2.3 Identifying what will not be funded

Universities in Australia (AVCC 1996) and overseas have long expressed concerns that research grants do not cover administrative, technical, and other overheads. Recently, Universities Australia and the Group of Eight (Go8) have raised the issue again in their submissions to the Australian government’s Review of the National Innovation System (Go8 2008). Other submissions have also addressed this matter (ANU 2008, IRUA 2008).

Tables 2.2 and 2.3 below show an overview of the allowable costs under some ARC and NHMRC research grants schemes. These schemes do not generally contribute to indirect costs and often do not meet the full direct costs of projects.

TABLE 2.2: INDICATIVE FUNDING SOURCES AND COVERAGE OF COSTS: NHMRC

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) – Infrastructure Support
Funding source	Infrastructure covered under the grants	Infrastructure not covered under the grants
Enabling Grants	The scheme supports excellent facilities and/or activities where there is a clearly demonstrated national need for the particular facilities and/or activities in order to underpin aspects of the national health and medical research effort	N/A
Infrastructure Grants	Payments support the following types of overhead infrastructure used to support research activity: Funding of non-capital aspects of facilities (e.g. libraries, laboratories, computing centres, animal houses, herbaria, and experimental farms) Equipment purchase, installation, maintenance, hire and lease Salaries of research support staff (including research assistants, accounting and administrative staff, and technicians)	Capital works (i.e. construction of buildings) Rental of accommodation Salaries of research staff and supporting staff Travel

TABLE 2.2: INDICATIVE FUNDING SOURCES AND COVERAGE OF COSTS: ARC

Australian Research Council Competitive Grants
Funding source	Infrastructure covered under the grants	Infrastructure not covered under the grants
ARC – Discovery Projects, Indigenous Researchers Development, Federation Fellowships	Not covered	Capital works and general infrastructure Salaries of Chief Investigators and Partner Investigators Basic facilities such as accommodation, access to workshops, access to film and music editing facilities, access to basic library collection, standard reference materials, provision of computers and software, and the use of photocopies, telephones, mail, fax, email, and internet Publication costs
ARC – Linkage Projects, ARC Research Networks, Linkage International	Not covered	Capital works and general infrastructure Rental of accommodation Salaries of researchers and support staff Basic facilities such as accommodation access to workshops, film and music editing facilities, basic library collection, standard reference materials provision of computers and software use of photocopiers, telephones, mail, fax, email, and internet Publication costs Minor equipment
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities	Infrastructure, equipment and facility purchases, construction and installation Major computing/data facilities, animal houses,herbaria and experimental farms Salaries directly associated with creating and installing infrastructure, equipment, or facilities Consortium membership costs, travel to the facility and secretariat costs in the case of Australia's participation in the use of significant international-scale research facilities Library and research information infrastructure	Capital works and general infrastructure Salaries of researchers Basic facilities such as accommodation, access to workshops, film and music editing facilities, basic library collection, and standard reference materials Provision of computers and software Use of photocopies, telephones, mail, fax, email, and internet Publication costs

Source: various sources

Module 5: Financial, Resource and Risk Management

2.3 Identifying what will not be funded

TABLE 2.2: INDICATIVE FUNDING SOURCES AND COVERAGE OF COSTS: NHMRC

TABLE 2.2: INDICATIVE FUNDING SOURCES AND COVERAGE OF COSTS: ARC