{"id":"F2024L00975","name":"Industry Fellowships Program (IFP) Grant Guidelines (2024 edition)","slug":"industry-fellowships-program-ifp-grant-guidelines-2024-edition","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":105323,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2024L00975-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Early Career Industry Fellowships The re","sectionType":"section","heading":"Early Career Industry Fellowships The requirements for the Early Career Industry Fellowship scheme set out here must be read with the IFP requirements in Sections 1—9 of these grant guidelines.","content":"#### Early Career Industry Fellowships\n1. The requirements for the Early Career Industry Fellowship scheme set out here must be read with the IFP requirements in Sections 1–9 of these grant guidelines.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"Mid-Career Industry Fellowships The requ","sectionType":"section","heading":"Mid-Career Industry Fellowships The requirements for the Mid-Career Industry Fellowship scheme set out here must be read with the IFP requirements in Sections 1—9.","content":"#### Mid-Career Industry Fellowships\n1. The requirements for the Mid-Career Industry Fellowship scheme set out here must be read with the IFP requirements in Sections 1–9.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Industry Laureate Fellowships The requir","sectionType":"section","heading":"Industry Laureate Fellowships The requirements for the Industry Laureate Fellowships scheme set out here must be read with the general IFP requirements in Sections 1—9.","content":"#### Industry Laureate Fellowships\n1. The requirements for the Industry Laureate Fellowships scheme set out here must be read with the general IFP requirements in Sections 1–9.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"Appendix A: Glossary","sectionType":"section","heading":"Appendix A: Glossary","content":"#### Appendix A: Glossary\n\n## Acronyms\n\n```html\n

