Discovery Program: Discovery Indigenous Grant Opportunity Guidelines (2026 edition)

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Discovery Program: Discovery Indigenous Grant Opportunity Guidelines (2026 edition)

Australian Research Council Act 2001

I, 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 opportunity guidelines under section 59 of that Act.

Dated 17 March 2026

Jason Clare

Minister for Education

Contents

1. Discovery Program processes.........................................4

2. About the Discovery Program.........................................6

About the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity...........................6

3. Grant amount and grant period........................................6

4. Eligibility criteria.....................................................7

Who is eligible to apply for a grant?.......................................7

What are the eligibility requirements for applications?........................7

Who is eligible to be an Other Organisation?...............................8

Who is eligible to be a named participant?.................................8

Chief Investigators....................................................8

DAATSIA candidates..................................................9

What are the limits on the number of applications and projects per named participant? 9

Security, Defence or International Relations of Australia.....................10

5. What the grant money can be used for.................................10

Eligible grant activities................................................10

Ineligible grant activities...............................................11

6. The assessment criteria.............................................12

Assessing the DAATSIA candidate......................................13

7. How to apply.......................................................13

Application process..................................................13

Responsibilities......................................................14

Your responsibilities..................................................14

National Interest Test Statement........................................15

Letter of Community Support...........................................15

Timing of the grant opportunity..........................................15

8. The grant selection process..........................................15

Assessment of grant applications........................................15

Due diligence.......................................................16

Research integrity....................................................16

Research Security...................................................16

Requests Not to Assess process........................................17

Rejoinder process....................................................17

Who will approve grants...............................................17

9. Notification of application outcomes...................................17

10. Successful grant applications........................................17

Grant Agreements...................................................17

How we pay the grant.................................................18

Peer Review Obligations..............................................18

11. Announcement of Grants............................................18

12. How we monitor your grant activity....................................19

Keeping us informed..................................................19

Reporting..........................................................19

Grant Agreement Variation.............................................19

Governance compliance...............................................19

13. Probity............................................................20

Appeals process.....................................................20

Conflict of interest....................................................21

Privacy and protection of personal information.............................21

Confidential information...............................................22

Freedom of information...............................................23

Appendix A – Glossary......................................................24

Acronyms..........................................................24

Definitions..........................................................25

Appendix B: Eligible Organisations............................................33

1. Discovery Program processes

The Discovery Program is designed to achieve the Australian Government’s objectives for research and innovation

This grant opportunity sits within the Discovery Program under the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP), which contributes to the ARC’s Outcome 1: growth of knowledge and innovation through managing research funding schemes, measuring research excellence and providing advice.

The ARC works with stakeholders to plan and design the grant program according to the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles 2024 (CGRPs).



The grant opportunity opens

We (the ARC) publish the grant opportunity guidelines and advertise on GrantConnect



You (the Administering Organisation) complete and submit an application

You will complete an application on the ARC’s Research Management System (RMS), and address all of the eligibility, the National Interest Test and the assessment criteria to be considered for
a grant.



We manage the assessment of all applications

We manage the assessment of applications against eligibility criteria and assessment criteria.

Your application will be assigned to Detailed Assessors to undertake in-depth assessments. You will have an opportunity to respond to Detailed Assessors’ written comments through a rejoinder.

Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) members will then assess Your application, consider the Detailed Assessors’ ratings and comments and Your rejoinder, and assign a final score.

The ARC’s Due Diligence Committee (DDC) may seek and consider additional information, including information relating to research security and research integrity, and from third party sources including other Commonwealth agencies, to provide advice to the decision maker in relation to Your application.



We make grant recommendations

The SAC considers applications and makes recommendations to the ARC Board on which are to be funded, and the level and duration of funding.

The ARC Board then makes an assessment, considering the assessment criteria and the SAC’s recommendations, compliance with the eligibility criteria and grant application process, alignment with Australian Government priorities, and other advice provided by the DDC. The ARC Board may also consider advice from other Commonwealth agencies and make its own independent enquiries.



Grant decisions are made

The ARC Board decides which applications are to receive funding, including the level and duration of funding.

If the Minister decides the ARC Board should not fund a project for reasons relevant to security, defence or international relations of Australia, the Minister must notify the ARC Board, advise the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and table the decision in Parliament as required under the ARC Act.



