by the AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL
The ARC has revised the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy to clarify the types of personal interests that applicants for ARC grants are required to identify and disclose. This is a summary of the key changes.
Previous copies of the policy are also available on the ARC website.
- Section 1.2 Clarified the purpose of the policy and the ARC’s obligations
- Section 2.2.1 Clarified the definition of a material personal interest
- Section 3.1.2 Clarified “What to disclose” including:
- foreign financial support (cash or in kind) for research related activities
- current or past associations or affiliations with a foreign sponsored talent programme
- current associations or affiliations with a foreign government, foreign political party, foreign state-owned enterprise, foreign military or foreign policy organisations
- Section 3.2.2 Clarified what information committee members are required to declare
- Section 3.2.4 Clarified that ERA peer reviewers are required to complete a declaration of interests form upon engagement before accepting any peer review tasks for ERA
- Section 3.3.4 Clarified what questions individuals applying for ARC grants are required to answer in relation to foreign financial support and foreign affiliations, including current and previous associations.
- Section 3.3.5 Stipulated that if an application for ARC funding is successful, participants named on grants have ongoing disclosure requirements to update changes to material personal interests, including advising the ARC of those changes.
- Section 8 Addition of legislation, policies and documentation relevant to this policy:
- Resource Management Guide No. 203: General duties of officials (November 2016)
- Espionage and Foreign Interference Act 2018
- Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018
- ARC Identifying and Handling a Conflict of Interest in NCGP processes
- Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference in the Australian University Sector