Acronym

Description

ACN

Australian Company Number

ARC

Australian Research Council

ARC Act

Australian Research Council Act 2001

CGRGs

Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines 2017

ECR

Early career researcher

FTE

Full Time Equivalent

FOI Act

Freedom of Information Act

GST

Goods and Services Tax

HDR

Higher Degree by Research

Acronym

Description

HECS

Higher Education Contribution Scheme

HELP

Higher Education Loan Program

IFP

Industry Fellowships Program

NCGP

National Competitive Grants Program

ORCID

Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier

PDRA

Postdoctoral Research Associate

PGR

Postgraduate Researcher

RMS

Research Management System

SAC

Selection Advisory Committee

\n```\n\n## Definitions\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 receiving funding under an existing Funding Agreement or grant agreement, with carryover funds approved by the ARC, or an approved variation to the project end date. |\n| academic level | The system of academic titles and ranks in Australia (although titles may differ between institutions):Level A — Tutor/Associate Lecturer/Research AssociateLevel B — Lecturer/Research FellowLevel C — Senior Lecturer/Senior Research FellowLevel D — Associate ProfessorLevel E — Professor. |\n| Administering Organisation | an Eligible Organisation which submits a grant application and which will be responsible for the administration of the grant if it is approved for funding. |\n| applicant | the Administering Organisation. |\n| application | a request for funding under an ARC grant program submitted by an Administering Organisation through RMS. It specifies the proposed grant activity and administrative information required to determine eligibility. |\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 experts of international standing appointed to assist the ARC identify research excellence, moderate assessments and advise the ARC Accountable Authority on applications. Members are drawn from the Australian research community as specialist and generalist experts in their fields. Membership is published on the ARC website. |\n| ARC Fellowship | a named Fellowship position with a salary funded wholly or partly by the ARC. |\n| assessment criteria | the principles or standards, against which applications will be considered. These criteria are used to assess the merits of applications and, in the case of a competitive grant opportunity, to determine application rankings. |\n| bench fees | fees an organisation charges for an individual to use infrastructure which would normally be provided by the organisation for their employees. For example, infrastructure could include an office or laboratory space or non-specialised equipment. |\n| cash contribution | the cash from a partner organisation transferred to and managed by the Administering Organisation. |\n| Chief Investigator | a named participant who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a CI under the applicable grant guidelines. |\n| controlled entity | an entity that is subject to the control of another entity. An entity has the capacity to control a second entity if the first entity has the capacity to determine the outcome of decisions about the second entity’s decisions and policy making. |\n| date of effect | the date on which a grant agreement is signed or a specified starting date. |\n| eligibility criteria | mandatory criteria to qualify for a grant. Assessment criteria may apply in addition to eligibility criteria. |\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| Fellow | the holder of a research fellowship, such as the Australian Laureate Fellowship, Future Fellowship, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award, Industry Early Career Fellowship, Industry Mid-Career Fellowship or Industry Laureate Fellowship. |\n| grant activity | the project/tasks/services that the grantee is required to undertake. A project consists of several grant activities. |\n| grant agreement | the agreement between the ARC and an Administering Organisation when a grant is approved for funding. Previously referred to as ‘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’ specifying 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 CGRGs. |\n| grantee | the Administering Organisation which will receive a grant. |\n| grant opportunity | the grant round or process where a Commonwealth grant is made available. |\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| Industry Assessors | assessors with academic and industry research experience who assess applications under the Industry Fellowships Program. |\n| in-kind contributions | goods, services, materials and/or time contributed to a project by an individual, business or organisation. Value is calculated based on the most likely actual cost - for example, current market, preferred provider or internal provider rates/valuations/rentals/charges of the costs of labour, work spaces, equipment or databases. Calculations should be documented and the ARC may audit these calculations. |\n| Key Industry Partner | an Australian organisation, other than an Eligible Organisation, with an Australian Company Number (ACN) or an Australian government entity (Commonwealth, State/ Territory or Local) or and Australian not-for-profit/charity registered on the Australian Government’s Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Charity Register. |\n| legislative instrument | a law on matters of detail made by a person or body authorised to do so by the relevant legislation. |\n| medical research | medical research as defined in the ARC Medical Research Policy (2020 version) available on the ARC website. |\n| named participant | individual researchers nominated for particular roles in an application. |\n| participants | all named participants on an application (ie CIs, PIs, Directors), and unnamed researchers (postdoctoral research associates and researchers) working on a project. |\n| PhD | a qualification that meets the level 10 criteria of the Australian Qualifications Framework Second Edition January 2013. |\n| Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) | a postdoctoral research associate funded by the Commonwealth through the Administering Organisation, who will be employed on the project. |\n| Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) | a postgraduate research student funded by the Commonwealth through the Administering Organisation, who will undertake a Higher Degree by Research through the project. |\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 receives funding according to the original grant offer, has carryover funds approved by the ARC, or an approved variation to its end date. During this period, the project an ‘active project’. |\n| project end date | the expected date by which project activity will be completed and all grant funding has been spent. |\n| recipient | an individual or organisation who has received grant funding from the ARC. |\n| research | the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way to generate new concepts, methodologies, inventions and understanding. This could include new and creative synthesis and analysis of previous research. This definition is consistent with OECD definitions of ‘creative and systematic work undertaken … 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 allow researchers to undertake research and deliver innovative outcomes. |\n| Research Office | a business unit within an Eligible Organisation responsible for contact with the ARC on its applications and projects. |\n| Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE) | an ARC policy framework used to consider and assess the quality and research excellence of a named participant within the context of the participant’s career and life experiences. One key element is that the assessment process takes into account the quality rather than simply the volume or size of the research contribution. |\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| Special Condition | a condition specified in a grant offer which governs the use of ARC funding. |\n| value for money | ‘value for money’ is a judgement based on the application representing an efficient, effective, economical and ethical use of public resources determined from a variety of considerations: merit of the application, risk, cost and expected contribution to outcome achievement. |\n| Variation of grant agreement | a request submitted to the ARC in RMS to change a Grant agreement. |\n| We | the Australian Research Council (ARC). ‘Us’ and ‘Our’ are also used in this context. |\n| You | the Eligible Organisation submitting an application. ‘Your’ is also used in this context. |","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"Appendix B: Eligible Organisations","sectionType":"section","heading":"Appendix B: Eligible Organisations","content":"#### Appendix B: Eligible Organisations\n\n```html\n

