Selection Report: Linkage Projects 2024 Round 1
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Overview
The Linkage Projects scheme supports projects which initiate or develop long term strategic research alliances to apply advanced knowledge to problems, acquire new knowledge and as a basis for securing commercial and other benefits of research.
The objectives of the Linkage Projects scheme are to:
- support internationally competitive research projects and teams on challenges or opportunities of relevance to research end-users;
- foster the establishment and strengthening of research alliances between higher education organisations and research end-users;
- enhance the scale and focus of research, including in Australian Government priority areas.
Selection Process
Applications for Linkage Projects 2024 Assessment Round 1 opened on 14 December 2023 and closed on 8 May 2024. Applications were submitted using a continuous application process; this is the first of the two assessment rounds for this scheme. Applications were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines outcomes from the selection process for that round.
These outcomes are based on advice from the ARC Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) which:
- assigned independent assessors to review the applications
- assessed applications and reviewed assessments made by independent assessors
- reviewed applicants’ comments on assessors’ reports
- ranked each application relative to the others on the basis of the application, the assessors’ reports and applicants’ responses to those assessments
- assessed and recommended budgets;
and, advice from the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) Eligibility Committee which:
- considered eligibility issues identified by ARC staff, the members of the ARC College of Experts or independent assessors
- where required, sought advice from the ARC’s Medical Research Advisory Group
- made recommendations to the CEO in respect of ineligible applications.
This report reflects the outcomes approved by the Minister. Unless otherwise specified, data represented in this report exclude withdrawn applications.
Assessment Criteria
All applications that meet the eligibility criteria for Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) were assessed and merit ranked using the following assessment criteria:
- Project quality and innovation (30%)
- significance and innovativeness of the research in the context of previous research in the area;
- robustness and appropriateness of the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses;
- the adequacy and appropriateness of the budget, including cash and in-kind contributions pledged by the participating organisations, and value for money considerations.
If the project involves Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander research, additional criteria include:
- The project’s level of collaboration, engagement, relationship building and benefit sharing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and First Nations Organisations and Communities;
- The project’s strategy and mechanisms for Indigenous research capacity building within the project;
- The project’s level of internal leadership of Indigenous research;
- The project’s adherence to the Australian Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles; and
- The project’s understanding of, and proposed strategies to adhere to, the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research and NHMRC’s guidelines on Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities.
- Impact (20%)
- demonstration of the mutual benefit for participating organisations now and into the future;
- evidence of how the research will advance/address Partner Organisation(s)’s core strategy;
- potential contribution to Australian Government priority areas;
- potential economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia; and
- appropriateness of strategies for adoption, commercialisation, promotion, and/or dissemination of research outcomes, including IP management arrangements.
- Investigator(s’) capability and quality of team (20%)
- quality of the named participant(s)’ skills and experience, relative to opportunity, including evidence of potential to engage in collaborative research;
- experience in research training, mentoring and supervision;
- capability and capacity of the team to undertake and manage the project; and
- evidence of previous history of successful collaboration between the named participant(s) and this or other Partner Organisation(s).
- Strength of the proposed research alliance (30%)
- extent and nature of commitment to the project, including provision of research environment, facilities and personnel (where relevant), relative to the scale of the project and the capacity of the participating organisations;
- extent and appropriateness of proposed governance, structures and processes to support the project;
- capacity and intent of Partner Organisations to use the outcomes of the research; and
- potential of partnership to lead to long-term collaborations.
Assessment process
The ARC assessment process for Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) involved 17 SAC members as part of one multidisciplinary panel and was managed in RMS. A total of 602 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC.
Funding levels and duration
Funding of between $50,000 and $300,000 per annum for up to five years may be awarded for each Linkage Projects application.
Summary of outcomes
The ARC received a total of 177 applications for Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1), none of which was withdrawn.
The overall success rate for Linkage Projects for funding applied for in 2024 (Round 1) is 31.6 per cent.
Of the unsuccessful applications, two were found to not meet eligibility requirements.
