Discovery Early Career Researcher Award Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2012
Australian Research Council Act 2001
I, KIM CARR, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, having satisfied myself of the matters set out in section 59 of the Australian Research Council Act 2001, approve these Funding Rules under section 60 of that Act.
Dated 9 February 2011
Kim Carr
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
Table of Contents
4.2 Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)
5.1 Level and Period of Funding
5.3 Budget Items Not Supported
5.4 Research/Activities Not Supported
6. Organisational Types, Roles and Eligibility
6.2 Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
7. Number of Proposals, Funded Projects and Cross-Scheme Eligibility
7.1 Number of Proposals and Funded Projects
8.2 Submission of Proposals in the RMS
8.3 Closing Time for Proposals
9. Selection and Approval Process
9.1 Assessment and Selection Process
9.3 Recommendations and Offer of Funding
11.4 Audited Financial Statement
12. Fundamental Principles of Conducting Research
12.1 Ethics and Research Practices
12.5 Incomplete or Misleading Information
Appendix A - Eligible Organisations
A1.1 Higher Education Organisations
Closing time for submission of Proposals | 5:00pm (AEST) Wednesday 18 May 2011 |
Deadline for Request not to Assess | Wednesday 18 May 2011 |
PhD award date to be eligible for a DECRA, without career interruption | On or after 18 May 2006 |
PhD award date to be eligible for a DECRA, with career interruption | On or between 18 May 2003 and 18 May 2006 commensurate with period of interruption |
Researchers should direct requests for information to the Research Office within their organisation.
ARC Contacts:
by mail to: | by courier to: |
DECRA Coordinator Australian Research Council GPO Box 2702 CANBERRA ACT 2601 | DECRA Coordinator Australian Research Council Level 2, 11 Lancaster Place, Majura Park CANBERRA ACT 2609 |
Email: decra@arc.gov.au Phone: 02 6287 6600 Fax: 02 6287 6638 Web: www.arc.gov.au | |
Appeals must be addressed and sent:
by mail to: | or | by courier to: |
The Appeals Officer Australian Research Council GPO Box 2702 CANBERRA ACT 2601
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| The Appeals Officer Australian Research Council Level 2, 11 Lancaster Place, Majura Park CANBERRA ACT 2609 |
Other: RMS User IDs: Email: rms@arc.gov.au |
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These Funding Rules are the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2012.
2. Commencement
These Funding Rules shall take effect upon registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.
3. Definitions
In these Funding Rules, unless the contrary intention appears:
Administering Organisation means an Eligible Organisation which submits a Proposal for funding and which will be responsible for the administration of the funding if the Project is approved for funding.
ARC means the Australian Research Council, as established under the ARC Act.
ARC Act means the Australian Research Council Act 2001.
ARC Fellowship means a named Fellowship position within any ARC scheme where the salary is funded wholly or partly by the ARC.
ARC Research Centres Program encompasses any research centre wholly or partly funded by the ARC and includes Centres of Excellence, Special Research Centres, Co-funded Centres and Special Research Initiatives.
Award of PhD Date means the date of conferral of a PhD, not the date of submission of the thesis, nor the date the thesis was accepted by the examination board.
Centre Personnel means the Centre Director, Research Director, Chief Operations Officer, Chief Investigators or Specified Personnel in the ARC Research Centres Program.
Commonwealth means the Commonwealth of Australia.
Commonwealth-funded Research Centre means a research centre established under a competitive Commonwealth scheme and includes Cooperative Research Centres and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centres of Clinical Research Excellence.
Conflict of Interest means an actual or perceived conflict between a person’s public duty and their private or personal interest.
DECRA Candidate means a researcher nominated in a Proposal for a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA).
DECRA Recipient means a researcher awarded funding under the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award scheme.
Eligible Organisation means an organisation which is eligible to apply for and receive funding under these Funding Rules.
Funding Agreement means the agreement entered into by the ARC and an Administering Organisation that sets out the terms and conditions for the administration of Commonwealth funding and the conduct of the Award.
GST has the meaning as given in section 195-1 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.
Medical and Dental Research means research and/or training which, in the opinion of the ARC, has a significant focus on near-term clinical medical (including dental) outcomes.
Minister means the Minister from time to time responsible for the administration of the ARC Act, or the Minister’s delegate.
Project means a project approved by the Minister to receive funding from the ARC.
Proposal means a request to the ARC for the provision of funding which is submitted in accordance with the Funding Rules.
Research Office means a business unit within an Eligible Organisation that is responsible for administrative contact with the ARC.