We notify You of the outcome

We advise You if Your application was successful or unsuccessful through RMS.



We enter into a grant agreement with You

If You are successful, We will enter into a grant agreement with You through RMS.



Delivery of the grant

You undertake the grant activity and report to us as set out in Your grant agreement.
We manage the grant by, monitoring Your progress and making payments.



Evaluation of the grant opportunity

We evaluate Your specific grant activity and the individual grant opportunity as a whole.
We base this on information You provide to Us through Your reports and additional information that we collect from various sources.

1. About the Discovery Program
   1. The ARC administers funding of excellent pure basic, strategic basic and applied research in all disciplines under the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP), excluding medical research. The ARC does not fund experimental development.
   2. Information about the Discovery Program is available on the ARC website.

About the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity

1. The Discovery Indigenous scheme is funded under the Discovery Program.

2. The Discovery Indigenous scheme provides grant funding to support research projects conducted by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers.

3. 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.

4. The Discovery Indigenous scheme objectives are to:

   1. support the retention of excellent Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers in higher education institutions to expand research capacity in Australia;
   2. 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;
   3. 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
   4. support national and international research collaboration.

5. The grant commencement date and active project assessment date for each Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity will be available on the ARC website.

6. Grant amount and grant period

   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.

Table 1: Discovery Indigenous funding and grant duration.

1. 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

2. Eligibility criteria

Who is eligible to apply for a grant?

1. We will only accept applications from Eligible Organisations listed in Appendix B. The Eligible Organisation that applies will be the ‘Administering Organisation’ (ie, ‘You’).

What are the eligibility requirements for applications?

1. Organisation roles available under the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity are:

   1. Administering Organisation;
   2. Other Eligible Organisation; and
   3. Other Organisation.

2. 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.

3. Your application must:

   1. subject to clause 4.4.b, include at least one Chief Investigator (CI) or DAATSIA candidate (the first named CI on the application will be the Project Leader);
   2. include a certification by Your Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) in the Application that all CIs and DAATSIA candidates included in the application have provided evidence they are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in accordance with the ‘working criteria’ as defined in the Glossary and published by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies at https://aiatsis.gov.au/proof-aboriginality; and
   3. request a minimum level of funding of $30,000 per year in project costs (in addition to any DAATSIA salary, if requested).

4. An individual must not be nominated for more than one DAATSIA in any grant opportunity.

5. 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 version), are provided at the grant opportunity closing date for any named participant on an application.

6. Your application must not include medical research as detailed in the ARC Medical Research Policy (2025 version) on the ARC website.

Who is eligible to be an Other Organisation?

1. Organisations that are not Eligible Organisations but that are named as a participating organisation on an application will be Other Organisations.
2. 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).

Who is eligible to be a named participant?

1. Roles that named participants may be nominated for under these grant opportunity guidelines are:
   1. DAATSIA candidates;
   2. Chief Investigators (CIs); and
   3. Partner Investigators (PIs).
2. A Project cannot commence until all named participants meet the eligibility criteria in these grant opportunity guidelines for the selected role they are to perform.
3. An application will not be considered where We have decided to exclude grant applications involving a particular named participant for a period of time, whether or not they otherwise meet the eligibility requirements.
4. As at the grant commencement date, or if successful, at any time during the project activity period, named participants who:
   1. meet the eligibility criteria to be a CI, cannot elect to be a PI; and
   2. do not meet the eligibility criteria to be a CI, must be a PI.
5. 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

Chief Investigators

1. CIs must satisfy:

   1. criterion A when Your application is submitted; and
   2. at least one of criteria B and C at the grant commencement date:

2. Provide evidence to Your Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) that you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in accordance with the ‘working criteria’ as defined in the Glossary and published by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies at https://aiatsis.gov.au/proof-aboriginality.

3. Be an employee for at least 0.2 FTE at an Eligible Organisation.

4. Be a holder of an honorary academic appointment (as defined in the Glossary) at an Eligible Organisation.

   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.
   2. CIs must not undertake a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) during the project activity period.
   3. The Project Leader must have a demonstrated capacity to manage the project.