Organisation Name

Organisation ABN

Australian Catholic University

15 050 192 660

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

62 020 533 641

Avondale University

53 108 186 401

Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

32 039 179 166

Bond University

88 010 694 121

Central Queensland University

39 181 103 288

Charles Darwin University

54 093 513 649

Charles Sturt University

83 878 708 551

Curtin University

99 143 842 569

Deakin University

56 721 584 203

Edith Cowan University

54 361 485 361

Federation University Australia

51 818 692 256

Flinders University

65 542 596 200

Griffith University

78 106 094 461

James Cook University

46 253 211 955

La Trobe University

64 804 735 113

Macquarie University

90 952 801 237

Monash University

12 377 614 012

Murdoch University

61 616 369 313

Queensland University of Technology

83 791 724 622

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University)

49 781 030 034

Organisation Name

Organisation ABN

Southern Cross University

41 995 651 524

Swinburne University of Technology

13 628 586 699

The Australian National University

52 234 063 906

The University of Adelaide

61 249 878 937

The University of Melbourne

84 002 705 224

The University of New England

75 792 454 315

The University of New South Wales

57 195 873 179

The University of Newcastle

15 736 576 735

The University of Notre Dame Australia

69 330 643 210

The University of Queensland

63 942 912 684

The University of Sydney

15 211 513 464

The University of Western Australia

37 882 817 280

Torrens University Australia

99 154 937 005

University of Canberra

81 633 873 422

University of Divinity

95 290 912 141

University of South Australia

37 191 313 308

University of Southern Queensland

40 234 732 081

University of Tasmania

30 764 374 782

University of Technology Sydney

77 257 686 961

University of the Sunshine Coast

28 441 859 157

University of Wollongong

61 060 567 686

Victoria University

83 776 954 731

Western Sydney University

53 014 069 881

\n```","sortOrder":4}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":7,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This 2024 edition appears to restate the operational rules, definitions and eligible organisations for the Industry Fellowships Program without introducing a clear, material expansion of the program’s scope. The document consolidates definitions, acronyms and a current list of Eligible Organisations and cross‑references existing ARC and Commonwealth rules; it therefore updates and clarifies program mechanics rather than substantially broadening who may apply or the core purpose of the program."},"complexity_factors":["Extensive glossary/definitions (many specialised terms: Administering Organisation, Key Industry Partner, ROPE, value for money, etc.)","Cross‑references to other instruments and policies (ARC Act, CGRGs, ROPE policy, ARC Medical Research Policy)","Multiple interacting parts: general IFP rules (Sections 1–9) plus three scheme‑specific sections that must be read together","Operational processes requiring RMS, Grant Agreement, grant variations and special conditions (workflow complexity)","Audit and valuation requirements for in‑kind contributions (requires documentary evidence and possible ARC audits)","Multiple decision bodies (ARC Board/Accountable Authority, SAC, Industry Assessors, ARC College of Experts) introducing discretionary assessment pathways","Large list of Eligible Organisations in Appendix B (many named entities constrain who can be grantee Administering Organisations)","Conditional eligibility and assessment layers (eligibility criteria + assessment criteria + ROPE contextualisation)","Technical budget terms and staff allocations (bench fees, FTE, PDRAs, PGRs) needing precise accounting"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument is and who it affects**\n\n- These are the grant guidelines for the Australian Research Council’s Industry Fellowships Program (IFP) (2024 edition). They set the operational rules for three fellowship schemes: Early Career Industry Fellowships, Mid‑Career Industry Fellowships and Industry Laureate Fellowships. (Each of those scheme sections must be read together with the IFP general rules in Sections 1–9.)\n\n- Who is directly affected:\n - Eligible Organisations (called the Administering Organisation) that submit applications and would administer the grant if funded (see Appendix B—list of approved Universities and other eligible bodies).\n - Named researchers on applications (Chief Investigators, other named participants, Fellows, PDRAs, PGRs).