Selection Report: Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities Selection Report for Funding Commencing in 2023

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Overview

The Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities scheme provides funding for research infrastructure, equipment and facilities to Eligible Organisations. It enables researchers to participate in cooperative initiatives so that expensive research infrastructure, equipment and facilities can be shared between higher education organisations and also with industry. The scheme also fosters collaboration through its support of the cooperative use of international or national research facilities.

The objectives of the Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities scheme are to:

• support excellent basic and applied research and research training through the acquisition of research equipment and infrastructure and access to national and international research facilities; and
• encourage Eligible Organisations to develop collaborative arrangements with other Eligible Organisations and/or Partner Organisations for the acquisition and use of research equipment and infrastructure or access to national and international facilities.

Selection Process

Applications for funding commencing in 2023 opened on 30 March 2022 and closed on
1 June 2022. Applications were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines outcomes from the selection process for that round.

These outcomes are based on advice from the ARC 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;

and, advice from the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) Eligibility Committee which:

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

This report reflects the outcomes approved by the Minister. Unless otherwise specified, data presented in this report exclude withdrawn applications.

Assessment Criteria

All applications that meet the eligibility criteria for Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 were assessed and merit ranked using the following assessment criteria:

1. Investigator(s)/Capability (20%)

Describe the:

• demonstrated record in these activities (for CIs and PIs who will manage the purchase, design, manufacture, installation, maintenance and coordination of access to the proposed research infrastructure); and
• relevance of the research infrastructure to the research capacity and planned activities of each CI and PI on the application and, where relevant, to the research groups represented on the application.

2. Project quality and innovation (25%)

Describe the:

• aims and significance of the research that will be supported by LIEF funding;
• relevance of the proposed research infrastructure to the needs of ARC and other competitively funded research projects/programs;
• importance of equipment for the training of research students;
• enhancement of support for areas of existing and/or emerging research strength; and
• demonstrated national or international focus for large scale cooperative initiatives.

3. Feasibility and strategic alignment (25%)

Describe the:

• extent to which the project represents value for money;
• feasibility of the plan to use the research infrastructure;
• relevance of the research to the strategic priorities of the organisations;
• evidence that each of the organisations is genuinely committed to, and prepared to collaborate in, the project;
• existing or planned strategic research alliances between the higher education organisation(s) and other organisation(s);
• effectiveness of cooperative arrangements for the management and sharing of the proposed research infrastructure, including arrangements for ongoing operational expenditure where applicable; and
• extent to which the project aligns with Australian Government priority areas.

If the project involves research infrastructure pertaining to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities describe:

• the strategies for enabling collaboration with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities (for example, dialogue/collaboration with an Indigenous cultural mentor);
• any existing or developing, supportive and high-quality research relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander research communities; and
• any personal affiliations with local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities that can facilitate the proposed research infrastructure.

4. Benefit (10%)

Describe the:

• benefit of the proposed research infrastructure to the broader research community;
• capacity to contribute to Australian Government priority areas, such as the National Manufacturing 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.

5. Suitability/Need (20%)

Describe the:

• demonstrated needs from the researchers and/or research projects that they will utilise the proposed research infrastructure, including level of demand and likely measurable impact on the research program, including beyond the project activity period;
• availability of and access to similar research infrastructure at organisational, regional, national and/or international level;
• planned rate of use of the proposed research infrastructure, including proposed arrangements for broader access to individuals not named on the application;
• alignment of the planned use with other similar existing infrastructure within Australia and/or internationally; and
• special needs for regional or otherwise remote institutions.

Assessment process

The ARC assessment process for Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 involved 20 SAC members as a part of one multidisciplinary panel and was managed in the RMS. A total of 457 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC.

Funding levels and duration

The minimum level of funding provided by the ARC under Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 is $150,000 per annum and the maximum level of funding cannot exceed 75 per cent of the total direct cost of the eligible budget item(s). Funding is provided for up to one year; or, up to 5 years for leasing infrastructure, equipment or facilities, the construction of research infrastructure, or subscription or coordinated access to international facilities and major national facilities.

Summary of Outcomes

The ARC received a total of 133 applications for Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities for funding commencing in 2023. No applications were withdrawn.

The overall success rate for Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities for funding commencing in 2023 is 33.8 per cent.

