<div dir="ltr">Dear colleagues<br>    This is a brief note to update you on the situation concerning the recent ruling on the use of preprints affecting ARC eligibility for the current round of Discovery Program funding (DECRA, Future Fellowships and Projects).<br><br>Recent news articles here summarise the issue:<br><a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/JVmcCMwGxOtqlN2DycwlULk?domain=theguardian.com">https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/aug/20/devastating-career-event-scientists-caught-out-by-change-to-australian-research-council-fine-print</a><div><br><a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/3IlzCNLJyQU0R4ZJqi4tZdc?domain=researchprofessionalnews.com/">https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-australia-government-agencies-2021-8-fury-mounts-over-arc-grants/</a><br><br><br>Please contact me if you or a colleague have been affected, so we have a good idea of the breadth of the impact in the astronomical community. <br><br><br>The ASA Council and I have been in touch with various organisations including the AIP and STA, and many others in the physical sciences and mathematics. The ASA will be coordinating with several of these organisations to write to the ARC to express concern over this inappropriate rule that is clearly inconsistent with current research practice and may dramatically impact careers. Further we understand that Research Offices, through their DVC-Rs, as well as the Go8, will also be making the case to the ARC and government. We are actively involved in discussions with these groups to determine the best course of action.<br><br>We will keep you informed of actions and outcomes.<br><br>John Lattanzio<br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><font size="2"><b><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="color:rgb(142,124,195)">I </span><span style="color:rgb(53,28,117)">a</span><span style="color:rgb(11,83,148)">m</span> <span style="color:rgb(106,168,79)">a</span><span style="color:rgb(241,194,50)">n</span><span style="color:rgb(230,145,56)"> </span></span><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="color:rgb(153,0,255)"><span style="color:rgb(230,145,56)">L</span><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)">G</span></span><span style="color:rgb(142,124,195)">B</span><span style="color:rgb(53,28,117)">T<span style="color:rgb(11,83,148)">I</span></span><span style="color:rgb(106,168,79)">Q</span></span><span style="color:rgb(0,255,0)"> </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="color:rgb(241,194,50)">A</span><span style="color:rgb(230,145,56)">l</span><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)">l</span><span style="color:rgb(142,124,195)">y</span></span></span></b></font><i style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font size="2"><b>  </b></font>    -     Find out more at <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/fazhCP7LAXfKlp091sjGhfZ?domain=monash.edu" target="_blank">monash.edu/ally</a></span></i><i><br></i></div><div><i style="font-size:12.8px"><br></i></div><div>Professor John Lattanzio</div><div>President, Astronomical Society of Australia</div><div><br>School of Physics and Astronomy<br></div><div>Monash University Victoria 3800 AUSTRALIA<br><br></div><div>Ph:  +61 (0)3 9905-4428<br>WWW: <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/GoSDCROND2uvV2GoDIorcHP?domain=maths.monash.edu.au/" target="_blank">users.monash.edu.au/~johnl/</a><br><div><a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/yZIPCWLVXkU5kJ6ZLFLdBtg?domain=orcid.org" target="_blank">orcid.org/0000-0003-2952-859X</a></div></div><div><br></div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:&quot;Open Sans Condensed&quot;,sans-serif">&quot;May you be surrounded by friends and family, and if that is not your lot, may the blessings find you in your solitude.&quot;  Leonard Cohen</span></div><div style="font-family:&quot;Open Sans Condensed&quot;,sans-serif;margin-top:16px"><font color="#000000"><br></font></div></div></div></div></div>