,949	$23,435,261
Built Environment and Design	4	0	$0	$0
Economics	2	1	$4,282,859	$10,279,039
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences	1	1	$4,583,816	$9,919,270
Total	25	8	$37,770,864	$96,549,956

Gender

A total of 836 participants were named as a Training Centre Director, Chief Investigator or Partner Investigator on applications considered in this round. Of these, 622 are male, 211 are female and 3 participants chose not to specify their gender. The success rates for male, female and unspecified participants are 30.5 per cent, 45 per cent and 66.7 per cent respectively.

International collaboration

As shown in Figure 1, there are 19 instances where a total of 10 countries are participating in the successful Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021.

Figure 1. Instances of international collaboration on recommended Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2021 applications