Australian Research Council Act 2001 - Future Fellowships - Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2009
1Australian Research Council Act 2001 - Future Fellowships - Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2009
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I, KIM CARR, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, having satisfied myself of the matters set out in section 59 of the Australian Research Council Act 2001, approve these Funding Rules under section 60 of that Act.
Dated 3 October 2008
KIM CARR
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
Section 1 - Australian Research Council Act 2001 - Future Fellowships - Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2009 - Australian Research Council Act 2001 - Future Fellowships - Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2009 | Zoe
AEDT Australian Eastern Daylight Saving (Summer) Time
AIMS Australian Institute of Marine Science
ANSTO Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
APA Australian Postgraduate Award
APAI Australian Postgraduate Award (Industry)
APD Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship
APDI Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (Industry)
APF Australian Professorial Fellowship
ARC Australian Research Council
ARCIF Australian Research Council International Fellowship
ARF Australian Research Fellowship
AVCC Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee
CE ARC Centres of Excellence and ARC Centres
CoE ARC College of Experts
CI Chief Investigator
CRC Cooperative Research Centre
CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
DP ARC Discovery Projects
DSTO Defence Science and Technology Organisation
ECR Early Career Researcher
FF ARC Federation Fellowships
FT ARC Future Fellowships
FTE Full-time equivalent
GA Geoscience Australia
GAMS Grant Application Management System
GST Goods and Services Tax
ICI Internationally Coordinated Initiative
IRF Indigenous Researcher Fellowship
LASP ARC Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects
LIEF ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
LIF ARC Linkage Industry Fellowship
LP ARC Linkage Projects
LX ARC Linkage International
NCGP National Competitive Grants Program
NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council
NP Network Participant
OI Overseas Investigator
PI Partner Investigator
QEII Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship
RN ARC Research Network
SAC Selection Advisory Committee
SPIRT Strategic Partnerships with Industry – Research and Training
SRC ARC Special Research Centre
SRI ARC Special Research Initiatives
UA Universities Australia
Key dates
Closing time for Eligibility Exemption and Eligibility Advice Requests
5.00 pm (AEDT)<br>Thursday 16 October 2008
Closing time for submission of Proposals
5.00 pm (AEDT)<br>Wednesday 26 November 2008
Deadline for letters requesting non-use of an assessor
5.00 pm (AEDT)<br>Wednesday 26 November 2008
Deadline for submission of List of Research Strengths
5.00 pm (AEDT)<br>Wednesday 26 November 2008
Contacts
The ARC deals with thousands of Proposals each year. Where possible, researchers should direct requests for information to the Research Office within their organisation.
Enquiries, paper copies of Proposals, Eligibility Exemption/Advice Requests, List of Research Strengths and Requests not to Assess must be addressed and sent:
by mail to: <br>
or
by courier to:<br>
ARC Future Fellowships Coordinator<br>Australian Research Council<br>GPO Box 2702<br>CANBERRA ACT 2601<br>
1.1.1 These Funding Rules are the Australian Research Council Future Fellowships Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2009.
2. Commencement
2.1.1 The Funding Rules shall take effect upon registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.
3. Definitions
3.1.1 In these Funding Rules, unless the contrary intention appears:
Adjunct or Emeritus Appointment or equivalent means that an Eligible Organisation has a formal agreement in writing with a researcher which is publicly acknowledged and which establishes an ongoing association with the Eligible Organisation, of the nature of an emeritus or honorary academic or visiting fellow. The ARC may seek documentary evidence of such an association if it considers it necessary.
Administering Organisation means an Eligible Organisation which submits a Proposal for funding under ARC Future Fellowships and which will be responsible for the administration of the funding if the proposed fellowship is approved for funding. The Administering Organisation may also be the Host Organisation.
Applicant means the Administering Organisation. Funding under ARC Future Fellowships is provided to Administering Organisations, not to individual researchers.
ARC means the Australian Research Council, as established under the ARC Act.
ARC Act means the Australian Research Council Act 2001, or the Act.
ARC Centre means a research centre wholly or partly funded by the ARC and includes ARC Centres of Excellence, ARC Centres and ARC Special Research Centres and co-funded Centres of Excellence such as the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG), the Australian Stem Cell Centre (ASCC) and National ICT Australia (NICTA).
ARC Fellowship means a position held by a researcher where the salary is funded wholly or partly by the ARC and where the researcher has been nominated in a Proposal to hold a Fellowship. An ARC Fellowship may be awarded at a number of levels and in various ARC schemes. ARC Fellowship includes Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (APD), Australian Research Fellowship (ARF), Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship (QEII), Australian Professorial Fellowship (APF), Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (Industry) (APDI), Linkage Industry Fellowship (LIF), Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (CSIRO) (under the former APD CSIRO scheme), ARC Centre Fellowship, ARC International Fellowship (ARCIF), ARC Federation Fellowship, ARC Future Fellowship and ARC Indigenous Researcher Fellowship (IRF).
ARC Future Fellowships Coordinator means the occupant, from time to time, of the position of Scheme Coordinator (ARC Future Fellowships) in the Australian Research Council, or any other person to whom the administration of the ARC Future Fellowships scheme may be allocated.
Centre Director means the person appointed to direct the programs of a Commonwealth-funded Research Centre.
Commonwealth means the Commonwealth of Australia.
Commonwealth-funded Research Centre means a research centre substantially funded from Commonwealth competitive research funding sources and includes ARC Centres, CRCs and NHMRC Program Grants and Centres of Clinical Research Excellence. It does not include Research Networks funded by the ARC.
Eligible Organisation means an organisation which is eligible to apply for and receive funding under the ARC Future Fellowships Funding Rules as specified in Section 5.1.
Funding Agreement means the agreement entered into between the ARC and the Administering Organisation if the Administering Organisation’s Proposal is approved for funding. This Agreement sets out the terms and conditions under which the Commonwealth is to provide funding and the Administering Organisation is to be responsible for administration of the funding and the conduct of the project.
Funding Rules means this document.
Future Fellow means a researcher whose salary is funded under the ARC Future Fellowships scheme.
Future Fellowship candidate means an individual researcher nominated in a Proposal for a Future Fellowship.
GST has the meaning as given in section 195-1 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.
Host Organisation means an organisation at which a Future Fellow undertakes her/his research while holding a Future Fellowship. A Host Organisation may be the Administering Organisation but may also be the research organisation where the Future Fellow spends a period or periods of up to 12 months over the life of the fellowship.
Minister means the Minister from time to time responsible for the administration of the ARC Act, or the Minister’s delegate.
National Research Priority means a national research priority detailed in Appendix E.
Proposal means a request to the ARC for the provision of financial assistance for a research project which is submitted in accordance with Funding Rules approved by the Minister.
Research Office means a business unit within an organisation that is responsible for administrative contact with the ARC regarding research proposals and research projects.
Special Condition means a special condition specified in a Funding Agreement which governs the use of the funding provided by the ARC.
4. Introduction
4.1 Overview and NCGP objectives
4.1.1 This document sets out the Funding Rules for the ARC Future Fellowships scheme funded under the ARC National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP), which comply with the requirements of the ARC Act.
4.1.2 All parties involved in Proposals should read and understand the Funding Rules and the ARC’s draft Funding Agreement (which is available at the ARC Web Site) before submitting a Proposal to the ARC. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their Proposals are complete and accurate.
4.1.3 These Funding Rules are current as at August 2008 and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the ARC Act in force then. These Funding Rules are subject to change at any time, for reasons including any subsequent amendment, replacement or supplementation of the ARC Act.
4.1.4 Funding under the ARC Future Fellowships scheme is provided to Administering Organisations, not to researchers. That is, the ARC will accept a Proposal only from an Eligible Organisation and not from any individual researcher or researchers.
4.1.5 However, if, in the opinion of the ARC, any researcher nominated in a Proposal as a Future Fellowship candidate has caused or has significantly contributed to the failure of an organisation to meet its obligations under any current or previous Funding Agreement with the ARC, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend for approval any or all Proposals involving that researcher.
4.1.6 The ARC is an Australian Government statutory authority established under the ARC Act. The primary functions of the ARC, as specified by the ARC Act, are to make recommendations regarding the funding of research programs, to administer funding to support research programs, and to provide policy advice related to research.
4.1.7 The ARC has established a range of competitive funding schemes for the support of research and research training under the framework of the NCGP. A list of current NCGP funding schemes is available on the ARC Web Site.
4.1.8 By the operation of a range of funding schemes under the NCGP, the ARC aims to:
maintain and build on existing research and research training;
build the scale and focus of research and research training;
encourage cross-disciplinary approaches to research and research training;
facilitate collaborative approaches to research and research training; and
support research and research training of national benefit, including in the following National Research Priorities:
An Environmentally Sustainable Australia;
Promoting and Maintaining Good Health;
Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries; and
Safeguarding Australia.
4.1.9 Descriptions of these National Research Priorities and their associated Priority Goals can be found in Appendix E, and on the ARC Web Site.
4.2 ARC Future Fellowships scheme
4.2.1 The objectives of the ARC Future Fellowships scheme are to:
a. attract and retain outstanding mid-career researchers;
b. build collaboration across industry and/or research institutions and/or disciplines;
c. support research in national priorities across all disciplines that will result in economic, environmental, social, health or cultural benefits for Australia; and
d. strengthen Australia’s research capacity by supporting innovative, internationally competitive research.
