Section 2 - Australian Research Council Act 2001 - Linkage Infrastructure Equipment and Facilities - Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2008 - Changes from last year | Zoe
Australian Research Council Act 2001 - Linkage Infrastructure Equipment and Facilities - Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2008
2Changes from last year
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2.1.1 A number of clarifications and revisions have been made in these Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2008 (the 2008 LIEF Funding Rules). Significant changes from the 2007 LIEF funding rules include:
The Definitions Section contains a definition of Medical and Dental Research. This replaces the use of the term “clinical medical and dental research and training” used in previous funding rules. Clarification has been provided that the ARC LIEF scheme will not support infrastructure, equipment, or facilities if, in the opinion of the ARC, they are to be used predominantly for Medical and Dental Research (subsection 3.4.1 and Section 6.3).
The Definitions Section contains a definition of Earnings. This term is used in relation to the eligibility of CIs.
Subsection 1.4.3 stipulates the right of the ARC to not recommend Proposals for approval if, in the opinion of the ARC, any party involved in or associated with the Proposal has failed to disclose a conflict of interest. There is a requirement for conflicts of interest to be declared not just to the ARC, but to all other parties involved in a Proposal prior to the submission of a Proposal and also if a conflict subsequently arises.
A new section has been added which deals with the dissemination of research outputs (subsection 1.4.5).
The requirements have been changed for the execution of written agreements between the parties to the Proposal. The Funding Rules now specify in greater detail the information that should be contained within the written agreement concerning the terms and conditions for the sharing of costs and access arrangements for the infrastructure, equipment or facilities. The written agreement(s) need not be formally executed until after the Proposal is approved for funding, but they must be executed before the ARC funding for the project is expended (Section 3.7).
The requirement for CIs to be involved in the use and management of the infrastructure, equipment and facilities has been loosened slightly – they are now required to be involved the use and/or management of the item(s). The Project Leader must be involved in the management of the infrastructure, equipment and facilities. However, in certain circumstances a Project Leader need not be involved in management of the item(s)(subsections 5.1.4 and 5.2.6).
The employment-related eligibility criteria for a CI have been changed slightly, with the use of the term “Earnings” (being salary and/or consultancy/contract payments) replacing the term “salary” for the purposes of determining a person’s eligibility. The relevant organisations taken into account in determining the eligibility of a researcher who is the holder of an Adjunct Appointment to be a CI have also been more clearly articulated and changed slightly. That is, a person who, for the purposes of satisfying the CI eligibility requirements, is the holder of an Adjunct Appointment is not eligible to be a CI if he/she derives more than 50 per cent of her/his Earnings from organisations outside the higher education sector that are funded predominantly from State/Territory or Commonwealth Government sources if the Government funding for her/his organisation, or her/his part of the organisation, is provided mainly for research activities. Hence, provision has been made for consultancy and contract payments to be taken into account in addition to salary in determining eligibility, and researchers working within a research area or branch of a Government entity may not be a CI if they earn more than 50% of their Earnings from that entity (subsections 5.2.2 and 5.2.7).
Clarification has been provided about the ability for replacement Chief Investigators and Partner Investigators to be approved after a Proposal has been approved (Sections 5.2 and 5.3).
Clarification has been provided that, if a funding request for any proposed research project, salary or equipment has been, or is being submitted, under this or any other ARC scheme or to any other Commonwealth funding body, each Proposal must be cross-referenced and summary details of all other funding requests relating to the Proposal must be included in the Proposal and that, 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 not recommend the LIEF Proposal for approval (Sections 6.1 and 6.2).
There is now a requirement for the Applicant to advise the ARC if a funding request, for any similar proposed infrastructure, equipment or facility, to another Commonwealth funding source is successful subsequent to the submission of the LIEF proposal (subsection 6.2.3).
Clarification has been provided about the agreements, signatures and certifications Administering Organisations must obtain and be able to provide to the ARC (Section 7.3).
Clarification has been provided about the “Additional text” parts of a LIEF Proposal (subsection 7.4.1).
Provision has been made for the ARC, in deciding whether or not to recommend a late Proposal for approval, to take into account whether the documents were despatched by the Administering Organisation sufficiently in advance of the closing time to enable the documents to have been delivered to the ARC by the closing time in the normal course of events (providing the Administering Organisation is able to provide such evidence to the satisfaction of the ARC) (subsection 7.4.5.3).
The selection criteria have been modified. Criterion “a. Investigators and significance of research to be undertaken with the proposed infrastructure, equipment and facilities (40%)” in the 2007 LIEF funding rules has been divided into two separate criteria “a. Investigators (20%)” and “b. Significance of research to be supported with the proposed infrastructure, equipment and facilities” (20%)” (subsection 8.1.1).
The provision for the ARC to not recommend Proposals if there has been incomplete, inaccurate or misleading material provided in relation to the reporting of progress of a funded project has been broadened to encompass situations where such deficiencies occur in the provision of advice to the ARC in relation to the project in general (i.e. not just in the reporting of progress) (subsection 8.2.2.2.i and Section 11.5).
There is now a requirement for Administering Organisations who wish to provide written notification to the ARC naming any person or persons whom they do not wish to assess a Proposal to submit this request on the ARC’s “Request not to Assess” form (subsection 8.2.3.3).
In order to more fully explain the situation, provision is explicitly made for the Minister to vary a funding approval if the desirable period of funding for the project is not consistent with the period in the funding approval as previously approved or as otherwise varied (subsection 10.1.5.3).
The Appendices have been re-ordered.
The contribution requirement for organisations has been modified in relation to Proposals where the Administering Organisation is the only Eligible Organisation on the Proposal and there are one or more Partner Organisations. In such cases, the Administering Organisation must contribute a cash contribution of at least 20% of the highest cash contribution of the Partner Organisation(s) (Appendix 2, paragraph 3).
2.1.2 The list of changes above is not comprehensive. Applicants and other parties involved in Proposals should read and understand the entire Funding Rules and draft Funding Agreement before a Proposal is submitted to the ARC.