Of the unsuccessful applications, 2 were found to not meet eligibility requirements.

A comparison of success rates and funding amounts is shown in Table 1.

Table 1.    Comparison of application numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for approved Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities applications from 2022 and 2023.

Funding year	Applications considered	Applications approved	Success rate (%)	Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)	Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($)	Funds allocated over project life for approved applications*($)	Return rate for approved applications (%)
2022	138	46	33.3	$127,970,814	$34,910,236	$32,611,772	93.4
2023	133	45	33.8	$133,141,926	$42,942,422	$39,515,942	92.0

*May include indicative funds

Outcomes by discipline

A summary of outcomes by discipline is shown in Table 2.

Table 2.     Application numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 applications by discipline.

Discipline*	Applications considered	Applications approved	Success rate (%)	Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)	Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($)	Funds allocated over project life for approved applications*($)	Return rate for approved applications (%)
BSB	25	9	36.0	$23,351,774	$7,889,912	$6,934,622	87.9
EIC	61	18	29.5	$61,015,852	$16,798,404	$14,926,964	88.9
HCA	5	3	60.0	$2,509,173	$1,050,017	$1,006,589	95.9
MPCE	38	14	36.8	$42,202,613	$16,273,876	$15,717,554	96.6
SBE	4	1	25.0	$4,062,514	$930,213	$930,213	100.0
Total	133	45	33.8	$133,141,926	$42,942,422	$39,515,942	92.0

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

Outcomes by Science and Research Priorities

 A summary of outcomes by Science and Research Priorities is shown in Table 3.

Table 3.     Approved funding and success rate for Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 applications by Science and Research Priorities.

Science and Research Priorities	Applications considered	Applications approved	Success rate (%)	Approved funds over project life ($)
Advanced manufacturing	66	19	28.8	$17,756,107
Cybersecurity	5	2	40.0	$760,000
Energy	14	8	57.1	$7,515,204
Environmental change	6	2	33.3	$1,218,450
Food	8	4	50.0	$2,349,559
Health	8	0	0	-
Resources	5	2	40.0	$4,771,677
Soil and water	2	0	0	-
Transport	1	0	0	-
Unspecified	18	8	44.4	$5,144,945
Total	133	45	33.8	$39,515,942
Total within Science and Research Priorities	115	37	32.2	$34,370,997
Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%)	86.5	82.2	-	87.0

Outcomes by Administering Organisation

A summary of outcomes by Administering Organisation is shown in Table 4.

Table 4.    Number of applications and success rates for approved Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 applications by Administering Organisation.

Administering Organisation	Applications considered	Applications approved	Success rate (%)	Funds over project life for approved applications ($)
Australian Capital Territory	10	6	60.0	$8,011,934
The Australian National University	10	6	60.0	$8,011,934
New South Wales	46	11	23.9	$8,040,780
Macquarie University	3	1	33.3	$682,792
The University of New England	1	0	0	-
The University of New South Wales	10	2	20.0	$2,319,614
The University of Newcastle	6	2	33.3	$866,024
The University of Sydney	14	4	28.6	$2,266,686
University of Technology, Sydney	3	0	0	-
University of Wollongong	4	1	25.0	$440,145
Western Sydney University	5	1	20.0	$1,465,519
Northern Territory	2	0	0	-
Charles Darwin University	2	0	0	-
Queensland	20	8	40.0	$5,667,512
Griffith University	4	1	25.0	$1,078,770
James Cook University	1	1	100.0	$234,438
Queensland University of Technology	4	2	50.0	$1,417,979
The University of Queensland	9	3	33.3	$2,440,825
University of Southern Queensland	2	1	50.0	$495,500
South Australia	13	7	53.8	$9,471,848
Flinders University	3	2	66.7	$1,007,250
The University of Adelaide	9	5	55.6	$8,464,598
University of South Australia	1	0	0	-
Tasmania	1	1	100.0	$682,749
University of Tasmania	1	1	100.0	$682,749
Victoria	30	7	23.3	$5,178,878
Deakin University	3	1	33.3	$731,584
Federation University Australia	1	0	0	-
La Trobe University	1	0	0	-
Monash University	7	1	14.3	$984,000
RMIT University	5	2	40.0	$1,303,081
Swinburne University of Technology	3	0	0	-
The University of Melbourne	10	3	30.0	$2,160,213
Western Australia	11	5	45.5	$2,462,241
Curtin University	4	1	25.0	$783,000
The University of Western Australia	7	4	57.1	$1,679,241
Total	133	45	33.8	$39,515,942

Career age and gender

Of the 1409 Chief Investigators (CIs) in this round, 371 were female, 1037 were male and 1 chose not to specify their gender. The success rate for female and male and unspecified CIs in Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 is 37.7 per cent, 34.5 per cent and 0 per cent respectively.

