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ARC Discovery Projects Grants Flight DP08 from Monash to ARC

Dr Kathy Avent

Research Coordinator

Monash University Research Office

14 December 2006

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Today’s presentation

• Overview of ARC Discovery

• The Application

• Assessment Process

• Successful application

• GAMS

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Overview of

ARC

Discovery (DP)

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ARC Discovery Projects (DP)

• 1 round per year, applications due with ARC 2 March 2007

• 1-5 years duration

• $20K to $500K per annum

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ARC DP Objectives

• support excellent fundamental research by individuals and teams;

• enhance the scale and focus of research in NRP;• assist researchers undertake research in

conditions conducive to achieving best results;• expand Australia’s knowledge base and research

capability; • foster the international competitiveness of

Australian research; and• encourage research training in high-quality

research environments. (p.11 FR)

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DP – No. of apps. & results

Year 2004 2005 2006 2007

No. 3,240 3,414 3,742 4,033No. funded

875 1,055 917 822

Success Rate

27.0% 30.9% 24.5% 20.4%

Total Funding

237.9 million

297.5 million

273.6 million

274.7 million

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Grant size

Average 1st year funding per proposal 2007$105,0192006$103,7682005$94,340

Average funding over project life2007$334,2672006$298,3502005$282,030

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Grant size cont…

Average approved funding per proposal

200764.3%

200669.4%

200572.4%

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Applicant Roles

CI - Chief Investigator

PI - Partner Investigator

Fellows:APD - Australian Postdoctoral Fellow

ARF - Australian Research Fellow / QEII - Queen Elizabeth II Fellow

APF - Australian Professorial Fellow

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Researcher Roles & Eligibility: Chief Investigator (CI) by 1 January 2008

a) Reside predominantly in Aus, temp/perm residence

b) Either:i. Be an employee and derive at least

50% of Earnings from Eligible Organisation, or

ii. Hold adjunct appt or equivalent at an eligible institution, or

iii. be a Federation Fellow.

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Researcher Roles & Eligibility: Partner Investigator (PI)

a) Not be eligible to be CIb) Demonstrate significant contribution

of cash, in-kind or other material resources from the researcher’s organisation, and

c) Take significant intellectual responsibility

Cannot be both CI & PI

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Early Career Researcher (ECR) status

ECR

• PhD or equivalent awarded on or after 1 March 2002

• ARC sets aside funds for ECR-only applications

• ECR-only proposals are those where all researchers have ECR status

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ECR-only applications

ECR-only proposals assessed against the same criteria as other DP projects

2007

• 869 ECR-only applications (21.5%)

• 14.6% success rate

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Fellowships - APD

APD• Awarded PhD or equivalent on or after

1 March 2004

• Duration:

3 yrs 100% research

4 yrs 75/25% research / teaching

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Fellowships – ARF & QEII

1st ARF / QEII• ≤ 8 years’ professional experience

since PhD award

• Duration: 5 yrs 100% research

• 100% salary option; must resign continuing position

• 50:50 salary option

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Fellowships – ARF & QEII cont…

Subsequent ARF / QEII• ≤ 13 years’ professional experience

since PhD award

• Duration: 5 yrs 100% research

• 50:50 salary option

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Fellowships – APF

APF• PhD or equivalent qualification or

experience; no restriction date of award

• not hold a continuing research-only position at a professorial level or equivalent

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Fellowships

• Limited number

• Excellence of track record and proposed research project

• Preference to candidates who move organisation

• Need to justify Host Organisation, particularly where no move is intended

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Application Limits

• No more than 2 applications as CI or Fellow, and

• may only be sole CI/Fellow on 1 of the 2 applications

A sole CI application is one on which there is only 1 named CI / Fellow, regardless of the number of PIs involved.

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ARC DP Research Projects

Types of research funded:– Pure basic research

>fundamental, no immediate direct benefit

– Strategic based research

>to solve practical problems

– Applied research

>to find uses for the above

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The

Application

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The Application

GAMS

Added text

PART A Admin summary

PART B Personnel

PART C Project Costs

PART D Research Support

PART E Project Description

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Track Record

Investigators 40%

• track record relative to opportunities

• capacity to undertake the proposed research

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Part E – Project Description (10 pages)

• E2 Aims & Background

• E3 Significance & Innovation 30%

• E4 Approach & Methodology 20%

• E5 National Benefit 10%

• E6 Communication of Results

• E7 Role of Personnel

• E8 References

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Proposed Project Content

Significance and Innovation 30%• does the research address an important problem?• how will the anticipated outcomes advance the

knowledge base of the discipline?• is the research principally focussed upon a topic or

outcome that falls within one of the NRPs,and if so how does it address it?

