{"id":"F2025L00953","name":"Discovery Program Grant Guidelines (2024 edition – Variation 1): Discovery Indigenous","slug":"discovery-program-grant-guidelines-2024-edition-variation-1-discovery-indigenous","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":106710,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2025L00953-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Discovery Program Grant Guidelines (2024 edition – Variation 1): Discovery Indigenous","content":"![Australian Government logo](image.001.png)\n\nDiscovery Program Grant Guidelines \n(2024 edition – Variation 1):\n\nDiscovery Indigenous\n\n| Opening date: | Available on GrantConnect |\n| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Closing date and time: | Available on GrantConnect |\n| Commonwealth policy entity: | Australian Research Council |\n| Enquiries: | Researchers are required to direct requests for information to the Research Office within the Administering Organisation.ARC Contacts are on the ARC website. |\n| Date guidelines released: | |\n| Type of grant opportunity: | Restricted competitive |\n\nAustralian Research Council Act 2001\n\nI, Jason Clare, Minister for Education, having satisfied myself of the matters set out in section 58 of the Australian Research Council Act 2001, approve these grant guidelines under section 59 of that Act.\n\nDated 19 August 2025\n\nJason Clare\n\nMinister for Education \n\nContents\n\n1. Discovery Program processes.........................................3\n\n2. About the Discovery Program.........................................4\n\nAbout the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity...........................4\n\n3. Grant amount and grant period........................................4\n\n4. Eligibility criteria....................................................5\n\n5. What the grant money can be used for..................................8\n\nWhat grants funds can be used for.......................................8\n\nWhat grants funds cannot be used for.....................................9\n\n6. The assessment criteria.............................................10\n\nAssessing the DAATSIA candidate......................................11\n\n7. How to apply.......................................................11\n\nApplication process..................................................11\n\nNational Interest Test Statement........................................12\n\nLetter of Community Support...........................................12\n\nTiming of the grant opportunity.........................................12\n\n8. The grant selection process..........................................12\n\n9. Successful grant applications........................................13\n\n10. Probity............................................................16\n\nAppendix A – Glossary......................................................18\n\nAcronyms..........................................................18\n\nDefinitions.........................................................19\n\nAppendix B: Eligible Organisations...........................................26\n\n \n\n1. Discovery Program processes\n\nThe Discovery Program supports the Australian Government’s objectives for research and innovation.\n\nThis grant program contributes to the ARC’s Outcome 1, which is to grow knowledge and innovation through managing research grants, measuring research excellence and providing advice.\n\nThe Discovery Indigenous scheme is funded within the Discovery Program.\n\n\n\nThe grant opportunity opens.\n\nWe (the ARC) publish the grant guidelines and advertise on GrantConnect\n\n\n\nYou (the Administering Organisation) complete and submit an application.\n\nYou will complete an application on the ARC’s Research Management System (RMS), addressing eligibility, the National Interest Test and the assessment criteria.\n\n\n\nWe manage the assessment of all applications.\n\nWe manage the assessment of applications against eligibility criteria and assessment criteria.\n\nYour application may be assigned to Detailed Assessors to undertake in-depth assessments. You will have an opportunity to respond to any Detailed Assessors’ written comments through a rejoinder.\n\nSelection Advisory Committee (SAC) members will then assess Your application, consider the Detailed Assessors’ ratings and comments and Your rejoinder and assign a final score.\n\n\n\nWe make grant recommendations.\n\nThe SAC considers applications and recommends those to be funded, and the level and duration of funding for each project, to the ARC Accountable Authority.\n\nThe ARC Accountable Authority then makes an assessment, considering the SAC’s advice, compliance with the eligibility criteria and grant application process, alignment with Australian Government priorities and any other due diligence matters. The ARC Accountable Authority may consider advice from other Commonwealth agencies and make its own independent enquiries.\n\n\n\nGrant decisions are made.\n\nThe ARC Accountable Authority decides which applications are approved, and the level of funding and duration of funding for each approved project.\n\nIf the Minister decides the ARC Accountable Authority should not fund a project for reasons relevant to security, defence or international relations of Australia, the Minister must notify the ARC Accountable Authority, advise the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and take other steps required under the ARC Act.\n\n\n\nWe notify You of the outcome.\n\nWe advise You if Your application was successful or not through RMS.\n\n\n\nWe enter into a grant agreement with You.\n\nWe will enter into a grant agreement with You through RMS, if You are successful.\n\n\n\nDelivery of the grant.\n\nYou undertake the grant activity and report to us as set out in Your grant agreement. \nWe manage the grant by monitoring Your progress and making payments.\n\n\n\nEvaluation of the grant opportunity.\n\nWe evaluate the specific grant activity and the individual grant opportunity as a whole. \nWe will use information You provide to Us through Your reports to inform evaluations. \n\n1. About the Discovery Program\n 1. The Discovery Program is one of two Programs under the ARC National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP). Information about the Discovery Program is available on the ARC website.\n 2. The ARC administers funding of excellent pure basic, strategic basic and applied research in all disciplines under the NCGP, excluding medical research. The ARC does not fund experimental development.\n\nAbout the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity\n\n1. The Discovery Indigenous scheme is funded under the Discovery Program.\n2. The Discovery Indigenous scheme provides grant funding to support research projects led by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researcher.\n3. Discovery Indigenous grants include support for Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards (DAATSIAs) which are fellowships available to eligible Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers.\n4. The Discovery Indigenous scheme objectives are to:\n\n1. support the retention of excellent Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers in higher education institutions to expand research capacity in Australia;\n2. support excellent pure basic, strategic basic and applied research and research training, across all disciplines excluding clinical and other medical research, by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers as individuals and as teams;\n\n1. enhance the scale and focus of research in Australian Government priority areas and create economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia; and\n2. support national and international research collaboration.\n 1. The grant commencement date and active project assessment date for each Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity will be available on the ARC website.\n\n1. Grant amount and grant period\n 1. For each Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity, applications for project funding, including DAATSIA salary and salary related (on cost) support, will be considered for the levels and durations of funding listed in Table 1. You may request project funding without a DAATSIA, but You may not request funding for a DAATSIA without project funding.\n 2. Table 1: Discovery Indigenous funding and grant duration.\n\n| Category | Details |\n| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Project funding | Between $30,000 and $500,000 per year, including: Minimum $30,000 per year Any DAATSIA salary requested |\n| Project funding duration | Up to five consecutive years |\n| DAATSIA salary | Requested and/or awarded at one of five salary levels as specified on the ‘Salaries and Stipends’ page of the ARC website. The DAATSIA salary is counted towards the $500,000 maximum level of funding per year |\n| DAATSIA salary duration | Up to five consecutive years on a full-time basis. A DAATSIA may be undertaken on a part-time basis not exceeding eight consecutive years |\n\n1. DAATSIA salary funding may be requested at one of five salary levels, including 30% salary-related on-costs. The salary level must be either equivalent to or higher than the salary level of the CI as at the grant opportunity closing date.