Selection Report: Linkage Projects 2020 Round 3

Overview

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:

• 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; and
• enhance the scale and focus of research in Australian Government priority areas.

Selection process

Applications for Linkage Projects 2020 Assessment Round 3 opened on 13 August 2020 and closed on 17 December 2020. Applications were submitted using a continuous application process, this is the third and final of the three 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 outcomes are based on advice from the ARC Selection Advisory Committees (SAC) which:

• assigned independent assessors to review the applications
• 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 Unless otherwise specified, data presented in this report exclude withdrawn applications.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 Projects 2020 (Round 3) were assessed and merit ranked using the following assessment criteria:

a. Investigator(s)/Capability (25%)

Describe the quality of the candidates’ 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; and
• time and capacity to undertake and manage the proposed research in collaboration with the Partner Organisation(s).

b. 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; and
• how 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; and
• the intellectual content and scale of the work proposed is appropriate to a higher degree by research student where relevant.

c. 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; and
• the adequacy of the budget, including cash and in-kind contributions pledged by the participating organisations.

If the project involves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research describe:

• the strategies for enabling collaboration with Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities where appropriate (for example, dialogue/collaboration with an Indigenous cultural mentor); and
• any existing or developing, supportive and high quality research communities.

d. Benefit (30%)

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 building capacity in the Australian Government’s National Science and Research Priorities and other priorities identified by Government;
• 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; 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 and/or end-users.

Assessment process

The ARC assessment process for Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 3) involved 17 SAC members as part of one multidisciplinary panel and was managed in RMS. A total of 1040 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC.

Funding levels and duration

Funding of between $50,000 and $300,000 per annum for up to five years may be awarded for each Linkage Projects application.

Summary of outcomes

The ARC received a total of 277 applications for Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 3), one of which was withdrawn.

The overall success rate for Linkage Projects for funding applied for in 2020 (Round 3) is 24.3 per cent.

Of the unsuccessful applications, 12 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 2019 and 2020 (Rounds 1, 2 and 3)

*May include indicative funds 

Outcomes by discipline

A 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 2020 (Round 3) applications by discipline

*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 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 Projects 2020 (Round 3) applications by Science and Research Priorities

Leverage of ARC Funding

Of the 276 applications considered, 67 were approved with a total approved funding, of $31.7 million over the life of these projects. There are 172 unique Partner Organisations involved with these projects and they have pledged a total (cash and in-kind) of $52.0 million. This represents $1.64 from Partner Organisations for every dollar funded by the ARC.

Outcomes by Administering Organisation

A 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 2020 (Round 3) applications by Administering Organisation

* 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 3) applications approved for funding are shown below in Table 5.

Table 5.    Partner Organisation contributions by sector for approved Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 3) applications

Note: All percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum to 100%.

Partnerships

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 174 instances of collaboration with Partner Organisations (including multiple collaborations with a number of organisations) in Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 3) giving an average of 2.60 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 2020 (Round 3)

# 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 gender

Of the 987 Chief Investigators (CIs) in this round, 352 were female, 631 were male and 4 chose not to specify their gender. The success rate for female, male and unspecified CIs in Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 3) is 27.0 per cent, 24.2 and 50.0 per cent respectively. 

Success rates of CIs by career age and gender in Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 3) are presented in Figure 1. CIs who did not provide gender information (0.4 per cent) and CIs who did not specify the date of completion of their PhD (or equivalent) or who do not hold a PhD (1.1 per cent) are not represented in the figure below.

Figure 1. Participation and success rate of Chief Investigators (CIs) in Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 3) 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 collaboration

In the 276 applications considered, applicants foreshadowed 221 instances of collaboration with researchers in 44 overseas locations. Of the applications approved for funding, 36 foreshadowed 56 instances of collaboration with researchers in 23 overseas locations (Figure 2).

Figure 2. International collaborations by location on approved Linkage Projects 2020 (Round 3) applications*

*The top 11 international collaboration locations are listed in Figure 2 and the remaining locations are grouped in the ‘Other’ category.