Industrial Transformation Training
Centres
Selection Report
For Funding Commencing in 2015
Industrial Transformation Training Centres
Selection Report for Funding Commencing in 2015
Overview
The Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme fosters close partnerships between
university-based researchers and other research end-users to provide innovative Higher
Degree by Research (HDR) and postdoctoral training for the end-user focused research
industries vital to Australia's future.
The objectives of the Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme are to:
a. foster opportunities for Higher Degree by Research candidates and postdoctoral
fellows to pursue industrial training and to enhance competitive research in
collaboration between universities and organisations outside the Australian higher
education sector; and
b. strengthen Australia's Industrial Transformation Priorities to supplement the
capabilities of industries and other research end-users.
Selection process
Proposals for projects commencing in 2015 opened on 17 September 2014 and closed on
10 December 2014. This report outlines recommendations from the selection process for that
round.
ARC Executive Directors, assisted by relevant ARC staff, prepared funding recommendations
for submission to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The recommendations were based on
advice from the Industry Advisory Panel which:




assessed proposals and reviewed assessments made by independent assessors;
reviewed applicants’ comments on assessors’ reports;
ranked each proposal relative to the others on the basis of the proposal, the
assessors’ reports and applicants’ responses to those assessments;
assessed and recommended budgets; and

recommended proposal feedback.
and, on advice from the ARC Eligibility Committee which:



considered eligibility issues identified by ARC staff;
where required sought advice from institutions with respect to issues raised; and
made recommendations to the CEO in respect of ineligible proposals.
This report reflects the recommendations of the ARC CEO to the Minister for Education and
Training, and the ministerially approved funding outcomes.
.
Selection criteria
Selection criteria and corresponding weights for Industrial Transformation Training Centres
proposals are:




