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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 2021 Assessment Round 2 opened on 14 April 2021 and closed on 16 August 2021. Applications were submitted using a continuous application process, this is the second 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:
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 Unless otherwise specified, data presented in this report exclude withdrawn applications.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 2021 (Round 2) 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%)
The ARC assessment process for Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2) involved 17 SAC members as part of one multidisciplinary panel and was managed in RMS. A total of 749 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The ARC received a total of 206 applications for Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2), none of which were withdrawn.
The overall success rate for Linkage Projects for funding applied for in 2021 (Round 2) is 33.0 per cent.
Of the unsuccessful applications, 6 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 2020 (Rounds 1, 2 and 3) and 2021 (Rounds 1 and 2)
Applications approved
2020 (Round 1)
180
61
33.9
$87,268,182
$30,685,046
$26,881,001
87.6
2020 (Round 2)
259
67
25.9
$138,269,232
$36,054,450
$30,666,575
85.1
2020 (Round 3)
276
24.3
$140,742,080
$36,563,401
$31,724,738
86.8
2021 (Round 1)
156
52
33.3
$79,107,431
$27,924,670
$24,453,512
2021 (Round 2)
206
68
33.0
$104,442,886
$36,666,155
$31,795,813
86.7
*May include indicative funds
A summary of outcome by discipline is shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Application numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2) applications by discipline
Discipline*
Applications considered
Success rate (%)
Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)
Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($)
Funds over project life for approved applications ($)
Return Rate for approved applications (%)
BEM
43
17
39.5
$25,282,213
$9,962,828
$8,679,977
87.1
ET
55
21
38.2
$27,727,096
$11,137,965
$9,497,864
85.3
HSE
56
15
26.8
$25,526,184
$6,692,343
$5,910,697
88.3
PMI
28.8
$25,907,393
$8,873,019
$7,707,275
86.9
Total
*BEM = Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Environmental, Medical and Health Sciences; ET = Engineering and Technology; HSE = Humanities and Creative Arts, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences; PMI = Physical, Mathematical and Information Sciences
A summary of outcomes by Science and Research Priorities is shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Approved funding and success rate for Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2) applications by Science and Research Priorities
Science and Research Priorities
Approved funds over project life ($)
Advanced Manufacturing
46
12
26.1%
$5,837,555
Cybersecurity
2
16.7%
$839,367
Energy
14
7
50.0%
$3,381,803
Environmental Change
36
9
25.0%
$4,128,593
Food
11
63.6%
$4,089,041
Health
20
5
$2,011,635
Resources
8
62.5%
$2,647,541
Soil and Water
77.8%
$3,365,697
Transport
3
42.9%
$1,360,628
None selected
25.6%
$4,133,953
Total Applications
Total Applications within Science and Research Priorities
163
57
35.0
$27,661,860
Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%)
79.1
83.8
87.0
Of the 206 applications considered, 68 were approved with a total approved funding, of $31.8 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 $51.9 million. This represents $1.63 from Partner Organisations for every dollar funded by the ARC.
