5.1. The Discovery Program supports research activities that meet the definition of ‘research’.
Ineligible grant activities
5.2. The Discovery Program does not support applications that involve Medical Research, as detailed in the ARC Medical Research Policy on the ARC website.
5.3. We cannot fund the same research activities, infrastructure or project previously funded or currently being funded through any other Commonwealth grant.
5.4. The Discovery Program does not support 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 projects activities and demonstrably research based.
What grant funds can be used for
5.5. 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.
5.6. Eligible expenditure items are:
Personnel, which may include:
salary support, for example postdoctoral research associates, research assistants, technicians and laboratory attendants. Salary support must be requested at an appropriate salary level for Your organisation, including 30 per cent on-costs. Where the relevant parts of these grant guidelines contain a specified salary level, only funding up to this level may be requested from Us;
stipends for HDR candidates at a rate of $27,609 per year. This figure is based on the 2019 price levels of funding and will be subject to variation (for example, due to annual indexation). Updated levels will be available on the ARC website);
expert services of a third party if the services are directly related to and essential for the project. Such services include, but are not limited to:
- language translation services, transcribing services;
- purchase of bibliographical or archival material (electronic or hard copy); and
- data collection and analysis services;
teaching relief for CIs, as specified in the relevant part of these grant guidelines (see Parts D and E);
travel costs essential to the project, as specified in the relevant part of these grant guidelines (see Parts B to E);
expenditure on field research essential to the project, including technical and logistical support and travel expenses (accommodation, meals and incidental costs);
equipment (and its maintenance) and consumables essential for the project. Funding will not be provided for equipment or consumables that are considered to be for broad general use;
other, which may include:
access to national and international research and infrastructure facilities including specialist archives, collections and databases;
access to technical workshop services linked to and justified explicitly against the project (for example, machine tools and qualified technicians);
publication and dissemination of project research outputs and outreach activity costs;
specialised computer equipment and software essential to the project;
web hosting and web development specific to the project;
workshops, focus groups and conferences that are essential for the conduct of the project (including reasonable hospitality costs such as morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea); and
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.
What grant funds cannot be used for
5.7. Unless the following activities meet the definition of research, the Discovery Program does not support production of:
computer programs, research aids and tools;
b. data warehouses, catalogues or bibliographies; or
c. teaching materials.
5.8. You cannot request or use grant funds for the following activities:
basic facilities that should normally be funded by an Administering Organisation, and/or Other Eligible Organisation (including standard refurbishment costs of a laboratory);
b. capital works and general infrastructure costs;
c. 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/museum exhibits, visas, relocation costs, entertainment costs, purchase of alcohol, insurance, mobile phones (purchase or call charges) and other indirect costs;
d. fees for international students or the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) liabilities for students;
e. salaries and/or on-costs and/or HDR stipends for CIs or PIs, in whole or in part; and
f. salary top ups for personnel above the salary level specified in these grant guidelines.
5.9. The following basic facilities must be provided (where relevant) and funded by You, or the Other Eligible Organisation(s) and are not funded by the grant:
bench fees or similar laboratory access fees;
b. access to a basic library collection;
c. access to film or music editing facilities;
d. work accommodation (for example, laboratory and office space, suitably equipped and furnished);
e. basic computer facilities such as desktop computers, portable computer devices, printers, word processing, and other standard software; and
f. standard reference materials or funds for abstracting services.