5Roles and eligibility for researchers

5                                Roles and eligibility for researchers

5.1                         Researcher roles and general eligibility

5.1.1                     Roles that may be undertaken by researchers under LIEF are:

a.             Chief Investigator (CI); or

b.            Partner Investigator (PI).

5.1.2                     A Proposal must nominate at least one researcher as a CI.

5.1.3                     All CIs and PIs must satisfy the eligibility criteria for their nominated role as specified in Section 5 of these Funding Rules.

5.1.4                     The first-named CI on a Proposal will be considered the ‘Project Leader’ of the project. Other than in the case of major international research facilities, or with the approval of the ARC upon the provision of sufficient justification in the Proposal, this person must be involved in the management of the infrastructure, equipment and facilities.

5.1.5                     A researcher nominated as a CI or PI 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 project and cannot assume the role of a supplier of resources for work that will largely be placed in the hands of others. The ARC reserves the right to determine whether a person has the requisite capacity to perform the role.

5.1.6                     At the time of the submission of a Proposal all obligations regarding previously funded projects involving the nominated CI(s) on the Proposal must have been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the ARC. Such obligations include the provision of satisfactory progress and final reports.

5.1.7                     If the ARC considers that a researcher nominated in a Proposal as a CI or PI does not meet the eligibility criteria in this Section or Sections 5.2 and 5.3 for the role which that researcher is to perform, the Proposal will not be recommended or approved for funding.

5.2                         Eligibility criteria for Chief Investigators

5.2.1                     To be eligible to be a CI on a Proposal, a researcher must meet the criteria stipulated in Section 5.2 and subsections 5.1.5 and 5.1.6.

5.2.2                     A researcher nominated on a Proposal as a CI must meet at least one of the following four criteria as at 1 January 2008, and for the full term of her/his participation in the project:

1. be an employee of, and derive at least 50 per cent of her/his Earnings, from an Eligible Organisation listed in Appendix 1; or
2. be a holder of an Adjunct Appointment or equivalent at an Eligible Organisation listed in Appendix 1 and not derive 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. Such organisations include, but are not limited to, Commonwealth-funded Research Centres which are outside the higher education sector, AIMS, ANSTO, CSIRO, DSTO, GA, and State/Territory Research and Development organisations and research areas within a Government entity; or
3. be a Federation Fellow; or
4. if a Peak Body is the Administering Organisation, meet one of the above criteria in subsection 5.2.2 or be a member or officeholder of the Peak Body.

5.2.3                     He/she must reside predominantly in Australia for the full term of her/his participation in the project. If the person does not have permanent resident status he/she must obtain temporary or permanent resident status from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs before he/she may commence on the project.

5.2.4                     He/she must not be nominated as a CI on more than two LIEF Proposals in the same funding round.

5.2.5                     Notwithstanding a researcher’s eligibility under the criteria in this Section, a researcher undertaking undergraduate or postgraduate studies is not eligible to be a CI, unless the researcher’s studies lie outside the scope and area of the research proposed in the Proposal.

5.2.6                     CIs must be involved in the use and/or management of the infrastructure, equipment and facilities.

5.2.7                     If a Proposal has been approved for funding and any or all of the CIs are at any time during the project no longer able to participate on the project, the project may be continued under replacement CIs provided that:

a.             approval is obtained from the Minister for the change in CI; and

b.            a replacement CI meets the following criteria at the time he/she is nominated as a replacement and for the full term of her/his participation in the project:

1. he/she must take significant intellectual responsibility for the proposed project 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 and contribution to the project and cannot assume the role of a supplier of resources for work that will largely be placed in the hands of others;
2. he/she must reside predominantly in Australia for the full term of her/his participation in the project;
3. all obligations regarding previously funded projects involving the nominated replacement CI must have been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the ARC; and
4. he/she must:

(a)   be an employee of, and derive at least 50 per cent of her/his Earnings from, an Eligible Organisation listed in Appendix 1; or

(b)   be a holder of an Adjunct Appointment or equivalent at an Eligible Organisation listed in Appendix 1 and not derive 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. Such organisations include, but are not limited to, Commonwealth-funded Research Centres which are outside the higher education sector, AIMS, ANSTO, CSIRO, DSTO, GA, and State/Territory Research and Development organisations and research areas within a Government entity; or

(c)   be a Federation Fellow; or

(d)   if a Peak Body is the Administering Organisation, meet one of the above criteria in subsection 5.2.7.b.iv or be a member or officeholder of the Peak Body.

5.3                         Eligibility criteria for Partner Investigators

5.3.1                     To be eligible to be nominated as a PI on a Proposal, a researcher must:

1. not meet the eligibility criteria specified in subsection 5.2.2 for a CI;
2. demonstrate a significant contribution of cash, in-kind or other material resources from her/his organisation for the proposed project (having regard to the total cost of the project and the relative contribution of each CI and PI); and
3. take significant intellectual responsibility as outlined in subsection 5.1.5.

5.3.2                     If a Proposal has been approved for funding and any or all PIs are at any time during the project no longer able to participate on the project, the project may be continued under replacement PIs provided that:

a.             approval is obtained from the Minister for the change in PI; and

b.            a replacement PI must:

i.        meet the eligibility criteria specified in subsections 5.3.1.b and 5.3.1.c at the time of her/his nomination and for the full term of her/his participation in the project; and

ii.      not meet the eligibility criteria specified in subsection 5.2.7.b.iv for a replacement CI.