4.2.2 The ARC Future Fellowships scheme particularly encourages Proposals from outstanding mid-career researchers.
4.2.3 Up to 200 Future Fellowships may be awarded for funding commencing in 2009.
4.3 Conflict of interest
4.3.1 All parties involved in or associated with Proposals and ARC-funded research projects are required to disclose to the ARC, and the other parties involved in the Proposal/project (including Host Organisations), any conflict of interest which has the potential to influence, or appear to influence, the request for funding, or the research and activities, publications and media reports related to the Proposal/project. Such conflicts must be disclosed to the ARC at the time of the submission of a Proposal, and in reporting on ARC-funded research projects, and notified to the other parties as soon as practicable after the conflict of interest is identified.
4.3.2 If, in the opinion of the ARC, any party involved in or associated with a Proposal has failed to disclose any such conflict of interest, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend for approval any or all Proposals involving that party.
4.3.3 If a conflict of interest exists or arises, the Administering Organisation must have established processes in place and documented for managing the conflict of interest for the duration of the project. Such processes must comply with the NHMRC/ARC/UA Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2007) and any relevant successor document. In the event of any inconsistency between the original and any successor document, the latter document is to apply.
5. Organisational types, roles and eligibility
5.1 Eligible Organisations
5.1.1 A Proposal may be submitted only by an Eligible Organisation which has submitted a List of Research Strengths in accordance with subsection 8.4.1. Appendix C specifies Eligible Organisations for the ARC Future Fellowships scheme.
5.1.2 To be an Eligible Organisation, an organisation must provide an appropriate research training environment and be a public research institution that is predominantly funded by Commonwealth or State/Territory government funding.
5.1.3 If an organisation is not listed as an Eligible Organisation in Appendix C, advice can be sought from the ARC about the eligibility status of the organisation by means of the submission of an Eligibility Exemption Request to the ARC pursuant to the process specified in Section 8.1.
5.1.4 In all cases, whether or not the above process is observed, the ARC reserves the right to decide whether an organisation is an Eligible Organisation and may act as an Administering Organisation.
5.1.5 Each Proposal must identify an Administering Organisation. A Proposal may involve two or more organisations (an Administering Organisation and one or more Host Organisations) for the proposed fellowship. The Proposal must indicate how the proposed fellowship aligns with the research strengths and the research staffing profile of the Administering Organisation (subsection 8.4.2).
5.1.6 A Proposal must certify that the proposed fellowship can be accommodated within the general facilities of the Administering Organisation specified in a Proposal, including provision of sufficient working and office space to support the Future Fellow’s research.
5.1.7 Future Fellows may conduct research at an Eligible Organisation other than the Administering Organisation for a period or periods of up to 24 months, over the life of the fellowship.
5.2 Host Organisation(s)
5.2.1 Each Proposal may also identify one or more Host Organisations which do not have to be Eligible Organisations listed in Appendix C. The Host Organisation(s) must, in the opinion of the ARC, provide a suitable research environment for the Future Fellow.
5.2.2 The Proposal must describe the extent of the collaboration between the Future Fellowship candidate and the Host Organisation(s).
5.2.3 The Proposal should describe the proposed administrative arrangements between the Administering Organisation and the Host Organisation(s) to accommodate the Future Fellowship candidate.
5.2.4 Future Fellows may conduct research at a Host Organisation other than the Administering Organisation for a period or periods of up to 12 months, over the life of the fellowship.
6. Role and eligibility for Future Fellows
6.1 General
6.1.1 The Future Fellowship candidate must take significant intellectual responsibility for the proposed project, its conception, and any strategic decisions called for in its pursuit and the communication of results. The researcher must have the capacity to make a serious commitment to the fellowship. The ARC reserves the right to determine whether a person has the requisite capacity to perform the role.
6.1.2 Future Fellowship candidates must be outstanding mid-career researchers who conduct high quality, innovative research. They must have a record of high quality research outputs and the capacity to build collaborations across industry and/or research institutions and/or disciplines. They should propose research programs in areas of national priority that will deliver significant economic, environmental, social, health or cultural benefits to Australia.
6.1.3 Future Fellows are expected to pursue research that is both collaborative and outstanding in their field. To facilitate this aim, Future Fellows may, with the approval of the ARC, undertake research in industry or at a research organisation (in Australia or overseas), providing that this is in the best interests of the research and its outcomes, and of national benefit to Australia (subsection 5.2.4).
6.1.4 Future Fellows are expected to spend the majority of their time on research activities related to the proposed fellowship.
6.2 Eligibility criteria for Future Fellows
6.2.1 A Proposal must nominate one researcher for a Future Fellowship (the Future Fellowship candidate). A Future Fellowship candidate must satisfy the eligibility criteria for that role as specified in Section 6 of these Funding Rules.
6.2.2 If the ARC considers that a Future Fellowship candidate nominated in a Proposal does not meet the eligibility criteria in this Section, the Proposal will not be recommended or approved for funding.
6.2.3 For the purposes of the ARC Future Fellowships scheme mid-career researchers are researchers who have between 5 and 15 years research experience since the award of their PhD (or equivalent research qualification) at the closing time of submission of Proposals (subsection 6.3.1).
6.2.4 At the closing time of submission of Proposals all obligations regarding previously funded projects involving the Future Fellowship candidate must have been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the ARC and NHMRC. Such obligations include the provision of satisfactory progress and final reports.
6.2.5 Future Fellows must reside predominantly in Australia for the duration of the Future Fellowship, except where ARC approval has been granted (subsections 5.2.4 and 6.1.3). If a Future Fellowship candidate does not have permanent resident status he/she must obtain permanent or temporary resident status from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship before the Future Fellowship commences.
6.2.6 Future Fellows may, with the approval of the ARC, spend no more than 0.05 FTE of their time on teaching activities that are closely related to their research project.
6.2.7 Future Fellows must relinquish any existing appointments or fellowships prior to the commencement of the Future Fellowship.
6.2.8 A Proposal may seek funding for a Future Fellowship only if the Future Fellowship candidate meets the criteria of being a mid-career researcher (subsection 6.3.1).
6.2.9 At the closing time of submission of Proposals, a candidate who holds an ARC or NHMRC Fellowship may apply for a Future Fellowship only in the final or penultimate year of her/his fellowship.
6.3 Mid-Career Researchers
6.3.1 To be considered a mid-career researcher, Future Fellowship candidates must:
a. have been awarded a PhD on or between 26 November 1993 and 26 November 2003; or
b. have obtained approval from the ARC, via the submission of an Eligibility Exemption Request pursuant to the process outlined in Section 8.1, for the:
recognition of research experience or an equivalent research qualification; and/or
relaxation of the qualification and/or timing requirements.
6.3.2 The Eligibility Exemption Request must contain supporting information justifying the Future Fellowship candidate’s special circumstances for an eligibility exemption, including information indicating that the candidate’s research qualification/experience is equivalent to a PhD obtained within the time limits specified and/or a case justifying the relaxation of the timing requirements in terms of issues such as, but not limited to, research career interruption, non-research employment, misadventure or carer responsibilities. Exemptions may be given by the ARC only if the exemption has been sought in accordance with the process described in Section 8.1.
6.3.3 The ARC may, in its absolute discretion, determine the validity and date of effect for the attainment of PhD-equivalent status for researchers for the purpose of determining the eligibility of Future Fellowship candidates and whether to relax the timing requirements.
6.4 Future Fellowship support
6.4.1 The following options are available for Future Fellows:
a. 100 per cent salary and on-costs from the ARC for four years.
b. Part-time salary and pro rata on-costs from the ARC over a period of up to six years. Part-time fellowships are available to enable Future Fellows to continue to fulfil family and/or carer responsibilities. Future Fellows may alternate between full-time or part-time status for one or more periods of time during the fellowship provided that the duration of the fellowship does not exceed six years from the date of commencement (excluding any approved periods of suspension and/or maternity and/or parental leave). The Future Fellow would not be permitted to engage in other professional activities for the duration of the fellowship. Any request to change to or from part-time hours would need to be made in writing to the ARC through the Research Office of the Administering Organisation. Part-time fellowships must be between 0.5 and 1.0 FTE.
6.5 Salary Levels
6.5.1 The notional ARC salary support for Future Fellows is set out in Appendix D.
6.5.2 Three levels of salary are available for Future Fellows. Future Fellowship candidates should select the most appropriate salary level according to their experience and expertise.
6.5.3 All Future Fellowship candidates will be assessed and ranked against other candidates in the same salary level. If the Future Fellowship candidate is unsuccessful at the nominated level the Proposal will only be re-assessed at the ARC’s absolute discretion.
6.5.4 Salary Level Guide for all Future Fellowships
a. PhD or equivalent;
b. leadership in research, including research training supervision;
c. significant contribution to the preparation of research proposals to external funding bodies;
d. contribution to strategic research planning;
e. strong record of high quality publications in refereed journals or other research output;
f. experience in management of research grants;
g. collaboration with researchers and external stakeholders; and
a. in general candidates will have between 10 and 15 years research experience since the completion of their PhD;
b. recognised internationally as being influential in expanding the knowledge of their discipline area;
c. outstanding contributions to research, which have a high level of impact on their field of expertise internationally;
d. lead and foster excellence in research, including research training supervision;
e. contribution to high level research policy; and
f. initiation and management of large research projects.
7. Funding
7.1 Level of funding
7.1.1 All amounts referred to in these Funding Rules are to be read as exclusive of GST (if any), unless expressly stated otherwise.
