Research Administrators Seminar
NCGP update
Dr Laura Dan
Chief Program Officer
25 November 2013
The ARC Structure
CEO
Executive
General
Manager
Executive
Directors
Strategy Branch
Program Branch
ICT Services
Branch
Research
Excellence
Branch
Corporate
Services Branch
The ARC Executive Directors
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Biological Sciences and Biotechnology
Dr Fiona Cameron Engineering, Mathematics and Information Sciences
Professor Brian Yates
Humanities and Creative Arts
Professor Denise Meredyth
Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences
Professor Marian Simms
National Competitive Grants Program
The National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) is part of the ARC
commitment to nurturing the creative abilities and skills of Australia’s
most promising researchers.
Funding is awarded on the basis of a competitive peer review process.
Discovery Program
• supports fundamental research by teams and individuals
Linkage Program
• facilitates the development of partnerships between research teams
and between higher education organisations and other parts of the
national and international innovation systems.
National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP)
Discovery Program
Linkage Program
Laureate Fellowships
DECRA
Future
Fellowships
Centres of
Excellence
CoFunded
& SRI
ITRP
Discovery Indigenous
Linkage Projects
LIEF
Discovery Projects
Linkage Program Funding
2013-14 - $332.4 million
Discovery Program Funding
2013-14 - $551.4 million
Program Branch Structure
Chief Program
Officer
Laura Dan
Program
Operations –
Discovery Program
Sam Grunhard
Program
Operations –
Linkage Program
Sarah Howard
Program
Partnerships
Liz Visher
Working together
• Regular interactions with the NHMRC
– Policy discussions
– Peer review and selection process discussions
– Observing at selection meetings
– Scheme calendar
• Collaborations with ARMS
– ARMS annual conference
– ARMS accreditation
Program updates - Discovery
• Discovery Program in 2013
– Discovery Projects
– DECRA
– Discovery Indigenous
– Future Fellowships
– Australian Laureate Fellowships
Program updates - Linkage
• Linkage Program in 2013
– Linkage Projects
– LIEF
– ITRP Rounds 1 and 2
– Centres of Excellence 2014
Proposal lifecycle - 1
• Funding Rules are released on the ARC website.
• Eligibility Exemption Requests are submitted (if
applicable).
• Proposals open in RMS.
• Requests not to Assess are submitted to the ARC.
• Proposals are submitted in RMS.
• Proposals are assigned to independent assessors,
who assess and provide written comments on the
Proposal against the selection criteria.
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Proposal lifecycle - 2
• Applicants may be given the opportunity for a
rejoinder to assessors’ written comments.
• Proposals are ranked by the ARC College of
Experts or other Selection Advisory Committee,
on the basis of the Proposal, any assessors’
reports and any rejoinder.
• The ARC College of Experts or other Selection
Advisory Committee provides recommendations
to the ARC CEO.
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Proposal lifecycle - 3
• The CEO submits funding recommendations to
the Minister for consideration.
• The Minister determines which Proposals will be
approved and the amount of funding.
• Funding outcomes are publicly announced and
Administering Organisations enter into an
agreement with the ARC.
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Proposal assessment
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All proposals are assessed against the selection
criteria, and in accordance with the weightings
for that scheme
A-E rating scale
Proposals are generally assigned to
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two (or more) College of Experts/ SAC members and
at least two external assessors with specific knowledge
of the field of research
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Grant lifecycle
• Projects commence.
• Administering Organisations manage projects and
submit progress reports as required.
• Variations to Funding agreements must be
submitted in certain circumstances.
• Final reports certify the successful completion of
ARC-funded projects.
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The ARC College of Experts
• play a key role in identifying research excellence,
moderating external assessments and
recommending fundable proposals.
• Members meet face to face in Canberra
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to moderate judgments and
to make final recommendations about fundable
proposals and budgets to the ARC CEO
• Nominations are approved by the ARC CEO for
appointments of one to three years.
• Further expansion for 2014
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ARC peer reviewers
• -18,000 assessors in the database
– national and international
• Identity of assessors kept confidential
• Obligations under the Funding Agreement
• Importance of RMS profile and availability
• Assessors do not decide on proposal eligibility
Confidentiality
• The information contained in all proposals is confidential.
• Assessors should not discuss assessments with others at any
stage, nor reveal details about any proposals or assessments
unless authorised to do so, either before or after the final
decisions have been released.
• Subject to legal requirements, the ARC will keep the identity
of assessors confidential.
• Assessors must destroy all copies of proposals received as
soon assessments are submitted to the ARC.
• An assessor should not assess any proposal for which he or
she may reasonably be perceived to have a potential conflict
of interest.
Looking to the future
• Schemes under assessment
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Centres of Excellence
ITRP Round 2
Future Fellowships 2014
Linkage Projects 2014
• Update for Funding rules
– New format: program generic plus scheme specific
– Harmonisation across program
– Consistency across schemes
• More engagement
Thank you
[email protected]
02 6287 6600