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The Linkage Projects scheme supports projects which initiate or develop long term strategic research alliances to apply advanced knowledge to problems, acquire new knowledge and as a basis for securing commercial and other benefits of research.
The objectives of the Linkage Projects scheme are to:
Applications for Linkage Projects 2020 Assessment Round 1 opened on 20 December 2019 and closed on 22 April 2020. Applications were submitted using a continuous application process, and this is the first of three assessment rounds for this scheme round. 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 Committees (SAC) which:
and, advice from the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) Eligibility Committee which:
This report reflects the outcomes approved by the Minister. Unless otherwise specified, data presented in this report exclude withdrawn applications.
All applications that meet the eligibility criteria for Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 1) were assessed and merit ranked using the following assessment criteria:
Investigator(s)/Capability (25%) Describe the quality of the candidates’ Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE) including evidence of:
Project quality and innovation (25%) Describe the extent to which the project is significant and innovative including:
Describe the research approach and training including:
Feasibility and commitment (20%) Describe:
If the project involves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research describe:
Benefit (30%) Describe:
The ARC assessment process for Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 1) involved 17 SAC members as part of one multidisciplinary panel and was managed in RMS. A total of 789 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC.
Funding of between $50,000 and $300,000 per annum for up to five years may be awarded for each Linkage Projects application.
The ARC received a total of 180 applications for Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 1), none of which were withdrawn.
The overall success rate for Linkage Projects for funding applied for in 2020 (Round 1) is 33.9 per cent.
Of the unsuccessful applications, nine were found to not meet eligibility requirements.
A comparison of success rates and funding amounts is shown in Table 1.
Scheme Round
Applications considered
Applications approved
Success rate (%)
Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)
Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($)
Funds allocated over project life for approved applications* ($)
Return rate for approved applications (%)
2019
432
175
40.5
$217,620,359
$92,200,635
$78,187,269
84.8
2020 (Round 1)
180
61
33.9
$87,268,182
$30,685,046
$26,881,001
87.6
*May include indicative funds
A summary of outcome by discipline is shown in Table 2.
Discipline*
Funds over project life for approved applications ($)
Return Rate for approved applications (%)
BEM
31
14
45.2
$14,943,405
$7,878,325
$6,783,465
86.1
ET
57
20
35.1
$27,827,912
$9,234,911
$8,017,263
86.8
HSE
53
19
35.8
$23,839,104
$8,730,606
$7,830,669
89.7
PMI
39
8
20.5
$20,657,761
$4,841,204
$4,249,604
87.8
Total
*BEM = Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Environmental, Medical and Health Sciences; ET = Engineering and Technology; HSE = Humanities and Creative Arts, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences; PMI = Physical, Mathematical and Information Sciences
A summary of outcomes by Science and Research Priorities is shown in Table 3.
Science and Research Priorities
Approved funds over project life ($)
Advanced Manufacturing
33
11
33.3
$4,666,194
Cybersecurity
6
1
16.7
$371,806
Energy
3
27.3
$981,722
Environmental Change
25
56.0
$6,262,602
Food
12
7
58.3
$3,373,286
Health
35
20.0
$3,196,650
Resources
54.5
$3,079,346
Soil and Water
5
$1,161,512
Transport
2
25.0
$565,112
None selected
34
9
26.5
$3,222,771
Total Applications
Total Applications within Science and Research Priorities
146
52
35.6
$23,658,230
Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%)
81.1
85.2
88.0
Of the 180 applications considered, 61 were approved with a total approved funding, of $26.9 million over the life of these projects. There are 141 unique Partner Organisations involved with these projects and they have pledged a total (cash and in-kind) of $39.9 million. This represents $1.48 from Partner Organisations for every dollar funded by the ARC.
A summary of outcomes by Administering Organisation is shown in Table 4.