DAATSIA candidates

1. To be eligible to be a DAATSIA candidate, the nominated individual must meet the eligibility criteria to apply as a CI (including clauses 4.15 - 4.18).
2. An individual who has previously been awarded a DAATSIA may apply for another DAATSIA but can only hold one at a time.
3. DAATSIAs cannot be held independently of a Discovery Indigenous Project.

What are the limits on the number of applications and projects per named participant?

1. The limits in clauses 4.23 to 4.28 only apply to CIs and DAATSIA candidates.
2. The limits are designed to ensure that named participants have the capacity to undertake each project.
3. A named participant can be concurrently funded through the Discovery Program for a maximum of:
   1. two projects as a CI; or
   2. one ARC Fellowship and one project as a CI; or
   3. 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.
4. At the grant opportunity closing date, We will count:
   1. 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;
   2. 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;
   3. the number of Discovery Projects EOI or full applications We are currently assessing which include that named participant as a CI; and
   4. the number of Discovery Indigenous applications We are currently assessing which include that participant as a CI.
5. 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 clause 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 may not need to occur until all outcomes are announced.
6. 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 request before the grant opportunity closing date. Any relinquishment Variation request submitted or approved after the grant opportunity closing date will not be taken into account when counting the number of projects under clause 4.25.
7. It is Your responsibility to determine if applying for, or holding, a project under these grant opportunity 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.

Security, Defence or International Relations of Australia

1. Pursuant to the ARC Act, the Minister may at any time give a notice stating that, for reasons relevant to the security, defence or international relations of Australia, the ARC Board should not approve a grant. The ARC Board must comply with any such notice from the Minister. Accordingly, if the Minister issues such a notice in respect of an application, that application will be ineligible to receive funding.

2. What the grant money can be used for

Eligible grant activities

1. The Discovery Program supports research activities that meet the definition of ‘research’ as defined in the Glossary.
2. You can only spend the grant on eligible expenditure items that directly support the project and in accordance with any additional conditions or special conditions in the grant agreement.
3. Eligible expenditure items may include:
   1. if relevant, salary and 30% on-costs for the DAATSIA recipient;
   2. 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;
   3. 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;
   4. 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);
   5. equipment (and its maintenance) and consumables, including specialised computer equipment and software essential to the project; and
   6. travel costs essential to the project up to $50,000 over the project activity period. The following travel costs are not included in this $50,000 limit:
      1. expenditure on field research essential to the project, including technical and logistical support, travel expenses (including accommodation, meals and incidental costs); and
      2. 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.
4. Stipends may be requested to support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Honours students, subject to Your policies.

Ineligible grant activities

1. You cannot request or use grant funds for:

   1. research activities, infrastructure or projects previously funded or currently being funded through any other Commonwealth grant;
   2. medical research as detailed in the ARC Medical Research Policy (2025 version) on the ARC website;
   3. experimental development, as defined in the Glossary;
   4. 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’s research activities and demonstrably research based;
   5. 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;
   6. production of computer programs, research aids and tools, data warehouses, catalogues or bibliographies, or teaching materials, unless these meet the definition of ‘research’;
   7. basic facilities that must be provided (where relevant) and funded by You and are not funded by the grant:
      1. bench fees or similar laboratory access fees;
      2. access to a basic library collection;
      3. access to film or music editing facilities;
      4. work accommodation (for example, laboratory and office space, suitably equipped and furnished);
      5. basic computer facilities such as desktop computers, portable computer devices, printers, word processing, and other standard software; and
      6. standard reference materials or funds for abstracting services;
   8. capital works and general infrastructure costs;
   9. 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;
   10. fees for international students or the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) liabilities for students;
   11. salaries and/or on-costs, in whole or in part, for CIs or PIs; and
   12. HDR stipends for CIs, DAATSIA recipients and PIs, in whole or in part.

2. The assessment criteria

   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.
   2. The assessment criteria for the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity are:
      1. Investigator(s)/Capability 35%

The

 Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE) including:

• record of high-quality research outputs appropriate to the discipline(s)
• evidence of excellence in research training, mentoring and supervision (where appropriate); and
• the capability of the investigator or team to build collaborations both within Australia and internationally.
  1. Project quality and innovation 40%

The:

- contribution to an important gap in knowledge or significant problem;

- novelty/originality and innovation of the proposed research (including any new methods, technologies, theories or ideas that will be developed);

- clarity of the hypothesis, theories and research questions;

- cohesiveness of the project design and implementation plan (including the appropriateness of the aim, conceptual framework, method, data and/or analyses); and

- extent to which the research has the potential to enhance international collaboration.

