Australian Research Council Act 2001 - Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2008
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3.1.1 All amounts referred in these Funding Rules are to be read as exclusive of GST, unless expressly stated otherwise.
3.1.2 The minimum level of funding which will be provided by the ARC for a Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development project is $10,000 per calendar year.
3.1.3 If an IRF is requested, the Proposal should include a request for the Fellowship salary and on-costs in the budget. ARC Fellowships are awarded at levels outlined in Appendix 3, Item 1.
3.1.4 The ARC reserves the right to recommend the levels of funding allocated to a project at levels which may differ from those requested in the Proposal.
3.2 Period of funding
3.2.1 Financial assistance may be payable under these Funding Rules for Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development projects in respect of the financial year 2007-08 and any subsequent years to which the ARC Act applies. Funding for approved projects will commence with effect 1 January 2008, unless other arrangements are approved by the ARC.
3.2.2 Projects may be funded for 1 to 5 years, subject to sufficient funding being available for Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development, and the provisions of the ARC Act and continued satisfactory progress of the project.
3.2.3 IRFs are awarded for a standard duration of 1 or 2 years’ full-time work on the approved project. Applicants may apply for an IRF of 1 or 2 years’ duration.
3.2.4 For the purposes of these Funding Rules, the term of an IRF is determined based on the date on which the researcher commenced the IRF. In the case of IRFs awarded under these Funding Rules, the commencement date will be 1 January 2008, unless the commencement has been deferred to a later date approved by the ARC.
3.2.5 The ARC may recommend funding for a project for a duration different from that requested in the Proposal.
3.3 Types of research supported
3.3.1 Subject to Sections 3.4 and 3.5, Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development supports all types of research, including:
pure basic research which is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge without looking for long-term benefits other than the advancement of knowledge;
strategic basic research which is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge directed into specified broad areas that are expected to lead to useful discoveries. Such research provides the broad base of knowledge necessary to solve recognised practical problems; and
applied research which is original work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge with a specific application in view. Such research is undertaken either to determine possible uses for the findings of basic research or to determine new ways of achieving some specific and predetermined objectives.
Section 3 - Australian Research Council Act 2001 - Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2008 - Funding | Zoe
3.3.2 The following project costs may be supported under Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development:
personnel (salaries and on-costs), including:
i. IRFs as outlined in Section 5.3;
ii. research associates, technicians and laboratory attendants;
but excluding those items not permitted pursuant to subsection 3.5.2.b.
b. teaching relief for Chief Investigators, but only where the request is justified to the satisfaction of the ARC (see subsection 3.5.2c);
c. equipment;
d. maintenance; and
e. travel.
3.4 Areas of investigation/work not supported
3.4.1 Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development does not support:
Medical and Dental Research;
activities leading solely to the creation or performance of a work of art, including visual art, musical compositions, drama, dance, film, broadcasts, designs and literary works. These areas are generally covered by other Commonwealth Government funding agencies, such as the Australia Council for the Arts;
scholarly investigations that, while important in themselves, do not lead to conceptual advances or discoveries, or to novel practical outcomes or applications. Projects such as uncritical compilations and purely descriptive catalogues or editions that do not involve original research are not funded;
production of teaching materials, even though some research may be involved in their production;
compilation of data, unless this is an integral part of a project, in which case the Proposal must include a statement indicating the research objectives to which the data would contribute; and/or
development of research aids and tools (including computer programs), unless they form an integral part of the Proposal, in which case the Proposal must include a statement indicating the research objectives to which these activities would contribute.
3.4.2 If the ARC considers that a Proposal seeks funding for a project that involves any of the items not permitted under Sections 3.4 or 3.5, then to that extent part or all of the Proposal will not be recommended or approved for funding. However, if the ARC considers other parts of the proposed project remain worthy of support, the ARC may recommend that a reduced amount of funding be approved for the Proposal.
3.5 Restrictions on budget items
3.5.1 Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development supports only costs which directly support a research project. The ARC may in its absolute discretion determine whether any project costs meet this requirement.
