Research & Development Management

Research Infrastructure Block Grant Guidelines For Distribution Within Schools

1. The Research Infrastructure (Block Grants) Scheme (RIBG) is directed at providing the higher education sector with assistance to develop and maintain research infrastructure within the sector with the aim of fostering high quality research. The RIBG Scheme is a consolidation of the former Research Infrastructure Mechanism A and Mechanism B schemes, which provided separate arrangements for the pre-1987 universities and institutions from the former advanced education sector. The specific objectives of the RIBG scheme are to

remedy deficiencies in current research infrastructure;
enhance support for areas of research strength; and
ensure that areas of recognised research potential, in which institutions have taken steps to initiate high quality research activity, have access to the support necessary for development.

Expenditure must be in accordance with these objectives.

2. RIBG allocations to institutions are based on a formula reflecting the relative success of each institution in attracting competitive research funds as calculated by the National Competitive Grants Index (NCGI). With effect from the 1998 allocation, the formula may be based only on National Competitive Grants funded by the Commonwealth Government.

3. Research infrastructure is defined for the purpose of the RIBG scheme as follows:

Research infrastructure consists of the institutional resources essential for the mounting of high quality research projects or programs, excluding direct costs that should be covered by research grants and grants for operating or limited operating purposes. Research infrastructure is not necessarily restricted to institutional boundaries and may include facilities which enhance the research capacity of groups of institutions or of the higher education system as a whole.

The following, to the extent that they support research in particular fields, may be regarded as elements of research infrastructure and funded under RIBG:

non-capital aspects of facilities such as libraries, computing centres, animal houses, herbaria, experimental farms;
equipment purchase, installation and maintenance; and
salaries of research support staff (including research assistants and technicians) employed to provide general support for activity in a given area, e.g. a research assistant providing assistance for a number of research projects but not one dedicated to a particular project.

The following are not regarded as elements of research infrastructure for the purpose of this scheme and cannot be funded under RIBG:

capital works;
salaries of teaching and research staff (including the cost of ‘buying time’ to free such staff to do more research);
salaries of staff supporting research at the institutional level (e.g. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Research Grants Officer);
postgraduate research student stipends; and
travel costs directly associated with individual projects.

4. A proportion of the Research Infrastructure Block Grant funds received each year from DETYA will be distributed to Divisions on the basis of the Murdoch University Research Index. The proportion will be decided by the Board of Research in accordance with the Research Management Plan.

5. Funds must be used within Divisions in accordance with DETYA guidelines as follows:

RIBG objectives as set out in paragraph 1 above;
the definition of research infrastructure as set out in paragraph 3 above;
Commonwealth Government policy on selectivity and concentration; i.e. funds should be directed towards areas of research strength or towards areas identified for development of future research strength - funding must not be distributed within institutions in an undifferentiated manner;
the institution’s Research Management Plan.

6. Funds must be administered from one central account in each Division.

7. The School will be required to show at the end of the year:

what has been purchased with the funds, and for what purpose(s)
the research area(s) supported by the purchase (at the discipline level)
the relationship between the expenditure and the School Research Plan, and
the relationship to the University’s Research Management Plan.

This information will be used in the report on expenditure of RIBG funds that Murdoch must submit to DETYA by 31 March in the following year.

8. Failure to follow the guidelines would result in a penalty in the allocation of the Research Infrastructure Block Grant funds in the following year. Failure to provide an adequate account of the disbursement of the Research Infrastructure Block Grant funds would result in subsequent funding being withheld until a satisfactory report was provided.

Responsible Officer: Director, Research and Development
Date of Last Review: 12 February 2003
Date of Authorisation/Approval: 12 February 2003
Authorising/Approving Officer: Research and Development Board