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 2021 (Round 2) applications by Administering Organisation
Administering Organisation
ARC approved funding over project life (approved applications)
Partner Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved applications)
Australian Capital Territory
13
6
46.2
$2,717,530
$4,529,405
The Australian National University
50.0
University of Canberra
1
0
-
New South Wales
73
18
24.7
$7,607,341
$12,672,899
Australian Catholic University
Macquarie University
$915,046
$1,234,395
Southern Cross University
100.0
$530,543
*
The University of New South Wales
30
36.7
$4,107,273
$6,964,477
The University of Newcastle
The University of Sydney
8.3
$885,000
University of Technology Sydney
7.7
$584,875
University of Wollongong
4
Western Sydney University
66.7
$584,604
$613,080
Queensland
37
40.5
$6,781,676
$9,991,517
Griffith University
44.4
$1,245,236
$1,949,250
James Cook University
Queensland University of Technology
55.6
$2,341,395
$3,037,005
The University of Queensland
42.9
$3,195,045
$5,005,262
The University of Southern Queensland
South Australia
$1,641,939
$3,150,603
Flinders University
$1,236,939
$2,510,153
The University of Adelaide
$405,000
University of South Australia
Tasmania
$1,100,957
$2,825,420
University of Tasmania
Victoria
58
19
32.8
$9,386,089
$15,358,979
Deakin University
16.7
$782,714
Federation University Australia
La Trobe University
25.0
$493,855
Monash University
38.1
$4,164,742
$5,594,674
RMIT University
Swinburne University of Technology
$1,234,081
$1,433,339
The University of Melbourne
58.3
$2,710,697
$6,991,406
Victoria University
Western Australia
$2,560,281
$3,400,481
Curtin University
$1,322,281
$1,985,211
Murdoch University
The University of Western Australia
$1,238,000
$1,415,270
$51,929,304
* 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 2021 (Round 2) applications approved for funding are shown below in Table 5.
Table 5. Partner Organisation contributions by sector for approved Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2) applications
Type
Cash
In-Kind
$
%
Government
$0
0.0
$213,443
0.6
0.4
Australian Federal
$150,000
0.9
$518,909
1.4
$668,909
1.3
Australian state, territory and local
$1,791,954
11.3
$5,304,610
14.7
$7,096,564
13.7
Sub-total
$1,941,954
12.2
$6,036,962
$7,978,916
15.4
Industry Body
Australian
$8,384,926
52.8
$18,376,974
51.0
$26,761,900
51.5
International
$2,178,259
$3,689,513
10.2
$5,867,772
$10,563,185
66.5
$22,066,487
61.2
$32,629,672
62.8
Non-profit
$680,000
4.3
$5,723,962
15.9
$6,403,962
12.3
$1,824,000
11.5
$97,866
0.3
$1,921,866
3.7
$2,504,000
15.8
$5,821,828
16.1
$8,325,828
16.0
Higher Education
$40,000
$492,645
$532,645
1.0
Other
$826,000
5.2
$1,636,243
4.5
$2,462,243
4.7
$15,875,139
100
$36,054,165
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 145 instances of collaboration with Partner Organisations (including multiple collaborations with a number of organisations) in Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2) applications approved for funding, giving an average of 2.13 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 2021 (Round 2)
Field of Research category
Number of applications approved*
Physical Sciences
$3,162,980
Chemical Sciences
$3,173,007
Earth Sciences
$4,647,002
Environmental Sciences
$3,295,205
Biological Sciences
$5,524,419
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
$5,062,995
Information and Computing Sciences
$3,722,218
Engineering
$13,963,617
Technology
Economics
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
$1,238,190
Studies in Human Society
$4,377,043
Language, Communication and Culture
$889,990
History and Archaeology
Philosophy and Religious Studies
# 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 697 Chief Investigators (CIs) in this round, 223 were female, 468 were male and 6 chose not to specify their gender. The success rate for female, male and unspecified CIs in Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2) is 35.9 per cent, 30.3 and 16.7 per cent respectively.
Success rates of CIs by career age and gender in Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2) are presented in Figure 1. CIs who did not provide gender information (0.9 per cent) and CIs who did not specify the date of completion of their PhD (or equivalent) or who do not hold a PhD (0.6 per cent) are not represented in the figure below.
Figure 1. Participation and success rate of Chief Investigators (CIs) in Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2) 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
In the 206 applications considered, applicants foreshadowed 149 instances of collaboration with researchers in 33 overseas locations. Of the applications approved for funding, 35 foreshadowed 62 instances of collaboration with researchers in 23 overseas locations (Figure 2).
Figure 2. International collaborations by location on approved Linkage Projects 2021 (Round 2) applications*
*The top 10 international collaboration locations are listed in Figure 2 and the remaining locations are grouped in the ‘Other’ category.