Where a project involves Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander research (as defined in the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research 2020) these criteria apply:

- 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;

- the project’s strategy and mechanisms for Indigenous research capacity building within the project;

- the project’s level of internal leadership of Indigenous research;

- the project’s adherence to the Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles (2018); and

- the project’s understanding of, and proposed strategies to adhere to, the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020 version) and NHMRC’s guidelines on Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities (2018 version).

1. Benefit 15%

The potential benefits including the:

- new or advanced knowledge resulting from outcomes of the research;

- economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia and international communities; and

- potential contribution to capacity in the Australian Government priority areas.

1. Feasibility 10%

The:

- cost-effectiveness of the research and its value for money;

- suitability of the environment for the research team and their project, and for HDR students where appropriate;

- availability of the necessary facilities to complete the project; and

- extent to which the project’s design, participants and requested budget create confidence in the timely and successful completion of the project.

Assessing the DAATSIA candidate

1. Where an application includes provision for a DAATSIA, the candidate will be assessed according to the following criteria, taking into account research opportunity:

   1. potential to enhance and expedite a high-quality project;
   2. location within a suitable research environment that will support the candidate and project;
   3. record of high-quality research outputs appropriate to the discipline(s);
   4. evidence of excellence in research training, mentoring and supervision (where appropriate); and
   5. capability to build collaborations both within Australia and internationally.

2. 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.

3. How to apply

Application process

1. 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.
2. Your application must be completed in RMS. We will not accept applications received after the closing time, 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.
3. You cannot change Your application after the closing date and time, unless invited to by the ARC.
4. We reserve the right to seek evidence to support the certification of applications at any point.
5. 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.
6. If You wish to withdraw Your application, You must inform Us in writing.

Responsibilities

1. All named participants in an application must:
   1. take responsibility for the authorship and intellectual content of the application, appropriately citing sources and acknowledging all significant contributions, including from third parties;
   2. ensure that any additional requirements or requests for information, applied by Us are provided at the grant opportunity closing date; and
   3. have an up-to-date RMS profile that includes declarations relating to foreign affiliations, relationships and financial interests as outlined in the ARC Countering Foreign Interference Framework (2023 version). This ongoing obligation applies at each stage of the assessment process. If, during the assessment process We find that any named participant’s account does not include all required declarations relating to foreign affiliations, relationships and financial interests, We may recommend to the ARC Board that Your application not be considered further.

Chief Investigators and DAATSIA recipients

1. The CI or DAATSIA recipients must:
   1. hold or obtain a legal right to work and reside in Australia, prior to the commencement of the project; and
   2. meet relinquishment requirements as specified in the grant agreement.
2. 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).
3. The DAATSIA recipient cannot begin another ARC Fellowship until the DAATSIA has been completed.

Your responsibilities

1. You must employ the DAATSIA recipient(s) for the project activity period.
2. You are responsible for managing changes to the DAATSIA recipient’s working hours.
   You are required to notify Us of any changes to working hours through submission of a Variation.
3. You must ensure the DAATSIA recipient has access to the following leave entitlements in line with Your normal practice:
   1. parental leave;
   2. recreation leave;
   3. sick leave; and
   4. additional leave of up to twelve months using accrued leave or leave without pay.

National Interest Test Statement

1. Applicants must provide a National Interest Test statement: a brief statement that articulates the benefits of the proposed research in plain English in general terms beyond the period of the grant.

Letter of Community Support

1. 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.