• are the Proposal’s aims and concepts novel and innovative?

• will new methods or technologies be developed?(p.40 FR)

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Proposed Project Content cont…

Approach 20%

• are the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses adequately developed, well integrated and appropriate to the aims of the Proposal?

• how appropriate is the proposed budget?(p.40 FR)

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Proposed Project Content cont…

National Benefit 10%

• what is the potential of the research project to result in economic and/or social benefits for Australia from the expected results and outcomes of the project?

• what is the potential for the research to contribute to the National Research Priorities?

(p.40 FR)

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Assessment

Process

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Selection Criteria

• Track Record 40%

• Significance & Innovation 30%

• Approach & Methodology 20%

• National Benefit 10%

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ARC Panels

BSB - Biological Science & Biotechnology

EE - Engineering & Environmental Science

HCA - Humanities & Creative Arts

MIC - Mathematics, Information & Communication Sciences

PCG - Physics, Chemistry & Bioscience

SBE - Social, Behavioural & Economic Sciences

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College of Experts (CoE)

• 75 members

• 1-3 year terms

• approved by the Minister

• experts of international standing, drawn from the Australian research community: higher education, industry and public sector research organisations

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Reviewers

Each application assigned to:

• 2 CoE members

• 2 OzReaders

• 4 IntReaders (at most)

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Assessment Process

• Each reviewer returns an assessment on each of the Selection Criteria

• The applicant(s) is allowed 5,000 character reply/comment on assessors’ comments

• Two weeks to prepare response

• Rejoinders submitted in GAMS

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What makes fora successfulApplication

(ARC presentation – Dr Mandy Thomas)

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Top-ranked applications

• Balance technicality and accessibility

• Present problems and/or controversies and explain how they will solve them

• Explain how the momentum of the subject demands funding now

• Show how Australian work fits into the international picture

• Back up compelling claims with evidence and others' judgments

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Top-ranked applications cont…

• Carefully moderate ambitious goals with plausible approaches

• Display evidence of responsible but daring approaches to the problem

• CIs have strong international track records

• Present excellent progress reports on previous grants

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Low-ranked applications

• Too much technical jargon• Grandiose and implausible claims about

outcomes• Don't support claims of excellence or progress

with evidence• Relate to "backwater" research without

momentum• Weak links into national and international

research networks

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Low-ranked applications cont…

• Emphasize data collection rather than solving problems

• Set negative or depressive tone about the state of the subject in Australia

• Contain a high rate of spelling and grammatical errors

• Text may not make sense at all to the reader

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Grant ApplicationManagementSystem

(GAMS)

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GAMS

What is GAMS?

GAMS is the ARC’s web-based system used to capture research proposals, assessment scores/comments and

rejoinders.

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GAMS cont…

Who needs GAMS?

All researchers wanting to apply for ARC funding will require access to GAMS.

All researchers named on an application for ARC funding will require a GAMS ID.

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GAMS cont…

How do I access GAMS?

GAMS is accessed through the ARC’s website: https://gams.arc.gov.au/,

using your GAMS ID and password.

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GAMS cont…

How do I get a GAMS ID?

Complete the Research Office online request form at:http://www.monash.edu.au/research/academics/funding/

(follow the ARC links)

GAMS IDs are issued by the ARC, on request from the Research Office.

The ARC will send your GAMS ID to the RO; we will set your password and inform you of both the GAMS ID and

password.

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GAMS cont…

What else about GAMS IDs?

A GAMS ID is for life!

GAMS IDs and passwords are case sensitive

You can edit your own personal details in GAMS

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Useful links and information DP08

• DP08 mailing list: email arc@adm.monash.edu.au with ‘Subscribe DP08’ mailing list in subject line

• http://www.monash.edu.au/research/academics/funding/information/arc/

• http://www.arc.gov.au/apply_grants/discovery_projects.htm

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Need help?

Contact the Research Office:

Tel: 61 3 990 53012

Email: arc@adm.monash.edu.au

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Thank you!