\n - Key Industry Partners (Australian companies, government entities or registered charities participating as partners).\n - The ARC (referred to as “We/Us/Our”), ARC Board, Selection Advisory Committees (SACs) and Industry Assessors who evaluate and approve grants.\n\n**What the guidelines do, mechanically**\n\n- Define who can apply and who may be funded: the document contains an extensive Definitions/Glossary (terms such as Administering Organisation, project, Fellow, Key Industry Partner, active project, ROPE, value for money) and a published list of Eligible Organisations (Appendix B). Applications must be lodged via the ARC’s Research Management System (RMS) and conform to Sections 1–9 plus the scheme‑specific requirements. (Definitions & Appendix B.)\n\n- Explain how applications are assessed: applications are considered against eligibility criteria (mandatory) and assessment criteria (merit‑based). ARC uses Industry Assessors and SACs drawn from the ARC College of Experts. The ROPE framework is used to evaluate individual researchers’ track records in context. Value for money is an explicit assessment consideration. (Assessment criteria, Industry Assessors, SAC, ROPE, value for money.)\n\n- Specify grant administration, contracting and variation processes: approved awards are formalised by a Grant Agreement (previously called Funding Agreement). Grant offers, commencement dates, variations, carryovers and project end dates are controlled through RMS and are subject to ARC approval. Special Conditions may be attached to Grant Offers. (Grant agreement, grant offer, Variation of grant agreement, grant commencement date, Special Condition.)\n\n- Describe allowable budget items and contributions: the guidelines define items such as bench fees, FTE (Full Time Equivalent), cash contributions (transferred to and managed by the Administering Organisation), and in‑kind contributions (valued at current market or internal rates and auditable by the ARC). The ARC may audit valuations. (bench fees, FTE, cash contribution, in‑kind contributions.)\n\n- Set compliance, reporting and audit expectations: the ARC may require documentation of calculations (in‑kind valuation, budgets), may audit projects and enforce Special Conditions. Grants must meet Commonwealth grants rules and the ARC Act framework. (CGRGs reference, audit of in‑kind contributions, Special Condition.)\n\n**Official policy rationale (as stated) and a practical test of that rationale**\n\n- The guidelines’ stated purpose is to operate a competitive grant program to fund industry‑facing research fellowships and to encourage university‑industry collaboration and research translation (this is the program design implicit in the structure: fellowship types, industry partners, assessment procedures). \n\n- Practical trade‑offs and implementation mechanics:\n - Who pays: Commonwealth funding is provided through the ARC; the Administering Organisation manages funds and any partner cash contribution is transferred to and administered by that organisation (Definitions: cash contribution; Grant agreement). Public funding supports a portion of Fellows’ salaries and project costs.\n - Who decides: the ARC Accountable Authority/ARC Board makes final funding decisions, informed by SAC recommendations and Industry Assessors; program rules and priorities are set by the ARC and by the Grant Guidelines (ARC Board, SAC, Industry Assessors, Grant Guidelines). \n - Behaviour the rules encourage: formal university‑industry partnerships, employment of postdocs/PGRs on projects, allocation of researcher time (FTE) to fellowship work, and documentation of partner contributions (cash and in‑kind). These mechanics shape applicants’ choices about partnering, staffing and budgeting. (FTE, PDRAs, PGRs, Key Industry Partner, cash and in‑kind contributions.)\n - Compliance cost and administrative burden: applicants and Administering Organisations must meet documentation, valuation and reporting requirements (in‑kind valuation subject to audit, RMS use, variations and special conditions). This imposes measurable administrative work on universities and partners (in‑kind contributions, RMS, Variation of grant agreement, Special Condition). \n - Market effects on private enterprise and competition: the program channels government grant funds to projects run by the listed Eligible Organisations and working with Key Industry Partners. The practical effect is support for collaborations with those organisations—independent consultants or businesses outside Key Industry Partner definitions might participate only as subcontractors or unofficial collaborators unless registered as eligible partners. This tends to concentrate direct grant administration to the named Eligible Organisations (Appendix B) while private firms may benefit as partners or contractors. (Appendix B, Key Industry Partner.)