Final Reports or End of project
APPENDIX 1: Processes for Submitting ARC Final Reports
ARC Final Reports
A Final Report is due within six months of the final expenditure on the grant (which includes any carry over of funds approved by the ARC).
Final Reports for Discovery (FF, DP, D-IRD) and Linkage programs (LP, LX, LAPDC, LIEF) and earlier programs (LRG, RF, IRD, SPIRT, IREX, RIEF) are completed and submitted through GAMS.
Please note that if a project has received an approved carry forward and/or an extension to the original expected date of completion, the final report proforma may still appear in GAMS. However, the final report will not be due until 6 months after the amended date of completion.
First-named Participants (Chief Investigators or Fellows) have responsibility for completing the form, which will be available to them when they enter GAMS as an “APPLICANT”.
* Other Participants, including Partner Investigators, can view and contribute to the form.
* As much as possible, data fields are pre-filled from ARC databases.
* Only the first-named Participant can VALIDATE the form.
The College Research Office should advise researchers to enter, but not fully submit, their Final Report on ARC GAMS at least two weeks in advance of the due date. Further detailed process information for Researcher, College Research Office and GAMS coordinator are available in APPENDIX 1: Processes for Submitting ARC Final Reports
ARC Final Reports points to note:
- Must be consistent with the original application. If minor variations have been made they must be reported. If the ARC has approved variations, the report must be consistent with the approved variations.
- Should not make derogatory remarks about any person or organisation (including co-investigators, the ANU or the ARC)
- The report does include or address financial matters.
- Must detail outcomes to date and any further expected outcomes (indicated as such)
- Researcher must provide a hardcopy of their Final Report to the College Research Office for checking. The College Research Office must check reports and seek researcher amendments if necessary. After amendments have been made the researcher validates the report in GAMS allowing the College Research Office GAMS co-ordinator to complete the submission of the report to the ARC.
- A hardcopy of the Final Report (as submitted) should be sent to the Research Office for placing on the central ANU file, to satisfy audit trails.
- If the ARC advises the Office of Sponsored Research that a report is unsatisfactory, the Office of Sponsored Research will refer this matter to the College Research Office so they may seek more information from the researcher.
- Investigators should be aware that the ARC notes if the Final Report is not submitted on time, or if they are not satisfied with the outcomes of the Project. The ARC can take this into account in the assessment of future applications.
- Researchers should note new applications under any ARC program may be deemed ineligible if a Final Report is outstanding.
- Based on their records, the ARC periodically uploads Final Reports into GAMS. Please contact the Office of Sponsored Research if your Final Report does not appear in GAMS, and you think it should be there.
- Final Reports are submitted in GAMS (https://gams2.arc.gov.au/) – the ARC does not require a hardcopy. College/Local Area GAMS Coordinators have the ability to submit Final Reports to the ARC. They should only do so by following the instructions given in APPENDIX 1: Processes for Submitting ARC Final Reports, and only after the investigator and the Local Area College Research Office have approved submission of the Final Report to the ARC.
- ARC’s Instructions for Completing a Final Report can be found on the ARC website
at http://www.arc.gov.au/applicants/final_report.htm
- If your GAMS Coordinator is unable to submit your Final Reports to the ARC, the Office of Sponsored Research David Lewis or Loris Trainor can assist you to ARC submit your Reports. If you have further queries or training needs, or would like to arrange for the removal or addition of GAMS Coordinators in your College please contact your OSR College Contact for further advice
NHMRC Final Reports
Final Reports must be submitted to the NHMRC within six months of the completion of the funding period or termination of the award.
The NHMRC requires reports to be sent using the relevant proforma for each scheme, see http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/funding/funded/manage/policy/progreport.htm
Two versions of the report are required at the ANU Office of Sponsored Research, Building 10B.
An electronic version filled out on the proforma provided by the NHMRC saved as a Word or RTF document. The naming convention of this file (so it is accepted in their IT system) is ‘grant id number_familyname_final report or journal etc’ ie ‘12345_smith_finalreport’ This document is then emailed to the Office of Sponsored Research then NHMRC.
- 2 x Paper copies, one labelled ‘original’ with original CI signatures are required. One copy is submitted to the NHMRC and it is required (for audit sake) for a copy to be added to the ANU central SPF file before it is closed.
Failure to provide the Final Report for research awards is a breach of the Terms of the Deed of Agreement and may seriously prejudice consideration of further applications for NHMRC funding.
More information is available at: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/funding/funded/manage/policy/progreport.htm
ARIES
Final Report and progress report due dates are entered as Milestones in ARIES by the College Research Office as part of the grant acceptance process. Upon completion of each report the College Research Office adds a copy of the report to ARIES under the ‘documents’ tab and adds a ‘yes’ to the appropriate milestone event on the ‘milestones’ tab.
- Final Report dates (and other milestones) should be entered and updated in ARIES, as part of ongoing project management, reflecting any changes in the milestone. For example a Carry Forward of funds will push the Final Report milestone dates out, as will any periods of suspension or maternity leave (of fellowship or student components).
- College/Local Area College Research Offices can use ARIES to run periodic milestone reports indicating which milestones, including Final Reports, are due, and can use ARIES to send out reminder emails to researchers for approaching milestones.
- Contact David Lewis or Annika Landsmann (RO IThelp) with any specific ARIES queries or training needs.
