Selection Report: Linkage Projects 2016 (proposals from 1 July – 22 December 2016)
[TOC]
Overview
The Linkage Projects scheme provides funding to Eligible Organisations to support research and development (R&D) projects which are collaborative between higher education researchers and other parts of the national innovation system, which are undertaken to acquire new knowledge, and which involve risk or innovation.
The objectives of the Linkage Projects scheme are to:
- support the initiation and/or development of long-term strategic research alliances between higher education organisations and other organisations, including industry and other research end-users, in order to apply advanced knowledge to problems and/or to provide opportunities to obtain national economic, social or cultural benefits
- provide opportunities for internationally competitive research projects to be conducted in collaboration with organisations outside the higher education sector, targeting those who have demonstrated a clear commitment to high-quality research
- encourage growth of a national pool of world-class researchers to meet the needs of the broader Australian innovation system
- build the scale and focus of research in the national Science and Research Priorities.
Continuous submission and assessment process
The Linkage Projects scheme opened for continuous submission of proposals on 1 July 2016, in accordance with the National Innovation and Science Agenda— a measure announced by the Australian Government on 7 December 2015. The continuous submission and assessment process means that proposals are rigorously assessed as soon as they are submitted in the ARC’s Research Management System (RMS).
For the purposes of clarity, Linkage Projects 2016 proposals submitted between 1 July – 22 December 2016 (under the continuous submission and assessment process) will be referred to in this report as Round Two. This Selection Report includes previously announced proposals and proposals which have recently been approved for funding by the Minister. Linkage Projects 2016 proposals submitted from 16 September–11 November 2015 will be referred to in this report as Round One.
Selection Process
This report outlines recommendations from the selection process for Linkage Projects proposals for funding commencing in 2016 Round Two. Proposals were submitted through RMS.
ARC Executive Directors, assisted by 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:
- assigned independent assessors to review the proposals
- 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;
and on 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 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 Linkage Projects proposals are:
- Investigator(s) (20%)
- Significance and Innovation (25%)
- Approach and Training (15%)
- Project Research Environment (10%)
- Commitment from Partner Organisation(s) (30%)
The ARC assessment and subsequent reporting process for Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two used a total of 108 ARC College of Experts members across four discipline panels and was managed in the RMS. A total of 944 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC for Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two.
Summary of Outcomes
A total of 225 proposals were received under Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two. The overall success rate is 39.6 per cent.
Table 1. Comparison of proposal numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for successful proposals from Linkage Projects 2016 Round One and Round Two
|
Funding Year |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate (%) |
Requested funds over project life |
Requested funds over project life |
Funds allocated over project life |
Allocation as a percentage of request (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2016 Round One |
742 |
231 |
31.1 |
$324,634,144 |
$113,128,253 |
$81,218,438 |
71.8 |
|
2016 Round Two |
225 |
89 |
39.6 |
$103,528,803 |
$44,381,440 |
$34,144,467 |
76.9 |
Approved Funding by Discipline Panel
Table 2. Comparison of proposal numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two proposals by discipline panel
|
Panel* |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate |
Requested funds over project life (all proposals considered) |
Approved funds over project life (approved proposals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BEM |
44 |
16 |
36.4 |
$27,834,033 |
$7,312,936 |
|
ET |
86 |
40 |
46.5 |
$38,584,193 |
$15,273,094 |
|
HSE |
59 |
19 |
32.2 |
$21,886,118 |
$6,067,363 |
|
PMI |
36 |
14 |
38.9 |
$15,224,459 |
$5,491,074 |
|
Total |
225 |
89 |
39.6 |
$103,528,803 |
$34,144,467 |
*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
Leverage of ARC Funding
Of the 225 proposals considered, 89 were approved with a total approved funding of $34.1 million over the life of these projects. There are 192 unique Partner Organisations involved with these projects and they have pledged a total (cash and in-kind) of $58.5 million. This represents $1.71 from Partner Organisations for every dollar funded by the ARC.