A comparison of success rates and funding amounts is shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Comparison of application numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for approved Linkage Projects applications from 2023 (Round 1 and 2) and 2024 (Round 1)
| Scheme Round | Applications considered | Applications approved | Success rate (%) | Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($) | Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($) | Funds allocated over project life for approved applications* ($) | Return rate for approved applications (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 (Round 1) | 171 | 50 | 29.2 | $90,737,777 | $29,606,708 | $26,077,989 | 88.1 |
| 2023 (Round 2) | 274 | 72 | 26.3 | $155,293,840 | $44,811,759 | $43,104,707 | 96.2 |
| 2024 (Round 1) | 177 | 56 | 31.6 | $91,831,038 | $33,739,916 | $29,950,177 | 88.8 |
Outcomes by discipline
A summary of outcome by discipline is shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Application numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) applications by discipline
| Discipline* | Applications considered | Applications approved | Success rate (%) | Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($) | Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($) | Funds over project life for approved applications ($) | Return Rate for approved applications (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSB | 34 | 8 | 23.5 | $19,305,152 | $6,168,030 | $5,823,318 | 94.4% |
| EIC | 81 | 30 | 37.0 | $42,469,447 | $17,261,596 | $15,347,502 | 88.9% |
| HSE | 55 | 15 | 27.3 | $25,726,359 | $7,890,361 | $6,756,923 | 85.6% |
| MPCE | 7 | 3 | 42.9 | $4,330,080 | $2,419,929 | $2,022,434 | 83.6% |
| Total | 177 | 56 | 31.6 | $91,831,038 | $33,739,916 | $29,950,177 | 88.8% |
* BSB – Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EIC – Engineering, Information and Computing Sciences; HSE – Humanities and Creative Arts, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences; MPCE – Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Note – Project discipline is determined by the primary Field of Research (FoR) codes provided in the application.
Leverage of ARC Funding
Of the 177 applications considered, 56 were approved with a total approved funding of $29.95 million over the life of these projects. There are 138 unique Partner Organisations involved with these projects, and they have pledged a total (cash and in-kind) of $47.9 million. This represents $1.60 from Partner Organisations for every dollar funded by the ARC.
Outcomes by Administering Organisation
A summary of outcomes by Administering Organisation is shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Numbers of applications, success rates, ARC approved funding and Partner Organisation contributions for approved Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) applications by Administering Organisation
| Administering Organisation | Applications considered | Applications approved | Success rate (%) | ARC approved funding over project life (approved applications) | Partner Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved applications) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | 4 | 1 | 25.0 | $511,554 | * |
| The Australian National University | 4 | 1 | 25.0 | $511,554 | * |
| New South Wales | 60 | 17 | 28.3 | $7,891,512 | $10,203,010 |
| Australian Catholic University | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | $1,005,058 | * |
| Charles Sturt University | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| Macquarie University | 4 | 2 | 50.0 | $815,126 | $821,800 |
| Southern Cross University | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| The University of New South Wales | 18 | 4 | 22.2 | $1,458,784 | $2,224,826 |
| The University of Newcastle | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| The University of Sydney | 16 | 5 | 31.3 | $2,011,932 | $2,250,510 |
| University of Technology Sydney | 6 | 2 | 33.3 | $921,310 | $968,884 |
| University of Wollongong | 5 | 1 | 20.0 | $450,332 | * |
| Western Sydney University | 4 | 2 | 50.0 | $1,228,970 | $1,820,990 |
| Northern Territory | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| Charles Darwin University | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | $0 |
| Queensland | 34 | 15 | 44.1 | $8,929,271 | $18,750,116 |
| Central Queensland University | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | $777,528 | * |