\n2. Salary figures are subject to variation (for example, due to annual indexation). Updated levels are available on the ‘Salaries and Stipends’ page of the ARC website.\n\n1. Eligibility criteria\n\nWho is eligible to apply for a grant?\n\n1. We will only accept applications from Eligible Organisations as identified in Appendix B. The Eligible Organisation that applies will be the ‘Administering Organisation’ (henceforth ‘You’).\n2. If:\n 1. an application was submitted pursuant to these grant guidelines by either the University of Adelaide or the University of South Australia (collectively, ‘Previous Universities’) during the period that Adelaide University was being established and becoming operational; and\n 2. at the time that We award grants pursuant to these grant guidelines, one or more named participants on the application has transferred from one of the Previous Universities to Adelaide University,\n\nthen We may award the grant to Adelaide University.\n\nWhat are the eligibility requirements for applications?\n\n1. Organisation roles available under the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity are:\n\n1. Administering Organisation;\n2. Other Eligible Organisation; and\n\n1. Other Organisation.\n 1. You can only submit one application for the same project in any grant opportunity. This includes applications which fundamentally have the same research intent, approach, and outcomes, regardless of any variations in the research, the named participants and/or organisations.\n 2. Your application must:\n\n1. nominate at least one Chief Investigator (CI) or DAATSIA candidate. The first named CI on the application will be the Project Leader. The Project Leader or the DAATSIA candidate must be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researcher.\n\n1. request a minimum level of funding of $30,000 per year in project costs in Your application. This must be requested in addition to the DAATSIA salary (if requested). The $500,000 maximum level of funding per year includes the DAATSIA salary.\n 1. An individual must not be nominated for more than one DAATSIA in any grant opportunity.\n 2. You must ensure that any additional certification requirements, applied by the ARC as a result of findings of breaches of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), are provided at the grant opportunity closing date for any named participant on an application.\n 3. Your application must not include medical research as detailed in the ARC Medical Research Policy (2025 version) on the ARC website.\n\nWho is eligible to be an Other Organisation?\n\n1. Organisations that are not Eligible Organisations but that are named as a participating organisation on an application will be Other Organisations.\n2. An Other Organisation cannot be included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’ (www.nationalredress.gov.au).\n\nWho is eligible to be a named participant?\n\n1. Roles that named participants may be nominated for under these guidelines are:\n\n1. DAATSIA candidates;\n\n1. Chief Investigators (CIs); and\n2. Partner Investigators (PIs).\n 1. A Project cannot commence until all named participants meet the eligibility criteria in these grant guidelines for the selected role they are to perform.\n 2. As at the grant commencement date, or if successful, at any time during the project activity period, named participants:\n\n1. who meet the eligibility criteria to be a CI, cannot opt to be a PI;\n2. who do not meet the eligibility criteria to be a CI, must be a PI.\n 1. All named participants in an application must have met their obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission of satisfactory final reports to the ARC at the grant opportunity closing date\n\nChief Investigators\n\n1. CIs must meet at least one of the following criteria as at the grant commencement date, and, if successful, for the project activity period:\n\n1. be an employee for at least 0.2 FTE at an Eligible Organisation; or\n2. be a holder of an honorary academic appointment (as defined in the Glossary) at an Eligible Organisation.\n 1. CIs must reside in Australia for more than 50% of the project activity period. Any significant absences including fieldwork or study leave directly related to the project must have approval from You and must not total more than half the project activity period. In extraordinary circumstances, a change may be approved by Us via a formal Variation request.\n 2. CIs must not undertake a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) during the project activity period.\n 3. The Project Leader must have a demonstrated capacity to manage the project.\n\nDAATSIA candidates\n\n1. To be eligible to be a DAATSIA candidate, the nominated individual must:\n\n1. be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researcher; and\n2. meet the eligibility criteria to apply as a CI (including 4.15-4.18).\n 1. An individual who has previously been awarded a DAATSIA may apply for another DAATSIA but can only hold one at a time.\n 2. DAATSIAs cannot be held independently of a Discovery Indigenous Project.\n\nWhat are the limits on the number of applications and projects per named participant?\n\n1. These limits only apply to CIs and DAATSIA candidates.\n2. The limits are designed to ensure that named participants have the capacity to undertake each project.\n3. A named participant can be concurrently funded through the Discovery Program for a maximum of:\n\n1. two projects as a CI; or\n\n1. one ARC Fellowship and one project as a CI; or\n2. one ARC Fellowship or project if the individual is also a Director on an active ARC Centre of Excellence and/or a Special Research Initiative project.\n 1. At the grant opportunity closing date for Discovery Indigenous applications, We will count:\n\n1. the number of Discovery Program CI roles or ARC Fellowships that the individual will hold on active projects on the grant opportunity’s active project assessment date;\n\n1. whether the named participant will hold an ARC Centres of Excellence and/or Special Research Initiatives Director role on active projects on the grant opportunity’s active project assessment date;\n2. the number of Discovery Projects EOI or full applications We are currently assessing which include that named participant as a CI; and\n3. the number of Discovery Indigenous applications We are currently assessing which include that participant as a CI.\n 1. Applications for Australian Laureate Fellowships, Future Fellowships, DECRAs, ARC Centres of Excellence or Special Research Initiatives do not need to meet the project limit requirements at the grant opportunity closing date. If an Australian Laureate Fellowships, Future Fellowships, DECRA, ARC Centres of Excellence or Special Research Initiatives application is successful, named participants must meet the project limits under section 4.24 before the project can start. Project limits can be met by relinquishing existing active project(s), or relinquishing role(s) on existing active projects, or withdrawing application(s) that would exceed the project limits. This does not need to occur until all outcomes are announced.\n 2. If a role or Project must be relinquished to meet the limits at the grant opportunity closing date for a Discovery Indigenous application, We must approve the Variation before the grant opportunity closing date. Any relinquishment Variation submitted or approved after the grant opportunity closing date will not be taken into account when counting the number of projects under section 4.25.\n 3. It is Your responsibility to determine if applying for, or holding, a project under these grant guidelines will affect an individual researcher’s eligibility for other ARC grant opportunities as other ARC grant opportunities may have different project limits. We reserve the right to change project and application limits in future grant opportunities.\n\n1. What the grant money can be used for\n\nWhat grants funds can be used for\n\n1. The Discovery Program supports research activities that meet the definition of ‘research’ in the Glossary.\n2. You can only spend the grant on eligible expenditure items that directly support the project and in accordance with any additional special conditions in the grant agreement.\n3. Eligible expenditure items may include:\n\n1. if relevant, salary and 30% on-costs for the DAATSIA recipient;\n2. salary support for other personnel, for example, research associates and assistants, technicians and laboratory attendants at an appropriate salary level, including 30% on-costs, at the employing organisation;\n3. stipends for HDR at 1.0 full time equivalent (FTE) each for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students at the level indicated on the ‘Salaries and Stipends’ page of the ARC website;\n4. teaching relief for CIs up to a total of $50,000 per CI per year per project (except where a CI has been awarded a DAATSIA);\n5. equipment (and its maintenance) and consumables, including specialised computer equipment and software essential to the project;\n6. travel costs essential to the project may be supported up to $50,000 over the project activity period. The following travel costs are not included in this $50,000 limit:\n\n1. expenditure on field research essential to the project, including technical and logistical support, travel expenses (including accommodation, meals and incidental costs); and\n2. reasonable essential costs to allow a participant who is a carer, or who personally requires care or assistance, to undertake travel essential to the project.