4. Introduction
4.1 Overview
4.1.1 These Funding Rules are current as at February 2011 and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the ARC Act in force then.
4.1.2 The Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme provides funding to Eligible Organisations to support research by individual researchers.
4.1.3 For the purposes of these Funding Rules, research is defined as the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings. This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to the extent that it is new and creative.
This definition of research is consistent with a broad notion of research and experimental development (R&D) as comprising creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise [innovative] applications[1].
4.2 Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)
4.2.1 The objectives of the DECRA scheme are to:
4.2.2 It is expected that up to 200 DECRAs may be awarded for funding commencing in 2012.
Proposals will be assessed and ranked using the following selection criteria:
The Administering Organisation must provide a strategic statement, approved by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), Chief Executive Officer or equivalent, within the Proposal outlining:
5.2.2 Publication and dissemination of Project outputs and outreach activity costs may be supported at up to two per cent of total project costs only. The ARC strongly encourages publication in publicly accessible outlets and the depositing of data and any publications arising from a DECRA in an appropriate subject and/or institutional repository.
5.3 Budget Items Not Supported
5.3.1 Budget items which will not be supported by ARC funding include:
5.3.2 The following basic facilities must be provided and funded by the Administering Organisation:
5.4 Research/Activities Not Supported
5.4.1 Except where such activities meet the definition of research in section 4.1.3, the DECRA scheme does not support production of:
5.4.2 The DECRA scheme does not support Medical and Dental Research. This includes but is not limited to projects that deal substantially with any of the following areas of research:
6. Organisational Types, Roles and Eligibility
A Proposal may only be submitted by an Eligible Organisation listed at Appendix A.
6.2 Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
6.2.1 A DECRA Candidate must at the closing time of submission of Proposals:
6.2.2 A DECRA Recipient must hold an appointment at the Administering Organisation for the duration of the Award.
6.2.3 A DECRA Recipient must legally, reside predominantly in Australia for the duration of the Award.
6.2.4 A DECRA Recipient must take significant intellectual responsibility for the conduct of the Project and for any strategic decisions called for in its pursuit and communication of results.
6.2.5 A DECRA may, after commencement, be undertaken on a part time basis not exceeding six consecutive years, subject to the approval of the Administering Organisation, and depending on individual circumstances appropriate to the career trajectory of the individual. A DECRA Recipient cannot commence another ARC Fellowship until the entire DECRA salary component has been expended.
6.2.6 Funding for the DECRA salary component may be used for other purposes to support the Project in exceptional or changed personal circumstances with the approval of the Administering Organisation without extension to the life of the Project.
6.2.7 At the closing time of submission of Proposals, all obligations regarding previously funded ARC projects involving the DECRA Candidate must have been fulfilled.
6.2.8 The Administering Organisation must ensure a DECRA Recipient has access to periods of up to 14 weeks paid maternity leave during the course of the Award. The ARC will provide up to 14 weeks additional funding for this purpose. The Administering Organisation must seek ARC approval for any extension to the duration of the DECRA exceeding the 14 weeks paid maternity leave.
6.2.9 A DECRA Recipient cannot spend more than one third of the duration of the Award overseas or engaged in international travel.
7. Number of Proposals, Funded Projects and Cross-Scheme Eligibility
7.1 Number of Proposals and Funded Projects
7.1.1 A DECRA Candidate may be nominated on no more than one DECRA Proposal in this funding round, evaluated as at the closing time of submission of Proposals, regardless of any subsequent change in, or withdrawal of, Proposals. Submitting Proposals that exceed this limit will result in all Proposals not being recommended for funding.
7.1.2 A researcher may only apply for up to two DECRAs over the period in which they are eligible, unless otherwise approved by the ARC.
7.1.3 A DECRA Recipient may receive funding concurrently for a maximum of one Discovery Project, which can be as sole Chief Investigator, or as Centre Personnel under the ARC Research Centres Program.
7.1.4 A researcher holding an ARC Fellowship may apply for a DECRA in the final year of Fellowship funding, including periods of salary carry-over funding, but, cannot hold an ARC Fellowship and a DECRA concurrently.
7.1.5 Proposals may be submitted only to the extent that, if successful, a DECRA Candidate nominated on the Proposal would not be involved in more than the maximum number of projects permitted in 2012 evaluated as at the closing time of submission of Proposals. A Project is considered to be funded for the years set out in the Funding Agreement.
7.1.6 A researcher will not be permitted to relinquish existing roles held at 1 January 2011, to circumvent these limits.