Timing of the grant opportunity

1. The Discovery Indigenous scheme typically accepts one round of applications each year.

2. You must submit Your application between the round opening and closing dates and times specified on GrantConnect.

3. The grant selection process

Assessment of grant applications

1. We will review Your application against the eligibility criteria. If ineligible, We must not recommend the application for funding.
2. All applications will be considered through a competitive peer review process, based on:
   1. how well it meets the weighted assessment criteria;
   2. how it is ranked against other applications; and
   3. whether it provides value for money (as defined in the Glossary).
3. Applications will undergo peer review assessment and recommendations will be made to the ARC Board from a Selection Advisory Committee, along with advice, when necessary, from the Due Diligence Committee (DDC).
4. 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 ARC Board that Your application not be considered further.
5. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes failure to disclose
   1. any conflict of interest of any named participant, including but not limited to matters described in sections 3.1 and 3.3 of the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025 version) on the ARC website; and
   2. any foreign affiliations as outlined in the ARC Countering Foreign Interference Framework (2023 version).
6. We may seek advice and information on security or other matters from Commonwealth agencies and third party sources at any time during the process. We may consult with You about this information.
7. During the assessment, We may request additional information, which does not change the nature of Your application.

Due diligence

1. Due diligence activity may be undertaken at eligibility, assessment or decision-making stages. The DDC may consider the outcomes of due diligence activity and provide advice to the ARC Board and/or Minister.
2. We may seek additional information about you, project partners, related entities and associated entities, and related personnel from third party sources, including other Commonwealth agencies, for due diligence purposes. The DDC may also consider information that is discovered through the normal course of business. See clauses 13.9 to 13.17 (Privacy) for information on how we use the information provided to us.
3. If the DDC identifies risks which would affect the assessment, it may ask You to comment on these, subject to security considerations. If the DDC identifies risks that cannot be adequately mitigated, it may recommend that the ARC Board and/or Minister exclude Your application from further consideration.
4. The ARC Board may approve applications pending specific conditions based on the advice from the DDC.

Research integrity

1. You must comply with, and ensure that all named participants on Your application, comply with, all applicable requirements of the ARC Research Integrity Policy (2023 version) and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018 version).
2. The DDC may consider the relevance of any Research Integrity Matter to the proposed research outlined in the application.
3. We may undertake actions, and exercise any rights, expressed as being able to be undertaken or exercised by the ARC under the Research Integrity Policy (2023 version) (including precautionary and consequential actions) to address or mitigate any potential or proven risks regarding any named participant on Your application.

Research Security

1. All named participants must declare in RMS foreign affiliations, relationships and financial interests as outlined in the ARC Countering Foreign Interference Framework (2023 version). The ARC may provide advice to the Minister for Education on whether the applicant or any named participant has affiliations, relationships or financial interests with any foreign entities which may be contrary to Australia’s sovereignty, values and national interests.
2. In order to protect against risks of foreign interference and other issues relevant to the security, defence or international relations of Australia, We may share relevant outcomes of due diligence with other Commonwealth agencies for the other agencies’ grant-related purposes or countering foreign interference purposes in relation to specified individuals, entities or projects. This may include information in Your application, and personal information of named participants in RMS.

Requests Not to Assess process

1. 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.
2. The RNTA form must be received by Us two weeks prior to the closing date.
3. Only one request containing the names of up to three individual assessors may be submitted per application.
4. 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 may reject part or all of the request.
5. We have discretion about whether We accept or refuse an RNTA. We will not notify You of the outcome.

Rejoinder process

1. 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.

Who will approve grants

1. The ARC Board will decide which applications to fund, after considering the advice from peer review, any advice from the DDC, and alignment with Australian Government priorities. The ARC Board’s decision is final in all matters.

2. The outcome of all applications will be published in RMS.

3. Notification of application outcomes

   1. If your grant application is successful, We:
      1. will give You a copy of the ARC Board’s approval no more than 21 calendar days after the ARC Board’s decision;
      2. may give You earlier notice of the ARC Board’s approval and may impose a short embargo on announcements in order to enable parties to co-ordinate announcements; and
      3. will list Your grant on GrantConnect no more than 21 calendar days after the date of effect.

4. Successful grant applications

Grant Agreements

1. You must enter into a grant agreement with Us to receive a grant.
2. We use the ARC’s template grant agreement which contains standard terms and conditions that cannot be changed. A sample grant agreement for this grant opportunity is available on GrantConnect. Any special conditions will be identified in the grant offer.
3. You will have 30 calendar days from the date of offer to execute the grant agreement.
4. We must execute a grant agreement with You before We can make payment. We are not responsible for any of Your project expenditure unless and until a grant agreement is executed.