7.1.2 The levels of salary and salary-related (on-cost) funding which will be provided by the ARC for a Future Fellow are set out in Appendix D.
7.1.3 In addition to salary and salary-related (on-cost) support, the ARC will provide Administering Organisations with funding of up to $50,000 per annum which may be used for infrastructure, equipment, travel and relocation costs directly related to the Future Fellow’s research.
7.1.4 Administering Organisations must submit a statement within the Proposal specifying how the organisation will use the $50,000 per annum infrastructure funding to support the research of the proposed Future Fellowship candidate if successful (subsection 8.4.2).
7.1.5 The ARC reserves the right to recommend levels of infrastructure funding for a project at levels which may differ from those requested in the Proposal.
7.2 Period of funding
7.2.1 Funding may be payable under these Funding Rules for ARC Future Fellowships in respect of the financial year 2009-10 and any subsequent years to which the ARC Act applies. Funding for approved fellowships will commence with effect 1 July 2009, unless other arrangements are approved by the Minister.
7.2.2 Fellowships are funded for four years on a full-time basis, subject to sufficient funding being available for the ARC Future Fellowships scheme, the provisions of the ARC Act and continued satisfactory progress of the Future Fellowship.
7.2.3 A part-time option for up to six years is available for Future Fellows with family and/or carer responsibilities (subsection 6.4.1b). However, all Future Fellowships are initially awarded on a full-time basis only. Future Fellows with family and/or carer responsibilities may convert to part-time at any time after the award by submitting a request to the ARC through the Research Office (or equivalent) of the Administering Organisation.
7.2.4 For the purposes of these Funding Rules, the term of a researcher’s fellowship is determined based on the date on which the researcher commenced the fellowship. In the case of fellowships awarded under these Funding Rules, the commencement date will be 1 July 2009, unless the commencement date has been deferred to a later date approved by the ARC.
7.3 Types of research supported
7.3.1 Subject to Sections 7.4 and 7.5, the ARC Future Fellowships scheme supports excellent research by world-class researchers, 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.
7.3.2 The following costs may be supported in the ARC Future Fellowships scheme:
a. salary and salary-related (on-cost) funding which will be provided by the ARC for a Future Fellow as set out in Appendix D.
b. up to $50,000 per annum may be expended on basic non-salary items directly related to the Future Fellow’s research such as (but not exclusively): infrastructure; equipment; travel approved by the ARC; relocation costs; and field trips.
7.4 Restrictions on budget items
7.4.1 ARC Future Fellowships has restrictions on the following budget items:
a. Construction and Refurbishment
Construction and refurbishment of general purpose buildings is not funded, in whole or in part, under ARC Future Fellowships.
b. Salary Costs other than that of the named Future Fellow
The Commonwealth will not provide support, in whole or in part, to meet the salaries of personnel other than salary for the Future Fellow under ARC Future Fellowships. If a Proposal requests salary funding for additional personnel, the Proposal will not be recommended or approved for funding.
c. Stipends for Postgraduate Students
Stipends for postgraduate students are not funded, in whole or in part, under ARC Future Fellowships.
d. Teaching and Teaching Relief
ARC Future Fellowships funding is not provided to fund teaching and/or teaching relief, apart from that approved under subsection 6.2.6.
e. 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 Future Fellows, 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 fellowship.
f. Research support for Investigators other than the Future Fellow
Funds are not provided for research support for other investigators, other than the Future Fellow, under ARC Future Fellowships.
g. 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 the HELP liabilities for students.
h. Basic facilities
The Administering Organisation must agree to provide the following basic facilities (where relevant to the Proposal), which will not be funded under ARC Future Fellowships:
i. rental of 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.
i. Publication costs
Publication costs, including printing and page costs, will not be funded under ARC Future Fellowships.
j. Costs not directly related to the Future Fellowship
Costs not directly related to the Future Fellowship will not be funded, for example costs of a personal nature.
k. Travel costs not directly approved by the ARC
Travel costs that are not directly approved by the ARC will not be funded under ARC Future Fellowships.
7.5 Areas of investigation/work not supported
7.5.1 The ARC Future Fellowships scheme does not support:
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;
projects such as uncritical compilations and purely descriptive catalogues or editions that do not involve original research;
production of teaching materials, even though some research may be involved in their production;
compilation of data unless this is an integral part of the project which is judged to be necessary, 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.
7.5.2 If the ARC considers that a Proposal seeks funding for any of the items not permitted under Sections 7.4 or 7.5, then to that extent part or all of the Proposal will not be recommended or approved for funding.
7.6 Number of Proposals
7.6.1 Future Fellowship candidates may not be nominated for a Future Fellowship on more than one ARC Future Fellowships Proposal in this funding round. For the purpose of applying these limits, the number of Proposals per researcher is evaluated as at the closing time of submission of Proposals for the relevant round, regardless of any subsequent change in, or withdrawal of Proposals. Submitting Proposals that exceed this limit will result in all Proposals involving the relevant researcher not being recommended or approved for funding.
7.6.2 Future Fellowship candidates may not submit more than two Future Fellowship Proposals in the funding rounds between 2009 and 2013.
7.6.3 Future Fellows cannot apply for a subsequent Future Fellowship.
8. Application process
8.1 Eligibility Exemption and Eligibility Advice
8.1.1 These Funding Rules describe a number of situations where it is possible to submit an Eligibility Exemption Request or an Eligibility Advice Request for the purposes of obtaining an exemption or advice from the ARC regarding the eligibility of a prospective Proposal. All such requests must be submitted on the ARC Eligibility Exemption/Advice Request Form via the Research Office of the intending Administering Organisation, and, subject to subsection 8.1.2, be received by the ARC by 5.00 pm (AEDT) Thursday 16 October 2008.
8.1.2 Eligibility Exemption Requests and Eligibility Advice Requests received after 5.00 pm (AEDT) Thursday 16 October 2008 will not be considered. The ARC may, in its absolute discretion, and only in exceptional circumstances, accept late Eligibility Exemption/Advice Requests.
8.1.3 An exemption from the eligibility requirements may be granted only if an Eligibility Exemption Request has been submitted in accordance with the requirements of Section 8.1. Similarly, Eligibility Advice may be provided by the ARC only upon receipt of an Eligibility Advice Request which has been submitted in accordance with the requirements of Section 8.1. Eligibility Advice, however, does not constitute an exemption from the eligibility requirements, rather it provides an indication to potential Applicants about the likelihood of a Proposal satisfying certain eligibility requirements if a Proposal is consistent with the information in the Eligibility Advice Request.
8.1.4 Eligibility Exemption/Advice Requests must include all relevant supporting information. The Research Office will be advised of the outcome of any such request as soon as possible to allow time for a Proposal to be completed if appropriate. If an Eligibility Exemption or Advice is given, the ARC will provide an identifying number for the exemption/advice which is to be quoted on the relevant Proposal.
8.1.5 The ARC Eligibility Exemption/Advice Request form is available on the ARC Web Site.
8.2 Proposals
8.2.1 A Proposal should be submitted as a mature research plan ready for implementation. The Proposal must contain all the information necessary for its assessment without the need for further written or oral explanation, or reference to additional documentation, unless requested by the ARC, including its Selection Advisory Committees.
8.2.2 All details in the Proposal must be current at the time of submission.
8.2.3 In submitting a Proposal, the Administering Organisation and the Future Fellowship candidate nominated in the Proposal are consenting to the Proposal being assessed under the ARC peer assessment procedures and agree to the release of the Proposal to third parties for assessment purposes.
8.3 Certification
8.3.1 The Administering Organisation must obtain the agreement of all parties necessary to allow the proposed fellowship to proceed. These agreements must be attested to by hand-written signatures and certifications from all relevant persons and organisations involved in the Proposal. These agreements, certifications and signatures are to be retained by the Administering Organisation which must provide them if requested by the ARC. A form is available for this purpose on the ARC Web Site. If the Administering Organisation fails to provide this material upon request, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Proposal for approval.
8.3.2 A Proposal must be submitted through the appropriate Research Office. If a Proposal has not been submitted through the appropriate Research Office/Chief Executive Officer for certification, the Proposal will not be recommended or approved for funding.
8.4 Preparation and submission of Proposals
8.4.1 List of Research Strengths
8.4.1.1 At the closing time of submission of a Future Fellowship Proposal, Eligible Organisations that are intending to be involved in a Future Fellowship Proposal (as an Administering Organisation) must submit to the ARC all their Future Fellowship Proposals, together with a separate document listing the organisation’s current areas of research strength in which it plans to maintain excellence, and any emerging areas of research strength which it is in the process of developing. A List of Research Strengths proforma is available on the ARC Web Site. If an Administering Organisation fails to submit a List of Research Strengths by the deadline, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend these Proposals for approval. The deadline for submission by Administering Organisations of the List of Research Strengths applicable to this scheme round is 5.00pm (AEDT) Wednesday 26 November 2008.
8.4.1.2 A List of Research Strengths received after 5.00 pm (AEDT) Wednesday 26 November 2008 will not be accepted. The ARC may, in its absolute discretion, and only in exceptional circumstances, accept a late List of Research Strengths.
8.4.2 Strategic Statement
8.4.2.1 The Strategic Statement will be provided by the Administering Organisation within the Proposal and should outline how the Future Fellowship candidate and the Proposal being submitted are aligned with existing and/or emerging research strengths of the Administering Organisation. This should be consistent with the List of Research Strengths submitted by the Administering Organisation (see subsection 8.4.1).
