ARC Discovery - Projects: Strategies for Writing a Competitive Application
Getting Started
Before completing the application form, you should:
- Read the Guidelines and Instructions to Applicants
- Read the current Conditions of Grant. It is important to know exactly what the ARC expects of you if you are successful.
Application Form
A2 - Participant Summary
The only roles available under this scheme are:
- Chief Investigator
- Partner Investigator
- ARC Fellow
- The roles of Team Leader & Associate Investigator no longer exist
Only tick the ECR box if you meet the criteria outlined in Section 4.7 in the Guidelines. Please note that there are certain assessment advantages for ECR's in this year's round. See Section 4.7.
A3.1 - Support Being Applied For
If you tick support for a Fellowship, you should also tick a Research Grant support. Fellowship holders must be able to demonstrate how they will support their research. Research Support Grants (RSG) are no longer provided automatically.
A5 - Project Summary
- Must not exceed 100 words.
- Clear & concise, emphasising project aims, significance and innovation.
- Convince the reader that they must read on because the research & the expected outcomes are at the cutting edge.
A6.1 - Keywords
- Keywords directly affect the choice of assessors.
- Strategically you should choose only two words which cover the broad area of research. The other 4 words should be used to cover the specific research you will be undertaking.
A6.2 - Research Classifications
- FoR's determine which Expert Advisory Committee will view your application and may also affect assessor choice.
A7.2 - Commonwealth Centres (CRC's, SRC's & Key Centre)
- Participants may apply to be CI's.
- Proposed research must not be part of centre's core business. Director must confirm this in writing.
- Remember if your publications are included in the annual report of the centre, it will be assumed your research is part of the centre's core business.
A8 - Certification
- Amount of time devoted to the project must be appropriate to existing workloads.
- Approval must have been obtained from Partner Investigator's employer prior to submission of application.
B6 - Affiliations
- If you are currently drawing a salary from Commonwealth or State Government sources, you must provide details of the nature of the employment & % of salary.
- Remember you must be a 50% salaried academic staff member to be a Chief Investigator.
B9.4 - Mobility (Fellowships Only)
- Preference is given to fellows who choose to move institution.
- If you are intending to apply for a fellowship, but not change institution you need to cite reasons such as the strength of the research concentration at CSU as well as world-class facilities.
B9.5 - B9.6 - Fellowship Funding
- Fellows are now given the opportunity to retain their tenure or extend their APD to incorporate teaching. Both options must be discussed with your HOS/Director.
B9.7 Unsuccessful Fellowship Options
- If your fellowship is unsuccessful and you choose to remain on the project as an investigator, you must be able to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility criteria of a CI.
- If your fellowship application is part of a larger research project, you have the fall-back position of becoming an ARC Research Associate in-lieu of a Fellow.
B10 - B10.6 Research Record Relative to Opportunities
- This section is your opportunity to convince the assessors that you as an investigator have the track record to achieve the aims and outcomes outlined in the proposal.
- If your track record has been slowed down, list the circumstances under Question B10.5.
- Remember 40% of the assessment criteria is based on the Quality of the Researchers.
C1 Budget Details
- Fully costed budget required.
- Do not include GST.
- C1.1 must be completed for each year of funding required.
- Do not prioritise budget items.
- Fellowship applicants must request research support to undertake their project. A Research Support Grant (RSG) is not automatically allocated.
- Partner investigator contributions must be clearly listed under Column 4.
- Indirect Costs = Salary + oncosts x Multiplier - Lab-based Multiplier = 1.25; non-lab based = .92.
C2 & C3 Justification of Budget
Personnel:
- If you are requesting a salary for an APD/ARC Senior Research Associate/ARC Research Associate you must quote ARC salary rates, not CSU rates.
- Other positions must be quoted at institutional rates and must include 33.9% on-costs as well as increments.
- Do not name personnel unless their expertise brings strength to the application. Request a position which requires certain qualifications and expertise to undertake x,y,z range of tasks.
- Do not request a full-time position if it is clear from reading the application that the tasks can be completed sufficiently on a part-time basis.
- Remember your assessors are current researchers and are well aware of personnel costs and requirements.
- Teaching Relief is only supported in exceptional circumstances which must be related to the research project and not the investigator's academic or professional responsibilities.
- Avoid statements like, "I need teaching relief because I have a heavy teaching and administrative load".
- Remember teaching relief is only available for 6 months per year, at the bottom rung of the ARC Senior Research Associate salary scale, regardless of your current position.
Travel:
- Travel must be integral to the demands of the research project (fieldwork, access to specialised archives or other primary source material).
- Panels need to be convinced that e-mail, teleconference or telephone are not sufficient.
- Substantial travel support is more appropriately requested under the ARC Linkage - International scheme.
D2 - Reports on ARC Grants
- Applicants must submit a one-page progress report on any ARC project which received funds in 2000.
- Applicants must have submitted Final/Progress Reports on any ARC funded projects.
Part E - Project Description - 10 Pages Maximum
E2 - Background
- This proposal must clearly outline where this research fits in your field both nationally & internationally.
- Refer to current work and highlight how this project will extend or challenge current work in the area.
E3 - Significance & Innovation - 30%
- It must be clear to the assessors why this research needs to be done and what the implications are if it is successful.
- How does the work advance research in the area and why is it better.
- Will new technologies/methodologies be used?
- Don't make the assessors search for the significance and innovation in your proposal.
E4 - Approach - 20%
- Be sure you demonstrate that your proposal incorporates soundly developed methods & strategies that will ensure the aims of the projects can be achieved.
- Assessors are critical of proposals where the methodology is not convincing.
- Be specific and indicate why certain methods/techniques will be used over others, and indicate where the advantages lie.
E5 - National Benefit - 10%
- How will this project improve Australia's international competitiveness or contribute to the national good of the country?
E6 - Communication of Results
- Once results have been obtained they must be distributed to the wider community.
- Publications, conferences, professional networks, workshops, public orations, development of a web page/CD-ROM are some examples.
E7 - Description of Personnel
- The role of each participant and the expertise that they bring to the proposal must be evident from this section.
- Choose team members whose research expertise are complementary to your own. Remember you need to convince assessors that your team has the ability to meet the aims and outcomes of the project.
- Think carefully about what the partner investigators bring to the project other than just their salary eg access to specialised database, time of technicians/laboratory assistants, chemicals, consumables etc.
Part F - Existing Funding
- From 2002, applicants can hold no more than 2 ARC Discovery - Project grants.
- Applicants are invited to relinquish existing ARC Large grants and role them into an ARC Discovery - Project application or carry the current grants to completion.
- There are no guarantees that the new ARC Discovery - Project grant application will be funded at a level higher than your existing ARC Large grants.
- All CI's/PI's must agree to relinquish existing ARC Large Grants in favour of a new ARC Discovery.
Why Applications Are Excluded:
- Failing to submit through the Centre for Research and Graduate Training.
- Not meeting the minimum funding threshold.
- Exceeding the number of applications allowed as sole CI or in collaboration with others.
- Ineligible Chief/Partner Investigator.
- Not clearly outlining the Partner Investigator's contributions to the project.
- Designating the application "Commercial-In-Confidence".
- Not adhering to the NHMRC/ARC coordination procedures.