Proposed Project
Feasibility and Benefit
Collaborative Research Environment
Training Centre Director and Supervisors
(30%)
(30%)
(20%)
(20%)
Page 2 of 9
The ARC assessment and subsequent reporting process for Industrial Transformation
Training Centres 2015 was managed in the Research Management System (RMS), and used a
total of 10 Industry Advisory Panel members. A total of 57 independent assessor reports were
submitted to the ARC for Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2015.
Summary of Outcomes
The ARC received a total of 17 proposals for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for
funding in 2015. There were no withdrawn proposals. The overall success rate was
29.4 per cent, lower than the success rate for the previous round of 53.8 per cent. Please note
that within this selection report approved funding may include indicative funding amounts.
Table 1.
Funding
year
Comparison of proposal numbers, success rates, requested and allocated
funds for successful proposals from Industrial Transformation Training
Centres for funding in 2014 and 2015
Proposals
considered
Proposals
approved
Success Requested funds
rate
over project life
(all proposals)
Requested funds
Funds
Allocation as a
over project life allocated over percentage of
(approved
project life
request
proposals)
2014
13
7
53.8%
$31,411,165
$16,141,217 $15,667,347
97.1%
2015
17
5
29.4%
$67,420,481
$21,222,107 $20,895,677
98.5%
Approved Training Centres for funding
Table 2.
Details of approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in
2015
ARC Training Centre for Mining
Restoration
Administering
Organisation
Curtin University
of Technology
Training Centre
Director
Prof Kingsley
Dixon
ARC Training Centre for
Liquefied Natural Gas Futures
The University of
Western Australia
Prof Eric May
$4,571,797
ARC Training Centre for
Advanced Manufacturing of
Prefabricated Housing
The University of
Melbourne
Prof Priyan
Mendis
$4,000,000
ARC Training Centre for Forest
Value
University of
Tasmania
Prof James Reid
$3,630,239
ARC Training Centre for Fruit
Fly Biosecurity Innovation
Macquarie
University
A/Prof Phillip
Taylor
$3,732,019
Training Centre Title
Approved funds over
project life
$4,961,622
Page 3 of 9
Selection outcomes by Administering Organisation
Table 3.
Numbers of proposals, success rates and ARC approved funding for
approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2015
proposals by Administering Organisation
Administering
Organisation
Proposals
considered
Proposals
approved
Success
rate
ARC approved funding over
project life (approved
proposals)
New South Wales
7
1
14.3%
$3,732,019
Macquarie
University
2
1
50.0%
$3,732,019
The University of
New South Wales
1
0
0%
-
The University of
Newcastle
3
0
0%
-
University of
Western Sydney
1
0
0%
-
Queensland
4
0
0%
-
Queensland
University of
Technology
2
0
0%
-
The University of
Queensland
2
0
0%
-
Tasmania
1
1
100.0%
$3,630,239
University of
Tasmania
1
1
100.0%
$3,630,239
Victoria
2
1
50.0%
$4,000,000
Deakin University
1
0
0%
The University of
Melbourne
1
1
100.0%
$4,000,000
Western Australia
3
2
66.7%
$9,533,419
Curtin University
of Technology
1
1
100.0%
$4,961,622
The University of
Western Australia
2
1
50.0%
$4,571,797
Total
17
5
29.4%
$20,895,677
-
Page 4 of 9
Participating organisation contributions by organisation type
Table 4.
Participating organisation contributions by organisation type for
approved Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2015
proposals
Organisation type
Organisation contributions (cash & in-kind)
over project life (approved proposals)
Administering Organisation
$10,052,208
Other Eligible Organisation
$4,172,753
Partner Organisation
Other Organisation
Total
$29,117,437
$1,093,000
$44,435,398
Partner Organisation contributions by sector
Partner Organisations were identified by the applicants as either international or Australiabased, government, non-profit, private companies or overseas higher education organisations.
The Partner Organisation contributions in these categories for proposals approved for funding
in 2015 are shown below in Table 5.
Page 5 of 9
Table 5.
Partner Organisation contributions by sector for approved Industrial
Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2015 proposals
Type
Cash
$
In-kind
Total
%
$
%
$
%
0
489,005
2.3
489,005
1.7
Government
Australian
Federal
Government
Australian
state,
territory &
local
governments
0
Subtotal
500,000
6.3
1,984,930
9.4
2,484,930
8.5
500,000
6.3
2,473,935
11.7
2,973,935
10.2
6,311,181
78.9
13,917,126
65.9
20,228,307
69.5
750,000
9.4
2,940,195
13.9
3,690,195
12.7
7,061,181
88.3
16,857,321
79.8
23,918,502
82.1
250,000
3.1
700,000
3.3
950,000
3.3
Industry
Body
Australian
International
Subtotal
Non-profit
Australian
International
0
Subtotal
250,000
0
3.1
0
700,000
0
3.3
0
950,000
0
3.3
Education
Australian
0
International
0
0
0
0
0
150,000
1.9
450,000
2.1
600,000
2.1
150,000
1.9
450,000
2.1
600,000
2.1
40,000
0.5
635,000
3.0
675,000
2.3
Subtotal
40,000
0.5
635,000
3.0
675,000
2.3
Total
8,001,181
Subtotal
Other
Other
100.0
21,116,256
100.0
29,117,437
100.0
Note: All totals and percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum.
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Leverage of ARC funding
Of the 17 proposals considered, five were approved with a total approved funding, over the
life of these projects, of $20.9 million. There are 36 Partner Organisations involved with these
proposals, committing a total of $29.1 million in cash and in-kind funding. This represents
$1.39 from Partner Organisations for every dollar of funding from the ARC.
Industrial Transformation Priorities
Table 6.
Instances of identified Industrial Transformation Priorities in Industrial
Transformation Training Centres for funding commencing in 2015
Instances in proposals
considered*
5
Instances in proposals
approved*
2
Manufacturing
4
2
Medical devices and biotechnology
5
0
Mining and mining services
5
1
Oil and gas, including petroleum
2
1
Total
21
6
Industrial Transformation Priorities
Food and agriculture
* A single proposal may select multiple Industrial Transformation Priorities
Strategic Research Priorities
Table 7.
Approved funding for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding
in 2015 by Strategic Research Priority
Priority area
Proposals
considered
Proposals
approved
Success
rate
Lifting productivity and economic
growth
12
4
33.3%
Living in a changing environment
1
0
-
Managing our food and water assets
1
1
100.0%
Promoting population health and
wellbeing
Total
3
0
-
17
5
29.4%
$20,895,677
17
5
29.4%
$20,895,677
100%
100%
Total within Strategic Research
Priorities
Percentage within Strategic
Research Priorities (%)
Approved
funds over
project life
$17,163,658
$3,732,019
-
100%
Page 7 of 9
Table 8.
Proposal data by Field of Research category for Industrial Transformation
Training Centres for funding in 2015
Field of Research category
Proposals
considered
Proposals
approved
1
1
0
1
$4,961,622
4
2
$7,362,258
1
0
-
8
1
2
0
$8,571,797
1
0
-
17
5
$20,895,677
Earth Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Agricultural and Veterinary
Sciences
Information and Computing
Sciences
Engineering
Technology
Psychology and Cognitive
Sciences
Total
ARC approved funding over
project life (approved proposals)
-
Components
The components that can be funded in the Industrial Transformation Training Centres are
Higher Degree by Research candidates (ICHDR) and Postdoctoral Fellows (ICPD). The
component types, number requested and success rates are shown below in Table 9.
Table 9.
Numbers and success rates for Industrial Transformation Training Centres
components
Component
ICHDR
ICPD
Total
Number Requested
Number Approved
Success rate
174
62
236
50
20
70
28.7%
32.3%
29.7%
Gender
A total of 301 participants were named as Training Centre Director, Chief Investigator or
Partner Investigator on all proposals considered in this round. Of these, 260 are male and 41
are female. The success rates for male and female participants in this round are 31.9 per cent
and 22.0 per cent respectively. The five Training Centre Directors are male.
Page 8 of 9
International collaboration
Figure 1. Instances of international collaboration on approved Industrial
Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2015 proposals
Vietnam, 1
Brazil, 1
Canada, 2
United States of
America, 3
China, 2
Switzerland, 1
Sweden, 1
Denmark, 1
England, 1
South Africa, 1
France, 1
Portugal, 1
Germany, 1
Japan, 1
New Zealand, 3
Netherlands, 1
Republic of (South)
Korea, 1
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