8.4.2.2 The Strategic Statement should also indicate how the Future Fellowship candidate aligns with and/or complements the staffing profile of the Administering Organisation. If the Future Fellowship Proposal is from a current employee the Statement should explain how a Future Fellowship would enhance her/his opportunities at the organisation. If the Future Fellowship Proposal is from a non-current or fixed-term employee, plans for integration of the Future Fellow into the ongoing activities of the organisation at the end of the fellowship should be outlined.
8.4.2.3 The Strategic Statement should also indicate how the Administering Organisation will use the $50,000 per annum infrastructure funding to support the proposed Future Fellow.
8.4.3 Proposals
8.4.3.1 Unless otherwise notified by the ARC in writing, Proposals submitted under ARC Future Fellowships scheme consist of two parts:
a. an on-line form which must be completed and submitted in the ARC’s on-line grants application management system accessible via the ARC Web Site; and
b. additional text which must be submitted as part of the paper version of the Proposal:
Part A7 “Certification”;
Part B7 “Research record relative to opportunities”;
Part C3 “Strategic Statement”;
if applicable, Part D2 “Statements on progress of ARC and/or NHMRC funded projects”; and
Part E “Description of project/program of research”.
8.4.4 Format
8.4.4.1 All documents must be written in English and must comply strictly with the format, content and submission requirements as specified in these Funding Rules and the “ARC Future Fellowships Instructions to Applicants for funding commencing in 2009” document issued by the ARC. If a Proposal fails to meet any format, content or submission requirements, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Proposal for approval.
8.4.4.2 All pages of additional text must be in black type, use a single column and 12-point font size on white A4 paper, be printed on one side only and unbound, with all margins being at least 2cm. As Proposals may be scanned electronically, a highly legible font type must be used, such as Arial, Courier, Palatino, Times New Roman and Helvetica. Variants such as mathematical typesetting languages may also be used. References may be reproduced in 10-point font size. Colour graphs or colour photographs may be included but they will be reproduced in black and white and the reproduction quality may not be optimal. Finely detailed graphics and greyscale may also not be precisely reproduced.
8.4.4.3 The pages of the Proposal must be numbered consecutively starting from page 1.
8.4.5 How to complete and submit a Proposal
8.4.5.1 Administering Organisations must use the form within the ARC’s on-line grants application management system accessible via the ARC Web Site.
8.4.5.2 An “ARC Future Fellowships Instructions to Applicants for funding commencing in 2009” document will be available on the ARC Web Site. This document specifies a range of requirements for Proposals and also assists parties in preparing Proposals.
8.4.5.3 Administering Organisations may have internal closing dates for Proposal preparation which precede ARC closing times.
8.4.5.4 Research Offices have access to the ARC’s on-line grants application management system and will allocate User IDs and passwords to enable researchers at their organisation to access the system and prepare Proposals. If a researcher has previously been allocated access, her/his User ID and password should still be current. If a researcher does not have a Research Office or equivalent unit, he/she should email gamsids@arc.gov.au at the ARC for assistance.
8.4.5.5 Research Offices should submit forms in the ARC’s on-line grants application management system and forward the Proposal and a copy which must, aside from the required signatures on the certification pages and additional text, identically match the contents of the submitted on-line application form. Proposals must be sent to the address advised under ‘Contacts’ at the beginning of these Funding Rules.
8.4.6 Number of copies
8.4.6.1 In addition to the on-line form, the paper part of a Proposal must be submitted along with an identical paper copy. The paper version must be clipped, not stapled. The paper parts of the Proposal must be submitted with the additional text, including supporting documentation, interleaved appropriately (see “ARC Future Fellowships Instructions to Applicants for funding commencing in 2009” document).
8.4.7 Closing time for Proposals
8.4.7.1 Subject to subsection 8.4.7.3, the paper parts of a Proposal must be received by the ARC, and the on-line form completed using the ARC’s on-line grants application management system must be submitted, by 5.00 pm (AEDT) Wednesday 26 November 2008.
8.4.7.2 Proposals may be withdrawn but additions, deletions and modifications will not be accepted after submission, unless invited by the ARC.
8.4.7.3 If the required paper parts of a Proposal are not received by the ARC by 5.00 pm (AEDT) Wednesday 26 November 2008, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Proposal for approval. In deciding whether to recommend or not recommend such a Proposal the ARC may take into account whether:
a. in the opinion of the ARC, exceptional circumstances apply; or
b. the Administering Organisation is able to provide evidence to the satisfaction of the ARC that all the documents were despatched by the Administering Organisation sufficiently in advance of the closing time for the documents to have been delivered to the ARC by the closing time in the normal course of events.
9. Selection and approval process
9.1 Selection criteria
9.1.1 All ARC Future Fellowships Proposals which meet the eligibility criteria will be assessed using the following criteria:
a. Investigator (50%)
consideration will be given to the opportunities the candidate has had to attain the level of achievement relative to the nominated salary level
evidence of capacity to conduct high quality, innovative research
record of high quality research outputs
evidence of international research standing
b. Project Quality (10%)
are the Proposal’s aims and concepts innovative?
how will the anticipated outcomes advance the knowledge base of the discipline?
does the research address an important problem?
c. Strategic Alignment (15%)
how well does the proposed research project align with and/or complement the research strengths of the Administering Organisation?
will the proposed project contribute significantly to building and sustaining existing or emerging research strengths of the Administering Organisation?
d. Collaboration (15%)
evidence of the Future Fellowship candidate’s capacity to build collaboration across industry and/or research institutions and/or with other disciplines
the extent to which the proposed project will build collaboration across industry and/or research institutions and/or with other disciplines.
e. National Research Priority (10%)
will the proposed project contribute significantly to the advancement of knowledge in one or more areas of national research priority and/or promote Indigenous health and wellbeing?
9.1.2 There are a limited number of Future Fellowships available for funding. The recommending of Future Fellowships is at the ARC’s discretion, having regard to the criteria in subsection 9.1.1 and the matters at subsections 4.2.2 and 4.2.3.
9.2 Assessment and selection procedure
9.2.1 Assessment and selection process
9.2.1.1 Assessment of Proposals is undertaken by the ARC, which has the right to make recommendations solely on the basis of its expertise, and which may:
a. consider if a Proposal satisfies the eligibility criteria set out in these Funding Rules;
b. identify and consider any other matters that these Funding Rules state may result in the ARC recommending that a Proposal not be approved for funding;
c. assign assessors to review Proposals;
d. rank each Proposal relative to the others on the basis of the Proposal and any assessors’ reports;
e. assess and recommend the amount of funding to be made available for a Proposal; and/or
f. prepare funding recommendations.
9.2.1.2 In addition to assessment by the ARC, a Proposal may at the ARC’s absolute discretion be assessed by external assessors. Assessors may be drawn from a range of organisations to reduce the potential for conflicts of interest. Proposals will be assessed against the criteria set out in these Funding Rules and the reports by the assessors may include written comments.
9.2.1.3 The ARC Selection Advisory Committees may assist with the assessment of Proposals. The ARC has procedures for managing organisational and personal conflicts of interest experienced by members of the Selection Advisory Committees, members of other ARC committees, ARC staff, and other assessors, and for enabling individuals to withdraw from the assessment process for particular Proposals where any actual or perceived conflict may exist.
9.2.1.4 The ARC reserves the right to make recommendations for funding to the Minister based on any number of assessments or solely on the assessment of the ARC.
9.2.1.5 Administering Organisations may provide written notification to the ARC naming any person or persons whom they do not wish to assess a Proposal. A “Request not to Assess” form is available on the ARC Web Site for this purpose. Such notifications must contain detailed justification and be submitted using the “Request not to Assess” form through the Administering Organisation’s Research Office. This notification must not accompany the Proposal. The notification must be sent to the address advised under ‘Contacts’ at the beginning of these Funding Rules and received by the ARC by the closing time for Proposals, 5.00 pm (AEDT) Wednesday 26 November 2008.
9.2.1.6 The ARC will consider the justification put forward to exclude any person as an assessor, but may choose not to give effect to such a request.
9.2.2 Exclusion of Proposals
9.2.2.1 The ARC will not recommend for approval, and the Minister will not approve for funding, any Proposal that fails to satisfy the eligibility criteria set out in these Funding Rules, including:
a. if the Proposal seeks funding for projects of the type referred to in subsection 7.5.1 and the ARC considers no other part of the proposed project worthy of support;
b. if the Proposal is not submitted by an Eligible Organisation (Section 5.1);
c. if any Administering Organisation involved on a Proposal has not submitted a List of Research Strengths (subsection 5.1.1);
d. if the ARC considers that a candidate nominated in the Proposal does not meet the eligibility criteria for a Future Fellow as specified in Section 6;
e. if a Proposal has not been submitted through the appropriate Research Office/Chief Executive Officer for certification (subsection 8.3.2); or
f. if a Proposal is submitted by a current ARC or NHMRC Fellow who is not in their final or penultimate year of her/his existing fellowship at the time of submission of the Proposal (subsection 6.2.9).
