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Appendix 2: National Competitive Grants Program statistics

This appendix provides information to support the Annual Performance Statement for Key Activity 1: Funding the highest quality research.

Table A1: Discovery Program funding commencing in 2017–18 to 2019–20

Scheme

2017–18

2018–19

2019–20

Australian Laureate Fellowships

2017

2018

2019

Number of applications

112

134

149

Number of awards

17

16

17

Success rate (%)

15.2

11.9

11.4

Total funding ($)

47,025,969

46,414,107

53,753,052

Discovery Early Career Researcher Award

2018

2019

2020

Number of applications

1212

1162

1248

Number of awards

197

200

200

Success rate (%)

16.3

17.2

16

Total funding ($)

70,940,411

76,912,659

81,838,415

Discovery Indigenous

2018

2019

2020

Number of applications

38

31

29

Number of awards

13

12

7

Success rate (%)

34.2

38.7

24.1

Total funding ($)

7,210,045

6,749,419

4,688,884

Discovery Projects

2018

2019

2020

Number of applications

3,136

2,921

2,875

Number of awards

594

654

660

Success rate (%)

18.9

22.4

23

Total funding ($)

225,661,033

262,590,367

284,952,924

Future Fellowships

2017

2018

2019

Number of applications

294

509

589

Number of awards

91

100

100

Success rate (%)

31

19.6

17

Total funding ($)

77,004,106

84,723,377

87,843,444

Table A2: Linkage Program funding commencing in 2017–18 to 2019–20

Scheme

2017–18

2018–19

2019–20

ARC Centres of Excellence

2018

2019

2020

Number of Expressions of Interest (EOI)

n/a

n/a

93

Number of EOI shortlisted

n/a

n/a

20

EOI success rate (%)

n/a

n/a

21.5

Number of applications funded

n/a

n/a

9

Application success rate (%)

n/a

n/a

45

Total funding ($)

n/a

n/a

308,790,287

Industrial Transformation Research Hubs

2018

2019

2020

Number of applications

9

13

16

Number of awards

4

4

5

Success rate (%)

44.4

30.8

31.3

Total funding ($)

17,971,900

18,104,299

24,950,000

Industrial Transformation Training Centres1

2018

20198

2020

Number of applications

28

25

31

Number of awards

7

6

5

Success rate (%)

25

24

16.1

Total funding ($)

28,922,441

24,072,165

24,334,385

Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities

2018

2019

2020

Number of applications

171

144

164

Number of awards

50

36

47

Success rate (%)

29.2

25

28.7

Total funding ($)

28,576,391

27,421,223

30,672,752

Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects2

2018

2019

2020

Number of applications

10

n/a

n/a

Number of awards

5

n/a

n/a

Success rate (%)

50

n/a

n/a

Total funding ($)

1,149,565

n/a

n/a

Linkage Projects3 4 5

2017

2018

20198

Number of applications

417

448

432

Number of awards

132

140

175

Success rate (%)

31.7

31.3

40.5

Total funding ($)

53,330,220

60,550,623

78,187,269

Special Research Initiatives6 7

2017–185

2018–195 8

2019–206

Number of applications

31

22

20

Number of awards

9

4

2

Success rate (%)

29

18.2

10

Total funding ($)

8,166,350

2,664,878

56,000,000

Supporting Responses to Commonwealth Science Council Priorities

2018

2019

2020

Number of applications

n/a

2

n/a

Number of awards

n/a

2

n/a

Success rate (%)

n/a

100

n/a

Total funding ($)

n/a

417,941

n/a

Notes

  1. Outcomes for IC19 had not been announced in time for publication in the ARC Annual Report 2018–19. The results have been included in this report in 2018–19.
  2. No funding round was scheduled for 2019 or 2020.
  3. Linkage Projects 2019 includes all applications received for funding under the 2019 selection round. Funding for projects in the 2019 selection round may commence in 2019 or 2020.
  4. Linkage Projects 2017 includes all applications received for funding under the 2017 selection round. Funding for projects in the 2017 selection round may commence in 2017 or 2018.
  5. Linkage Projects 2018 includes all applications received for funding under the 2018 selection round. Funding for projects in the 2018 selection round may commence in 2018 or 2019.
  6. The Special Research Initiative reported in 2018–19 is the Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Remediation Research Program. Outcomes for the second round of SR18 had not been announced in time for publication in the ARC Annual Report 2018–19. The results have been included in this report in 2018–19.
  7. The Special Research Initiative reported in 2019–20 is the Excellence in Antarctic Science (SRIEAS) Program.
  8. In the above performance reporting against Key Activity 1 a number of KPI performance figures are different to those previously reported in the 2018–19 Annual Report. As noted in last year’s Annual Report, some of the 2018–19 figures did not include ITRP data. This was due to the outcomes and data of ITRP rounds not yet being finalised and available for inclusion in the report. The ITRP data has now been included in the 2018–19 figures reported in the current 2019–20 Annual Report. The inclusion of this data now shows an accurate reflection of the ARC’s performance in 2018–19 and provides comparable data to assess against this year’s performance.