\n 1. Stipends may be requested to support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Honours students, subject to Your policies.\n\nWhat grants funds cannot be used for\n\n1. You cannot request or use grant funds for:\n\na. research activities, infrastructure or projects previously funded or currently being funded through any other Commonwealth grant;\n\nb. medical research as detailed in the ARC Medical Research Policy (2025 version) on the ARC website;\n\nc. experimental development, as defined in the Glossary;\n\nd. activities leading solely to the creation or performance of a work of art, including visual art, musical compositions, drama, dance, film, broadcasts, designs and literary works, unless those works are directly related to the project activities and demonstrably research based;\n\ne. contracted research or consultancy arrangements where one or more Organisation(s) is seeking expert external assistance, not available within their own organisation, to develop specific applications or outputs that involve little innovation or are low risk;\n\nf. production of computer programs, research aids and tools; data warehouses, catalogues or bibliographies; or teaching materials, unless these meet the definition of ‘research’;\n\ng. basic facilities that must be provided (where relevant) and funded by You and are not funded by the grant:\n\n1. bench fees or similar laboratory access fees;\n\n1. access to a basic library collection;\n2. access to film or music editing facilities;\n3. work accommodation (for example, laboratory and office space, suitably equipped and furnished);\n4. basic computer facilities such as desktop computers, portable computer devices, printers, word processing, and other standard software; and\n5. standard reference materials or funds for abstracting services;\n\nh. capital works and general infrastructure costs;\n\ni. costs not directly related to the project, including but not limited to professional membership fees, professional development courses, fees for patent application and maintenance, equipment for live music or drama performances, equipment for gallery and museum exhibitions, visas, relocation costs, entertainment costs, purchase of alcohol, insurance, mobile phones (purchase or call charges) and other indirect costs;\n\nj. fees for international students or the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) liabilities for students;\n\nk. salaries and/or on-costs, in whole or in part, for CIs or PIs; and\n\nl. HDR stipends for CIs, DAATSIA recipients and PIs, in whole or in part.\n\n1. The assessment criteria\n 1. You must address all of the relevant assessment criteria in Your application. We will assess your application based on the weighting given to each criterion.\n 2. The assessment criteria for the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity are:\n\n1. Investigator(s)/Capability 35%\n\nTaking into account research opportunity,\n\n\\- record of high-quality research outputs appropriate to the discipline(s)\n\n\\- evidence of excellence in research training, mentoring and supervision (where appropriate); and\n\n\\- the capability of the investigator or team to build collaborations both within Australia and internationally.\n\n1. Project quality and innovation 40%\n\nDescribe the:\n\n\\- contribution to an important gap in knowledge or significant problem;\n\n\\- novelty/originality and innovation of the proposed research (including any new methods, technologies, theories or ideas that will be developed);\n\n\\- clarity of the hypothesis, theories and research questions;\n\n\\- cohesiveness of the project design and implementation plan (including the appropriateness of the aim, conceptual framework, method, data and/or analyses); and\n\n\\- extent to which the research has the potential to enhance international collaboration.\n\nIf the project involves Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander research additional criteria include:\n\n\\- the project’s level of collaboration, engagement, relationship building and benefit sharing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and First Nations Organisations and Communities;\n\n\\- the project’s strategy and mechanisms for Indigenous research capacity building within the project;\n\n\\- the project’s level of internal leadership of Indigenous research;\n\n\\- the project’s adherence to the Australian Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles (2018); and\n\n\\- the project’s understanding of, and proposed strategies to adhere to, the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020) and NHMRC’s guidelines on Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities (2018).\n\n1. Benefit 15%\n\nDescribe the potential benefits including the:\n\n\\- new or advanced knowledge resulting from outcomes of the research;\n\n\\- economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia and international communities; and\n\n\\- potential contribution to capacity in the Australian Government priority areas.\n\n1. Feasibility 10%\n\nDescribe the:\n\n\\- cost-effectiveness of the research and its value for money;\n\n\\- suitability of the environment for the research team and their project, and for HDR students where appropriate;\n\n\\- availability of the necessary facilities to complete the project; and\n\n\\- extent to which the project’s design, participants and requested budget create confidence in the timely and successful completion of the project.\n\nAssessing the DAATSIA candidate\n\n1. Where an application includes provision for a DAATSIA, the candidate will be assessed according to the following criteria, taking into account research opportunity:\n\na. potential to enhance and expedite a high-quality project;\n\nb. location within a suitable research environment that will support the candidate and project;\n\nc. record of high-quality research outputs appropriate to the discipline(s);\n\nd. evidence of excellence in research training, mentoring and supervision (where appropriate); and\n\ne. capability to build collaborations both within Australia and internationally.\n\n1. The recommendation to award the DAATSIA is made separately from the overall application. If the project is funded but the DAATSIA is not awarded, the researcher will remain as a CI on the project.\n\n1. How to apply\n\nApplication process\n\n1. Instructions To Applicants will be issued on the opening of the grant opportunity and applicants must follow the processes described in those Instructions, including regarding attachments to the application.\n2. Your application must be completed in RMS. We will not accept late applications, other than in exceptional circumstances (such as due to natural disasters) in which case We will discuss this with You, and if We agree, invite You to make a late application.\n3. You cannot change Your application after the closing date and time, unless invited to by the ARC.\n4. We reserve the right to seek evidence to support the certification of applications at any point.\n5. Questions during the application period should be directed to the Administering Organisation’s Research Office. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions will be posted on GrantConnect.\n6. If You wish to withdraw Your application, You must inform Us in writing.\n\nNational Interest Test Statement\n\n1. Applicants must provide a National Interest Test statement: a brief response that articulates the benefits of the proposed research in plain English in general terms beyond the period of the grant.\n\nLetter of Community Support\n\n1. If relevant, You may include a Letter of Community Support in Your application from an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community or community organisation which outlines the benefits the grant activity will provide to that community or community organisation.\n\nTiming of the grant opportunity\n\n1. The Discovery Indigenous scheme typically accepts one round of applications each year.\n2. You must submit your application between the round opening and closing dates and times specified on GrantConnect.\n\n1. The grant selection process\n\nEligibility and Assessment\n\n1. We will review Your application against the eligibility criteria. If ineligible, We must not recommend the application for funding.\n2. All applications will be considered through a competitive peer review process, based on:\n\na. how well it meets the weighted assessment criteria;\n\nb. how it is ranked against other applications; and\n\nc. whether it provides value for money (as defined in the Glossary).\n\n1. Recommendations will be made to the ARC Accountable Authority from a Selection Advisory Committee.\n2. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete and accurate. Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). We will investigate any incomplete, inaccurate, false or misleading information and may recommend to the Accountability Authority that Your application not be considered further.\n 1. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes failure to disclose any conflict of interest of any named participant, including but not limited to matters described in clauses 3.1 and 3.3 of the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025) on the ARC website.\n3. We may seek advice on security or other matters from Commonwealth agencies at any time during the process and may seek information from third party sources. We may seek information from You about activities and protections in line with that advice and other information.\n4. During the assessment, We may request additional information, which does not change the nature of Your application.\n\nWho will approve grants\n\n1. The ARC Accountable Authority will decide which grants to fund, after considering the advice from peer review, and alignment with Australian Government priorities. The ARC Accountable Authority’s decision is final in all matters.\n2. The outcome of all applications will be published in RMS.\n3. The Minister may at any time decide that, for reasons relevant to the security, defence or international relations of Australia, the ARC Accountable Authority should not approve a grant. The ARC Accountable Authority must comply with the Minister’s decision.\n\nRequests Not To Assess process\n\n1. You may name up to three persons whom You do not wish to assess an application by submitting a ‘Request Not to Assess’ (RNTA) form in RMS as detailed on GrantConnect and on the ARC website.\n2. The RNTA form must be received by Us two weeks prior to the grant opportunity closing date.\n3. Only one request containing the names of up to three individual assessors may be submitted per application.\n4. If a request includes the name of a current ARC College of Experts member, as listed on the ARC website or in RMS at the time of submitting the RNTA form, the request must be accompanied by comprehensive evidence justifying the request for the ARC College of Experts member or members named. If We consider the evidence is not sufficient for the named ARC College of Experts member or members, We will reject part, or all the request.\n5. We have discretion about whether We accept or refuse a RNTA. We will not notify You of the outcome.\n\nRejoinder process\n\n1. You will be given the opportunity to respond to any Detailed Assessors’ written comments through a rejoinder. Names of assessors will not be provided. Further information on the rejoinder process is available on the ARC website.\n\n1. Successful grant applications\n\nAdvice and announcement\n\n1. If your grant application is successful, We:\n\n1. will give You a copy of the ARCs Accountable Authority’s approval no more than 21 days after the ARC’s Accountable Authority’s decision;\n2. may give You earlier notice of the ARC Accountable Authority’s approval and may impose a short embargo on announcements in order to enable parties to co-ordinate announcements; and\n3. will list Your grant on GrantConnect no more than 21 calendar days after the date of effect.\n 1. We will publicise and report offers and grants awarded, including the following information about the project:\n\na. Your name and any other parties involved in or associated with the project;\n\nb. named participants and their organisations;\n\nc. the project description (the title and summary descriptions);\n\nd. Your National Interest Test statement;\n\ne. classifications and international collaboration country names; and\n\nf. the ARC grant funding amount.\n\n1. You should ensure information contained in the project title, summary descriptions and National Interest Test statement will not compromise Your requirements for confidentiality (such as protection of Intellectual Property).\n2. We may publish a project description, including title and summary, which differs from that provided in the application.\n\nGrant Agreements\n\n1. You must enter into a grant agreement with Us to receive a grant.\n2. We use the ARC Discovery Program Discovery Indigenous grant agreement which contains standard terms and conditions that cannot be changed. A sample grant agreement is available on GrantConnect. Any special conditions will be identified in the grant offer.\n3. You will have 30 calendar days from the date of offer to execute the grant agreement.\n4. We must execute a grant agreement with You before We can make payment. We are not responsible for any of Your project expenditure until a grant agreement is executed.\n\nHow we pay the grant\n\n1. Payments will be made as set out in the grant agreement. Grant funding will typically be paid monthly through Our payment system to You.\n2. The grant offer will specify the approved grant amount. We will not pay more than the approved grant amount under any circumstances. If you incur extra costs, You must meet them.\n3. Grant funding may be subject to indexation.\n4. All amounts referred to in these grant guidelines are exclusive of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), unless expressly stated otherwise.\n5. Any grant awarded will be subject to sufficient funds being available for the project, the provisions of the ARC Act and the continued satisfactory progress of the project.\n\nGrant Agreement Variation\n\n1. The Grant Agreement outlines the circumstances in which Variations must be submitted. Variations are subject to the ARC approval and further information can be found in the Grant Agreement.\n\nResponsibilities\n\n1. All named participants in an application must take responsibility for the authorship and intellectual content of the application, appropriately citing sources and acknowledging all significant contributions, including from third parties.\n\nChief Investigators and DAATSIA recipients\n\n1. The CI or DAATSIA recipients must:\n\n1. obtain a legal right to work and reside in Australia, prior to the commencement of the project if the candidate is not an Australian citizen; and\n\n1. meet relinquishment and any other requirements specified in the grant agreement.\n 1. The DAATSIA may be undertaken on either a full-time, or a part-time, basis subject to Your organisation’s employment conditions and provided the DAATSIA does not exceed eight years from the project start date (excluding any approved periods of suspension).\n 2. The DAATSIA recipient cannot begin another ARC Fellowship until the DAATSIA has been completed.\n\nYour responsibilities\n\n1. You must employ the DAATSIA recipient(s) for the project activity period.\n2. You are responsible for managing changes to the DAATSIA recipient’s working hours. \n You are required to notify Us of any changes to working hours through submission of a Variation.\n3. You must ensure the DAATSIA recipient has access to the following leave entitlements in line with Your normal practice:\n\n1. parental leave;\n2. recreation leave;\n\n1. sick leave; and\n2. additional leave of up to twelve months using accrued leave or leave without pay.\n\nSpecific research policies and practices\n\n1. All applications and ARC-funded research projects must comply with the requirements for responsible and ethical research practice specified in the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), and the codes, guidelines, practices and policies on the ARC website, including the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025) and any actions that have been applied under the ARC Research Integrity Policy (2023 version).\n2. An ethics plan must be in place before commencement of the project.\n3. Intellectual Property arrangements should be negotiated between You, Other Eligible Organisations and Other Organisations as relevant. We do not claim ownership of any Intellectual Property arising from the project.\n4. All research projects must comply with the ARC Open Access Policy (2021 version) on the dissemination of findings on the ARC website.\n5. A data management plan must be in place before the project commences, in line with the grant agreement, and ARC expectations on the ARC website.\n6. All named participants applying for grants are strongly encouraged to have a persistent digital identifier such as an Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier (ORCID) in their RMS Profile.\n\nMonitoring and reporting\n\n1. You must inform us of any changes to Your:\n\na. name;\n\nb. addresses;\n\nc. nominated contact details; or\n\nd. bank account details.\n\n1. You must submit reports in line with the grant agreement. Reports must be submitted through RMS, unless otherwise advised by Us. Reporting may include:\n\na. End of year reports;\n\nb. Final reports; and\n\nc. Post-project reporting.\n\n1. We will monitor progress by assessing Your reports and may conduct site visits or request records to confirm details of Your reports if necessary. We may re-examine claims, seek further information or request an independent audit of claims and payments.\n2. We may evaluate the project to measure how well the outcomes and objectives were achieved. We may use information from Your application and reports or may contact You after grant completion to assist evaluation.\n\n1. Probity\n 1. The Australian Government will make sure that the grant opportunity process is fair, according to the published guidelines, incorporates appropriate safeguards against fraud, unlawful activities and other inappropriate conduct and is consistent with the CGRPs and the ARC Act.