OverviewThe 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:support the development of long-term strategic research alliances between higher education organisations and industry and other research end-users, in order to apply advanced knowledge to problems;provide opportunities for internationally competitive research projects to be conducted in collaboration with organisations outside the higher education sector; andenhance the scale and focus of research in Australian Government priority areas, particularly the National Manufacturing Priorities. Selection ProcessApplications for Linkage Projects 2022 Assessment Round 1 opened on 31 March 2022 and closed on 1 August 2022. Applications were submitted using a continuous application process, this is the first of the two assessment rounds for this scheme. 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 recommendations are based on advice from the ARC Selection Advisory Committees (SAC) which:assigned independent assessors to review the applicationsassessed applications and reviewed assessments made by independent assessorsreviewed applicants’ comments on assessors’ reportsranked each application relative to the others on the basis of the application, the assessors’ reports and applicants’ responses to those assessmentsassessed 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 assessorswhere required, sought advice from the ARC’s Medical Research Advisory Groupmade 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 Unless otherwise specified, data presented in this report exclude withdrawn applications.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 CriteriaAll applications that meet the eligibility criteria for Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) were assessed and merit ranked using the following assessment criteria:Investigator(s)/Capability (20%)Describe the quality of the named participants’ Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE) including evidence of:potential to engage in collaborative research with end-users;experience in research training, mentoring and supervision; andtime and capacity to undertake and manage the proposed research in collaboration with the Partner Organisation(s).Project quality and innovation (25%)Describe the extent to which the project is significant and innovative including:any new methods or technologies to be developed that address a specific market opportunity;how the anticipated outcomes will advance the knowledge base to address an important problem and/or provide an end-user and/or industry advantage;how the project’s aims and concepts are novel and innovative; andhow the project will significantly enhance links with industry and/or other organisations outside the Australian publicly-funded research and higher education sectors.Describe the research approach and training including:the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses, demonstrating these are adequately developed, well integrated and appropriate to the aims of the project; andthe intellectual content and scale of the work proposed is appropriate to a higher degree by research student where relevant.Feasibility and commitment (20%)Describe:the extent to which the project represents value for money;the supportive and high-quality environment for this research in the Administering Organisation and the Partner Organisation(s);the availability of the necessary facilities to conduct the research;the commitment of each Partner Organisation to collaboration in the research project and capacity to implement the outcomes of the research; andthe adequacy of the budget, including cash and in-kind contributions pledged by the participating organisations.If the project involves research pertaining to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander research communities describe:the strategies for enabling collaboration with Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities where appropriate (for example, dialogue/collaboration with an Indigenous cultural mentor); andany existing or developing, supportive and high quality research communities ; andany personal affiliations with local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities that can facilitate the proposed research.Benefit (35%)Describe:the new or advanced knowledge resulting from outcomes of the research;the economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for relevant Australian research end-users (including relevant industry sectors);the potential contribution to Australian Government priority areas such as the National Manufacturing Priorities, the National Science and Research Priorities, the Low Emissions Technology Statement, the National Agricultural Innovation Priorities, and the Defence Science and Technology Strategy 2030;benefits of the research for Partner Organisation(s) and other relevant end-users;the contribution of the research to developing strategic research alliances between the higher education