The Australian Research Council has backed down on its ban on references to pre-prints in future funding rounds (CMM yesterday)

Which isn’t a bunch of help to researchers whose applications were deleted from recent rounds for what was until Tuesday a cancelling offence.

But the ARC says there is an appeal process they can use, “designed to ensure that the applicant has been treated fairly and consistently in the context of the selection procedures.”

Which given the pre-print ban was in the rules, just not widely known to be there, will not be a bunch of help either.

However, the independent appeals committee, “considers appeals against National Competitive Grants Programme administrative processes and makes recommendations to the CEO. The committee may also make recommendations to the ARC about possible improvements to its documentation and processes” – which would only be a bunch of help for excluded applicants if the committee recommended that excluded applications be considered on their merits and the ARC sent them for assessment by the original selection panel.

CMM asked the ARC if this could happen and was told, “the ARC will need to allow the independent appeals processes to be completed for these cases, before determining an appropriate course of action if an appeal is successful. Noting that any action must be in accordance with the Australian Research Council Act 2001 and the Australian Government grants policy framework.”

Which isn’t a bunch of help either.