\n\nAppeals process\n\n1. We will only consider appeals against the NCGP administrative process and not against committee decisions, assessor ratings and comments, or the assessment outcome. Appellants must identify the specific guideline/legislative instrument clause, policy or procedure which they believe has been incorrectly applied.\n2. You must submit an appeal using the Form on the ARC website and have it authorised by the Administering Organisation’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or equivalent.\n3. The appeals process is set out on the ARC website.\n\nConflict of interest\n\n1. You will be asked to certify as part of Your application that any perceived, potential or existing conflicts of interests have been declared to You or that, to the best of Your knowledge, there is no conflict of interest in Your application. Each named individual or organisation must make this declaration about any aspect of the application or project to You at the date of submission.\n2. If a conflict of interest exists or arises, You must have documented processes in place to manage that conflict for the duration of the project. Processes must comply with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025) and any relevant successor documents.\n3. We will handle any conflicts of interest as set out in Australian Government policies and procedures. Refer to the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025) on the ARC website.\n\nPrivacy and protection of personal information\n\n1. We treat your personal information according to the Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).\n2. You are required, as part of Your application, to certify Your compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles and impose the same privacy obligations on any subcontractors You engage. You must ask for our consent in writing before disclosing confidential information.\n3. Information about privacy and personal information is set out on the ARC website.\n\nConfidential information\n\n1. The Australian Government may use and disclose confidential information about grant applicants and grant recipients to any other Australian Government business or function.\n2. We will treat the information You give Us as confidential if:\n\na. You clearly identify the information as confidential and explain why We should treat it as confidential;\n\nb. the information is commercial in confidence;\n\nc. revealing the information would cause unreasonable harm to You or someone else; or\n\nd. You provide the information with an understanding that it will stay confidential.\n\nFreedom of information\n\n1. All documents in the possession of the Australian Government, including those about this program, are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act).\n2. The Freedom of Information process is set out on the ARC website.\n\n \n\nAppendix A – Glossary\n\nAcronyms\n\nFor the purposes of the Discovery Program grant guidelines, acronyms have the meanings defined below.\n\n| Acronym | Description |\n| ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| ARC | Australian Research Council |\n| ARC Act | Australian Research Council Act 2001 |\n| CGRPs | Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles 2024 |\n| CI | Chief Investigator |\n| DAATSIA | Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award |\n| DECRA | Discovery Early Career Researcher Award |\n| FOI | Freedom of Information |\n| FTE | Full Time Equivalent |\n| GST | Goods and Services Tax |\n| HDR | Higher Degree by Research |\n| HECS | Higher Education Contribution Scheme |\n| HELP | Higher Education Loan Program |\n| KPI | Key Performance Indicator |\n| NCGP | National Competitive Grants Program |\n| ORCID | Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier |\n| PI | Partner Investigator |\n| RMS | Research Management System |\n| SAC | Selection Advisory Committee |\n\nDefinitions\n\nFor the purposes of the Discovery Program grant guidelines, terms have the meanings defined below.\n\n| Term | Definition |\n| ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person | a person of Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person and is accepted as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person by the community in which they live or have lived. |\n| Accountable Authority | Members of the ARC Board are the Accountable Authority of the ARC as defined in section 5 of the ARC Act. |\n| active project | a project that is receiving funding according to the terms of an existing Funding Agreement or grant agreement, or has any carryover funds approved by the ARC, or an approved variation to the project end date. |\n| active project assessment date | the date on which active project eligibility will be considered for project and application limits per named participant. |\n| Administering Organisation | an Eligible Organisation which submits an application for a grant and which will be responsible for the administration of the grant if the application is approved for funding. |\n| applicant | the Administering Organisation. |\n| application | a request for funding submitted through RMS by an Administering Organisation seeking grant funding under an ARC grant program. It includes the specifics of a proposed grant activity as well as the administrative information required to determine the eligibility of the application. |\n| applied research | original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/australian-and-new-zealand-standard-research-classification-anzsrc/latest-release |\n| ARC Board | The ARC Board is appointed by the Minister and consists of the Chair, Deputy Chair and up to seven other members. The ARC Board’s function includes determining priorities, strategies and policies from the ARC. The ARC Board is the Accountable Authority of the Australian Research Council. |\n| ARC College of Experts | the body of experts of international standing appointed to assist the ARC to identify research excellence, moderate external assessments and recommend applications for funding. Its members are specialist and generalist experts in their knowledge fields drawn from the Australian research community.The ARC website provides information on who is a member of the College of Experts. |\n| ARC Fellowship | a named Fellowship position within any ARC grant program where the salary is funded wholly or partly by the ARC. |\n| assessment criteria | the specified principles or standards, against which applications will be considered. These criteria are also used to assess the merits of applications and, in the case of a competitive grant opportunity, to determine application rankings. |\n| Australian Government priority areas | any areas identified by the Australian Government as priorities for research. |\n| bench fees | fees that an organisation charges for an individual to use infrastructure which would normally be provided by the organisation for their employees. This infrastructure may vary and could include, for example, an office or laboratory space with appropriate equipment, or access to non-specialised equipment owned by the organisation. |\n| candidate | the person nominated in an application for a Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researcher Award. |\n| Chief Investigator | a participant who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a CI under these grant guidelines. |\n| consultancy | the provision of specialist advice, analysis, assistance, services or products to another organisation(s), generally where the consultancy services are for the sole or preferred use of that other organisation(s). |\n| date of effect | the date on which a grant agreement is signed or a specified starting date. |\n| Detailed Assessors | assessors drawn from the ARC assessor community who are assigned applications to review for their specific expertise in a field of research. |\n| eligibility criteria | the mandatory criteria which must be met to qualify for a grant. Assessment criteria may apply in addition to eligibility criteria. |\n| Eligible Organisation | an organisation listed in Appendix B of these grant guidelines. |\n| experimental development | experimental development is systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processes.https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/australian-and-new-zealand-standard-research-classification-anzsrc/latest-release |\n| field research | the collection of information integral to the project outside a laboratory, library or workplace setting and often in a location external to the participant’s normal place of employment. |\n| grant activity | the project/tasks/services that the grantee is required to undertake. A project consists of a number of grant activities. |\n| grant agreement | the agreement entered into by the ARC and an Administering Organisation when an application from that organisation is approved for grant funding. This was previously referred to as a ‘Funding Agreement’. |\n| grant commencement date | the date on which grant funding may commence. |\n| grant guidelines | grant guidelines, otherwise known as funding rules, are rules approved by the Minister under section 59 (including as varied under section 60) of the ARC Act. |\n| grant offer | the details listed in the ARC’s RMS under ‘Funding Offers’ showing the project details and grant