Success rates of CIs by career age and gender in Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 are presented in Figure 1. CIs who did not provide gender information (0.1 per cent) and CIs who did not specify the date of completion of their PhD or who do not hold a PhD (0.6 per cent) are not represented in the figure below.

Figure 1. Participation and success rate of Chief Investigators (CIs) in Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 by gender and career age*

*Career age is calculated as years since PhD (or equivalent). The earliest PhD award date was used where there was more than one PhD.

Collaboration with Other Eligible Organisations, Partner Organisations and Other Organisations

Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities applications are expected to develop collaborative arrangements with Other Eligible Organisations and/or Partner Organisations and Other Organisations.

A summary of success rates by number of Eligible Organisations is shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 application success rates by number of Eligible Organisations.

Number of Eligible Organisations*	Number of applications considered	Number of applications approved	Success rate within band (%)
1	5	2	40.0
2	17	3	17.6
3	27	13	48.1
4	24	8	33.3
5	26	7	26.9
6	9	3	33.3
7	17	6	35.3
8	4	1	25.0
9	2	1	50.0
11	1	0	0
13	1	1	100.0
Total	133	45	33.8

 * An application with only one Eligible Organisation (the Administering Organisation) may or may not include Partner Organisations and/or Other Organisations. There were no applications with 10 or 12 Eligible Organisations.

A summary of application success rates by number of collaborating organisations is shown in Table 6.

Table 6.    Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 application success rates by number of collaborating organisations.

Number of collaborating organisations*	Number of applications considered	Number of applications approved	Success rate within band (%)
1	2	1	50.0
2	10	2	20.0
3	21	7	33.3
4	19	8	42.1
5	24	9	37.5
6	19	7	36.8
7	16	6	37.5
8	11	3	27.3
9	2	0	0
10	5	1	20.0
11	2	0	0
14	1	1	100.0
24	1	0	0
Total	133	45	33.8

 * Collaborating organisations include the Administering Organisation, Other Eligible Organisations, Partner Organisations and Other Organisations. There were no applications with 12, 13, or 15-23 collaborating organisations.

International Collaboration

In the 133 applications considered, applicants foreshadowed 182 instances of collaboration with researchers in 33 overseas locations. Of the applications approved for funding, 20 foreshadowed 84 instances of collaboration with researchers in 26 overseas locations (Figure 2).

Figure 2.   International collaborations by location in approved Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 applications*.

*The top 14 international collaboration locations are listed in Figure 1 and the remaining locations are grouped in the ‘Other’ category.

Leverage of ARC funding

On Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities 2023 applications approved for funding, for every dollar funded by the ARC the proposed dollar contribution of the collaborating organisations listed on these applications is $0.98. The leverage of ARC funds for approved applications is shown in Table 7.

Table 7.    Leverage of ARC funds for approved applications.

Number of applications approved	Approved ARC funding	Number of unique collaborating organisations*	Incidence of involvement of collaborating organisations*	Collaborating organisation* Cash and In-kind contribution	Leverage (Collaborating organisation* contribution/ARC approved funding)
45	$39,515,942	59	235	$38,806,601	$0.98

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

Summary of Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities applications approved for funding

A summary of the Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities applications approved for funding commencing in 2023, by Administering Organisation is outlined in Table 8. The application titles indicate the variety of equipment, infrastructure and facilities supported in this scheme round.

Table 8.    Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities applications approved for funding commencing in 2023.