organisation(s) and industry and/or other organisation(s);strategies to encourage dissemination, commercialisation, and if appropriate, the promotion of research outcomes; andwhere 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 and/or end-users. Assessment processThe ARC assessment process for Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) involved 15 SAC members as part of one multidisciplinary panel and was managed in RMS. A total of 635 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC. Funding levels and durationFunding of between $50,000 and $300,000 per annum for up to five years may be awarded for each Linkage Projects application. Summary of outcomesThe ARC received a total of 193 applications for Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1), none of which were withdrawn.The overall success rate for Linkage Projects for funding applied for in 2022 (Round 1) is 42.0 per cent.Of the unsuccessful applications, none were found to not meet eligibility requirements.A comparison of success rates and funding amounts is shown in Table 1.Table 1. Comparison of application numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for approved Linkage Projects applications from 2021 (Rounds 1, 2 and 3) and 2022 (Round 1)Scheme RoundApplications ConsideredApplications ApprovedSuccess rate (%)Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($)Funds over project life for approved applications ($)ReturnRate for approved applications (%)2021 (Round 1)1565233.3$79,107,431$27,924,670$24,453,51287.62021 (Round 2)2066833.0$104,442,886$36,666,155$31,795,81386.72021 (Round 3)2076129.5$114,276,759$36,477,703$29,657,24381.32022 (Round1)1938142.0$100,220,423$43,807,006$40,083,56591.5*May include indicative funds Outcomes by disciplineA summary of outcome by discipline is shown in Table 2.Table 2. Application numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) applications by disciplineDiscipline*Applications consideredApplications approvedSuccess rate (%)Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($)Funds over project life for approved applications ($)ReturnRate for approved applications (%)BSB251248.0$16,052,908$8,237,826$7,797,32894.7EIC933335.5$51,510,283$18,996,854$16,907,73089.0HSE562544.6$23,469,294$10,811,942$10,027,11692.7MPCE191157.9$9,187,938$5,760,384$5,351,39192.9Total1938142.0$100,220,423$43,807,006$40,083,56591.5* BSB – Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EIC – Engineering, Information and Computing Sciences; HSE – Humanities and Creative Arts, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences; MPCE – Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences Outcomes by Science and Research PrioritiesA summary of outcomes by Science and Research Priorities is shown in Table 3.Table 3. Approved funding and success rate for Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) applications by Science and Research PrioritiesScience and Research PrioritiesApplications consideredApplications approvedSuccess rate (%)Approved funds over project life ($)Advanced Manufacturing492040.8$10,186,959Cybersecurity9333.3$1,227,272Energy18844.4$5,077,473Environmental Change261453.8$6,941,198Food141071.4$5,362,762Health21942.9$3,155,976Resources8225.0$755,230Soil and Water8337.5$1,803,818Transport8112.5$126,839None selected321134.4$5,446,038Total Applications1938142.0$40,083,565Total Applications within Science and Research Priorities1617043.5$34,637,527Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%)83.486.4 86.4 Leverage of ARC FundingOf the 193 applications considered, 81 were approved with a total approved funding, of $40.1 million over the life of these projects. There are 210 unique Partner Organisations involved with these projects, and they have pledged a total (cash and in-kind) of $58.9 million. This represents $1.47 from Partner Organisations for every dollar funded by the ARC. Outcomes by Administering OrganisationA summary of outcomes by Administering Organisation is shown in Table 4.Table 4. Numbers of applications, success rates, ARC approved funding and Partner Organisation contributions for approved Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) applications by Administering OrganisationAdministering OrganisationApplications consideredApplications approvedSuccess rate (%)ARC approved funding over project life (approved applications)Partner Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved applications)Australian Capital Territory10660.0$2,069,617$2,724,128The Australian National University7571.4$1,722,190$2,116,175University of Canberra3133.3$347,427*New South Wales673247.8$15,313,601$22,129,765Australian Catholic University100--Charles Sturt University11100.0$206,431*Macquarie University9222.2$805,908$893,760Southern Cross University11100.0$716,260*The University of New England11100.0$540,519*The University of New South Wales15640.0$2,898,624$4,164,850The University of Newcastle5360.0$1,742,691$2,854,744The University