ARC DISCOVERY and LINKAGE Opportunities for Medical Research

ARC DISCOVERY and LINKAGE Opportunities for Medical Research: Diversify Research Funding Winthrop Professor Colin Raston Centre for Strategic Nano-Fabrication Colin. Raston@uwa. edu. au November 2010 http: //www. strategicnano. uwa. edu. au/

ARC DISCOVERY: the Fundamentals - support • Funding range: $20, 000 - $500, 000 p. a. • Duration of Funding: 1 - 5 years (usually three years). • Research Types supported • Pure basic research • Strategic basic research • Applied research • Research Types Not Supported • Clinical medical and dental research!!!!!!! • …….

ARC DISCOVERY: the Fundamentals • Dates for the award of a Ph. D (or having achieved equivalent status) to be eligible for Discovery Projects Fellowships and/or Early Career Researcher (ECR) status: • Early Career Researcher (ECR) - on or after 1 March 2006. • Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (APD) - on or after 1 March 2008. • Other fellowships – ARC consultation paper! - Prof Margaret Sheil, CEO ARC - Woolnough Lecture Theatre, 11. 00 am Friday Dec 3

Know the College of Experts members • Biological Sciences and Biotechnology (BSB) • Engineering and Environmental Science (EE) • Mathematics. Information and Communication Sciences (MIC) • Physics, Chemistry and Geosciences (PCG) • Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences (SBE)

Selection Criteria • Investigator/s track record - 40% • Relative to opportunities • Proposed project content – 60% • Significance and innovation - 30% Approach and Training (including appropriateness of budget) - 20% National Benefit - 10%

Establish Strategies • • • Collaboration - Chief Investigators (CIs) Research Team versus single CI – CI with ARC DP (LP) Australian Partner Investigators (PIs), eg CSIRO International collaboration - Partner Investigators (PIs) Multi-institutional versus single institution Not an ARC LIEF (LE) application Large equipment requests can be a problem Research training Outcomes and outputs - deliverables Mentoring How to optimise your rankings?

Long-term strategies • Connect with the east coast • Check the rules carefully • Form long lasting collaborative research teams • Keep the Track Record in check for all CIs (and PIs) • ARC or NH&MRC or both!!!! • …. . Maximum number of DP grants including fellowships • 2 • ≤ 1 as sole CI Success rate ~ 20%

ARC LP: Partner Organisation (PO) • Industry (PO) - broad definition • ‘Product’ to sell to industry • Deliverables and publications (outcomes versus outputs) • Research ‘training’ for the industry • Funding ‘opportunity’ for industry • Tax relief • Community commitment • Industry access to major infrastructure • International collaboration – PI and PO • Protected IP

Models for developing partnerships • Through scholarships - Summer vacation - Honours • Workshops and ‘Breakfast’ meetings • Industry site visits • Marketing - trade displays • Through Alistar Robertson etc. • Office of Industry and Innovation • Technology roadmaps with the company • ………

Challenges • Expect delays - testing your commitment? • Awareness and agreement for partnership • Setting realistic achievables • Setting realistic budgets • Financial commitment - including in-kind$ • More than one ‘industry’ • IP agreements • Dealing with different personnel in each organisation • Funding up to five years!

Other issues • High in innovation (25% weighting) • APAI’s and/or other personnel including APDI’s • Short term versus multiple year support (up to five years) • Large equipment requests can be a problem • Strong commitment form industry - 20% cash for the ‘alliance’ - in-kind + cash = ARC support • ≥ $500 k/year possible – separate process

Maximum number of LP grants • 4 APAI only Success rate ~ 50% Proven model – Postdoctoral Research Associate + APAI • $25 k/year from PO • $100 k in kind support • $125 k request from ARC

Current ARC LP • i. Ceutica - drug delivery - Raston, Iyer, Lim, Bosch (PI) - PRA + APAI • Chimere Pearls - medical applications of pearl nacre - Raston, Iyer, Bond, Dunlop, Wood - PRA + 3 APAI Nano. Dynamics - process intensification - Raston, Jachuck (PI) - APAI Requested ARC LP • The Perth Mint - applications of nano- Au, Ag, Pd, Pt - Raston, Iyer - PRA + APAI

ARC consultation paper -Prof Margaret Sheil, CEO ARC - Woolnough Lecture Theatre, 11. 00 am Friday Dec 3

Final word You are doing science for a reason in engaging with industry – convey your passion and excitement about your research and ideas as clearly as possible. Seek advice/feedback from all the sources available.

Questions