amount. |\n| GrantConnect | the Australian Government’s whole-of-government grants information system, which centralises the publication and reporting of Commonwealth grants in accordance with the CGRPs. |\n| grantee | the Administering Organisation which has been selected to receive a grant. |\n| grant opportunity | the specific grant round or process where a Commonwealth grant is made available to potential grantees. Grant opportunities may be open or targeted and will reflect the relevant grant selection process. |\n| grant opportunity closing date | the last day on which applications for a grant opportunity will be accepted for consideration for a specific grant opportunity. |\n| grant recipient | an individual or organisation who has received grant funding from the ARC. |\n| GST | the meaning as given in Section 195-1 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999. |\n| Higher Degree by Research (HDR) | a ‘Research Doctorate or Research Masters course, for which at least two-thirds of the student load for the course is required as research work’ as defined by the Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines (Research) 2017. |\n| Honorary academic appointment | an honorary academic appointment for eligibility purposes means a position that gives full academic status to the researcher, as certified by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (or equivalent) in the application. The researcher must have access to research support comparable to employees e.g., an emeritus appointment. The researcher is not eligible to be a Chief Investigator using their honorary academic appointment if they are employed by an organisation other than an Eligible Organisation for more than 0.2 FTE. |\n| in-kind contributions | a contribution of goods, services, materials and/or time to the project from an individual, business or organisation. Values should be calculated based on the most likely actual cost, for example, current market, preferred provider or internal provider rates/valuations/rentals/charges (that is in the financial year of the date of the application) of the costs of labour, workspaces, equipment and databases. The calculations covering time and costs should be documented by the Administering Organisation. The ARC may require these calculations to be audited. |\n| Instructions to Applicants | a set of instructions prepared by the ARC to assist applicants in completing the application form. |\n| Key Performance Indicators | a set of quantifiable measures that the ARC uses to monitor and report on progress of research outcomes. |\n| legislative instrument | a law on matters of detail made by a person or body authorised to do so by the relevant enabling legislation. |\n| medical research | medical research as defined in the ARC Medical Research Policy (2025 version) available on the ARC website. |\n| named participants | individual researchers nominated for particular roles in an application. |\n| ORCID Identifier | a persistent digital identifier for an individual researcher available on the ORCID website, www.orcid.org. |\n| Other Eligible Organisation | an organisation listed in Section 4 of these grant guidelines which is not the Administering Organisation on an application. |\n| Other Organisation | an organisation that is not an Administering Organisation or Other Eligible Organisation that contributes to the research project. |\n| participants | all named participants on an application (i.e.. CIs, PIs, candidates); and all unnamed researchers such as postdoctoral research associates and postgraduate researchers working on a project. |\n| participating organisation | an organisation on an application (i.e., Administering Organisation, Other Eligible Organisations and Other Organisations) |\n| Partner Investigator | a named participant who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a Partner Investigator under these grant guidelines. |\n| Postdoctoral Research Associate | a postdoctoral research associate funded by the Commonwealth through the Administering Organisation, who will be employed on the project. |\n| Postgraduate Researcher | a postgraduate research student funded by the Commonwealth through the Administering Organisation, who will undertake a HDR through the project. |\n| Preprint or comparable resource | a preprint or comparable resource is a scholarly output that is uploaded by the authors to a recognised publicly accessible archive, repository, or pre-print service (such as, but not limited to, arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, ChemRxiv, Peer J Preprints, Zenodo, GitHub, PsyArXiv and publicly available university or government repositories etc.). This will include a range of materials that have been subjected to varying degrees of peer review from none to light and full review. Ideally, a preprint or comparable resource should have a unique identifier or a DOI (digital object identifier). Any citation of a preprint or comparable resource should be explicitly identified as such and listed in the references with a DOI, URL or equivalent, version number and/or date of access, as applicable. |\n| project | an application approved by the ARC Accountable Authority to receive funding from the ARC through an application. |\n| project activity period | the period during which a project is receiving grant funding according to the original grant offer, or has any carryover funds approved by the ARC, or an approved variation to the project’s end date. During this period, the project is known as an active project. |\n| project end date | the expected date that the project activity is completed and by which all grant funding will be spent. |\n| Project Leader | the named participant from the Administering Organisation who is the first-named CI on an application. |\n| pure basic research | basic research carried out for the advancement of knowledge, without seeking long-term economic or social benefits or making any effort to apply the results to practical problems or to transfer the results to sectors responsible for their application.https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/australian-and-new-zealand-standard-research-classification-anzsrc/latest-release |\n| research | for the purposes of these grant guidelines, the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies, inventions and understandings. This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to the extent that it is new and creative.This definition of research is consistent with a broad notion of research and experimental development comprising “creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge”OECD (2015), Frascati Manual 2015: Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development (p.378). |\n| research infrastructure | the assets, facilities, services, and coordinated access to major national and/or international research facilities or consortia which directly support research in higher education organisations and more broadly and which maintain the capacity of researchers to undertake excellent research and deliver innovative outcomes. |\n| Research Office | a business unit within an Eligible Organisation that is responsible for contact with the ARC regarding applications and projects. |\n| research output | all products (including Preprints or comparable resources) of a research project that meet the definition of research. |\n| Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) | a group of experts from academia and industry appointed to assist the ARC to evaluate applications and to provide a recommendation for funding to the ARC Accountable Authority. A SAC may be drawn from the ARC College of Experts. |\n| selection process | the method used to select potential grantees. This process may involve comparative assessment of applications or the assessment of applications against the eligibility criteria and/or the assessment criteria. |\n| Special Condition | a condition specified in a grant offer which governs the use of the funding provided by the ARC. |\n| strategic basic research | experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge directed into specified broad areas in the expectation of practical discoveries. It provides the broad base of knowledge necessary for the solution of recognised practical problems.https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/australian-and-new-zealand-standard-research-classification-anzsrc/latest-release |\n| travel costs | the domestic and international economy travel costs associated with the project, including to foster and strengthen collaborations between researchers in Australia and overseas. |\n| value for money | ‘value for money’ is a judgement based on the grant application representing an efficient, effective, economical and ethical use of public resources determined from a variety of considerations: merit of the proposal, risk, cost and expected contribution to outcome achievement. |\n| Variation of Grant Agreement (Variation) | a request submitted to the ARC in RMS to agree a change in the grant agreement. |\n| We | the Australian Research Council (ARC). ‘Us’ and ‘Our’ are also used in this context. |\n| You | the Eligible Organisation that submitted the application. ‘Your’ is also used in this context. |\n\n \n\nAppendix B: Eligible Organisations\n\n```html\n