7.2.1 The ARC will not duplicate funding for research, including infrastructure, funded as at 1 January 2012 by the Commonwealth.
7.2.2 The Proposal must list all current funding and requested funding for the DECRA Candidate under any ARC scheme or any other Commonwealth funding scheme.
7.2.3 The ARC will assess whether a Proposal meets the eligibility requirements in these Funding Rules and may recommend that a Proposal that does not meet the requirements be deemed ineligible.
8.1 Proposals
8.1.1 The Proposal must contain all the information necessary for assessment without the need for further written or oral explanation, or reference to additional documentation, unless requested by the ARC.
8.1.2 All details in the Proposal must be current at the time of submission.
8.2 Submission of Proposals in the RMS
8.2.2 All Proposals must meet the format and content requirements, including certification, as set out in the RMS form and the Instructions to Applicants.
8.3 Closing Time for Proposals
8.3.1 The online form completed within the RMS must be submitted by 5.00pm (AEST) 18 May 2011.
8.3.2 Additions, deletions and modifications will not be accepted after submission, unless invited by the ARC.
8.3.3 Proposals may be withdrawn up until 5.00pm (AEST) Monday 27 July 2011 by the Administering Organisation by notice in writing to the ARC.
8.4.1 The Administering Organisation must certify a Proposal online in the RMS. Research Offices should ensure that the Research Office delegate role is authorised in the RMS to certify and submit Proposals.
8.4.2 The ARC reserves the right at any point in the process to seek evidence from the Administering Organisation to support the certification of Proposals.
8.5.1 Each party involved in a Proposal must declare at the date of submission any Conflict of Interest that exists or is likely to arise in relation to any aspect of the Proposal.
8.5.2 If a Conflict of Interest exists or arises, the Administering Organisation must have documented processes in place for managing the Conflict of Interest for the duration of the project. Such processes must comply with the NHMRC/ARC/UA Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2007) and any relevant successor document.
9. Selection and Approval Process
9.1 Assessment and Selection Process
9.1.1 Assessment of Proposals is undertaken by the ARC, which has the right to make recommendations for funding to the Minister, based on any number of assessments or solely on the basis of its expertise.
9.1.2 All Proposals may be:
9.1.3 Unsuccessful applicants may be provided with feedback on their Proposal, where available. The names of assessors will not be provided.
9.1.4 The ARC has procedures in place for managing organisational and personal Conflicts of Interest for assessors, members of a Selection Advisory Committee, members of other ARC Committees and ARC staff.
Administering Organisations may name any person or persons whom they do not wish to assess a Proposal using a Request not to Assess form. The notification must be sent to the email address advised under Contacts at the beginning of these Funding Rules and received by the ARC by the closing time for Proposals, 5:00 pm (AEST), Wednesday 18 May 2011. The ARC will consider the justification put forward to exclude any person as an assessor, but may choose not to give effect to such a request.
9.3 Recommendations and Offer of Funding
9.3.1 In accordance with the ARC Act, the CEO will submit funding recommendations to the Minister for consideration. The Minister will determine which Proposals will be approved and the amount and timing of funding to be paid to Administering Organisations for approved Proposals.
9.3.2 Under the ARC Act, the Minister must not approve for funding any Proposal that fails to meet the eligibility criteria set out in these Funding Rules.
9.3.3 Administering Organisations whose Proposals are approved will be notified in a letter of offer that will indicate the funding to be offered and provided with a copy of a Funding Agreement for signing.
9.3.4 The Minister may vary the funding approval if the ARC recommends that the particular circumstances of the Project warrant variation. Any variation or change will accord with the Funding Rules and Funding Agreement.
10. Appeals Process
10.1.1 Appeals will be considered only against administrative process issues and not against the assessment outcome.
10.1.2 Appeals must be submitted by the Administering Organisation on the ARC Appeals Form, authorised by a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Chief Executive Officer or equivalent. Appeals must be received within 28 days of the date of the notification to the Administering Organisation of the outcome of Proposals.
10.1.3 Appeals must be addressed and sent to the address advised under Contacts at the beginning of these Funding Rules.
11.1 Progress Reports
11.1.1 Years 1 and 2: Report by Exception. A report must only be submitted if significant issues are affecting the progress of the Project. The report must specify the actions being taken to address the issues.
11.1.2 If the ARC is not satisfied with the progress of any Project, further payment of Funds will not be made until satisfactory progress has been made on the Project. If satisfactory progress is still not achieved within a reasonable period of time, the Funding may be terminated and all outstanding monies will be recovered by the ARC.
