2014 ARC Centres of Excellence – UTAS Internal Expressions of Interest
The Australian Research Council has recently updated its Important Dates for the forthcoming Centres of Excellence (COE) round, including both the EOI and full application phases.
While the ARC is yet to officially announce the call for proposals and publish the scheme documentation for 2014 COEs, with the round timelines now firming up, UTAS has opened its internal EOI process with immediate effect.
Background
The ARC Centres of Excellence scheme aims to fund highly innovative and transformational research potentially leading to international standing and a significant advancement of capabilities and knowledge. The Centres will link existing Australian research strengths and build critical mass with new capacity for interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches to address the most challenging and significant research problems. Moreover, the Centres of Excellence will build Australia’s human capacity in a range of research areas by attracting and retaining, from within Australia and abroad, researchers of high international standing as well as the most promising research students.
This is the fourth major round of applications under the ARC’s Centres of Excellence program (the 1st being in 2003, the 2nd in 2005 and the 3rd in 2011). For this round, the ARC has designated a competitive two-stage process. Proponents will initially submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the ARC. After shortlisting of all EOIs, the ARC will then formally invite the submission of full proposals. Please note: we understand that the ARC will only consider full proposals that have been preceded by a shortlisted EOI; that is, participation in the EOI process is mandatory.
The number of ARC Centres of Excellence to be established nationally is likely to depend on the level of funding approved for each Centre. Successful Centres should expect to receive ARC funding of approximately $1M-4M per annum, although the final figures are yet to be confirmed in the scheme documentation. The ARC strongly encourages applicants to maximise the impact of its funding by obtaining commitments of additional financial contributions from a variety of sources including collaborating and partner organisations.
The Objectives of the Scheme are to:
- Undertake highly innovative and potentially transformational research that aims to achieve international standing in the fields of research envisaged and leads to a significant advancement of capabilities and knowledge;
- Link existing Australian research strengths and build critical mass with new capacity for interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches to address the most challenging and significant research problems;
- Develop relationships and build new networks with major national and international centres and research programs to help strengthen research, achieve global competitiveness and gain recognition for Australian research;
- Build Australia’s human capacity in a range of research areas by attracting and retaining, from within Australia and abroad, researchers of high international standing as well as the most promising research students;
- Provide high-quality postgraduate and postdoctoral training environments for the next generation of researchers;
- Offer Australian researchers opportunities to work on large-scale problems over longer periods of time; and
- Establish Centres of such repute in the wider community that they will serve as points of interaction among higher education institutions, governments, industry and the private sector generally.
Key Dates
ARC Centres of Excellence Key Dates for 2014 Funding
(Please note that all ARC dates are indicative only and are subject to change)
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Activity |
Date |
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ARC provision of advice to Applicants on Expressions of Interest (EOI) shortlisting |
24 June 2013 |
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Proposals Open in RMS |
26 June 2013 |
| Request Not to Assess: Due |
24 July 2013 |
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Proposals Close in RMS |
5 pm AEST 8 August 2013 |
How to Apply: Step by step instructions for UTAS Applicants (Including Internal EOIs)
- The Office of the DVC (Research; ODVCR), in conjunction with colleagues in the Office of Research Services (ORS), will oversee applications for 2014 ARC COEs.
- UTAS researchers to submit internal EOIs for COE applications where the University would be the Administering (lead) Organisation.
- UTAS’s lead EOIs to be subject to internal selection, and successful teams invited to proceed with the lodgement of an ARC Expression of Interest.
- For UTAS researchers involved in COE applications led by another university, a brief outline of the developing bid and the nature of UTAS’s involvement to be provided to the ODVCR on the UTAS EOI proforma so that the University is fully briefed on the ‘supporting partner’ bids in which we will potentially be involved.
- Internal Expressions of Interest to use the proforma (UTAS Staff Only), available at the UTAS Research Services website.
Internal EOIs to be forwarded electronically to the ORS at research.funding@utas.edu.au no later than midday 25 February 2013.
- A review committee including members of the Senior Executive to examine the University’s EOIs, to provide high-level strategic feedback, and invite selected teams to go forward to the ARC EOI process. Outcomes of the internal UTAS EOI process will be made known by early March 2013.
- Applications that proceed to the ARC will be supported institutionally with both cash and in-kind. Obviously, such support will be determined in detail for each bid prior to the lodgement of full applications. UTAS’s cash support package will continue to demonstrate its strong commitment to COEs. There is no need to address the issue of cash support in the internal EOI process but teams should be cognisant of the need for leveraging as an inherent part of the COE scheme.
Given the highly competitive nature of the scheme and need for institutional counterpart cash, UTAS will put forward a targeted field of EOIs to the ARC.
ARC Resources
- ARC Centres of Excellence Funding Rules
- Instructions to Applicants and Frequently Asked Questions
- Expression of Interest form (available in RMS from Wednesday 10th April 2013)
- Classification codes – FOR, RFCD, SEO and ANZSIC
- ARC National Innovation Priorities
- National Research Priorities
UTAS Resources
- Centres of Excellence funding principles and elegibility spreadsheet (UTAS Staff Only)
- Research Management System (RMS) Account Advice (UTAS Staff Only)
- ARC Centres of Excellence 2014 – Information Session:
Laura Dan (Acting Branch Manager, Strategy and Programs) and Penny Bambrick (Assistant Director, Centres) will give a presentation about the scheme and answer questions.
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Date: |
Friday 12th April 2013 |
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Time: |
1:00pm - 3:00pm |
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Locations: |
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Attendance should focus on research administrators, Associate Deans (Research) and potential Centre Directors, although other potential participants or organisation representatives are also welcome to attend.
Please note that sessions will not answer specific questions on interpretation of sections in the Funding Rules or provide advice on preparing applications.
Please rsvp to research.funding@utas.edu.au by Wednesday 10th April.
Enquiries
Any enquires on the application process or development of proposals can be directed to the ORS in the first instance at: Research.Funding@utas.edu.au
UTAS Office of Research Support for the ARC Centres of Excellence Scheme
The UTAS ORS team supporting the COE round will be Dr. Jodi Clyde-Smith, Executive Director (Research Operations), and Ian Cummings, Senior Project Officer (ARC).
The Office of the DVC (Research) will also be on hand for the provision of high-level strategic support.