Selection Outcomes by Administering Organisation
Table 3. Numbers of proposals, success rates, ARC approved funding and Partner Organisation contributions for approved Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two proposals by Administering Organisation
|
Administering Organisation |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate (%) |
ARC approved funding over project life (approved proposals) |
Partner Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved proposals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | 5 | 2 | 40.0 | $860,000 | $965,691 |
|
The Australian National University |
4 |
1 |
25.0 |
$420,000 |
* |
|
University of Canberra |
1 |
1 |
100 |
$440,000 |
* |
| New South Wales | 61 | 26 | 42.6 | $9,114,441 | $14,326,625 |
|
Australian Catholic University |
1 |
1 |
100 |
$156,000 |
* |
|
Charles Sturt University |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
Macquarie University |
4 |
3 |
75.0 |
$1,060,000 |
$1,358,813 |
|
Southern Cross University |
1 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
The University of New South Wales |
22 |
9 |
40.9 |
$2,739,389 |
$4,448,944 |
|
The University of Newcastle |
2 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
The University of Sydney |
9 |
2 |
22.2 |
$914,983 |
$1,009,285 |
|
University of Technology Sydney |
4 |
3 |
75.0 |
$1,335,000 |
$2,159,462 |
|
University of Wollongong |
13 |
6 |
46.2 |
$2,380,000 |
$4,560,000 |
|
Western Sydney University |
4 |
2 |
50.0 |
$529,069 |
$610,121 |
| Northern Territory | 3 | 1 | 33,3 | $380,000 | * |
|
Charles Darwin University |
3 |
1 |
33.3 |
$380,000 |
* |
| Queensland | 58 | 26 | 44.8 | $9,219,305 | $16,009,716 |
|
Griffith University |
4 |
2 |
50.0 |
$916,210 |
$1,120,768 |
|
James Cook University |
2 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
Queensland University of Technology |
12 |
3 |
25.0 |
$910,000 |
$1,657,730 |
|
The University of Queensland |
37 |
20 |
54.1 |
$7,100,095 |
$12,852,033 |
|
University of Southern Queensland |
2 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
University of the Sunshine Coast |
1 |
1 |
100 |
$293,000 |
* |
| South Australia | 17 | 4 | 23.5 | $1,955,000 | $3,833,285 |
|
The Flinders University of South Australia |
3 |
1 |
33.3 |
$485,000 |
* |
|
The University of Adelaide |
11 |
3 |
27.3 |
$1,470,000 |
$3,173,785 |
|
University of South Australia |
3 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
| Tasmania | 3 | 2 | 66.7 | $930,000 | $1,709,198 |
|
University of Tasmania |
3 |
2 |
66.7 |
$930,000 |
$1,709,198 |
| Victoria | 58 | 22 | 37.9 | $9,065,589 | $15,179,284 |
|
Deakin University |
5 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
La Trobe University |
3 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
Monash University |
13 |
7 |
53.8 |
$2,730,074 |
$4,814,935 |
|
RMIT University |
6 |
2 |
33.3 |
$690,000 |
$1,104,000 |
|
Swinburne University of Technology |
6 |
1 |
16.7 |
$165,000 |
* |
|
The University of Melbourne |
22 |
12 |
54.5 |
$5,480,515 |
$9,038,946 |
|
Victoria University |
3 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
| Western Australia | 20 | 6 | 30.0 | $2,620,132 | $6,009,896 |
|
Curtin University |
10 |
3 |
30.0 |
$1,010,132 |
$2,885,396 |
|
Edith Cowan University |
3 |
1 |
33.3 |
$360,000 |
* |
|
The University of Western Australia |
7 |
2 |
28.6 |
$1,250,000 |
$2,460,000 |
|
Total |
225 |
89 |
39.6 |
$34,144,467 |
$58,513,889 |
*For confidentiality reasons, total contributions by Partner Organisations are not shown in instances in which Administering Organisations are associated with one approved proposal only. The Table 3 total does, however, include the total contributions by Partner Organisations on approved Projects associated with those Administering Organisations.
Partner Organisations were identified as Australian, international, government, non-profit, industry or overseas higher education organisations. The Partner Organisation contributions in these categories for Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two proposals approved for funding are shown below in Table 4.