| Griffith University | 11 | 6 | 54.5 | $3,648,959 | $10,377,534 |
| James Cook University | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| Queensland University of Technology | 7 | 4 | 57.1 | $1,610,220 | $2,313,153 |
| The University of Queensland | 12 | 4 | 33.3 | $2,892,564 | $5,131,580 |
| University of Southern Queensland | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| University of the Sunshine Coast | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| South Australia | 20 | 3 | 15.0 | $1,953,580 | $2,743,566 |
| Flinders University | 4 | 2 | 50.0 | $1,277,764 | $1,992,566 |
| The University of Adelaide | 11 | 1 | 9.1 | $675,816 | * |
| University of South Australia | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| Victoria | 46 | 16 | 34.8 | $8,027,073 | $11,774,624 |
| Deakin University | 5 | 1 | 20.0 | $429,000 | * |
| La Trobe University | 4 | 1 | 25.0 | $432,405 | * |
| Monash University | 8 | 3 | 37.5 | $1,466,790 | $2,050,048 |
| RMIT University | 12 | 5 | 41.7 | $2,321,444 | $3,006,804 |
| Swinburne University of Technology | 2 | 1 | 50.0 | $436,000 | * |
| The University of Melbourne | 13 | 5 | 38.5 | $2,941,434 | $4,192,988 |
| Victoria University | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| Western Australia | 12 | 4 | 33.3 | $2,637,187 | $3,531,635 |
| Curtin University | 3 | 1 | 33.3 | $610,000 | * |
| Murdoch University | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | $297,000 | * |
| The University of Western Australia | 8 | 2 | 25.0 | $1,730,187 | $2,422,000 |
| Total | 177 | 56 | 31.6 | $29,950,177 | $47,886,161 |
* For confidentiality reasons, total contributions by Partner Organisations are not shown in instances in which Administering Organisations are associated with one approved application only. The Table 3 total does, however, include the total contributions by Partner Organisations on approved Projects associated with those Administering Organisations.
Partner Organisations were identified as Australian, international, government, non-profit, industry or overseas higher education organisations. The Partner Organisation contributions in these categories for Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) applications approved for funding are shown below in Table 4.
Table 4. Partner Organisation contributions by sector for approved Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) applications
| Type | Cash | In-Kind | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | |
| Government | ||||||
| Australian Federal | $60,000 | 0.5 | $121,000 | 0.3 | $181,000 | 0.4 |
| Australian state, territory and local | $1,289,868 | 11.0 | $4,190,797 | 11.6 | $5,480,665 | 11.4 |
Sub-total | $1,349,868 | 11.5 | $4,311,797 | 11.9 | $5,661,665 | 11.8 |
| Industry Body | ||||||
| Australian | $7,728,246 | 65.8 | $17,407,808 | 48.2 | $25,136,054 | 52.5 |
| International | $1,868,504 | 15.9 | $4,972,961 | 13.8 | $6,841,465 | 14.3 |
Sub-total | $9,596,750 | 81.8 | $22,380,769 | 61.9 | $31,977,519 | 66.8 |
| Non-profit | ||||||
| Australian | $535,430 | 4.6 | $8,135,385 | 22.5 | $8,670,815 | 18.1 |
| International | $0 | 0 | $180,445 | 0.5 | $180,445 | 0.4 |
Sub-total | $535,430 | 4.6 | $8,315,830 | 23.0 | $8,851,260 | 18.5 |
| Higher Education | ||||||
| International | $0 | 0 | $433,719 | 1.2 | $433,719 | 0.9 |
Sub-total | $0 | 0 | $433,719 | 1.2 | $433,719 | 0.9 |
| Other | ||||||
| Other | $257,000 | 0 | $704,998 | 2.0 | $961,998 | 2.0 |
Sub-total | $257,000 | 0 | $704,998 | 2.0 | $961,998 | 2.0 |
Total | $11,739,048 | 100 | $36,147,113 | 100 | $47,886,161 | 100 |
Note: All percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum to 100%.
Partnerships
Linkage Projects applications represent partnerships between researchers, higher education organisations and other organisations, as well as collaborations between Partner Organisations within projects. There are a total of 141 instances of collaboration with Partner Organisations (including multiple collaborations with a number of organisations) in Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) applications approved for funding, giving an average of 2.52 Partner Organisations involved in each application. These partnerships form congruent and/or complementary linkages in Fields of Research (FoR). A summary of the FoR categories identified by applicants of approved applications and the total Partner Organisation contributions are shown below in Table 5.
