Professor Sue Thomas, has provided an update on the ARC grants processes.

It includes information on: the National Competitive Grants Program - current rounds; new post award guidance; support for early and mid-career researchers - including extension to DECRA 2022 closing date; and the 2020-21 grant calendar.

"Following on from previous Network Messages to the sector, I would like to provide an update on the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) grant application and peer review processes, and outline further flexibility that the ARC is introducing for 2020 to support researchers on active ARC projects and researchers planning applications for future ARC support.

Grant application rounds continue with the assistance of the assessor community

We are continuing to progress the application and peer review processes for current ARC scheme rounds, including the Australian Laureate Fellowships, Future Fellowships, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA), Discovery Projects, Discovery Indigenous, Industrial Transformation Research Program, Linkage Projects, Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities, and the Special Research Initiative for Australian Society, History and Culture.

Despite the significant disruptions that the sector is experiencing, the ARC’s assessor community is continuing to provide assessments for over 4000 grant applications. We greatly appreciate this critical contribution to peer review processes that will ensure delivery of funding outcomes that support Australian research in the recovery period and beyond. Online Selection Advisory Committee meetings are also progressing very well.

New post award guidance—responding to the impact of COVID-19

To assist researchers and administrators working on active ARC projects impacted by the COVID-19 situation, the ARC has investigated ways to allow greater flexibility and minimise the burden of post award administration at this time. The ARC has now published post award guidance material that takes into account Grant Agreement requirements and seeks to provide a balance between accountability for expenditure of public money and easing the burden on researchers and Research Offices.

The guidance covers streamlined mechanisms to notify some variations through the ARC’s End of Year Report process, extensions to notification and reporting deadlines, other variations that will be considered due to the impact of COVID-19, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Acknowledging that COVID-19 is affecting researchers and the progress of research projects in a variety of ways, the guidance provides options for researchers and administrators to consider in responding to the specific impact on their project.

The ARC will continue to monitor the situation and update this guidance and FAQs accordingly.

Supporting early and mid-career researchers

We know that this is a particularly difficult time for our early and mid-career researchers, who have specific eligibility timeframes to apply for the DECRA and Future Fellowships (FT) schemes. The ARC is therefore introducing a one year, automatic eligibility extension, for all researchers currently in their final year of eligibility for both schemes. 

Researchers in their final year of eligibility for DECRA may choose to apply in 2020 (for DECRA 2022) within the existing eligibility timeframes or in 2021 (for DECRA 2023) utilising the automatic one-year extension. The same eligibility extension will be available for researchers in their final year of eligibility for Future Fellowships. Applicants may choose to apply in 2020 (for FT 2021) or utilise the automatic, one-year eligibility extension to apply in 2021 (for FT 2022). Final year applicants in either scheme cannot apply in both rounds.

For researchers planning applications in these, and other, NCGP schemes, the Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE) selection criterion allows inclusion and consideration of any career interruption, which has affected a researcher’s ability to undertake and contribute to research. Career interruptions arising from COVID-19 can be included under ROPE for consideration by assessors in all future rounds, for most NCGP schemes—advice will be included in the Instructions to Applicants on how to do this.

In conjunction with this change, the closing date for DECRA 2022 applications has been extended to 25 November 2020 (previously 11 November 2020).

2020-21 Grant Calendar coming soon

The ARC had delayed finalising the 2020-21 scheme round dates until now. At this stage we are not anticipating significant delays to the scheme applications rounds due to open at the end of this year. We have now resumed finalising these dates and will publish the dates on our website by the end of May.

Finally, I want to assure you that the ARC is committed to supporting researchers through this challenging period. We will continue to identify new issues as they emerge, reassess the applicability of our new measures, and update guidance as required.

Professor Sue Thomas
Chief Executive Officer"

The Australian Research Council (ARC) have provided various updates to the Australian research community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In summary, the changes and updates regarding ARC funding programs are extensions to three grant rounds; extensions to post-award reporting obligations; and information on how to request variations for current research projects. 

ARC Grant round extensions

• Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) 2021- 29 April 2020
• Linkage Projects 2020 Assessment Round 1 - 22 April 2020
• Special Research Initiative (SRI) for Australian Society, History and Culture - 6 May 2020

The updated Flinders’ internal dates and ARC closing dates are now available on the ARC schemes page.