Applications approved for funding	Administering Organisation	Lead CI
Hot Properties: Thermal Analysis Equipment for Western Australia	Curtin University	Buckley, Prof Craig
Ultra-High Resolution 3D Printing of Micron-Sized Structures and Voids	Deakin University	Guijt, Prof Rosanne
Coastal Bathymetry with Advanced Technologies (CoastBAT)	Flinders University	Miot da Silva, Dr Graziela
Materials for Sustainability Analysis Facility		Jia, Dr Zhongfan
Enhancing Australian biodiscovery molecule generation, storage and access	Griffith University	Andrews, Prof Katherine
Single cell sequencing facility at James Cook University	James Cook University	Miller, Prof David
A multifaceted technology platform to enhance single cell genomics	Macquarie University	Paulsen, Prof Ian
High-Precision Mass Spectrometry Imaging Facility	Monash University	Voelcker, Prof Nicolas
Real-time mass spectrometry for advanced aerosol chemical characterisation	Queensland University of Technology	Miljevic, A/Prof Branka
Versatile Physical Property Measurement System for South-East Queensland		Shahbazi, Dr Mahboobeh
Free Float or support free: a new generation metal 3D printing facility	RMIT University	Ma, Prof Qian
Dual-comb Hyperspectral Imaging Facility		Mitchell, Prof Arnan
Expanded Horizons for the Anglo-Australian Telescope	The Australian National University	Lidman, A/Prof Christopher
Explosive Astrophysics from Siding Spring Observatory		Lidman, A/Prof Christopher
A cryogenic multifunctional multiscale material characterisation facility		Liu, Prof Yun
Cryogenic Near-Field Imaging and Spectroscopy Facility at the 10-nm-Scale		Lu, Prof Yuerui
National Facility for Electricity Grid Security and Resilience Research		Ratnam, Dr Elizabeth
Australian Membership of the International Ocean Discovery Program 2023-24		Rohling, Prof Eelco
Integrated facility for underground hydrogen storage research	The University of Adelaide	Bedrikovetski, Prof Pavel
A customized surface chemistry study system in realistic working condition		Guo, Prof Zaiping
Enabling the future of the Australian collider physics program		Jackson, Prof Paul
Adaptive Optics for Advanced Gravitational Wave Detectors		Ottaway, Prof David
A multi-environment phenotyping site for biotech plants		Roy, A/Prof Stuart
Whole-head optically-pumped room-temperature magnetoencephalography	The University of Melbourne	Garrido, A/Prof Marta
Cryo correlative Focused Ion Beam, a new frontier in structural biology		Hanssen, Prof Eric
Photonic Computing Architecture Validator		Lim, Prof Christina
Facility for growth and characterisation of advanced materials and devices	The University of New South Wales	Hamilton, Prof Alexander
Bioprinting and advanced visualisation of novel 3D model systems		Poole, A/Prof Kathryn
Time Layered Cultural Map of Australia: Advanced Techniques and Big Data	The University of Newcastle	Craig, Em/Prof Hugh
4D Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry for Multiphase Flow Measurement		Doroodchi, A/Prof Elham
High-Resolution Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy	The University of Queensland	Harmer, A/Prof Jeffrey
Nanocrystal Electron Diffraction Facility		Kobe, Prof Bostjan
Integrated high-throughput material synthesis and characterisation system		Wang, Prof Lianzhou
The International Digital Policy Observatory	The University of Sydney	Flew, Prof Terry
High performance chalcogenide processing addressing grand challenges		Ho-Baillie, Prof Anita
Radiochemistry Facility for Biomolecule Characterisation in Living Systems		Kassiou, Prof Michael
Comprehensive and Versatile In-house X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Facility		Ling, Prof Chris
Integrated Crystallisation Facility	The University of Western Australia	Bond, Prof Charles
National Facility for Performance Characterisation of Infrared Technologies		Faraone, Prof Lorenzo
Transforming the Zadko Observatory into a Space Surveillance Hub		Gendre, Dr Bruce
Digitising the Drafting of the Australian Constitution		Wesson, Dr Murray
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope for High Temperature Analysis	University of Southern Queensland	Wang, Prof Hao
I can see clearly now: An Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Imaging facility	University of Tasmania	Foo, A/Prof Eloise
Towards a Green and Sustainable Energy-efficient Metaverse	University of Wollongong	Susilo, Prof Willy
A Reconfigurable Neuromorphic Compute System for Brain-Scale Simulations	Western Sydney University	van Schaik, Prof André