Organisation Name

Organisation ABN

Organisation Name

Organisation ABN

Adelaide University

41 202 953 738

Swinburne University of Technology

13 628 586 699

Australian Catholic University

15 050 192 660

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

62 020 533 641

The Australian National University

52 234 063 906

Avondale University

53 108 186 401

The University of Adelaide

61 249 878 937

Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

32 039 179 166

The University of Melbourne

84 002 705 224

Bond University

88 010 694 121

The University of New England

75 792 454 315

Central Queensland University

39 181 103 288

The University of New South Wales

57 195 873 179

Charles Darwin University

54 093 513 649

The University of Newcastle

15 736 576 735

Charles Sturt University

83 878 708 551

The University of Notre Dame Australia

69 330 643 210

Curtin University

99 143 842 569

The University of Queensland

63 942 912 684

Deakin University

56 721 584 203

The University of Sydney

15 211 513 464

Edith Cowan University

54 361 485 361

The University of Western Australia

37 882 817 280

Federation University Australia

51 818 692 256

Torrens University Australia

99 154 937 005

Flinders University

65 542 596 200

University of Canberra

81 633 873 422

Griffith University

78 106 094 461

University of Divinity

95 290 912 141

James Cook University

46 253 211 955

University of South Australia

37 191 313 308

La Trobe University

64 804 735 113

University of Southern Queensland

40 234 732 081

Macquarie University

90 952 801 237

University of Tasmania

30 764 374 782

Monash University

12 377 614 012

University of Technology Sydney

77 257 686 961

Murdoch University

61 616 369 313

University of the Sunshine Coast

28 441 859 157

Queensland University of Technology

83 791 724 622

University of Wollongong

61 060 567 686

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
(RMIT University)