How we pay the grant

1. Payments will be made in accordance with the grant agreement.
2. The grant offer will specify the approved grant amount. We will not pay more than the approved grant amount. If you incur extra costs, You must meet them.
3. Grant funding may be subject to indexation.
4. All amounts referred to in these grant opportunity guidelines are exclusive of the GST, unless expressly stated otherwise.
5. 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.

Peer Review Obligations

1. Unless notified otherwise by the ARC, named participants will be obligated to assess up to 20 new applications for ARC funding per annum for the project activity period in accordance with instructions provided by the ARC.

2. Failure of obligated assessors to honour this commitment may result in the ARC taking action in accordance with the grant agreement, including:

   1. suspending some or all of the Project (including expenditure of the grant funds) until obligations are met;
   2. requiring that the non-compliance or inability be remedied; and
   3. placing conditions on the consideration of any future grant applications.

3. Announcement of Grants

   1. The outcome of all applications will be published in RMS.
   2. We will publicise and report offers and grants awarded, including the following information about the project:
      1. Your name and any other parties involved in or associated with the project;
      2. named participants and their organisations;
      3. the project description (the title and summary descriptions);
      4. Your National Interest Test statement;
      5. classifications and international collaboration country names; and
      6. the ARC grant funding amount.
   3. 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).
   4. We may publish a project description, including title and summary, which differs from that provided in the application.

4. How we monitor your grant activity

Keeping us informed

1. Throughout the application process and the term of any resultant grant agreement, You must inform us of any changes to Your:
   1. name;
   2. addresses;
   3. nominated contact details; or
   4. bank account details.

Reporting

1. You must submit reports in line with the grant agreement. Reports must be submitted through RMS, unless otherwise advised by Us. Reporting may include:
   1. End of year reports;
   2. Final reports; and
   3. Post-project reporting.
2. 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.
3. We may evaluate the project to measure how well the outcomes and objectives were achieved. This evaluation may use information from Your application and reports, as well as additional information we collect from various sources. We may contact You after grant completion to assist evaluation.

Grant Agreement Variation

1. The grant agreement will outline the circumstances in which Variations are required. Variations are subject to the ARC’s approval and further information can be found in the grant agreement.
2. You should not assume that a variation request will be successful. We will consider your request based on provisions in the grant agreement, the likely impact on achieving outcomes and any national security risks.

Governance compliance

1. 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 version), the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023 version), the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020 version), and other codes, guidelines, practices and policies on the ARC website, including the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025 version) and any actions that have been applied under the ARC Research Integrity Policy (2023 version).

2. All research projects must comply with the ARC Open Access Policy (2021 version) on the dissemination of findings on the ARC website.

3. For research requiring ethics approval, an ethics plan, along with the required ethics committee approval, must be in place before commencement of the project.

4. Subject to clause 12.11, 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.

5. The AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020 version) provides that Indigenous peoples should have the right to manage the collection, interpretation and use of their information. Where relevant, ownership management and communication of research data and results should be negotiated between Indigenous peoples and the researcher or other parties based on the principles of Indigenous data sovereignty and governance.

6. A data management plan must be in place which addresses the matters referred to in clauses 12.10 and 12.11 before the project commences, in line with the grant agreement.

7. All Chief Investigators must have a persistent digital identifier such as an Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier (ORCID) in their RMS Profile prior to commencement of the project.

8. Probity

   1. The ARC will make sure that the grant opportunity process is fair, is conducted according to the published grant opportunity guidelines, incorporates appropriate safeguards against fraud and corruption, unlawful activities and other inappropriate conduct and is consistent with the CGRPs and the ARC Act.
   2. You should be aware that if you are awarded a grant, you will be subject to the National Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2022 (NACC Act) as a ‘contracted service provider’ within the meaning of that Act.

Appeals process

1. We will only consider appeals against the NCGP administrative process and not against committee decisions, assessor ratings and comments, or the assessment outcome or recommendations from the DDC advice or recommendations from the DDC, or decisions by the Board on which applications to fund. Appellants must identify the specific guideline/legislative instrument clause, policy or procedure which they believe has been incorrectly applied.
2. 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.
3. The appeals process is set out on the ARC website.

Conflict of interest

1. 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 that relates to or affects 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.
2. 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 grant agreement, which includes requirements relating to the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018 version), the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025 version) and any relevant successor documents.
3. We will handle any conflicts of interest as set out in the grant agreement and Australian Government policies and procedures. Refer to the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025 version) on the ARC website.

