The Research and Postgraduate Activity (VC's) Spreadsheets

The following spreadsheets have been created to aid in the management of research and research training at the ANU. The information reflects research performance from the point of view of funding and publications, and it shows how areas have performed with respect to research and postgraduate coursework students. Where appropriate, the spreadsheets are updated twice per year.

Responsibility for the maintenance and updating of the spreadsheet lies with the Research Office’s Office of Research Management Data. However, the RO is not responsible for the initial entry or reporting of much of the data presented in this spreadsheet. Inquiries should be forwarded in the first instance to the RO but may need to be referred to the area responsible for the gathering and maintenance of the specific data concerned.

• Data Descriptions
• Data Sources and Responsibilities
• Notes and Caveats
• Spreadsheet

Data Descriptions

Figures for 2008 and earlier are audited and/or officially reported, based on the ANU’s HERDC returns where appropriate. Figures for 2009 and later are a combination of projections and unconfirmed amounts.  These amounts are updated at different rates and are subject to different reporting deadlines and obligations (not all of them internal ANU deadlines). Also, not all of these data reside on one internal system, nor are they all under the auspices of a single ANU area. Data are presented for each ANU faculty, school and centre, with summary pages for each College and represent:

ANU Breakdown:

• Recent changes to the ANU structure - the creation of the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute (ADSRI, effective 01/01/08) and disestablishment of the Demography and Sociology Program within RSSS (effective 31/12/07); and the merger of the Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DEMS) with RSES (effective 01/01/2008) are reflected in the data from 2008 onwards.  The 2007 data reflects the previous ANU structure;

• The creation of the Research School of Humanities (effective 13/12/06) has resulted in one single combined spreadsheet for the entities previously reported on separately (i.e. CCCR, HRC & NEC). Earlier spreadsheets, recording individual data for these entities up to 2006 are included in this version of the VC’s spreadsheet. These spreadsheets will no longer be included in the July 2010 update and onwards;

• The spreadsheet for the Fenner School represents data for CRES and the virtual Centre for Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management (ICAM). Data for SRES is reported within the Faculty of Science;

• Separate spreadsheets still exist for CBE General and CECS General, only because their finances are reported separately for HERDC by Finance and Business Services.
  As of the 2008 figures, the spreadsheet for "OTHER" uses the definition preferred by Statistical Services, i.e. any area of the University which is not reported on in the College Structure;

• From 2008, data for RegNet is included in RSPAS;
• The new Colleges of Science structure will not be reflected in these spreadsheets until data for 2009 onwards is updated in July 2010.

Research Income (RI) 

• Income reported here is only for research and/or research infrastructure. Teaching grants, workshop fees, etc. are not relevant to this collection.

• Includes all RI presented annually to DEEWR (formerly DEST) for the Higher Education Research Data Collection (HERDC) as well as RI from other sources (eg CRCs, contracts and licences).

• Projections beyond the HERDC reported years are not going to be complete, RI data for 2009 onwards maybe unknown, unconfirmed, and/or subject to change.

• Income reported to DEEWR is on calendar year data, not financial year.

• Some locally-administered projects may not be entered into ARIES. Their data will only become visible for reporting purposes when the HERDC return is calculated if they are HERDC eligible.

• CRC income:

  • CRC data for 2000 - 2008 is as reported annually to DEEWR.
• Pre 2000: CRC income reported is the ANU’s notional share of the Commonwealth CRC grant as determined by DEEWR based on partner contributions.
• Laureate Fellowship income for the 2009/10 projections in this version is included with Fedn Fellowships.

Number of major grants

• ARC – all grants/fellowships on record held in that year.
• NHMRC – all grants/fellowships on record held in that year.

Research staff Level C and above

• Full Time Equivalent at level C and above.

Publications

• This is presented here as the weighted index amount that is provided to DEEWR annually. Therefore, the publications appearing here are only those required by DEEWR. Each area’s relative standing in terms of ANU internal performance on publications for each year is presented as a percentage of the total weighted ANU publications index amount for that year.

Student numbers

• 2008 Student load and numbers are final figures as reported to DEEWR (formerly DEST).
• From 2007 Student numbers are based on enrolments in the Jan-Jun Semester. Previous years may have been based on full year or non-calendar years.
• Students – Higher Degree Research: refers to Higher Degree Research Load (i.e. Master's by Research and Doctorate by Research).
• PhD – AUS: refers to load for PhDs undertaken by DEEWR-defined non-international students, extracted by HECS exemption code. The load can represent a combination of HECS-exempt load and/or Research Training Scheme load.
• PhD – Intl.: refers to load for PhDs undertaken by DEEWR-defined international students, extracted by HECS exemption code.
• Masters – AUS: refers to load for Master's by Research undertaken by DEEWR-defined non-international students, extracted by HECS exemption code. The load can represent a combination of HECS-exempt load and/or Research Training Scheme load.
• Masters – Intl.: refers to load for Master's by Research undertaken by DEEWR-defined international students, extracted by HECS exemption code.
• Commencing Load: Commencing load, as defined by DEEWR.
• Completions: Number of completions, as defined by DEEWR, extracted based on citizenship.
• Students, Higher Degree Coursework: Higher Degrees by Coursework (i.e. Doctorate by Coursework and Masters by Coursework). The above definitions for Australian and International load and Completions apply

HDR Central Scholarships

• APA and GSS.
• Other scholarships

Data Sources and Responsibilities

Given the various update schedules for the different data presented on the spreadsheet, it will be updated and posted to the web twice each year:

1. end of July;
2. end of November.

Notes and Caveats

• Granting Body Scheme Names – over the period represented in the spreadsheet, the names of many granting schemes have changed. The latest scheme names are presented in the spreadsheet, with research income from superseded-but-related-schemes entered under the nearest equivalent grant category. For example,” Large ARCs” are now included under “Discovery” grants.
• HDR student data:
• Source of load data:
• Actual 31 March and 31 August submissions to DEEWR.
• Scholarships: APA and IPRS data is as reported to DEEWR each year. GSS data is point in time data matched as closely as possible to the DEEWR reporting date.
• There is occasionally confusion over the eligibility for inclusion of research data. When monies are promised but not yet actually received, or when funds are deemed to be not provided for research purposes, they are ineligible for inclusion in the spreadsheet. Research Income is only formally reported when contracts have been signed.
• Grant Numbers:
• Versions of the spreadsheet released prior to November 2006 counted only Discovery (or equivalent) grants in the “ARC grants” line. The latest version (as at July 2009) includes all grants held in that year by each ANU area for ARC and NHMRC as recorded in the ANU grants database (ARIES). This does not reflect the number of grants awarded in that year.
• Historical data pre 2002 may be under-reported for some areas.
• NOTE – the number of grants bears no relationship to the dollar value of grants held.

Research and Postgraduate Activity Spreadsheet

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