Organisations
Australian Research Council
abbreviation: ARC
type: government agency
location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
WWW: www.arc.gov.au
description
The Australian Research Council (ARC) plays a key role in the Australian Government’s investment in the future prosperity and well-being of the Australian community. The ARC’s mission is to advance Australia’s capacity to undertake quality research that brings economic, social and cultural benefit to the Australian community.
“Linkage International” and ARC International Fellowships (ARCIFs)
Under the National Competitive Grants Program the ARC administers the “Linkage International” scheme which provides funding for the movement of researchers between Australian research organisations and centres of research excellence overseas, and to foster collaboration and networking between Australian and overseas researchers. It provides three types of support: Awards, ARC International Fellowships and Internationally Coordinated Initiatives.
“Linkage International” Awards aim to fund collaborations that build links among researchers, research teams and/or research centres of excellence in Australia and overseas.
ARC International Fellowships fund outstanding postdoctoral, research or senior research fellows to work in Australian or overseas institutions. ARC International Fellowships are available for a period of up to 12 months and can be to or from any country. There are some countries that the ARC has specific agreements with, but proposals are not just limited to fellows to or from those countries.
The “Linkage International Funding Rules for Proposals for Submission in 2006” are available at the ARC website www.arc.gov.au. The information pertaining to the different types of “Linkage International” Fellowships are set out within the Funding Rules.
The Key Dates for 'Linkage International' proposals can be found in the Funding Rules and also on the ARC website at: www.arc.gov.au/apply_grants/linkage_international.htm .
Internationally Coordinated Initiatives (ICIs)
From time to time, the ARC collaborates with overseas funding agencies to fund collaborative research proposals in targeted areas of research, defined as “Linkage International” Internationally Coordinated Initiatives (ICIs).
The ARC currently has two agreements in place for the collaborative funding of ICI research projects under “Linkage International”. The first being with the Economic and Social Research Council of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (ESRC), and the second with the US National Science Foundation (NSF).
The ARC and the ESRC signed an Agreement in December 2005 to foster and support collaborative social science research and create networks linking individuals and centres within Australia and the UK
The last ICI to be conducted in 2006 will be the “Materials World Networks” Initiative (MWN). The ARC and the US National Science Foundation (NSF) have agreed, for the third time, to call for joint proposals to stimulate enhanced collaborations among materials researchers and create networks linking individuals and centres in Australia with those in the USA. The NSF is a US independent federal agency that was created “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defence”.
In 2004 the ARC and NSF established a cooperative initiative to encourage and support proposals which cross national boundaries and involve internationally collaborative teams. Over the past two years the ARC has provided over $800,000 of funding for five collaborative MWN projects involving Australia-based and US materials researchers.
Materials science in this context includes research in the fields of biomaterials, ceramics, condensed matter and materials theory, condensed matter physics, electronic materials, instrumentation for materials research, metals, polymers and/or solid-state chemistry.
In Australia, the 'Materials World Networks' will be formally conducted under the ARC’s “Linkage International” Scheme, while counterpart US proposals will be considered by the NSF’s “Materials World Network: Cooperative Activity in Materials Research between US Investigators and their Counterparts Abroad (MWN)” funding program. The NSF’s “Materials World Networks” also fosters collaboration between the US and European counterparts.
The ARC may award each project up to $100,000 per year for a duration of one to three years. The ARC closing time for MWN proposals is 5.00pm AEST Friday, 13 October 2006. The deadline for submission of counterpart proposals to the NSF is 20 November 2006.
More information for Australia-based researchers is available at www.arc.gov.au. US-based researchers should visit www.nsf.gov for further information about the “Materials World Network: Cooperative Activity in Materials Research between US Investigators and their Counterparts Abroad (MWN)” program.