Administering Organisation
ARC approved funding over project life (approved applications)
Partner Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved applications)
Australian Capital Territory
42.9
$1,901,098
$2,282,643
The Australian National University
New South Wales
69
23
$8,905,182
$13,975,067
Australian Catholic University
0
-
Charles Sturt University
Macquarie University
28.6
$505,267
$662,215
The University of New England
The University of New South Wales
45.0
$3,534,516
$6,200,792
The University of Newcastle
15
$916,598
$1,238,231
The University of Sydney
$1,392,019
$1,880,560
University of Technology Sydney
University of Wollongong
$1,115,069
*
Western Sydney University
4
75.0
$1,441,713
$2,855,384
Northern Territory
100
$535,200
Charles Darwin University
Queensland
32
10
31.3
$4,360,472
$5,700,530
Griffith University
$250,000
James Cook University
Queensland University of Technology
37.5
$1,200,955
$1,393,860
The University of Queensland
35.7
$2,490,517
$3,359,523
The University of Southern Queensland
$419,000
University of the Sunshine Coast
South Australia
16
$2,131,278
$3,034,301
Flinders University
$212,212
The University of Adelaide
$1,284,066
$2,072,206
University of South Australia
$635,000
$745,822
Tasmania
$720,000
University of Tasmania
Victoria
35.3
$5,862,479
$8,703,137
Deakin University
$1,277,120
$1,549,011
La Trobe University
Monash University
41.7
$2,660,800
$4,333,056
RMIT University
$986,739
$1,335,371
Swinburne University of Technology
$442,000
The University of Melbourne
$495,820
Western Australia
$2,465,292
$4,507,319
Curtin University
The University of Western Australia
$39,886,559
* For confidentiality reasons, total contributions by Partner Organisations are not shown in instances in which Administering Organisations are associated with one approved application only. The Table 4 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 2020 (Round 1) applications approved for funding are shown below in Table 5.
Type
Cash
In-Kind
$
%
Government
Australian Federal
$676,106
5.8
$1,496,451
5.3
$2,172,557
5.5
Australian state, territory and local
$1,231,593
10.6
$6,621,467
23.5
$7,853,060
19.7
International
$52,047
0.5
$109,000
0.4
$161,047
Sub-total
$1,959,746
16.8
$8,226,918
29.2
$10,186,664
25.5
Industry Body
Australian
$5,913,678
50.6
$9,732,919
34.5
$15,646,597
39.2
$2,674,008
22.9
$4,167,485
14.8
$6,841,493
17.2
$8,587,686
73.5
$13,900,404
49.3
$22,488,090
56.4
Non-profit
$966,139
8.3
$3,877,142
13.7
$4,843,281
12.1
$0
0.0
$280,327
1.0
0.7
$4,157,469
14.7
$5,123,608
12.8
Higher Education
$1,085,944
3.9
2.7
Other
$163,200
1.4
$839,053
3.0
$1,002,253
2.5
$11,676,771
$28,209,788
Note: All percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum to 100%.
Linkage Projects applications represent partnerships between researchers, higher education organisations and other organisations, as well as collaborations between Partner Organisations within projects. There are a total of 147 instances of collaboration with Partner Organisations (including multiple collaborations with a number of organisations) in Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 1) giving an average of 2.41 Partner Organisations involved in each application. These partnerships form congruent and/or complementary linkages in Fields of Research (FoR). A summary of the FoR categories identified by applicants of approved applications and the total Partner Organisation contributions are shown below in Table 6.
Field of Research category
Number of applications approved#
Mathematical Science
Physical Sciences
$1,062,399
Chemical Sciences
$2,233,000
Earth Sciences
$2,972,348
Environmental Sciences
$4,226,528
Biological Sciences
$1,985,677
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
$3,720,661
Engineering
$11,361,913
Technology
Medical and Health Sciences
Built Environment and Design
$815,055
Education
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
$546,650
Studies in Human Society
$5,307,606
Law and Legal Studies
Studies in Creative Arts and Writing
History and Archaeology
$3,334,200
# 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 application only. The Table 6 total does, however, include the total contributions by Partner Organisations on approved Projects associated with those FoR codes.
Of the 598 Chief Investigators (CIs) in this round, 208 were female, 389 were male and one chose not to specify their gender. The success rate for female, male and unspecified CIs in Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 1) is 35.6 per cent, 32.4 and 100 per cent respectively.
Success rates of CIs by career age and gender in Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 1) are presented in Figure 1. CIs who did not provide gender information (0.17 per cent) and CIs who did not specify the date of completion of their PhD (or equivalent) or who do not hold a PhD (1.0 per cent) are not represented in the figure below.
*Career age is calculated as years since PhD (or equivalent). The earliest PhD award date was used where there was more than one PhD.
In the 180 applications considered, applicants foreshadowed 154 instances of collaboration with researchers in 34 overseas locations. Of the applications approved for funding, 33 foreshadowed 63 instances of collaboration with researchers in 23 overseas locations (Figure 2).
*The top 11 international collaboration locations are listed in Figure 1 and the remaining locations are grouped in the ‘Other’ category.