University receives $2.265 million in ARC small grants

The University of Queensland has received $2.265 million as a part of the 1999 Australian Research Council (ARC) Small Grants Scheme.

The University has recommended that the allocation be used to award 130 new grants for 1999 valued at $2.262 million and one grant continuing from 1998 valued at $3000. The allocation represents a 35.56 percent success rate - in other words just over one on every three research projects was successful in attracting ARC small grant funding.

The Small Grants Scheme (SGS) was introduced in 1989 to widen distribution of research program funds. The aim of the SGS is to support competitive, high quality research projects and pilot research projects of modest cost conducted by researchers of proven excellence. The SGS is administered on behalf of the ARC by the University and is linked to the institution's Research Management Plan.

The ARC is the Federal Government's major research funding agency for all disciplines other than clinical medicine and dentistry and its funding allocations are seen as an independent indicator of research quality.

The Federal Government allocated $27.383 million for the scheme in 1999 with the University of Queensland receiving the fourth-largest allocation after the University of Melbourne ($3.086 million), the University of Sydney ($3.033 million) and the University of New South Wales ($3.014 million).

The new ARC small grants for the University in 1999 are divided among the University's seven faculties as follows: Biological and Chemical Sciences (38), Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture (33), Arts (18 and one continuing), Social and Behavioural Sciences (16), Health Sciences (12), Business, Economics and Law (8) and Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science (5).

Under the scheme, research projects in the Humanities, Mathematics, Social Sciences and Theoretical Physics areas can be allocated between $2000 and $19,999 and between $2000 and $29,999 for all other disciplines.

For more information, contact the Director, Research Services, Jan Massey on telephone (07) 3365 3640.