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The Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme fosters close partnerships between university-based researchers and other researchers. Training Centres deliver innovative Higher Degree by Research (HDR) and postdoctoral training. The focus is on creating end-user research capability that is vital to Australia's future through developing solutions relevant to the Industrial Transformation Priorities.
The objectives of the Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme are to:
Applications for funding commencing in 2022 opened on 6 August 2021 and closed on 15 October 2021. Applications were submitted through the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines the approval by the Minister.
These approvals are based on advice from the Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) which:
and advice from the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program Eligibility Committee which:
This report reflects the funding approved by the Minister.
Assessment criteria and corresponding weightings for Industrial Transformation Training Centres applications are:
a. Investigator(s)/Capability (20%)
Describe the:
b. Project Quality and Innovation (30%)
Describe the extent to which:
c. Feasibility and Commitment (20%)
If the project involves research pertaining to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities describe:
d. Benefit (30%)
Describe:
The ARC assessment and reporting process for Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022 involved a panel of 14 SAC members and was managed in RMS. A total of 69 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC for Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022.
Funding of between $650,000 and $1 million per annum for the first three years and between $150,000 and $1 million per annum for the fourth year may be awarded for each Industrial Transformation Training Centre. There is no minimum for the fifth year and a maximum of $1 million.
The ARC received 21 applications for Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022. 18 applications met eligibility requirements. Three did not meet eligibility requirements and were deemed ineligible.
As shown in Table 1, six applications were approved for funding. The overall success rate is 28.6 per cent. A comparison of success rates and funding amounts is shown in Table 2.
Table 1. Details of approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022
Training Centre Title
Administering Organisation
Training Centre Director
Approved funds over project life
ARC Training Centre for Advanced Building Systems Against Airborne Infection Transmission
Queensland University of Technology
Prof Lidia Morawska
$4,939,486
ARC Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation
Flinders University
A/Prof Sophie Leterme
$4,930,205
ARC Training Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance
The University of Queensland
A/Prof Mark Blaskovich
$4,508,426
ARC Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies
University of Tasmania
Prof Brett Paull
$4,958,927
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Composites for the Future of Sustainable Mining Equipment
University of Wollongong
Prof Zheng Jiang
$4,969,602
ARC Training Centre for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing
The University of New South Wales
A/Prof Matthias Haeusler
$4,978,958
Table 2. Comparison of application numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for approved applications from Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2021 and 2022*
Funding year
Applications considered
Applications approved
Success rate (%)
Requested funds over project life - all applications
Requested funds over project life - approved applications
Funds allocated over project life* - approved applications
Allocation as a percentage of request (%)
2021
25
8
32.0
$116,100,711
$37,770,864
100.0
2022
21
6
28.6
$102,169,976
$29,285,604
*May include indicative funding amounts
A summary of outcomes by discipline grouping is shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Number of applications, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022 applications by discipline
Discipline*
Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)
Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($)
Funds over project life for approved applications ($)
Return Rate for approved applications (%)
BSB
1
12.5
$38,592,325
EIC
9
3
33.3
$43,780,121
$14,839,293
HSE
2
50.0
$9,838,603
MPCE
$9,958,927
Total
*BSB – Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EIC –Engineering and Information Sciences; HSE – Humanities and Creative Arts, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences; MPCE – Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Institutions across five Australian States and one Territory submitted applications for Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022. In addition to ARC funding, significant contributions are made by participating organisations as shown in Table 4.
Table 4. Numbers of applications, success rates and ARC approved funding for Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022
ARC approved funding over project life (approved applications)
Participating organisation*# contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved applications)
New South Wales
$9,948,560
$22,647,061
4
25.0
$11,021,833
The University of Sydney
0
0.0
$0
$11,625,228
Northern Territory
Charles Darwin University
Queensland
$9,447,912
$15,449,417
Griffith University
$7,060,038
$8,389,379
South Australia
$7,648,913
The University of Adelaide
Tasmania
$11,423,983
Victoria
Deakin University
Monash University
Western Australia
Murdoch University
$57,169,374
* Participating Organisations include the Administering Organisation, Other Eligible Organisations, Partner Organisations and Other Organisations.