3.5.2 Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development has restrictions on the following budget items:
Capital works and general infrastructure
Capital works and general infrastructure costs are not funded, in whole or in part, under Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development.
b. Salaries of Chief Investigators (CIs), Mentors and Supervisors
The Commonwealth will not provide support, in whole or in part, to meet the salaries of CIs, Mentors and Supervisors under Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development.
c. Teaching and Teaching Relief
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development funding is not usually provided to fund teaching and/or teaching relief. Commonwealth funds may be used for teaching relief only if specifically approved for that purpose. The ARC may fund fully justified teaching relief for a single period of not more than 6 months per year per CI. If approved, the funding contribution will be in accordance with Appendix 3, Item 3, and will be a Special Condition.
d. Special Studies Programs
Funds are not provided for travel or related expenses for researchers when on a Special Studies Program. However, some specified expenses may be funded for CIs, if approved by the ARC as a Special Condition, and provided that the Proposal clearly demonstrates that such expenses are not covered by a Special Studies Program, and that the research to be undertaken directly relates to the project.
e. International students’ fees, Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) liabilities
Funds are not provided to pay the fees of international students or the HECS or HELP liabilities for students.
f. Computer facilities for molecular analysis
Applicants for projects involving molecular biology should be aware that a number of organisations provide access to a range of databases and a large suite of analysis programs. As a result, Proposals seeking funding for computer facilities to undertake molecular analysis must justify such needs very thoroughly and to the satisfaction of the ARC.
g. Basic facilities
The Administering Organisation must agree to provide the following basic facilities (where relevant to the Proposal), which will not be funded under Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development:
i. accommodation (e.g. laboratory and office, suitably equipped and furnished in standard ways);
ii. access to workshop services (e.g. machine tools and qualified technicians available to each member of staff, according to need, for research);
iii. access to film or music editing facilities;
iv. access to a basic library collection;
v. standard reference materials or funds for abstracting services;
vi. provision of computers, including laptops (excluding access to high-performance computers or other specialised applications) and basic computing facilities such as printers, word processing and other standard software; and
vii. use of photocopiers, telephones, mail, fax, email and internet services.
h. Publication costs
Publication costs, including printing and page costs, will not be funded under Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development.
i. Costs not directly related to a project
Costs not directly related to a project will not be funded, for example costs of a personal nature such as childcare.
3.6 Number of Proposals and funded projects
3.6.1 General requirements
3.6.1.1 Proposals may be submitted only to the extent that, if all were successful, the researchers nominated on those Proposals would not be involved in more than the maximum numbers of projects permitted in 2008 (see subsection 3.6.1.2). For the purposes of applying these limits, the number of Proposals and the number of ongoing research projects which are to be funded for 2008 on which the researcher is nominated are evaluated as at the closing time for the submission of Proposals, regardless of any subsequent change in, or withdrawal of, Proposals. Submitting Proposals that exceed this limit may result in all Proposals involving the relevant researcher(s) not being recommended or approved for funding.
3.6.1.2 Specific limits on number of projects funded for 2008
Limit type
Limit description
a. CI/Fellow limit
A researcher may not be involved in more than two Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development projects on which he/she is a CI or Indigenous Researcher Fellow.
b. Sole CI/Fellow limit
A researcher may not be involved in more than one Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development project on which he/she is the sole CI or sole Indigenous Researcher Fellow.
3.6.1.3 For the purposes of the limits applying in these Funding Rules, a project for which funding was/is to be carried over, or deferred, into the next year is considered to be funded for the years notified in the letter of offer of funding provided by the ARC. For example, if a project was originally funded for four years and funding is subsequently carried over to a fifth year, the project will still be considered for these purposes as funded for the original four years.
3.6.2 Duplication
3.6.2.1 Only one Proposal may be submitted to Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development in respect of a particular project in the same funding round, regardless of any variation in the listed researchers and/or Administering Organisation. If the ARC considers that a project described in a Proposal is the same as or similar (in whole or in part) to a project described in another Proposal that is submitted in the same funding round, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend for approval any or all of those Proposals, or recommend that a reduced amount of funding be provided for that or any similar Proposal. The ARC reserves the right to determine whether Proposals are duplicates or sufficiently similar to warrant one or more Proposals’ being not recommended for approval.