ARC Centres of Excellence
Selection Report
for Funding Commencing in 2014
Overview
The ARC Centres of Excellence scheme aims to enhance and develop Australia’s research
excellence through highly innovative and collaborative research, as well as build Australia’s
human capacity in a range of research areas.
Objectives
As indicated in the Funding Rules for this scheme, the objectives of the ARC Centres of
Excellence scheme are to:
a. 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;
b. 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;
c. 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;
d. 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;
e. provide high-quality postgraduate and postdoctoral training environments for the next
generation of researchers;
f. offer Australian researchers opportunities to work on large-scale problems over longer
periods of time; and
g. 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.
Selection process
The ARC Centres of Excellence selection round was conducted through a competitive threestage process:

Expression of Interest (EOI);

full Proposal; and

interview.
The ARC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), assisted by ARC staff, prepared funding
recommendations for submission to the Minister for Education. The recommendations were
based on advice from a Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) which:

assessed Expressions of Interest and shortlisted EOIs for submission of full Proposals;

assessed full Proposals and reviewed assessments made by independent readers;

reviewed Applicants’ comments on assessor reports;

shortlisted full Proposals for interview;

interviewed shortlisted Proposals;

ranked each Proposal relative to the others on the basis of the proposal, the assessor
reports, Applicants’ responses to those assessments and interview;
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
assessed and recommended budgets;
and, advice from the ARC Eligibility Committee which:

considered eligibility issues identified by ARC staff, the SAC or independent assessors;
and

where required, sought advice from institutions or at interview with respect to issues
raised.
The recommendations of the CEO were considered and approved by the Minister. This report
reflects the approved outcomes.
Selection criteria
Selection criteria and corresponding weighting for EOIs:



Research program – quality and innovation (45%)
Investigators (40%)
Institutional support (15%)
Selection criteria and corresponding weighting for Proposals:





Research program – quality and innovation (20%)
Investigators (20%)
Institutional support (20%)
Governance, leadership and mentoring (20%)
Outcomes and linkages (20%)
Funding levels and duration
Funding of between $1 million and $4 million per annum for up to seven years may be
awarded for each ARC Centre of Excellence.
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Summary of Outcomes
The ARC received a total of 103 EOIs and invited 22 applications to submit full Proposals. Of
the 22 ARC Centres of Excellence Proposals submitted, 12 (54.5%) are approved for funding.
This represents an Australian Government commitment of $285 million over the life of these
Centres.
Table 1:
Numbers of EOIs, Proposals and success rates for ARC Centres of Excellence
2014 by discipline panel
EOIs
Panel*
considered
EOIs
shortlisted
EOI
success
rate
(%)
Proposals
considered
Proposals
interviewed
Proposals
approved
Proposals
success rate
BSB
26
6
23.1%
6
6
4
66.7%
EMI
33
5
15.2%
5
5
3
60.0%
HCA
11
4
36.4%
4
4
1
25.0%
PCE
23
5
21.7%
5
5
3
60.0%
SBE
10
2
20.0%
2
2
1
50.0%
Total
103
22
21.4%
22
22
12
54.5%
*BSB = Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EMI = Engineering, Mathematics and Informatics; HCA = Humanities and Creative Arts;
PCE = Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences; SBE = Social, Behavioural and Economics Sciences
Table 2:
Requested and approved funding for ARC Centres of Excellence 2014 by
discipline panel
Panel*
Proposals
approved
Requested funds over
project life (approved
Proposals)
Approved funds over Approved funds as
project life (approved % of requested
Proposals)
funds
BSB
4
$108,127,261
$96,000,000
88.78%
EMI
3
$71,532,842
$65,000,000
90.87%
HCA
1
$28,000,000
$28,000,000
100.00%
PCE
3
$83,932,145
$75,999,996
90.55%
SBE
1
$25,200,000
$20,000,000
79.37%
Total
12
$316,792,248
$284,999,996
89.96%
*BSB = Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EMI = Engineering, Mathematics and Informatics; HCA = Humanities and Creative Arts;
PCE = Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences; SBE = Social, Behavioural and Economics Sciences
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Outcomes by Administering Organisation
Table 3:
Numbers of EOIs and Proposals, success rates and ARC approved funding
for ARC Centres of Excellence 2014 by Administering Organisation
EOIs
considered
EOIs
shortlisted
EOI
success
rate
(%)
Proposals
considered
Charles Darwin
University
1
0
0.0%
0
0
-
-
Curtin University of
Technology
4
0
0.0%
0
0
-
-
Deakin University
1
0
0.0%
0
0
-
-
Griffith University
2
1
50.0%
1
0
-
-
James Cook University
1
1
100.0%
1
1
100.0%
$28,000,000
Macquarie University
3
3
100.0%
3
0
-
-
Monash University
8
3
37.5%
3
3
100.0%
$73,999,996
Queensland University
of Technology
5
2
40.0%
2
1
50.0%
$19,000,000
Swinburne University of
Technology
2
0
0.0%
0
0
-
-
The Australian National
University
9
2
22.2%
2
2
100.0%
$50,000,000
The Flinders University
of South Australia
1
1
100%
1
0
-
-
The University of
Adelaide
3
1
33.3%
1
1
100.0%
$23,000,000
The University of
Melbourne
12
1
8.3%
1
1
100.0%
$20,000,000
The University of New
South Wales
11
0
0.0%
0
0
-
-
The University of
Newcastle
4
0
0.0%
0
0
-
-
The University of
Queensland
11
1
9.1%
1
1
100.0%
$20,000,000
The University of
Sydney
7
3
42.9%
3
0
-
-
The University of
Western Australia
7
1
14.3%
1
1
100.0%
$26,000,000
Administering
Organisation
Proposal
Proposals
success rate
approved
(%)
Approved funds over
project life (approved
Proposals)
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University of South
Australia
3
0
0.0%
0
0
-
-
University of Tasmania
3
0
0.0%
0
0
-
-
University of
Technology, Sydney
2
1
50.0%
1
0
-
-
University of
Wollongong
3
1
33.3%
1
1
100.0%
$25,000,000
Table 4:
ARC Centres of Excellence 2014 Proposals approved for funding
Centre Director
Administering Organisation
Total approved funds
over project life
ARC Centre of Excellence in
Advanced Molecular Imaging
Prof James Whisstock
Monash University
$27,999,996
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Children and Families over the
Life Course
Prof Janeen Baxter
The University of Queensland
$20,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence in
Convergent Bio-Nano Science and
Technology
Prof Thomas Davis
Monash University
$26,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence for the
Dynamics of Language
Prof Nicholas Evans
The Australian National University
$28,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Electromaterials Science
Prof Gordon Wallace
University of Wollongong
$25,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Integrated Coral Reef Studies
Prof Terence Hughes
James Cook University
$28,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Integrative Brain Function
Prof Gary Egan
Monash University
$20,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Mathematical and Statistical
Frontiers of Big Data, Big Models,
New Insights
Prof Peter Hall
The University of Melbourne
$20,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Nanoscale BioPhotonics
Prof Tanya Monro
The University of Adelaide
$23,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant
Energy Biology
Prof Andrew Millar
The University of Western Australia
$26,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Robotic Vision
Prof Peter Corke
Queensland University of
Technology
$19,000,000
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Translational Photosynthesis
Prof Murray Badger
The Australian National University
$22,000,000
ARC Centres of Excellence Title
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Collaboration
ARC Centres of Excellence encourage collaboration between university researchers at the
Administering and Collaborating Organisations and researchers and end-users at Partner
Organisations, both within Australia and internationally.
The approved Proposals involve nine Administering Organisations, 22 Collaborating
Organisations and 106 Partner Organisations.
Table 5:
ARC requested funds and cash commitments from all Organisations for the
ARC Centres of Excellence 2014 approved Proposals
ARC requested
funds over
project life
Cash commitment
from all
Organisations* over
project life
Cash commitment from
all Organisations* as %
of ARC requested funds
over project life
ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced
Molecular Imaging
$27,999,996
$10,558,326
37.7%
ARC Centre of Excellence for Children
and Families over the Life Course
$25,200,000
$7,900,000
31.4%
ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent
Bio-Nano Science and Technology
$27,996,624
$9,413,201
33.6%
ARC Centre of Excellence for the
Dynamics of Language
$28,000,000
$9,338,000
33.4%
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Electromaterials Science
$27,932,149
$13,843,602
49.6%
ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrated
Coral Reef Studies
$28,000,000
$12,026,332
43.0%
ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative
Brain Function
$27,719,993
$9,384,551
33.9%
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers of
Big Data, Big Models, New Insights
$22,956,217
$8,157,064.00
35.5%
ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale
BioPhotonics
$28,000,000
$16,319,284
58.3%
ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy
Biology
$27,990,263
$14,067,236
50.3%
ARC Centre of Excellence for Robotic
Vision
$20,580,001
$6,860,002
33.3%
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Translational Photosynthesis
$24,417,005
$8,191,565
33.5%
Total
$316,792,248
$126,059,163.00
39.8%
ARC Centres of Excellence Title
*Administering Organisation, Collaborating Organisations and Partner Organisations
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International Collaboration
International collaboration is an important component of ARC Centres of Excellence. All
approved Proposals indicated international collaborations with at least one country, with the
majority indicating international collaboration with five or more countries. Overall, the
approved Proposals indicate collaboration with 44 countries. Data relating to international
collaboration is shown in Table 6.
Table 6:
International collaboration for the ARC Centres of Excellence 2014 by
country of collaboration
Country of collaboration
Proposals
considered
Proposals
approved
Belgium
1
-
Belize
1
1
Brazil
1
1
Burma
1
-
Cambodia
Canada
Chile
1
9
1
5
1
China
12
4
Colombia
1
1
Denmark
2
2
Fiji
1
1
Finland
1
1
France
7
6
Germany
10
6
India
Indonesia
Ireland
3
3
3
1
2
3
Israel
2
2
Italy
5
3
Japan
Kenya
Korea, Republic of (South)
7
1
3
4
1
2
Madagascar
1
1
Malaysia
2
1
Maldives
1
1
Mexico
1
1
Monaco
1
1
Netherlands
5
3
New Caledonia
1
1
New Zealand
7
4
Norway
3
1
Pakistan
1
-
Papua New Guinea
1
1
Philippines
3
2
Portugal
1
1
Qatar
1
-
Saudi Arabia
1
1
Seychelles
1
1
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Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
5
1
2
4
1
1
Spain
1
1
Sri Lanka
1
-
Sweden
6
4
Switzerland
6
3
Taiwan
1
1
Tanzania
1
1
Thailand
1
-
Turkey
1
-
United Kingdom
16
10
United States of America
Venezuela
21
1
11
1
Vietnam
1
-
172
105
Total
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