Table 4. Partner Organisation contributions by sector for approved Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two proposals
|
Type |
Cash |
In-kind |
Total |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | ||
|
Government |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Australian Federal |
|
$607,500 |
2.9 |
$1,930,832 |
5.2 |
$2,538,332 |
4.3 |
|
Australian state, territory and local |
|
$3,696,700 |
17.5 |
$4,777,910 |
12.8 |
$8,474,610 |
14.5 |
|
International |
|
$0 |
0 |
$120,000 |
0.3 |
$120,000 |
0.2 |
|
|
Sub-total |
$4,304,200 |
20.3 |
$6,828,742 |
18.3 |
$11,132,942 |
19.0 |
|
Industry Body |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Australian |
$9,594,972 |
45.3 |
$15,739,722 |
42.2 |
$25,334,694 |
43.3 |
|
|
International |
$5,290,670 |
25.0 |
$7,757,484 |
20.8 |
$13,048,154 |
22.3 |
|
|
|
Sub-total |
$14,885,642 |
70.3 |
$23,497,206 |
62.9 |
$38,382,848 |
65.6 |
|
Non-profit |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Australian |
|
$740,500 |
3.5 |
$2,897,972 |
7.8 |
$3,638,472 |
6.2 |
|
International |
|
$0 |
0 |
$102,568 |
0.3 |
$102,568 |
0.2 |
|
|
Sub-total |
$740,500 |
3.5 |
$3,000,540 |
8.0 |
$3,741,040 |
6.4 |
|
Higher Education |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
International |
|
$30,000 |
0.1 |
$299,640 |
0.8 |
$329,640 |
0.6 |
|
|
Sub-total |
$30,000 |
0.1 |
$299,640 |
0.8 |
$329,640 |
0.6 |
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
$1,207,000 |
5.7 |
$3,720,419 |
10.0 |
$4,927,419 |
8.4 |
|
|
Sub-total |
$1,207,000 |
5.7 |
$3,720,419 |
10.0 |
$4,927,419 |
8.4 |
|
|
Total |
$21,167,342 |
100.0 |
$37,346,547 |
100.0 |
$58,513,889 |
100.0 |
Note: All percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum to 100%.
Partnerships
Linkage Projects proposals represent partnerships between researchers, higher education organisations and other organisations, as well as collaborations between Partner Organisations within projects. There are a total of 207 instances of collaboration with Partner Organisations (including multiple collaborations with a number of organisations) in Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two giving an average of 2.3 Partner Organisations involved in each proposal. These partnerships form congruent and/or complementary linkages in Fields of Research (FoR). A summary of the FoR categories identified by applicants of approved proposals and the total Partner Organisation contributions are shown below in Table 5.
Table 5. Proposal data by Field of Research category for Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two
|
Field of Research category |
Number of proposals |
Partner Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved proposals) |
|---|---|---|
|
Mathematical Sciences |
1 |
* |
|
Physical Sciences |
2 |
$1,188,442 |
|
Chemical Sciences |
3 |
$1,669,399 |
|
Earth Sciences |
4 |
$4,125,347 |
|
Environmental Sciences |
4 |
$3,138,014 |
|
Biological Sciences |
8 |
$8,334,414 |
|
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
2 |
$783,185 |
|
Information and Computing Sciences |
4 |
$2,771,640 |
|
Engineering |
34 |
$20,868,805 |
|
Technology |
6 |
$4,564,820 |
|
Medical and Health Sciences |
3 |
$1,025,945 |
|
Built Environment and Design |
1 |
* |
|
Education |
3 |
$2,051,250 |
|
Economics |
1 |
* |
|
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services |
1 |
* |
|
Studies in Human Society |
2 |
$999,026 |
|
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences |
4 |
$3,115,259 |
|
Law and Legal Studies |
1 |
* |
|
Language, Communication and Culture |
2 |
$749,968 |
|
History and Archaeology |
3 |
$1,409,289 |
|
Total |
89 |
$58,513,889 |
# Based on the primary FoR
*For confidentiality reasons, total contributions by Partner Organisations are not shown in instances in which FoR codes are associated with one approved proposal only. The Table 5 total does, however, include the total contributions by Partner Organisations on approved Projects associated with those FoR codes.