\n\n**Risks, trade‑offs and points to watch (mechanisms, not judgments)**\n\n- Concentration of eligibility: Appendix B lists the organisations eligible to be Administering Organisations; only those entities can hold the grant. That centralises grant administration with a defined set of universities and bodies. (Appendix B.)\n\n- Measurement and audit risk around in‑kind contributions: in‑kind is valued by the applicant and can be audited by the ARC. That requires recordkeeping and creates room for disputes about valuation methodology. (in‑kind contributions.)\n\n- Discretion and decision points: selection relies on expert committees and assessors (SAC, Industry Assessors, ARC College of Experts). While this is normal for competitive grants, it creates discretionary nodes where different committees or assessor mixes can influence outcomes. (Industry Assessors, SAC, ARC College of Experts.)\n\n- Administrative complexity: the rules repeatedly cross‑refer to Sections 1–9, the ARC Act, Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines and other ARC policies (ROPE, Medical Research Policy), so applicants must reconcile multiple documents. (Grant Guidelines, ARC Act, CGRGs, ROPE.)\n\n**Practical takeaways for applicants and partners**\n\n- Ensure your organisation appears on the Eligible Organisations list if you intend to be the Administering Organisation (Appendix B).\n- Prepare full documentation for any cash or in‑kind partner contributions and be ready for ARC audit (cash contribution; in‑kind contributions).\n- Expect assessment by industry‑experienced assessors and committees and use the ROPE framework when presenting researcher track records (Industry Assessors; ROPE).\n- Budget for staff (FTE), PDRAs/PGRs and bench fees where appropriate, and plan for grant management through RMS and a formal Grant Agreement.\n\n(See Definitions/Glossary, Appendix A; Appendix B: Eligible Organisations; Sections 1–9 referred throughout the scheme subsections.)"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This appears to be a standard annual update of program guidelines. The structure (three fellowship tiers plus appendices) aligns with the established Industry Fellowships Program architecture. No evidence of scope creep beyond the original purpose of funding industry-academia research partnerships."},"complexity_factors":["Document is a fragment/excerpt – only appendices and scheme headings are present; the substantive operational rules (Sections 1–9) are referenced but not included","Heavy cross-referencing structure: each fellowship scheme explicitly defers to 'Sections 1–9' for core requirements, creating dependency on external content","47 defined terms in the glossary, including nested definitions (e.g., 'Higher Degree by Research' references separate Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines)","Multiple overlapping participant categories (Chief Investigator, Fellow, named participant, PDRA, PGR) with subtle distinctions","Institutional eligibility determined by exhaustive positive list (Appendix B) rather than general criteria – 42 organisations listed with specific ABNs","HTML table markup embedded in source text reduces readability and suggests conversion from formatted document"],"plain_english_summary":"The Industry Fellowships Program (IFP) guidelines set how the Australian Research Council funds researchers to work with industry, offering targeted fellowships across career stages to place academics in industry-hosted roles. They govern who can apply, which institutions can administer awards, and how collaborations and funding are structured.\n\nThis matters to researchers, eligible universities/research institutions, and industry partners because the rules determine partnership, eligibility and use of funds to translate research into practical commercial or public benefit."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/industry-fellowships-program-ifp-grant-guidelines-2024-edition","history":"/api/acts/industry-fellowships-program-ifp-grant-guidelines-2024-edition/history","analysis":"/api/acts/industry-fellowships-program-ifp-grant-guidelines-2024-edition/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/industry-fellowships-program-ifp-grant-guidelines-2024-edition/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/industry-fellowships-program-ifp-grant-guidelines-2024-edition/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/industry-fellowships-program-ifp-grant-guidelines-2024-edition/documents"}}