11.1.3 When required, Progress Reports must be submitted by 31 January in the year following each full calendar year for which the funding was awarded as directed by the ARC.
11.2 End of Year Reports
The Administering Organisation must submit an End of Year Report by 31 March in the year following each full calendar year for which the funding was awarded in accordance with the instructions to be provided by the ARC each year.
11.3 Final Report
11.3.1 A Final Report must be submitted for the Project within 12 months of the final payment or within 12 months of the final approved carryover of Funds as directed by the ARC.
11.3.2 The Final Report must justify why any publications from the Project have not been deposited in appropriate repositories within 12 months of publication. The Final Report must outline how data arising from the Project has been made publicly accessible where appropriate.
11.3.3 If any reports are not submitted or are not satisfactory to the ARC this will be noted against future Proposals submitted by the DECRA Recipient.
11.3.4 The ARC may also seek additional information about subsequent publications after submission of the Final Report.
11.4 Audited Financial Statement
11.4.1 In accordance with section 58 of the ARC Act, the Administering Organisation must submit an Audited Financial Statement by 30 June for each year following each calendar year for which the Funding was awarded.
11.4.2 In completing the Audited Financial Statement, the Administering Organisation must ensure that the amount shown in that statement as ‘approved carry forward funds’ is the same as the amount (if any) for which approval was given by the ARC to carry over in the End of Year Report.
12. Fundamental Principles of Conducting Research
12.1 Ethics and Research Practices
12.1.1 All Proposals and ARC-funded research projects must conform to the principles outlined in the following and their successor documents:
12.1.2 If there is any conflict between a successor document and its predecessor, then the successor document prevails to the extent of any inconsistency.
12.2 Applicable Law
The ARC is required to comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 and the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
12.3 Confidentiality
12.3.1 The ARC gives no undertaking to keep confidential any information provided in the Proposal except where required by law. The ARC may restrict access to the Proposal from parties not directly related to the Proposal.
12.3.2 The ARC will publicise and report offers or awards of funding, including information about the proposed research; the DECRA Recipient; the name of the Administering Organisation and any other parties involved in or associated with the Project; the title and summary descriptions of the Project and its intended outcomes (including the national/community benefits that are expected to arise from the research); and the level and nature of funding from the ARC. In making public information about a Proposal which has been approved for funding, the ARC may use a project description, including title and summary, which may differ from that provided in the Proposal.
12.4.1 The ARC does not claim ownership of any intellectual property in a Proposal.
12.4.2 The Administering Organisation must adhere to an Intellectual Property policy, approved by the Administering Organisation’s governing body, which has as one of its aims the maximisation of benefits arising from research. Unless otherwise approved by the Commonwealth, the Administering Organisation’s Intellectual Property policy must comply with the National Principles of Intellectual Property Management for Publicly Funded Research as amended from time to time.
12.5 Incomplete or Misleading Information
12.5.1 It is a serious offence to provide false or misleading information to the Commonwealth.
12.5.2 If the ARC considers that a Proposal is incomplete, inaccurate or contains false or misleading information, the ARC may in its absolute discretion decide to recommend that the Proposal not be approved for funding.
12.5.3 Examples of misleading information and misconduct include:
A1.1 Higher Education Organisations
New South Wales
Charles Sturt University
Macquarie University
Southern Cross University
The University of New England
The University of New South Wales
The University of Newcastle
The University of Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
University of Western Sydney
University of Wollongong
Victoria
Deakin University
La Trobe University
Melbourne College of Divinity
Monash University
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University)
Swinburne University of Technology
The University of Melbourne
University of Ballarat
Victoria University
Queensland
Bond University
Central Queensland University
Griffith University
James Cook University
Queensland University of Technology
The University of Queensland
The University of the Sunshine Coast
University of Southern Queensland
Western Australia
Curtin University of Technology
Edith Cowan University
Murdoch University
The University of Notre Dame Australia
The University of Western Australia
South Australia
The Flinders University of South Australia
The University of Adelaide
University of South Australia
Tasmania
University of Tasmania
Northern Territory
Charles Darwin University
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian National University
University of Canberra
Multi-State
Australian Catholic University
A1.2 Other Eligible Organisations
Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO)
Australian Antarctic Division (AAD)
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO)
Geoscience Australia (GA)
Museums and herbaria which are Australian publicly funded organisations not directly funded to carry out research, but with research-related purposes and objectives.
[1] OECD (2002), Frascati Manual: Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys on Research and Experimental Development, Paris.