International Collaboration
Figure 1. Instances of international collaboration on approved proposals in Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two
- United States of America—22
- China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)—9
- England—8
- Germany—4
- Canada—3
- France—3
- Italy—3
- New Zealand—3
- Chile—2
- Finland—2
- Netherlands—2
- Sweden—2
- Other—15
Table 6. Instances of international collaboration in Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two
|
Country |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
|---|---|---|
|
Argentina |
1 |
1 |
|
Austria |
2 |
0 |
|
Belgium |
2 |
1 |
|
Brazil |
1 |
0 |
|
Canada |
10 |
3 |
|
Chile |
3 |
2 |
|
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) |
28 |
9 |
|
Czech Republic |
1 |
1 |
|
Denmark |
2 |
1 |
|
England |
19 |
8 |
|
Finland |
2 |
2 |
|
France |
4 |
3 |
|
Germany |
9 |
4 |
|
Greece |
1 |
0 |
|
Hong Kong (SAR of China) |
1 |
0 |
|
India |
4 |
1 |
|
Ireland |
1 |
0 |
|
Israel |
1 |
1 |
|
Italy |
6 |
3 |
|
Japan |
4 |
0 |
|
Kazakhstan |
1 |
1 |
|
Korea, Republic of (South) |
1 |
0 |
|
Morocco |
1 |
0 |
|
Netherlands |
6 |
2 |
|
New Zealand |
6 |
3 |
|
Northern Ireland |
2 |
0 |
|
Philippines |
2 |
1 |
|
Russian Federation |
1 |
0 |
|
Scotland |
3 |
1 |
|
Singapore |
3 |
1 |
|
South Africa |
1 |
1 |
|
Sweden |
4 |
2 |
|
Switzerland |
3 |
1 |
|
Taiwan |
1 |
1 |
|
Thailand |
1 |
0 |
|
Turkey |
1 |
1 |
|
United Arab Emirates |
1 |
0 |
|
United States of America |
43 |
22 |
|
Wales |
1 |
1 |
|
Total |
184 |
78 |
Age and Gender
A total of 1103 participants were named on all proposals considered in this round. Of these, 283 are female and 816 are male (two participants selected indeterminate/intersex and another two have chosen to not specify their gender). Figure 2 shows the number and success rate of participants in the round by age and gender. The success rate for female and male participants in this round of Linkage Projects proposals is 37.1 per cent and 41.1 per cent respectively. The success rates for each gender have been quite similar over the last eleven Linkage Projects rounds (Figure 3). A total of 168 of the proposals considered had a male lead CI, of which 65 were successful, representing a 38.7 per cent success rate. A total of 57 of the proposals considered had a female lead CI, of which 24 were successful, representing a 42.1 per cent success rate.
Figure 2. Participation and success rates by age and gender for Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two
Figure 3. Comparison of Linkage Projects success rates between female and male participants from 2010 to 2016
Science and Research Priorities
Table 7. Approved funding for Linkage Projects 2016 Round Two by Science and Research Priority
|
Priority area |
Proposals considered |
Proposals approved |
Success rate (%) |
Approved funds (over project life) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Advanced Manufacturing |
42 |
19 |
45.2 |
$7,045,981 |
|
Cybersecurity |
6 |
4 |
66.7 |
$1,097,000 |
|
Energy |
17 |
8 |
47.1 |
$2,726,000 |
|
Environmental Change |
15 |
7 |
46.7 |
$3,113,537 |
|
Food |
25 |
7 |
28.0 |
$3,029,000 |
|
Health |
39 |
11 |
28.2 |
$3,211,498 |
|
Resources |
17 |
12 |
70.6 |
$4,826,385 |
|
Soil and Water |
11 |
3 |
27.3 |
$1,967,074 |
|
Transport |
7 |
2 |
28.6 |
$985,000 |
|
None selected |
46 |
16 |
34.8 |
$6,142,992 |
|
Total Proposals |
225 |
89 |
39.6 |
$34,144,467 |
|
Total Proposals within Science and Research Priorities |
179 |
73 |
40.8 |
$28,001,475 |
|
Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%) |
79.6 |
82.0 |
|
82.0 |