ARC College of Experts admits academics

Professor Christine Bigby – Director of the Living with a Disability Research Centre at La Trobe University – and Ashley Franks – Associate Professor in Physiology, Anatomy, and Microbiology at La Trobe’s School of Life Sciences – have been appointed to the Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts.

The ARC College of Experts play a key role in advancing knowledge and contributing to national innovation by identifying research excellence, moderating external assessments and recommending fundable proposals. They also assist the ARC in recruiting and assigning assessors and in implementing peer review reforms in established and emerging disciplines as well as interdisciplinary areas.

ARC College of Expert members are experts of international standing drawn from the Australian research community: from higher education, industry and public sector research organisations.

ARC College of Experts nominations are approved by the ARC CEO for appointments of one to three years.

Members of the ARC College of Experts assess and rank ARC grant applications submitted under the National Competitive Grants Program, make funding recommendations to the ARC and provide strategic advice to the ARC on emerging disciplines and cross-disciplinary developments.

Three other La Trobe academics – Professor Andrew Hill, Professor Timothy Minchin and Associate Professor Marija Tabain – are continuing in their appointments as members of the ARC College of Experts.