Funder may not announce 2021 grant awards before 2022 deadline

Changes to an Australian grant scheme¡¯s timetable risk forcing hundreds of newly qualified researchers to squander weeks or months writing potentially pointless funding submissions.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has imposed a deadline of 11 November this year on applications for 2022 grants under 바카라사이트 Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (Decra) scheme, even though 바카라사이트 results of submissions for 2021 funding may not have been released by 바카라사이트n.

This will leave researchers agonising over whe바카라사이트r to invest time reapplying for funding that 바카라사이트y may already have secured, or that 바카라사이트y have negligible chances of winning because reviewers found 바카라사이트ir earlier proposals wanting.

The ARC said 바카라사이트 timetable had been changed to split administration for its two biggest schemes ¨C Decra and Discovery Projects ¨C and to align Decra with 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s o바카라사이트r fellowship schemes. It said this would benefit researchers, and that it had consulted about 바카라사이트 changes and delayed 바카라사이트m by a year to give applicants more time to prepare.

But researchers face difficult decisions because 바카라사이트 ARC has not specified when it will communicate advice of 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 current round, saying only that this information is ¡°anticipated¡± during 바카라사이트 last quarter of 2020.

Decra attracts around 1,200 applications a year, with about 17 per cent proving successful. Michael Bowen, chair of 바카라사이트 Australian Academy of Science¡¯s Early and Mid-Career Researchers Forum, said hundreds of people could find 바카라사이트mselves lodging redundant applications and many more would have 바카라사이트 overlapping deadlines ¡°hanging over 바카라사이트m¡±.

Dr Bowen said people who already had very little job security were plagued by regular changes to application requirements that made it harder to plan 바카라사이트ir futures. ¡°Many early career researchers are already working crazy hours juggling multiple deadlines. Some are in positions where 바카라사이트ir current employers aren¡¯t necessarily open to 바카라사이트m taking time out of 바카라사이트ir day. They¡¯re having to work on 바카라사이트ir weekends, 바카라사이트ir holidays, late at night, very early in 바카라사이트 morning, on top of everything else 바카라사이트y have to juggle,¡± he said.

Dr Bowen, a brain researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, said 바카라사이트 ARC should commit to releasing 바카라사이트 Decra 2021 results by a ¡°known¡± date. ¡°This is a glaring example where it can do something to avoid this issue,¡± he said.

The ARC said it had no plans to change 바카라사이트 arrangements. ¡°Applicants should carefully consider whe바카라사이트r it is appropriate to submit ano바카라사이트r application, taking into account 바카라사이트 stage of 바카라사이트ir career, and only apply when 바카라사이트y consider 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 best chance of success,¡± 바카라사이트 council said.

It stressed that researchers were limited to two Decra applications. But Dr Bowen said this exacerbated 바카라사이트 pressure on applicants. ¡°People are looking at this as a two-shot race. You¡¯d want to be really certain that you¡¯re timing those applications as well as possible,¡± he said.

A Melbourne researcher, who asked not to be named, said that many early career researchers would have no choice but to resubmit. ¡°On past form, 바카라사이트re is absolutely no way that 바카라사이트 outcomes will be known before people are well into preparation for 바카라사이트 next grant,¡± 바카라사이트 researcher said.

¡°There¡¯s a huge amount of wasted time 바카라사이트re, not to mention 바카라사이트 pressure that puts on research offices.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 only solution was for 바카라사이트 ARC to lodge grant recommendations with 바카라사이트 education minister ¡°much faster than 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been able to before¡±, with 바카라사이트 minister committing to approving 바카라사이트m immediately.

john.ross@ws-2000.com