Extensions to post-award reporting obligations

• End of Year Reports - deadline extended from 31 March 2020 to 31 May 2020
• Annual/Progress Reporting (for applicable projects) - deadline extended from 31 March 2020 to 31 May 2020
• Final Reports - initial three month extensions will be automatically approved by the ARC on request. Noting that submission dates for final reports vary project by project and that extensions may impact researchers’ eligibility for future applications, it is not practical to provide a blanket extension.

Extensions to submit grant applications

ARC Grant Guidelines allow for late grant applications to be submitted in exceptional circumstances (including natural disasters). In accordance with relevant Grant Guidelines, if administering organisations and their researchers have been directly affected by Coronavirus, Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Research) or equivalent may formally write to the ARC to request an extension due to exceptional circumstances. Noting, extension requests must be submitted in advance of the application deadline and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Variations to current research projects

In relation to mandatory post-award reporting obligations, Research Office Directors can seek extensions to deadlines where the Administering Organisation or their researchers have been directly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Research Office Directors may also seek ARC assistance with post-award project variation approvals where research projects and researchers have been directly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. ARC Grant Agreements allow for post award variations to research projects due to changes in circumstances, including scope changes, personnel changes, suspensions and extensions to end dates. The ARC will consider any post award variation requests submitted by Administering Organisations on a case-by-case basis.

In the first instance, individual researchers are encouraged to contact the ARC team, Research Development and Support, if they have any questions or require assistance with ARC grant applications and/or ARC-funded research projects. 

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (DVCR) has provided, below, information and advice on changes to the grant submission dates for a number of ARC and NHMRC grant schemes.

The major research funding bodies, the ARC and NHMRC, have changed their grant submission dates for a range of grant schemes as follows:

ARC:

• Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) 2021- 29 April 2020
• Linkage Projects 2020 Assessment Round 1 - 22 April 2020
• Special Research Initiative (SRI) for Australian Society, History and Culture - 6 May 2020

The updated Flinders’ internal dates and ARC closing dates are now available on the ARC schemes page.

The full ARC communique can be found here.

NHMRC:

• Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Scheme (CTCS) - delayed, the closing date for the CTCS scheme will be extended to 25 November 2020.
• Ideas Grant Scheme - extra time, the deadline will be extended by 5 weeks, with a new closing date of 10 June 2020. 
• Investigator Grants 2020 - the outcomes from the 2020 Investigator Grant round to be available soon.
• Synergy Grant Scheme - cancelled for 2020. NHMRC will consider whether it is possible to run an expanded Synergy Grant round in 2021.
  The NHMRC would like all applicants to export application previews from Sapphire before their Synergy Grant application is no longer accessible. This will assist in future application rounds and, if applicable, assist with applying in other NHMRC schemes currently available. Applicants will have until COB 6 April 2020 to complete these exports. If applicants require any assistance with this process please email the Research Help Centre via email at help@nhmrc.gov.au. 
  

The updated Flinders’ internal dates and NHMRC closing dates are now available on the NHMRC schemes page.

The full NHMRC communique can be found here.

This information and further updates have been posted to: https://staff.flinders.edu.au/coronavirus-information.

Flinders continues to be committed to maintaining, as far as possible, normal research activities. In order to ensure that we continue to meet our compliance obligations, all researchers must ensure that you are informed of these matters by reading the research information provided on that site and inform the students you supervise of changes relevant to their research.

The University continues to provide and update general information at the following websites: https://staff.flinders.edu.au/coronavirus-information; https://students.flinders.edu.au/coronavirus-information.

Professor Sue Thomas, has released a statement to the Australian research sector regarding the COVID-19 impact.

It includes information on: extension of reporting obligation deadlines; information on the National Competitive Grants Program.

"I would like to provide reassurance that the ARC is doing its best to support you during what is proving to be an extremely challenging time.

We understand that most of you have been, or will be, affected by the current viral pandemic and that, in turn, your research may also have been disrupted. Please be assured that we hear your concerns about being able to progress your work in the midst of many other immediate priorities, and of the consequent need for us to be flexible and generous in dealing with your circumstances. 

Like all of you, we are carefully monitoring the current COVID-19 situation, taking into account the advice being issued by the Australian Government, particularly the Chief Medical Officer, and adjusting our contingency plans as the landscape changes. We are also working to address current workforce issues that are arising due to interruptions to local school services.  

I know that many of you are anxious to understand exactly what that means we are doing and how we can assist you. Some of you have made specific suggestions of how we might respond, and we are grateful that you are thinking about how the research sector can be supported. 