Privacy and protection of personal information

1. We treat Your personal information according to the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. This includes letting You know:
   1. what personal information We collect;
   2. why We collect Your personal information; and
   3. who We give Your personal information to.
2. ‘Personal information’ means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:
   1. whether the information or opinion is true or not; and
   2. whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.
3. Your personal information can only be disclosed to someone else for the primary purpose for which it was collected, unless an exemption under the Australian Privacy Principles applies. For example, information can be used or disclosed for a secondary purpose where this is required or authorised by law and, in some cases, grant programs are subject to statutory frameworks that allow disclosure.
4. As part of your application, to certify Your compliance purposes.
5. We may also share personal information You give Us with other Commonwealth entities for purposes including government administration, legislative compliance, research evaluation, data analysis or service delivery, according to Australian laws. The ARC may also share your information with the Minister, Ministerial staff, disclose to other external bodies, publish (i.e., if an application is successful for ARC and non-ARC grants, the ARC, and/or other agencies to whom the ARC provides services (ARC Policy Partner) and/or the relevant Minister may also publish the researchers' names, fields of research and institutions and the amount of the grant) and disclosure to ARC Policy Partner staff and contractors, evaluators and assessors who may be involved in grant assessment or legislative compliance. The ARC may also export and use data from grant management in the RMS to contribute to reports on whole of Australian government research activity.
6. As part of Your application, You declare that You will comply with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles and that You will impose the same privacy obligations on officers, employees, agents and subcontractors that you engage to assist with the activity, in respect of personal information you collect, use, store, or disclose in connection with the activity. Accordingly, You must not do anything, which if done by Us would breach an Australian Privacy Principle as defined in the Privacy Act 1988.
7. You must ensure that:
   1. if any personal information is not provided directly by an individual participant (via RMS), the individual has consented to that information being used and disclosed in accordance with these grant opportunity guidelines;
   2. obtain the consent of researchers to publication of their names, fields of research and institution; and
   3. notify individual participant researchers (including from collaborating or partner organisations) if You receive notification that an ARC Policy Partner and/or relevant Minister intends to publish their names.

Confidential information

1. The Australian Government may use and disclose confidential information about grant applicants and grant recipients to support any other Australian Government business or function.
2. Subject to clause 13.21, We will keep any information in connection with the grant agreement confidential to the extent that is meets all of the four (4) conditions below:
   1. You clearly identify the information as confidential and explain why We should treat it as confidential;
   2. the information is commercially sensitive;
   3. revealing the information would cause unreasonable harm to You or someone else; and
   4. You provide the information with an understanding that it will stay confidential.
3. We will not be in breach of any obligation of confidence if the information is disclosed to:
   1. assessors and other Commonwealth employees and contractors to help Us manage the program effectively, including for an integrity purpose;
   2. Our employees or contractors so We can research, assess, monitor and analyse Our programs and activities;
   3. employees or contractors of other Commonwealth agencies for any purposes, including government administration, research or service delivery;
   4. other Commonwealth, State, Territory or local government agencies in program reports or consultations;
   5. the Auditor-General, Ombudsman, Privacy Commissioner or National Anti-Corruption Commissioner, or staff of their respective agencies;
   6. a responsible Minister or Parliamentary Secretary;
   7. a House or a Committee of the Australian Parliament; or
   8. any other person when compelled by law, or disclosed with Your agreement.
4. The grant agreement may also include any specific requirements about special categories of information collected, created or held under the grant agreement.

Freedom of information

1. 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).
2. The purpose of the FOI Act is to give members of the public rights of access to information held by the Australian Government and its entities. Under the FOI Act, members of the public can seek access to documents held by the Australian Government. This right of access is limited only by the exceptions and exemptions necessary to protect essential public interests and private and business affairs of persons in respect of whom the information relates.
3. The Freedom of Information process is set out on the ARC website.

Appendix A – Glossary

Acronyms

For the purposes of the Discovery Program: Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity guidelines, acronyms have the meanings defined below.

Definitions

For the purposes of the Discovery Program: Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity guidelines, terms have the meanings defined below.

Appendix B: Eligible Organisations