University of Tasmania, Australia

2014 ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) – UTAS Internal Expressions of Interest

Background

The Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) scheme fosters collaboration through its support of the cooperative use of international and national research facilities. Researchers are able to participate in cooperative initiatives, sharing expensive infrastructure, equipment and facilities between eligible organisation, and also with industry.

Under the scheme, applicants may seek funding for:

• infrastructure, equipment and facility purchases, construction and installation;
• major computing/data facilities, animal houses, herbaria and experimental farms;
• salaries directly associated with creating and installing infrastructure, equipment or facilities;
• consortium membership costs, in the case of Australia's participation in the use of significant international-scale or national research facilities;
• library and research information infrastructure.

The objectives of the scheme are to:

• encourage institutions to develop collaborative arrangements among themselves, across the higher education sector and with organisations outside the sector, in order to develop research infrastructure;
• support large-scale cooperative initiatives involving two or more institutions, thereby allowing expensive facilities to be shared; and
• enhance support for areas of research strength.

Key Dates

How to Apply: Step by step instructions for UTAS applicants

Submissions to UTAS – Expression of Interest (EoI) Stage

A completed UTAS LIEF Funding Contribution Proforma is required for ALL applications in which the University of Tasmania is involved, either as the lead or as a collaborating institution. Applicants must submit the proforma to their relevant Faculty/Institute for consideration by the date shown above.

Faculties and Institutes then submit the proformas, draft proposals and completed Funding Contribution spreadsheets to the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) confirming the amount of funding to be made available to applications from Schools/Centres/Faculties/Institutes.

Applicants (and their Faculties/Institutes) will be advised whether to proceed with a full proposal to be submitted to the ARC once all expressions of interest submitted by Faculties/Institutes have been considered by the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Central funding contributions have been finalised.

Submissions to the ARC

All applicants should read the UTAS Application Guide for LIEF funding commencing in 2014 to ensure they are aware of all required documentation, signatures and submission requirements.

1. UTAS Led Proposals (bids where UTAS is the lead (administering) institution): a full application must be submitted to UTAS ORS for internal review, then to the ARC for consideration by the closing dates shown above. Applications are to be prepared and submitted using the ARC’s online Research Management System (RMS). Additional documentation is also required; please refer to the UTAS Application Guide 2014 (UTAS Login required for access) for information on preparing and submitting a complete application.

2. UTAS Collaborating Proposals (bids where UTAS is a collaborating institution): applicants must provide the lead (administering) institution with written evidence of an agreement to provide the cash and in-kind contributions detailed in the application being submitted by the lead institution. While the ARC provides a proforma for this, administering institutions may create and submit their own documentation for organisation certification. Therefore, UTAS investigators involved in bids to be submitted by other institutions must seek advice from that institution on what documentation they require and ensure a suitable template/proforma is received and completed as necessary.
This written evidence/organisation certification to be provided by UTAS applicants to a lead institution must be certified on UTAS’s behalf by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research). To ensure UTAS’s institutional signature can be obtained and the documents returned to the lead institution in time for submission to the ARC, UTAS applicants must ensure UTAS ORS receive the certification paperwork by Wednesday 10 APR 2013. Please refer to the UTAS Application Guide 2014 (UTAS Login required for access) for information on preparing and submitting UTAS Collaborating Proposals.

UTAS Resources

• UTAS Application Guide – (staff login required) 
• UTAS LIEF Funding Contribution Proforma
• UTAS Certification Proforma
• UTAS Funding Application Coversheet
• UTAS LIEF Application Templates (staff login required)
• Research Management System (RMS) Account Advice
  

ARC Resources

• Funding Rules
• Instructions to applicants
• Sample Application Form 
• Request not to assess
• Classification codes – FOR, RFCD, SEO and ANZSIC
• ARC National Innovation Priorities
• National Research Priorities
  

Contacts

For further information, please contact Dr. Jodi Clyde-Smith at research.funding@utas.edu.au or ext 1994