49 781 030 034

Victoria University

83 776 954 731

Southern Cross University

41 995 651 524

Western Sydney University

53 014 069 881

\n```","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"provider":"moonshot","completionTokens":2783},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"These guidelines remain focused on the original purpose of the Discovery Indigenous scheme: supporting research led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers. While this is 'Variation 1' of the 2024 edition, the updates appear administrative in nature (such as the addition of Adelaide University following the merger of the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia, and updated policy references) rather than an expansion of the scheme's scope into new areas."},"complexity_factors":["40+ defined terms in Appendix A (Glossary), including technical definitions like 'pure basic research', 'strategic basic research', and 'experimental development'","Extensive cross-referencing to external ARC policies that are not contained in the document itself (ARC Medical Research Policy 2025, Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy 2025, Research Integrity Policy 2023, Open Access Policy 2021)","Complex conditional eligibility rules for concurrent grants (section 4.24-4.27) with multiple exceptions — e.g., counting rules that vary depending on whether the researcher holds a Discovery Project, ARC Fellowship, or Centre of Excellence role","Specific numerical thresholds and caps throughout: $30,000 minimum/$500,000 maximum annual funding, 0.2 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) minimum employment, 50% residence requirement in Australia, $50,000 travel limits","Transitional provision for the Adelaide University merger (section 4.4) creating a conditional exception to normal eligibility rules","Nested assessment criteria with weighted percentages (35%/40%/15%/10%) and additional Indigenous-specific ethical requirements that apply only when research involves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples","12 specific categories of excluded expenditure in section 5.2, including detailed exclusions for 'basic facilities' universities must self-fund","Ministerial intervention provisions allowing the Minister to override funding decisions on security/defence grounds (section 8.3)"],"plain_english_summary":"The Discovery Indigenous scheme funds Indigenous‑led research in Australia, awarding $30,000–$500,000 per year (to five years) to eligible universities and research organisations and includes the DAATSIA fellowship to support an Indigenous researcher’s salary. It excludes medical research and limits who can apply and how many ARC projects an individual can lead.\n\nIt’s assessed on investigator track record, project quality (including Indigenous community engagement and data sovereignty), benefit and feasibility, and aims to grow Indigenous researchers and ensure ethical, community‑benefitting research."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Variation 1 (2024 edition) restates and organises the Discovery Indigenous scheme's eligibility, assessment and administrative rules. The document continues to target funding to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers and to support DAATSIAs within Discovery projects, consistent with the scheme's stated purpose. The changes visible in the text are primarily clarifying and procedural (for example, explicit treatment of transfers to Adelaide University in a transitional circumstance, detailed RNTA handling, and updated cross-references to 2025-version ARC policies), rather than a material expansion of scope beyond the original purpose of providing targeted research grants and fellowships. Consequently there is no indication that the program's substantive scope has grown significantly beyond its established objective."},"complexity_factors":["Lengthy multi-part structure with detailed eligibility, assessment and reporting rules across ~10 main sections","Extensive glossary/definitions (Appendix A) containing many defined terms that affect interpretation","Numerous cross-references to external ARC policies and instruments (ARC Medical Research Policy 2025, ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy 2025, Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018, AIATSIS and NHMRC guidance)","Layered conditional eligibility rules and exceptions (e.g., DAATSIA rules, requirement that DAATSIA salary level be >= CI salary, counting of DAATSIA within $500k cap)","Nested project limits and counting rules for named participants (concurrent funding caps, exceptions for other ARC schemes, active project assessment date calculations)","Detailed permitted and prohibited expenditure lists with multiple carve-outs (e.g., travel caps with exclusions for fieldwork and carer support)","Discretionary procedural elements (RNTA decisions, ARC may seek other agency advice, ARC Accountable Authority final decision and ministerial override for security grounds)","Appendix B: long, prescriptive list of Eligible Organisations which materially constrains who may apply","Separate assessment stream for DAATSIA candidates (candidate assessed separately from project recommendation)","Standard-form grant agreement with no-negotiation clauses and variation controls referenced (adds legal/contractual complexity post-approval)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanics)\n\n- Creates a restricted competitive grant opportunity called \"Discovery Indigenous\" administered by the Australian Research Council (ARC). The ARC publishes the round on GrantConnect and manages applications and payment (Discovery Program processes; Who will approve grants). \n\n- Provides project funding (minimum $30,000 and up to $500,000 per year) for research led by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers. The scheme can include a salary fellowship called a DAATSIA (Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award), which is paid at one of five salary levels and counted within the $500,000 cap (Grant amount and grant period, Table 1; DAATSIA salary). \n\n- Only Eligible Organisations listed in Appendix B may submit applications as the Administering Organisation; other participating bodies may appear as Other Eligible Organisations or Other Organisations (Eligibility criteria; Appendix B).\n\n- Applications must name at least one Chief Investigator (CI) or DAATSIA candidate who is an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researcher; the first-named CI is the Project Leader (Eligibility criteria). \n\n- The ARC assesses applications by peer review against weighted criteria: Investigator(s)/Capability (35%), Project quality and innovation (40%), Benefit (15%), and Feasibility (10%). DAATSIA candidates are assessed separately against specific criteria (The assessment criteria; Assessing the DAATSIA candidate). \n\n- The Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) makes recommendations to the ARC Accountable Authority, which makes final funding decisions. The Minister can direct the ARC Accountable Authority not to fund a project for security/defence/international relations reasons (Discovery Program processes; The grant selection process).\n\n- Successful applicants enter a standard ARC grant agreement. Payments are made to the Administering Organisation and are conditional on execution of the agreement and continuing satisfactory progress (Successful grant applications; Grant Agreements; How we pay the grant).\n\n\nWho it affects\n\n- Primary beneficiaries: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers who lead projects or hold a DAATSIA, and their Administering Organisations (universities and listed eligible institutions) (About the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity; Eligibility criteria).\n\n- Secondary parties: other named participants (CIs, PIs, HDR students), collaborating organisations named on applications, and broader research teams who receive project funds (Eligibility criteria; What the grant money can be used for).\n\n- The payer/decision-makers: the Commonwealth (through the ARC) provides the funding; the ARC Accountable Authority and the Selection Advisory Committee decide which projects to fund; the Minister retains a narrow national-security related override (Discovery Program processes; The grant selection process).\n\n\nWhy it matters (stated purpose and practical effects)\n\n- Purpose claimed by the instrument: to retain and develop excellent Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers in higher education, support high-quality research across disciplines (excluding clinical/medical research), build research capacity, and encourage collaboration and benefits for Australia (About the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity, objectives).\n\n- Practical effects and behavioural mechanics:\n - Concentrated benefits: funding is targeted specifically at Indigenous researchers and their projects; this concentrates grant dollars on a defined cohort (About the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity; Eligibility criteria). \n - Competition and selection: awards are competitive and assessed by weighted merit criteria; applicants must craft proposals that score highly on investigator capability, project quality, benefit and feasibility (The assessment criteria). \n - Administrative burden and compliance: Administering Organisations must manage applications through the ARC RMS, certify eligibility and conflicts of interest, meet reporting obligations, and comply with a suite of ARC research integrity, ethics and open access policies (How to apply; Probity; Specific research policies and practices). \n - Constraints on use of funds: the guidelines list detailed permitted and prohibited expenses (e.g., salaries for CIs/PIs cannot be charged to the grant; medical research and experimental development are excluded) which shapes budget and staffing decisions (What the grant money can be used for; What grants funds cannot be used for). \n\n\nTrade-offs, implementation and compliance risks (concise assessment)\n\n- Fiscal trade-off: taxpayers finance the grants through the ARC; per-project caps and duration (up to five years) limit per-award cost but allocate finite public funds to a targeted group (Grant amount and grant period). \n\n- Administrative and compliance costs: applicants and Administering Organisations carry the compliance burden (eligibility checks, ethics plans, data management plans, reporting, variations). This imposes staff time and systems costs on universities and institutions (How to apply; Monitoring and reporting; Specific research policies and practices). \n\n- Allocation risk and competition: a limited budget and a competitive scoring process create strong incentives to prioritise projects that score well against the stated criteria (investigator record, novelty, benefit, feasibility). The guidelines require value-for-money judgements, which can privilege projects that are easier to quantify or align with government priorities (The assessment criteria; The grant selection process). \n\n- Bureaucratic discretion and safeguards: ARC exercises discretionary assessment (e.g., accepting or rejecting RNTA — requests not to assess — and weighing national interest advice from other agencies). This concentrates decision authority with ARC bodies and the Accountable Authority; ministerial intervention is limited to security/foreign policy grounds (The grant selection process; Requests Not To Assess process). \n\n- Risk of procedural complexity: multiple cross-referenced external policies (ARC Medical Research Policy, ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy, Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research, AIATSIS and NHMRC Indigenous research guidance) increase the compliance complexity and create potential timing or interpretation risks for applicants (Specific research policies and practices; What grants funds cannot be used for).\n\n\nWho pays, who decides, and what behaviour changes\n\n- Who pays: the Commonwealth through ARC program budgets (Grant amount and grant period; How we pay the grant). \n- Who decides: peer reviewers and the SAC recommend funding; the ARC Accountable Authority makes the final decision; the Minister can block funding on security/defence/international relations grounds (The grant selection process; Discovery Program processes). \n- Expected behavioural changes: Administering Organisations will direct Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers to apply through eligible institutions; applicants will adjust project budgets to comply with permitted/excluded items and align proposals with the weighting in assessment criteria; institutions will invest administrative resources to meet reporting, ethics and data requirements.\n\n\nImplementation note (concrete):\n- The guidelines rely on several externally maintained policy documents and web pages (salary levels, medical research policy, conflict-of-interest rules). Applicants must consult those linked documents to prepare compliant applications and budgets (Grant amount and grant period; Specific research policies and practices)."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. 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