of Sydney11654.5$3,730,622$5,905,864University of Technology Sydney10550.0$2,088,316$3,186,298University of Wollongong6350.0$1,232,724$1,362,738Western Sydney University7457.1$1,351,506$1,515,242Queensland421535.7$7,168,980$10,853,234Griffith University600--Queensland University of Technology9444.4$1,910,325$2,758,455The University of Queensland25936.0$4,231,334$7,011,631The University of Southern Queensland22100.0$1,027,321$1,083,148South Australia12541.7$2,967,606$3,453,700Flinders University6233.3$1,005,068$1,034,440The University of Adelaide3266.7$1,405,458$1,804,260University of South Australia3133.3$557,080*Tasmania33100.0$2,237,210$3,581,051University of Tasmania33100.0$2,237,210$3,581,051Victoria461839.1$8,930,543$14,574,952Deakin University8112.5$316,699*La Trobe University3133.3$532,680*Monash University11436.4$2,528,791$4,983,938RMIT University8337.5$1,221,664$1,436,358Swinburne University of Technology33100.0$1,179,243$1,421,000The University of Melbourne13646.2$3,151,466$5,562,572Western Australia13215.4$1,396,008$1,586,766Curtin University600--The University of Western Australia7228.6$1,396,008$1,586,766Total1938142.0$40,083,565$58,903,596* 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 2022 (Round 1) applications approved for funding are shown below in Table 5.Table 5. Partner Organisation contributions by sector for approved Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) applicationsType CashIn-KindTotal $%$%$%Government International $25,0000.1$36,0000.1$61,0000.1Australian Federal $616,6793.1$1,971,3635.1$2,588,0424.4Australian state, territory and local $3,096,35515.4$6,132,29615.8$9,228,65115.7 Sub-total$3,738,03418.6$8,139,65921.0$11,877,69320.2Industry Body Australian $9,898,30649.2$18,587,50547.9$28,485,81148.4International $2,860,68214.2$3,411,5888.8$6,272,27010.7 Sub-total$12,758,98863.4$21,999,09356.7$34,758,08159.0Non-profit Australian $2,870,61514.3$7,063,30218.2$9,933,91716.9International $133,5170.7$629,2001.6$762,7171.3 Sub-total$3,004,13214.9$7,692,50219.8$10,696,63418.2Higher Education International $00$182,0940.5$182,0940.3 Sub-total$00$182,0940.5$182,0940.3Other Other $624,4003.1$764,6942.0$1,389,0942.4 Sub-total$624,4003.1$764,6942.0$1,389,0942.4 Total$20,125,554100$38,778,042100$58,903,596100Note: All percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum to 100%. PartnershipsLinkage 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 223 instances of collaboration with Partner Organisations (including multiple collaborations with a number of organisations) in Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) applications approved for funding, giving an average of 2.75 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.Table 6. Application data by Field of Research category for Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1)Field of Research categoryNumber of applications approved#Partner Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved applications)Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences7$5,713,177Biological Sciences3$2,755,600Built Environment and Design2$507,000Chemical Sciences5$4,362,706Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services2$743,000Earth Sciences4$2,065,803Economics2$805,136Engineering25$22,743,020Environmental Sciences2$1,520,811Health Sciences3$1,276,293History, Heritage, and Archaeology3$2,060,501Human Society5$2,754,730Indigenous Studies1*Information and Computing Sciences7$5,144,366Language, Communication and Culture6$3,498,980Mathematical Sciences1*Physical Sciences1*Psychology2$693,685Total81$58,903,596# 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. Career age and genderOf the 671 Chief Investigators (CIs) in this round, 214 were female, 457 were male and none were indeterminate/intersex or chose not to specify their gender. The success rate for female and male CIs in Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) is 42.5 per cent and 41.6 per cent respectively. Success rates of CIs by career age and gender in Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) are presented in Figure 1. CIs who did not specify the date of completion of their PhD (or equivalent) or who do not hold a PhD (0.4 per cent) are not represented in the figure below.Figure 1. Participation and success rate of Chief Investigators (CIs) in Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) 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. International CollaborationIn the 193 applications considered, applicants foreshadowed 152 instances of collaboration with researchers in 33 overseas locations. Of the applications approved for funding, 38 foreshadowed 53 instances of collaboration with researchers in 19 overseas locations (Figure 2).Figure 2. International collaborations by location on approved Linkage Projects 2022 (Round 1) applications* *The top 11 international collaboration locations are listed in Figure 2 and the remaining locations are grouped in the ‘Other’ category.