9.2.2.2 The ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend for approval a Proposal if:
a. in the opinion of the ARC, the Future Fellowship candidate nominated in the Proposal has caused or has significantly contributed to the failure of an organisation to meet its obligations under any current or previous Funding Agreement with the ARC or all obligations regarding previously funded projects involving the candidate have not been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the ARC and NHMRC (subsection 6.2.4);
b. in the opinion of the ARC, any party involved in or associated with a Proposal or ARC-funded research project has failed to disclose to the ARC, or any of the other parties involved in the Proposal, any conflict of interest which has the potential to influence, or appear to influence, the research and activities, publications and media reports, or requests for funding related to the Proposal (subsection 4.3.2);
c. the limits on the number of Proposals submitted are exceeded (subsections 7.6.1, 7.6.2 and 7.6.3);
d. in the opinion of the ARC, the Proposal duplicates or is likely to duplicate research already being funded, or which is likely to be funded, by the Commonwealth (subsections 10.1.1 and 10.3.1);
e. where required the Proposal does not include details of other funding or funding requests (subsection 10.2.1);
f. the ARC considers that incomplete, inaccurate or misleading material has been provided in relation to the Proposal or if the Administering Organisation and/or Future Fellowship candidate nominated in the Proposal has provided the ARC with incomplete, inaccurate or misleading information in relation to the provision of advice relating to, or in the reporting of progress of, a funded project (subsection 10.2.1, Appendix A subsections A1.8.2 and A1.8.3);
g. the circumstances of a Proposal are such that an eligibility exemption or advice is required but the required process has not been followed (including that the deadlines have not been met) (Section 8.1);
h. when requested, the Administering Organisation fails to provide the signed certifications and agreements of all parties necessary to allow the proposed project to proceed (Section 8.3);
i. the online part of the Proposal is not submitted, or the paper part of the Proposal is not received by the ARC, by the closing time (subsection 8.4.7); or
j. the Proposal fails to meet any format and other submission requirements (Section 8.4).
9.2.3 Recommendations
9.2.3.1 The ARC’s recommendations will be submitted in accordance with the ARC Act to the Minister for consideration. The Minister will determine which Proposals will be approved and the amount and timing of financial assistance to be paid to Administering Organisations for approved Proposals.
9.2.3.2 Under the ARC Act, the Minister must not approve for funding any Proposal that fails to meet the eligibility criteria set out in these Funding Rules.
10. Cross-scheme issues
10.1 Cross-scheme funding
10.1.1 The ARC will not duplicate financial assistance for research already funded by the Commonwealth or which is likely to be funded from other Commonwealth funding sources (including under other ARC funding schemes). The ARC reserves the right to determine if a Proposal duplicates or is likely to duplicate research being funded by another Commonwealth source. In such circumstances the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to recommend that the Proposal not be approved for funding.
10.1.2 Subject to subsections 6.2.7, 6.2.9 and 10.1.1 and Sections 10.2 and 10.3, project funding received or sought elsewhere for the Future Fellowship candidate (outside the ARC Future Fellowships scheme) does not affect the eligibility of a Proposal within the ARC Future Fellowships scheme.
10.2 Cross-scheme eligibility
10.2.1 If a researcher nominated as a Future Fellowship candidate on a Proposal is involved in a funding request or requests for any proposed research project, salary or equipment that has been submitted under this or any other ARC scheme or to any other Commonwealth funding body, the Proposal must contain details of the request(s) and summary details of all other funding. Proposals must indicate the level of funding obtained for approved projects, or being sought for current or future projects, from all Commonwealth funding sources and must list all existing research funding from all Commonwealth sources. If these processes are not observed or the ARC determines that incomplete, misleading or inaccurate details were included in the Proposal, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to recommend that the ARC Future Fellowships Proposal not be approved for funding.
10.2.2 If the Future Fellowship candidate is concurrently the subject of multiple ARC or NHMRC Fellowship requests, whether these are in one or more ARC or NHMRC schemes or involve different Administering Organisations, the Proposals must be cross-referenced. If more than one of these fellowship requests is approved for funding, only one fellowship can be accepted.
10.2.3 The ARC may liaise with other funding agencies to discuss any overlap between proposed or existing research projects (including fellowships) in order to avoid duplication of funding. The ARC may, for this purpose, disclose to such an agency any information in a Proposal.
10.3 Non-duplication
10.3.1 The ARC will not provide financial assistance to meet the costs of a project to the extent that those costs have been, or are likely to be, met from other Commonwealth funding sources. The ARC reserves the right to:
a. determine if a Proposal includes such costs and to deem a notional amount for them; and
b. recommend a reduced amount of funding for the proposed project accordingly.
10.3.2 If such costs are, in the opinion of the ARC, a significant portion of the costs for a proposed project, the ARC may decide to recommend that the Proposal not be approved for funding.
11. Funding outcomes
11.1 Offer of funding
11.1.1 Administering Organisations whose Proposals are approved will be:
a. notified in a letter of offer that will indicate the financial assistance to be offered; and
b. provided with a copy of a Funding Agreement for signing.
11.2 Appeals process
11.2.1 Appeals will be considered only against administrative process issues and not, for example, against committee recommendations or assessor ratings and comments.
11.2.2 Appeals must be made on the appeals form available on the ARC Web Site. The form must be lodged by the Administering Organisation and must be authorised by a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Chief Executive Officer or equivalent. Appeals must be received by the ARC within 28 days of the date on the letter notifying the outcome of Proposals.
11.2.3 Appeals must be addressed and sent to the address advised under ‘Contacts’ at the beginning of these Funding Rules.
Appendix A – Other Matters
A1 Fundamental principles and requirements
A1.1 Ethics and research practices
A1.1.1 The NHMRC Web Site, http://www.nhmrc.gov.au, provides a series of publications which outline principles of ethical conduct in research. All Proposals and ARC-funded research projects must, unless otherwise approved by the ARC, conform to the principles outlined in the following and their successor documents:
a. NHMRC/ARC/UA Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2007);
b. as applicable, the NHMRC/ARC/AVCC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007); and
c. as applicable, codes on animal research promulgated by the NHMRC.
A1.1.2 If there is any conflict between a successor document and its predecessor, then the successor document prevails to the extent of any inconsistency.
A1.2 Acknowledging ARC support
A1.2.1 The Funding Agreement requires that any ARC contribution to research and other activities funded by the ARC be appropriately acknowledged. When, at any time during or after completion of a project, the researcher or any other party publishes or produces material such as books, articles, newsletters or other literary or artistic works which relate to the research project, the Administering Organisation must ensure (wherever possible) that the ARC’s contribution and support of the project is acknowledged in a prominent place and in an appropriate form. This acknowledgement should include the mention of the ARC as a funding body. Similar efforts should be made to acknowledge ARC support when participating in television and radio programs, when interviewed by the print media and when otherwise speaking publicly about the project.
A1.2.2 Advice on acceptable forms of acknowledgement and use of the ARC logo is provided on the ARC Web Site.
A1.3 Dissemination of research outputs
A1.3.1 The Australian Government makes a major investment in research to support its essential role in improving the wellbeing of our society. To maximise the benefits from research, findings need to be disseminated as broadly as possible to allow access by other researchers and the wider community.
A1.3.2 The ARC acknowledges that researchers take into account a wide range of factors in deciding on the best outlets for publications arising from their research. Such considerations include the status and reputation of a journal or publisher, the peer review process of evaluating their research outputs, access by other stakeholders to their work, the likely impact of their work on users of research and the further dissemination and production of knowledge. Taking heed of these considerations, the ARC endeavours to ensure the widest possible dissemination of the research supported under its funding, in the most effective manner and at the earliest opportunity.
A1.3.3 The ARC therefore encourages researchers to consider the benefits of depositing their data and any publications arising from a research project in an appropriate subject and/or institutional repository. If a researcher is not intending to deposit the data from a project in a repository within six months of the completion of the research, he/she should include the reasons in the project’s Final Report. Any research outputs that have been or will be deposited in appropriate repositories should be identified in the Final Report.
A1.4 Applicable law
A1.4.1 The ARC is required to comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 and the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
A1.5 Confidentiality
A1.5.1 The ARC will treat information contained in a Proposal as confidential. However, the ARC may disclose information contained in a Proposal, or otherwise provided to the ARC, to the extent that the information:
a. is disclosed by the ARC to its advisers (including external assessors), officers, employees or other third parties in order to assess, evaluate or verify the accuracy or completeness of a Proposal;
b. is disclosed to the ARC’s personnel to enable effective management or auditing of the ARC Future Fellowships scheme or any Funding Agreement;
c. is disclosed by the ARC to the Minister;
d. is shared by the ARC within the ARC’s organisation, or with another Commonwealth Department or agency, where this serves the Commonwealth’s legitimate interests;
e. is authorised or required by law to be disclosed;
f. is disclosed in accordance with any other provision of these Funding Rules or the Funding Agreement; or
g. is in the public domain otherwise than due to a breach by the ARC of any obligation of confidence.
A1.5.2 Where information contained in a Proposal is made available to third parties for evaluation or assessment purposes the ARC will require the third parties to maintain the confidentiality of the material.
A1.5.3 Notwithstanding the above, and in addition to the exemptions listed at Appendix A subsection A1.5.1, the ARC may publicise and report offers or awards of funding, including information about the proposed research; the name of the Future Fellows and their organisations; the name of the Administering Organisation and any other parties involved in or associated with the project; the title and summary descriptions of the project and its intended outcomes (including the national/community benefits that are expected to arise from the research); and the level and nature of financial assistance from the ARC. Administering Organisations should ensure that information contained in the project title and summaries would not, if released, compromise their own requirements for confidentiality (such as future protection of intellectual property).