Table 5. Application data by Field of Research category for Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1)
| Field of Research category | Number of applications approved# | Partner Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind) over project life (approved applications) |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences | 3 | $3,182,539 |
| Biological Sciences | 3 | $1,439,669 |
| Built Environment and Design | 1 | * |
| Chemical Sciences | 2 | $4,092,777 |
| Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services | 1 | * |
| Creative Arts and Writing | 1 | * |
| Earth Sciences | 1 | * |
| Economics | 1 | * |
| Education | 2 | $1,036,656 |
| Engineering | 22 | $15,372,817 |
| Environmental Sciences | 2 | $5,687,130 |
| Health Sciences | 3 | $2,296,540 |
| Human Society | 3 | $1,583,184 |
| Information and Computing Sciences | 7 | $6,303,864 |
| Language, Communication and Culture | 1 | * |
| Psychology | 3 | $2,988,275 |
| Total | 56 | $47,886,161 |
# Based on the primary FoR
*For confidentiality reasons, total contributions by Partner Organisations are not shown in instances in which FoR codes are associated with one approved application only. The Table 6 total does, however, include the total contributions by Partner Organisations on approved Projects associated with those FoR codes.
Career age and gender
Of the 655 Chief Investigators (CIs) in this round, 239 were female, 412 were male and 4 were unspecified. The success rate for female, male and unspecified CIs in Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) is 35.6 per cent, 35.2 per cent and 0 per cent respectively.
Success rates of CIs by career age and gender in Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) are presented in Figure 1. CIs who did not specify the date of completion of their PhD or who do not hold a PhD (1.7 per cent) are not represented in the figure below.
Of the 177 Lead Chief Investigators (CIs) in this round, 54 were female, 122 were male and 1 was unspecified. The success rate for female, male and unspecified for Lead CIs in Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) is 29.6 per cent, 32.8 per cent and 0 per respectively. Success rates of the Lead CIs by Project Discipline are present in Figure 7 below.
Figure 1. Participation and success rate of Chief Investigators (CIs) in Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) by gender and career age*^
*Career age is calculated as years since PhD (or equivalent). The earliest PhD award date was used where there was more than one PhD.
^ Calculated career age does not take career interruptions into consideration.
Gender by project discipline
Table 6. Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1): Chief Investigator gender by project discipline - submission and approved numbers, and success rates
| Project discipline | Female considered | Female approved | Female success rate (%) | Male considered | Male approved | Male success rate (%) | Unspecified submitted | Unspecified approved | Unspecified success rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSB | 52 | 10 | 19.2 | 89 | 30 | 33.7 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| EIC | 59 | 21 | 35.6 | 216 | 86 | 39.8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| HSE | 121 | 49 | 40.5 | 93 | 20 | 21.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| MPCE | 7 | 5 | 71.4 | 14 | 9 | 64.3 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| Grand Total | 239 | 85 | 35.6 | 412 | 145 | 35.2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Note – The data provided in the above table is a representation of all Chief Investigators listed on applications considered in Linkage Project 2024 (Round 1).
Table 7. Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1): Lead Chief Investigator Gender by project discipline – submission numbers, applications approved and success rates
| Project discipline | Female considered | Female approved | Female success rate (%) | Male considered | Male approved | Male success rate (%) | Unspecified considered | Unspecified approved | Unspecified success rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSB | 10 | 1 | 10.0 | 23 | 7 | 30.4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| EIC | 11 | 1 | 9.1 | 70 | 29 | 41.4 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| HSE | 31 | 13 | 41.9 | 24 | 2 | 8.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| MPCE | 2 | 1 | 50.0 | 5 | 2 | 40.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Grand Total | 54 | 16 | 29.6 | 122 | 40 | 32.8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Note – The data provided in the above table is a representation of Lead Chief Investigators listed on applications considered in Linkage Project 2024 (Round 1).
Figure 2. Participation and success rate of Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) Chief Investigators by gender and project discipline
Note - The data provided in the above figure is a representation of all Chief Investigators listed on applications considered in Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1)
International Collaboration
In the 177 applications considered, applicants foreshadowed 93 instances of collaboration with researchers in 30 overseas locations. Of the applications approved for funding, 21 foreshadowed 34 instances of collaboration with researchers in 16 overseas locations (Figure 3).
Figure 3. International collaborations by location on approved Linkage Projects 2024 (Round 1) applications*
*The top 6 international collaboration locations are listed in Figure 3 and the remaining locations are grouped in the ‘Other’ category.