CEO INTRODUCTION
The ARC takes great pride in its people and culture, which shapes who we are and how we work. Like all government agencies the COVID-19 disruptions tested our business continuity plans and in particular our ability to temporarily re-locate all our staff to home-based work arrangements. I am pleased to report that as an agency the ARC demonstrated very convincingly that it is agile and adaptable. This is in no small part due to the robust business systems, investment in reliable information technology, and most importantly our dedicated staff. The ARC has commenced transitioning back to its offices, which has assisted with undertaking a range of activities that are enhanced by being back in the office. As we move towards 2021, I look forward to the ARC continuing to promote the importance, value and role of Australian research.
The Australian Research Council Corporate Plan 2020–21 provides the strategic direction for the national leadership role it plays in supporting the growth of knowledge and innovation for the benefit of all Australians. The corporate plan is the primary planning document, which together with the portfolio budget statements and annual report, forms the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) planning and performance framework. It outlines the specific activities the ARC will undertake and the measures that will determine how well we performed. 2020 is an important year for the ARC as it celebrates 55 years of competitive grants delivery to the research sector. The agency was established in May 1965 and was known as the Australian Research Grants Committee. It has existed in its current legislated form as the ARC since 2001. The agency has seen many changes over this time and I am proud that it continues to play a significant role in delivering economic, cultural, social and environmental research benefits for all Australians. In this year’s corporate plan we are implementing recommendations made by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) as part of their 2019 review of the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP). It was pleasing that the ANAO found the NCGP guidelines to be consistent with all mandatory elements of the Commonwealth Grants Rules Guidelines (CGRGs) and the Government’s research and innovation objectives. The review noted that the ARC has mature and effective processes in place to assess grants, manage conflicts of interest and provide funding recommendations that comply with NCGP guidelines. The ARC has also undertaken an extensive review of its performance measures, guided by the analysis of the ANAO, to provide consistency and transparency across all ARC activities. 2020 also marks ten years since the first round of Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) in 2010. This represented a new function for the ARC and Australia’s first nationwide evaluation of the quality of university research. There have been four rounds of ERA evaluations since 2010, and in 2015 the Government introduced a new Engagement and Impact (EI) assessment designed to complement ERA. The inaugural EI assessment was conducted in 2018. In 2020–21 the ARC will be undertaking a comprehensive review of these two programs to ensure that they meet the future needs of the university sector, as well as industry and government stakeholders.
As the accountable authority of the ARC, I present our Corporate Plan 2020–21, prepared for the 2020–21 reporting period and covering the four years from 2020–21 to 2023–24, as required under paragraph 35(1)(b) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 .
Sue Thomas Chief Executive Officer Australian Research Council
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