A1.6 Project description
A1.6.1 In making public information about a Proposal which has been approved for funding, the ARC may use a project description, including title and summary, which may differ from that provided in the Proposal.
A1.7 Intellectual property
A1.7.1 The ARC does not claim ownership of any intellectual property in a Proposal or which is created or developed from the conduct of a project funded under ARC Future Fellowships scheme.
A1.7.2 However, all Proposals become the property of the ARC on submission. Administering Organisations submit their Proposals on the basis that the ARC may copy, modify and otherwise deal with information contained in a Proposal (and allow any external assessor or other third party to do the same) for any purpose related to:
a. the evaluation and assessment of Proposals;
b. verifying the accuracy, consistency and adequacy of information contained in a Proposal, or otherwise provided to the ARC;
c. the preparation and management of any Funding Agreement; or
d. the administration or management of the NCGP.
A1.7.3 If a Proposal contains information belonging to a third party, the Administering Organisation must ensure that it has in place all necessary consents to allow the ARC to deal with that information in accordance with these Funding Rules, prior to the Administering Organisation submitting its Proposal.
A1.7.4 Except with written approval from the ARC, all Proposals and ARC-funded research projects must comply with the National Principles of Intellectual Property Management for Publicly Funded Research (available on the ARC Web Site) and accord with any intellectual property policies of the researcher’s organisations.
A1.8 Incomplete or misleading information
A1.8.1 It is a serious offence to provide false or misleading information to the Commonwealth.
A1.8.2 If the ARC considers that a Proposal is incomplete, inaccurate or contains false or misleading information, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to recommend that the Proposal not be approved for funding.
A1.8.3 If an Administering Organisation and/or the researcher nominated in a Proposal as a Future Fellowship candidate has provided the ARC with incomplete, inaccurate or misleading information in relation to any Proposal for, or in the provision of advice relating to, or reporting of progress of, a project funded by the Commonwealth, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to not recommend the Proposal for approval and/or terminate projects involving that organisation/person if funded and require the Administering Organisation to repay some or all of the funding.
A1.8.4 If the ARC considers that omissions, or inclusion of misleading information, are intentional, or if there is evidence of misconduct, the ARC may refer the matter for investigation with a view to prosecution under Commonwealth criminal law. The Commonwealth is committed to protecting its revenue, expenditure and property from any attempt, by members of the public, contractors, sub-contractors, agents, intermediaries or its own employees, to gain financial or other benefits by deceit.
A1.8.5 Examples of misleading information and misconduct are, but are not restricted to:
a. providing fictitious track records;
b. making false claims in publications records (such as describing a paper as accepted for publication when it has only been submitted); or
c. failing to disclose to the ARC the existence, and nature, of actual or potential conflicts of interest of any of the parties involved in the Proposal/project (such as any affiliations or financial interest in any organisation that has a direct interest in the matter or outputs of the project).
A1.9 Insurance and liabilities
A1.9.1 Administering Organisations are subject to the liability, indemnity and insurance provisions of the Funding Agreement.
Appendix B – Administration of funding
B1 Administration of funding
B1.1 Funding Agreement
B1.1.1 All parties involved in a Proposal should familiarise themselves with the draft Funding Agreement, but only the Administering Organisation and the ARC will be parties to the Funding Agreement. Parties involved in a funded project must accept the terms of the Funding Agreement and the Administering Organisation must sign the Funding Agreement before the ARC will commence payments.
B1.1.2 Projects must commence as required by the Funding Agreement. Failure to do so may result in termination of the Funding Agreement.
B1.1.3 Administering Organisations should note that the Funding Agreement covers the post-award management, including reporting requirements and financial management. The draft Funding Agreement can be viewed on the ARC Web Site.
B1.2 Varying the Funding Agreement
B1.2.1 Requests to vary the Funding Agreement must be forwarded in writing by the Administering Organisation’s Research Office to the ARC. Forms are available on the ARC Web Site. Amendment of any clauses of the Funding Agreement will be at the ARC’s absolute discretion.
B1.3 Varying the funding approval
B1.3.1 Requests to vary the funding approval must be forwarded in writing by the Administering Organisation’s Research Office to the ARC.
B1.3.2 The funding approval may be varied in regard to the amount of financial assistance, the period of financial assistance, and/or the name of the organisation receiving financial assistance.
B1.3.3 The Minister may vary the funding approval if:
a. any of the organisations involved in the project end, or substantially change, their involvement with the project;
b. the research project changes so that it is no longer consistent with the description in the funding approval as previously approved or as otherwise varied;
c. the desirable period of funding for a project is not consistent with the period in the funding approval as previously approved or as otherwise varied; or
d. the ARC considers and recommends that the particular circumstances of the project warrant variation of the funding approval, providing such variation is reasonably justified upon the facts of the case and any variation or change to the project accords with the ARC Future Fellowships scheme objectives.
B1.4 Reports
B1.4.1 Administering Organisations are required to submit reports to the ARC concerning funded projects, in the format and by the due dates detailed in the Funding Agreement.
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Charles Darwin University
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian National University
University of Canberra
Multi-State
Australian Catholic University
C1.2 Other Eligible Organisations
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)
Public research institutions may submit Proposals for ARC Future Fellowships funding if, in the opinion of the ARC, the organisation provides an appropriate research training environment and is predominantly funded by Commonwealth or State/Territory government funding. Examples of such organisations include, but are not limited to, Commonwealth-funded research organisations or State/Territory-funded research organisations such as:
a. Australian Antarctic Division (AAD);
b. Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS);
c. Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO);
d. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO);
e. Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO); and
f. Geoscience Australia (GA).
C1.3 Approved NHMRC Administering Institutions
The list of approved NHMRC Administering Institutions includes the following organisations:
Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia
Adelaide Northern Division of General Practice Ltd
Alfred Hospital
ANZAC Research Institute
Austin Health
Austin Hospital Medical Research Foundation
Austin Research Institute
Australasian College of Dermatologists
Australian & New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Training
Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society
Australian Institute of Criminology
Australian Institute of Family Studies
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Australian Neuromuscular Research Institute
Australian Red Cross Blood Service
Australian Stem Cell Centre Ltd
Baker Heart Research Institute
Bendigo Health Care Group
Biota Scientific Management Pty Ltd
Brain Research Institute
Breast Screen Victoria Inc
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Bureau of Rural Sciences
Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology
Centre for Aboriginal Studies
Centre for Eye Research Australia Ltd
Centre for Molecular Biology and Medicine
Child Health Research Institute Inc.
Children, Youth & Women's Health Service
Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research
Children's Medical Research Institute
Concord Repatriation General Hospital
Darwin Private Hospital Pty Ltd
Dental Health Services Victoria
e-Health Research Centre
Fremantle Heart Institute
Fremantle Hospital and Health Service
Geelong Hospital
Gynaecological Cancer Society
Heart Research Centre
Howard Florey Institute
Hunter New England Health Area Service
Imugene Limited
Injury Prevention and Control (Australia) Ltd
Institute for Breathing and Sleep
Institute of Dental Research
Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science
International Diabetes Institute Inc
John Hunter Hospital
Justice Health
Keogh Institute for Medical Research
Kimberley Health Region
Lions Ear and Hearing Institute
Lions Eye Institute Limited
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Lung Institute of Western Australia (Inc.)
Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health
Mater Medical Research Institute Ltd
Mater Misericordiae Health Services Brisbane Limited
Melbourne Health
Melbourne IVF
Menzies Research Institute
Menzies School of Health Research
Modbury Public Hospital
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
National Heart Foundation of Australia
National ICT Australia Ltd
National Prescribing Service Ltd.
National Stroke Foundation
National Stroke Research Institute
Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital
NSW Cancer Council
Pathology Queensland
Peninsula Health
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Prince Charles Hospital
Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research
Princess Alexandra Hospital
Probiomics Ltd
Proteome Systems Ltd
Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research
Queensland Institute of Medical Research
Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park
Royal Adelaide Hospital
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Research Foundation
Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane
Royal Flying Doctor Service Qld Section
Royal Hobart Hospital
Royal North Shore Hospital
Royal Perth Hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne
Schizophrenia Research Institute
Silver Chain Nursing Association Inc
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
South Eastern Sydney & Illawarra Area Health Service
St Andrew's Medical Institute Foundation Limited
St Vincent's Health
St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney Limited
St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research
Sydney Dental Hospital
Sydney South West Area Health Service - Eastern Zone
Sydney South West Area Health Service - Western Zone
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
The Australian Wine Research Institute
The Bionic Ear Institute
The Canberra Hospital
The Cancer Council Queensland
The Cancer Council Victoria
The Children's Hospital at Westmead
The Dr Edward Koch Foundation Limited
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research
The George Institute for International Health
The Heart Research Institute
The Institute for Eye Research
The Jean Hailes Foundation
The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria
The National Ageing Research Institute
The NSW Institute of Psychiatry
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Townsville Aboriginal and Islanders Health Service Ltd
Wide Bay Division of General Practice Association Inc
Woolcock Institute of Medical Research
Woorabinda Health Service
Appendix D – Notional Future Fellowship salaries and relocation allowances
D1.1 Notional* Future Fellowship salaries for funding commencing in 2009
The figures in the table below are based on the 2008 levels of funding and will be subject to variation (for example, due to annual indexation). Updated levels will be available on the ARC Web Site.
.
