Administered activities
Funding that is managed by agencies on behalf of the government.
Chief Investigator
A researcher who: satisfies the eligibility criteria for a Chief Investigator under the Discovery programme or Linkage programme funding rules; and takes responsibility for the conduct of an ARC-funded project.
Departmental activities
Those assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses controlled by agencies or authorities and used in producing their outputs.
Discovery
Programme 1.1 of the 2015–16 Portfolio Budget Statements, which provides funding investigator-initiated research projects and research fellowships and awards. The Discovery programme comprises the Australian Laureate Fellowships, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, Discovery Indigenous, Discovery Projects and Future Fellowships schemes.
Early career researcher
A researcher who has held a PhD or equivalent qualification for a period less than or equal to five years at the time of their application.
Excellence in Research for Australia
Programme 1.3 of the 2015–16 Portfolio Budget Statements, which provides Australian Government, industry, business and the wider community assurance of the excellence of research conducted in Australia’s higher education institutions through an evaluation framework that identifies universities and disciplines that are internationally competitive and highlights areas where there are opportunities for further development and investment.
Field of Research (FoR) classification
A classification based on the methodology used in the R&D that is being considered. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) develops the FoR codes in consultation with stakeholders in the research sector. Full code descriptions are available on the ABS website: www.abs.gov.au.
Final report
A report to the ARC that researchers must submit within 12 months of completing their research project. The report includes a range of data and information including a description of research outcomes, academic and commercialisation outputs and details of collaboration.
Funding agreement
The agreement entered into by the ARC and an Administering Organisation when a proposal from that organisation is approved for funding.
Funding rules
Documents published on the ARC website for each funding scheme which provide applicants with information about a scheme, eligibility requirements, the application, selection and approval processes, and requirements for the administration of funding.
Linkage
Programme 1.2 of the 2015–16 Portfolio Budget Statements, which provides funding for research projects, infrastructure, hubs and centres that foster collaboration among researchers and research teams in Australia and internationally, and with industry and other end-users of research. The Linkage programme comprises the ARC Centres of Excellence; Co-funded Research Centres; Industrial Transformation Research Hubs; Industrial Transformation Training Centres; Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities; Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects; Linkage Projects and Special Research Initiatives schemes.
Mid-career researchers
A researcher with between 5 and 15 years’ research experience since the award of a PhD or equivalent qualification at the time of their application.
National Competitive Grants Programme
The National Competitive Grants Programme (NCGP) comprises Discovery and Linkage programmes, under which the ARC funds a range of complementary schemes to support the highest-quality fundamental and applied research, research training and collaboration or partnerships and infrastructure across all research disciplines.
National Research Priorities
A set of priority areas identified by the Australian Government. In 2012–13 the Australian Government’s four National Research Priorities were: An environmentally sustainable Australia (Environment); Promoting and maintaining good health (Health); Frontier technologies for building and transforming Australian industries (Frontier technologies); and Safeguarding Australia. In 2013 the National Research Priorities were replaced by Strategic Research Priorities.
Open access
The idea that research outcomes, particularly those arising from publicly funded research projects, should be available as broadly as possible.
Open data
The idea that data collected and used as part of a research project, particularly a publicly funded research project, should be freely available to other researchers and the wider community.
Partner Investigator
A researcher who: satisfies the eligibility criteria for a Partner Investigator under the Discovery programme or Linkage programme funding rules; and takes significant intellectual responsibility for the research.
Partner organisations
National or international organisations that satisfy the eligibility criteria for a partner organisation as defined under Linkage funding rules, and contribute to the research project in accordance with the requirements of the scheme.
Peer review
Evaluation of research proposals or outputs by experts who assess individual research proposals within their field of research or across a broader disciplinary area on the basis of established selection criteria.
Science and Research Priorities
The Australian Government has identified nine Science and Research Priorities and associated Practical Research Challenges. The priorities, developed in consultation with leaders from industry, research and government, are designed to focus Australian Government support for science and research on the most important challenges facing Australia. The current Science and Research Priorities are: Food, Soil and Water, Transport, Cybersecurity, Energy, Resources, Advanced Manufacturing, Environmental Change, and Health. Each priority is associated with three to four Practical Research Challenges, which aim to guide investment and activity in areas where the Government considers Australia must maintain a strong research and innovation capability.
Strategic Research Priorities
A set of priority areas identified by the Australian Government that replaced the National Research Priorities in 2013. They are Living in a changing environment; Promoting population health and wellbeing; Managing our food and water assets; Securing Australia’s place in a changing world; and Lifting productivity and economic growth. The strategic research priorities were replaced by the Science and Research Priorities in May 2015.
Success rate
The number of awards made in a year or funding round as a percentage of the total number of applications. Withdrawn applications are excluded from calculations.
Units of evaluation
A discipline for a specific higher education institution at the two- or four-digit field of research level.