# Participating Organisation contributions are shown by organisation type in Table 4.
As shown in Table 5, contributions to Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022 from Partner Organisations total over $20 million, 37 per cent of the total organisation contributions to successful Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022.
Table 5. Participating organisation contributions by organisation type for approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022 applications
Organisation type
Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved applications)
$21,158,497
Other Eligible Organisation
$13,586,242
Partner Organisation
$20,977,825
Other Organisation
$1,446,810
Partner Organisations were identified as either Australian State, Territory and local government, Australian Federal government, company industry body (Australian and International) non-profit (Australian and International), overseas higher education organisations and other contributions. The Partner Organisation contributions in these categories for applications approved for funding in 2022 are shown in Table 6.
Table 6. Partner Organisation contributions by sector for recommended Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022 applications
Type
Cash
In-kind
$
%
Government
Australian State, Territory and Local Government
$375,000
4.66
$468,915
3.63
$843,915
4.02
Australian Federal Government
$320,000
3.98
$340,000
2.63
$660,000
3.15
Sub-total
$695,000
8.64
$808,915
6.26
$1,503,915
7.17
Industry Body
Australian Company Industry Body
$5,420,000
67.33
$9,645,110
74.61
$15,065,110
71.81
International Company Industry Body
$1,270,000
15.78
$1,737,000
13.44
$3,007,000
14.33
$6,690,000
83.11
$11,382,110
88.05
$18,072,110
86.14
Non-profit
Australian Non Profit
0.00
$200,000
1.55
0.95
International Non Profit
$75,000
0.58
0.36
$275,000
2.13
1.31
Education
Higher Education International
$61,800
0.48
0.29
Other
$665,000
8.26
$400,000
3.09
$1,065,000
5.08
$8,050,000
100.00
$12,927,825
Note: All totals and percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum.
Of the 21 applications considered, six were approved with a total approved funding, over the life of these projects, of $29,285,604. There are 56 unique Partner Organisations involved, committing a total of $20,977,825 in cash and in-kind funding. This represents $0.72 from Partner Organisations for every dollar of funding from the ARC.
As shown in Table 7, applications for Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022 were submitted in all nine Industrial Transformation Priorities.
Table 7. Instances of identified Industrial Transformation Priorities in Industrial Transformation Training Centres applications approved for funding commencing in 2022
Industrial Transformation Priorities
Instances in applications considered*
Instances in applications approved*
Advanced Manufacturing
13
Cyber Security
Defence
Food, Beverage and Agribusiness
11
Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals
5
Mining Equipment, Technology and Services, Critical Minerals Processing
Oil, Gas and Energy Resources
Recycling and Clean Energy
Space
40
* A single application may select multiple Industrial Transformation Priorities
As shown in Table 8, 20 applications for Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022 selected a Science and Research Priority.
Table 8. Approved funding for Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022 by Science and Research Priority
Priority area
Approved funds (over project life)
66.7
Energy
Environmental change
Food
Health
Resources
Transport
Unspecified
Total within Science and Research Priorities
20
30.0
Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%)
95.2
Table 9. Application data by Field of Research category for Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022
Field of Research category
Participating Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved applications)
Chemical Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Biological Sciences
Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences
Information and Computing Sciences
Engineering
$26,334,179
Built Environment and Design
Health Sciences
Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
A total of 632 participants were named as a Training Centre Director, Chief Investigator or Partner Investigator on applications considered in this round. Of these, 424 are male, 205 are female and one indeterminate/intersex. Two participants chose not to specify their gender. The success rates for male, female, indeterminate/intersex and unspecified participants are 31.8 per cent, 19.5 per cent, zero per cent and zero per cent respectively.
As shown in Figure 1, there are 14 instances where a total of 11 countries are participating in the approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022.
Figure 1. Instances of international collaboration on approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres commencing in 2022 applications