Future Fellowship Salary Rates
Salary<br>
On-costs<br>28%
Total<br>
Future Fellowship Step 1 (1.0 FTE)
$95,000
$26,600
$121,600
Future Fellowship Step 2 (1.0 FTE)
$115,000
$32,200
$147,200
Future Fellowship Step 3 (1.0 FTE)
$135,000
$37,800
$172,800
D1.2 Maximum Future Fellowship relocation allowances
North America $17,000;
Europe/Asia (Northern Hemisphere)/Africa/South America $14,000;
Asia (Southern Hemisphere)/Oceania $11,000;
within Australia $8,000.
Unless otherwise specified in these Funding Rules, travel associated with relocations will be funded only up to a maximum of one return economy class airfare for each person approved for relocation.
Relocation allowances for Future Fellows must be paid from the $50,000 infrastructure funding provided to the Administering Organisation. No additional relocation allowances will be paid.
Appendix E – National Research Priorities and associated Priority Goals
Research Priority 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia
Transforming the way we utilise our land, water, mineral and energy resources through a better understanding of human and environmental systems and the use of new technologies.
Natural resources have traditionally fuelled our national and regional economies. They have the potential to generate further wealth and employment opportunities in the future. But our natural resources and biodiversity must be used on a sustainable basis so that the benefits continue to be enjoyed by future generations.
Australia faces significant environmental challenges:
Efficient and sustainable water use is a critically important issue for our economic and social development;
Significant land degradation issues, such as salinity, need to be arrested to underpin our agricultural production systems;
Climate change can be expected to have complex, long-term consequences for the environment, for our agricultural and marine production systems and for communities; and
The cleanliness and efficiency of our energy production systems should be enhanced.
There is substantial effort underway to develop more efficient water utilisation practices, to protect our rivers and groundwater resources, and to protect and remediate our fragile soils.
Our agricultural and mining industries are being transformed through the adoption of new technologies, and the development of new types of foods.
This will help to revitalise our regional communities and generate substantial export earnings for the nation over the coming decades.
Australia is well placed to take an international lead in developing new and improved energy technologies and in capturing and ‘sequestering’ carbon dioxide.
Other opportunities lie in managing and using our unique, rich land- and marine-based biodiversity, and in developing our deep earth resources.
Australia has a strong record of achievement in research in fields in the natural sciences, such as agriculture, natural resource management, climate change, horticulture, forestry, mining, energy, and marine sciences, as well as in the social sciences and humanities.
We must build on these strengths to improve our competitive advantages while enhancing our understanding of natural systems and the interplay of human activities.
In particular, there needs to be an increased understanding of the contributions of human behaviour to environmental and climate change, and on appropriate adaptive responses and strategies.
To understand and manage these complex interactions better will require significant collaboration within the research community and with other stakeholders.
Priority goals for research fall in the seven areas of water utilisation, transforming resource-based industries, overcoming land degradation, developing cleaner, more efficient fuels and energy sources, managing biodiversity, deep earth resources and responding to climate change and variability.
Priority Goals
Water – a critical resource
Sustainable ways of improving water productivity, using less water in agriculture and other industries, providing increased protection of rivers and groundwater and the re-use of urban and industrial waste waters.
Australia is one of the driest continents and is dependent upon access to freshwater supplies for economic and social development. It has a complex geological structure, a highly variable climate, unique ecosystems, flora and fauna and a distinctive indigenous and settler history. Enhancing our understanding of the links between these factors and water availability will result in a better understanding of sustainable water management practices.
Transforming existing industries
New technologies for resource-based industries to deliver substantial increases in national wealth while minimising environmental impacts on land and sea.
Resource-based industries underpin much of Australia’s prosperity and have the potential to do so in the future. For example, Australia remains highly prospective for minerals discoveries and highly attractive for the development of new era foods from agricultural and marine sources. Our competitive advantage and national well being will depend on research and on the development and adoption of new technologies.
Overcoming soil loss, salinity and acidity
Identifying causes and solutions to land degradation using a multidisciplinary approach to restore land surfaces.
The Australian landscape is fragile: soil salinity, acidity, and nutrient levels pose significant, long term challenges for agriculture and the environment. Research is helping to find solutions to these problems. For example, the National Land and Water Resources Audit shows the extent of salinity, soil erosion and soil acidification in the Australian environment and illustrates Australia’s leading edge in national mapping of critical resource data. Further multidisciplinary effort is required to develop sustainable land management practices that are appropriate for Australian conditions and mitigate major land degradation processes and increase biodiversity.
Reducing and capturing emissions in transport and energy generation
Alternative transport technologies and clean combustion and efficient new power generation systems and capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide.
Australia is well positioned to produce world class solutions to reduce and capture greenhouse gas emissions. We are also well placed to develop alternative energy technologies and ecologically sustainable transport and power generation systems.
Sustainable use of Australia’s biodiversity
Managing and protecting Australia’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity both for its own value and to develop long term use of ecosystem goods and services ranging from fisheries to ecotourism.
Australia has a unique and rich flora and fauna. Many of our complex ecosystems – on which our agricultural, fisheries and tourism industries depend - have adapted to events such as drought and fire, and have been shaped by indigenous and settler management practices. There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of these natural systems and the interplay with human activities, and the effects of management and protection measures.
Developing deep earth resources
Smart high-technology exploration methodologies, including imaging and mapping the deep earth and ocean floors, and novel efficient ways of commodity extraction and processing (examples include minerals, oil and gas) while minimising negative ecological and social impacts.
Many of Australia’s known mineral assets may be nearly exhausted within the next decade. New land-based deposits are believed to be buried deeper in the crust and the deep marine areas surrounding Australia are also largely unexplored. New technologies, such as remote sensing, indicate scientists are on the brink of being able to ‘see’ inside the earth and identify deeply buried deposits.
Responding to climate change and variability
Increasing our understanding of the impact of climate change and variability at the regional level across Australia, and addressing the consequences of these factors on the environment and on communities.
Australia already has a highly variable climate, and climate change can be expected to have further significant impacts. It is important to enhance our understanding of the consequences of climate change and variability at the regional level across Australia, and the implications for the environment and for communities. It is also important to explore beneficial adaptation strategies to climate change and variability to ensure ongoing social, economic and environmental well being.
Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health
Promoting good health and well being for all Australians
Average life expectancies have increased markedly in recent decades. Australians also expect to lead longer and healthier lives in the future, and to remain productive and independent over an extended period.
Enabling individuals and families to make choices that lead to healthy, productive and fulfilling lives will yield economic and social benefits and add materially to national well being.
Australians expect that their children and grandchildren should have a healthy start to life.
Developing strategies to promote the healthy development of young Australians, and addressing the causes and reducing the impact of the genetic, social and environmental factors which diminish their life potential will be critical.
A revolution is also underway at the other end of the life cycle. Australia, like many other developed nations, is undergoing a major demographic shift involving significant growth in the aged population.
To meet this challenge, it will be important to promote healthy ageing by developing better social and medical strategies to ensure that older Australians enjoy healthy and productive lives.
Informed insights into the causes of disease and of mental and physical degeneration will contribute to the achievement of this goal.
All Australians stand to benefit from preventive healthcare through the adoption of healthier attitudes, habits and lifestyles.
Evidence-based preventive interventions may help reduce the incidence and severity of many diseases, including major health problems such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, mental ill-health, obesity, diabetes, asthma and chronic inflammatory conditions. These could include interventions that reduce exposure to contamination of the physical environment (eg air pollution).
Improvements in the health and well being of the young, of older Australians and in preventive healthcare will be underpinned by research.
However, while Australia has an enviable record in health and medical research, the research effort is spread across the many universities, hospitals and health and medical research institutes, resulting in critical mass only in limited areas of research.
There is also a need to draw on multidisciplinary approaches that include research contributions from the social sciences and humanities.
This priority is designed to promote health and prevent disease through a more focused and collaborative effort.
Priority goals for research fall in the four areas of a healthy start to life, ageing well, ageing productively, preventive healthcare and strengthening Australia’s social and economic fabric.
Priority Goals
A healthy start to life
Counteracting the impact of genetic, social and environmental factors which predispose infants and children to ill health and reduce their well being and life potential.
Human health in the developing foetus and in early childhood is critical to the future well being of the adult. Research shows that health and well being in early childhood is predictive of later positive outcomes, and that health in middle and late childhood is also crucial.
Ageing well, ageing productively
Developing better social, medical and population health strategies to improve the mental and physical capacities of ageing people.
Australia’s population is ageing, with a significant projected increase in the number of people aged over 65 and over 85. While Australia is relatively well-placed compared with many OECD nations, major shifts in cultural expectations and attitudes about ageing are necessary to respond constructively, at both an individual and population level. A healthy aged population will contribute actively to the life of the nation through participation in the labour market or through voluntary work.
Preventive healthcare
New ethical, evidence-based strategies to promote health and prevent disease through the adoption of healthier lifestyles and diet, and the development of health-promoting products.
Preventive healthcare research will improve the prediction and prevention of disease and injury for all Australians through the adoption of healthier behaviours, lifestyles and environments. Research will generate an improvement in the design, delivery and uptake of programmes such as exercise-based rehabilitation. There are several major disease targets amenable to immediate study, such as cardiovascular health, neurodegenerative diseases, mental ill-health, obesity, diabetes, asthma and chronic inflammatory conditions. Research on prevention will emphasise interdisciplinary approaches, including research on ethics, drawing on contributions from the social sciences and humanities, as well as from the health and medical sciences. It will also focus on developing new health promoting foods and nutraceuticals.
Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric
Understanding and strengthening key elements of Australia's social and economic fabric to help families and individuals live healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives.
Living in today's society involves a complex web of choices, yet many of the traditional support structures are weaker than they have been in the past. Enabling people to make choices that lead to positive pathways to self reliance and supportive family structures is more important than ever. The interactions between the social safety net, social and economic participation, financial incentives and community and private sources of support are critical in helping people maximise their potential and achieve good, healthy, lifetime outcomes. In the decade ahead, it will be vital to understand and support the drivers for workforce participation and the broader social and economic trends influencing Australian families and communities. Research in this area will emphasise interdisciplinary approaches, drawing on contributions from the economic, behavioural and social sciences.
Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries
Stimulating the growth of world-class Australian industries using innovative technologies developed from cutting-edge research.
Progress and wealth often derive from the unforeseen application of new discoveries. Australia must be at the leading edge if it is to stay abreast of international developments and take advantage of opportunities.
Our national capabilities in emerging sciences and their underpinning disciplines determine our capacity to develop and implement new technologies. Australia has a strong base of expertise, skills and technological capacities in the fundamental sciences and key technologies.
Our strengths are in a wide range of areas such as biotechnology, material sciences, information and communications technology (ICT), photonics, nanotechnology and sensor technology.
ICT is currently the critical enabling technology and is a major contributor to national productivity and growth.
But breakthrough science underpins technological advancements in many areas and Australia needs to foster an environment that stimulates creativity and innovation.
Applications for frontier technologies are potentially very large. Australia has the capacity to exploit niche markets for new products and services.
Australia also has an enviable track record as an innovator and developer of advanced materials and must grasp the opportunity to stay ahead.
Smart information use involving improved data management, intelligent transport systems and digital media to develop creative applications for digital technologies provides huge opportunities to improve the performance of key Australian industries.
Australia needs to invest in this research area as it is fundamental to our future competitiveness and well being.
This priority will help to strengthen the capacity of Australian researchers to participate in new areas of research, enhance Australia’s international scientific reputation, stimulate local expertise, and help create vibrant new industries.
A better understanding of the conditions that are conducive to innovation will ensure that Australia’s investment in research will maximise the benefits for Australia.
Enhanced research effort will also be achieved through initiatives that develop a critical mass of researchers in key areas.
Priority goals for research fall in the five areas of breakthrough science, frontier technologies, advanced materials, smart information use, and promoting an innovation culture and economy.
Priority Goals
Breakthrough science
Better understanding of the fundamental processes that will advance knowledge and facilitate the development of technological innovations.
Breakthrough science underpins technological innovation across a range of industries critical to maintaining Australia’s position as a developed country. Some examples include bio-, cultural- and geo-informatics, nano-assembly and quantum computing. Technological advances are often unexpected and a strong foundation in mathematics and the fundamental sciences will provide an environment that fosters creativity and innovation. Early participation in leading edge areas of research will enable Australian researchers to benefit more fully from international developments.
Frontier technologies
Enhanced capacity in frontier technologies to power world-class industries of the future and build on Australia’s strengths in research and innovation.
The potential applications of frontier technologies across a range of industries in Australia are vast. Australia has significant capacity to exploit niche markets for new products and services emerging from frontier technologies. Australia has world-class research expertise in many such areas. Some examples include nanotechnology, biotechnology, ICT, photonics, genomics and phenomics. Also important are advanced frameworks such as complex systems in which these technologies are applied. Future directions in this priority area need to target the cutting-edge science critical for each emerging technology.
Advanced materials
Advanced materials for applications in construction, communications, transport, agriculture and medicine.
The development of advanced materials will underpin growth in many areas of industrial and economic activity in Australia. Australia has substantial infrastructure in this area and an enviable track record as an innovator and developer of advanced materials. The era of advanced materials is just beginning, in spite of the tremendous progress in recent years. Substantial scientific and technological challenges remain ahead, including the development of more sophisticated and specialised materials. Some examples include ceramics, organics, biomaterials, smart materials and fabrics, composites, polymers, and light metals.
Smart information use
Improved data management for existing and new business applications and creative applications for digital technologies.
ICT applications are providing huge opportunities to deliver new systems, products, business solutions, and to make more efficient use of infrastructure. Examples include e-finance, multi-media, content generation and imaging. Improved data management is central to the future competitiveness of key industries such as agriculture, biotechnology, finance, banking, education, transport, government, and health and ‘info-tainment’. The ability of organisations to operate virtually and collaborate across huge distances in Australia and internationally hinges on our capabilities in this area. The media and creative industries are among the fastest growing sectors of the new economy. Research is needed to exploit the huge potential in the digital media industry.
Promoting an innovation culture and economy
Maximising Australia’s creative and technological capability by understanding the factors conducive to innovation and its acceptance.
Understanding the factors that lead to highly creative and innovative ideas and concepts, and the conditions that lead to their introduction, transfer and uptake is critical for any nation that aspires to lead the world in breakthrough science, frontier technologies, and in other forms of innovation. Promoting an innovation culture and economy requires research with a focus on developing and fostering human talent, societal and cultural values favourable to creativity and innovation, and structures and processes for encouraging and managing innovation.
Research Priority 4: Safeguarding Australia
Safeguarding Australia from terrorism, crime, invasive diseases and pests, strengthening our understanding of Australia’s place in the region and the world, and securing our infrastructure, particularly with respect to our digital systems.
Australia has to be capable of anticipating and tackling critical threats to society, strategic areas of the national economy and the environment.
The threats can potentially come from within and outside Australia.
The world is now characterised by the widespread and rapid movements of people, digitally coded data, goods and services, and exotic biological agents.
Critical infrastructure in Australia is increasingly dependent on digital technology for its management and integration.
Information protection and the integrity of security systems are now more important than ever before.
It is also necessary to protect the status of Australia as a nation free of many of the diseases affecting primary production around the world.
Terrorism has emerged as a very real global threat and crime is taking a significant toll on Australian society and economy.
Maintaining the operational advantage of Australia’s defence forces through superior capabilities is also fundamental to our national security.
Enhancing our nation’s understanding of social, political and cultural issues will help Australia to engage with our neighbours and the wider global community and to respond to emerging issues.
Leading edge research in Australia is already yielding high dividends and as a national research priority will improve the effectiveness of that contribution.
Stronger research capabilities will ensure that solutions are tailored to Australia’s unique circumstances, reflecting its geographic features and small population.
Greater collaboration within the research community and with other stakeholders will allow us to better understand and manage potential threats to Australia.
Harnessing the knowledge and capabilities across Australia offers us the best chance of developing innovative and rapid solutions to serious threats.
Australia’s international relations and its regional influence will be strengthened through new collaborative approaches and new science and technologies that enhance security and safety.
The heightened interest in personal and electronic security across the world also provides opportunities for Australian solutions.
Priority goals for research fall in the five areas of critical infrastructure, understanding our region and the world, protecting Australia from invasive diseases and pests, protecting Australia from terrorism and crime, and transformational defence technologies.
Priority goals
Critical infrastructure
Protecting Australia’s critical infrastructure including our financial, energy, communications, and transport systems.
Protecting our critical infrastructure is important to national security and to the social and economic well being of Australia. An important aspect of this priority goal is e-security which is an enabler of e-commerce. Maintaining a critical mass of research in e-security will be essential in providing Australia with the tools to protect our way of life.
Understanding our region and the world
Enhancing Australia’s capacity to interpret and engage with its regional and global environment through a greater understanding of languages, societies, politics and cultures.
Social, cultural and religious issues are of growing significance due to the insecurities of globalisation and the increasing role of non-state players in the security environment. Australia’s capacity to interpret and engage with its regional and global environment will be substantially improved by enhancing its research base in apposite languages, societies and cultures. An approach that enhances Australia’s capacity to interpret itself to the rest of the world is also needed.
Protecting Australia from invasive diseases and pests
Counteract the impact of invasive species through the application of new technologies and by integrating approaches across agencies and jurisdictions.
Australia is free of many of the pests and diseases affecting primary production around the world. This status needs to be protected as the introduction of exotic species has the potential to adversely affect our exports and the environment. Australia already has strong skills and expertise in this area of research and further work will offer immediate benefits to the community. A greater level of coordination of our research effort will mean that Australia can more effectively develop innovative and rapid solutions to serious threats.
Protecting Australia from terrorism and crime
By promoting a healthy and diverse research and development system that anticipates threats and supports core competencies in modern and rapid identification techniques.
This threat requires a more sophisticated response which should harness Australia’s research capabilities, and which will focus on all phases of counter-terrorism; prevention, preparedness, detection, response and recovery. Crime takes a significant toll on Australian society and economy. Personal identification, information protection and the integrity of security systems are fundamental towards ensuring the national security of Australia. An effective solution will include building on Australia’s existing strengths in rapid detection using new analytical technologies and managing significant data collections.
Transformational defence technologies
Transform military operations for the defence of Australia by providing superior technologies, better information and improved ways of operation.
Australia has a small defence force to protect a large continent and a substantial maritime region of responsibility. Its operational advantage has been maintained through a superior capability which is dependent on leveraging innovative technologies. Although some benefits can be gained from overseas research, Australia has to conduct its own research to address uniquely Australian demands. A systems approach which harnesses the research capabilities of all stakeholders is essential to the successful development and introduction of innovative technologies.