At this stage, the ARC is continuing its administration of the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) across grant application, peer review and post-award activities. We are very conscious of the need to balance what we do for researchers working on existing ARC-funded projects with how we support researchers to progress applications for future funding, understanding that researchers from both groups are under significant stress right now. These activities are essential to support researchers’ careers and the stability of the research community, and both must continue to be supported from within the existing ARC funding envelope.

For those of you seeking funding, we are using our usual processes for application submission and peer review to assess your application. There is an existing process where researchers can seek, through their university, short extensions to application submission deadlines because of exceptional circumstances. At this stage we are not moving to longer or blanket extensions because of the cumulative impact this will have on the necessary peer review processes and being able to commence funding in the future. In light of the recently introduced travel restrictions, we have taken a decision to temporarily replace face to face Selection Advisory Committee meetings with video conferencing. This is a format we already have experience with, and we have recently conducted a successful stress test of our systems to ensure their robustness when activated remotely in the event of either assessor or ARC staff isolation, so we are confident we can make it work. Administering organisations and Selection Advisory Committee members have been advised directly about our plans and are supportive. 

For those of you who are already in receipt of ARC funding, we do understand that the current COVID-19 situation may be impacting your capacity to progress your project in the way you outlined, or your ability to fulfil reporting obligations. To assist both researchers and research administrators with managing reporting obligations, the ARC will be extending the following deadlines:

• End of Year Reports – deadline extended from 31 March 2020 to 31 May 2020
• Annual/Progress Reporting (for applicable projects) – deadline extended from 31 March 2020 to 31 May 2020
• Final Reports – initial three month extensions will be automatically approved by the ARC on request. Noting that submission dates for final reports vary project by project and that extensions may impact researchers’ eligibility for future applications, it is not practical to provide a blanket extension. 

We also recognise that, since circumstances are rapidly changing, we may come to the point that our planned ways of doing things are not possible, and we are ready to address that situation too. We are also ready to work with you and your individual situations as the year unfolds. Should you need to vary your research, to either seek an extension or change its scope, we can do that later in the year when there is a more complete understanding of the impact. Researchers will be affected in different ways by the ongoing events and we wish to assure you that we will approach any extensions with understanding.

We hope that this short update provides some reassurance and guidance about the support we are endeavouring to provide you with. We urge all researchers to stay in touch with their research offices regarding ARC applications and ongoing research, and for Research Offices in turn to stay in contact with the ARC so that we can be responsive and understanding. 

We wish all of you, and your families, well at this time and look forward to continuing to support you to the best of our ability.

Professor Sue Thomas
Chief Executive Officer"

The Australian Research Council (ARC) released the following network message on 16 March 2020.

It includes details on extensions to submit grants applications and extensions to post-award reporting obligations and variations to current research projects.

"The Australian Research Council (ARC) is aware that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting researchers and research organisations across Australia in a variety of ways, including those involved with current ARC-funded research projects and those preparing ARC grant applications. 

While the ARC is monitoring the situation closely—including taking into account the advice being issued by the Australian Government, and in particular, the Chief Medical Officer—the agency is continuing to administer the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) in accordance with our standard processes to manage grant applications, peer review and post-award activities and has been working with affected Administering Organisations.

Under our standard processes, we offer our support to any administering organisations and their researchers directly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, including:

• Extensions to submit grant applications
  ARC Grant Guidelines allow for late grant applications to be submitted in exceptional circumstances (including natural disasters). In accordance with relevant Grant Guidelines, if administering organisations and their researchers have been directly affected by Coronavirus, Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Research) or equivalent may formally write to the ARC to request an extension due to exceptional circumstances. Noting, extension requests must be submitted in advance of the application deadline and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Extensions to post-award reporting obligations and variations to current research projects
  In relation to mandatory post-award reporting obligations, Research Office Directors can seek extensions to deadlines where the Administering Organisation or their researchers have been directly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Research Office Directors may also seek ARC assistance with post-award project variation approvals where research projects and researchers have been directly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. ARC Grant Agreements allow for post award variations to research projects due to changes in circumstances, including scope changes, personnel changes, suspensions and extensions to end dates. The ARC will consider any post award variation requests submitted by Administering Organisations on a case-by-case basis.

In the first instance, individual researchers are encouraged to contact their Research Office (Research Development and Support at Flinders), if they have any questions or require assistance with ARC grant applications and/or ARC-funded research projects.

We wish all our Administering Organisations and their researchers well during this time."