Grant Guidelines for the Discovery Program (2018) (Amended)
Australian Laureate Fellowships
Future Fellowships
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
Discovery Indigenous
Discovery Projects
Opening date:
Available on GrantConnect
Closing date and time:
Available on GrantConnect
Enquiries:
Researchers are required to direct requests for information to the Research Office within the Administering Organisation.<br>ARC Contacts are on the ARC website.
Type of grant opportunity:
Restricted competitive
Australian Research Council Act 2001
I, Dan Tehan, Minister for Education, having satisfied myself of the matters set out in section 59 of the Australian Research Council Act 2001, approve these grant guidelines under section 60 of that Act.
The Discovery Program is designed to achieve the Australian Government’s objectives for research and innovation.
This 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.
There are five grant opportunities in the Discovery Program: Australian Laureate Fellowships; Future Fellowships; Discovery Early Career Researcher Award; Discovery Indigenous; and Discovery Projects. The following process flowchart is relevant to all five grant opportunities.
The grant opportunity opens.
We (the ARC) publish the grant guidelines and advertise on GrantConnect.
You (the Administering Organisation) complete and submit an application.
We manage the assessment of all applications.
We manage the assessment of applications against eligibility criteria and assessment criteria including an overall consideration of value for money.
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.
We make grant recommendations.
The SAC will collectively consider all applications and recommend to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) the applications to be funded, and the level and duration of funding for each project.
The CEO will recommend to the Minister the applications to be funded, and the level and duration of funding for each grant.
Under the Discovery Indigenous and Discovery Projects grant opportunities (Parts D and E respectively): (a) in making recommendations to the Minister the CEO will consider the applicant’s response to the National Interest Test; (b) the CEO will seek information from Administering Organisations on applications where there is concern about how they meet the National Interest Test based on the information provided in the application form; and (c) the CEO will make grant recommendations to the Minister that satisfy the National Interest Test and which are eligible for funding.
Grant decisions are made.
The Minister decides which applications are approved, and the level of funding and duration of funding for each approved project.
Under the Discovery Indigenous and Discovery Projects grant opportunities (Parts D and E) the Minister may consider the National Interest Test in determining which applications to approve.
We notify You of the outcome.
We advise You if Your application was successful or not through Our Research Management System (RMS).
We enter into a grant agreement with You.
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 the specific grant activity and the individual grant opportunity as a whole. We will use information You provide to Us through Your reports to inform evaluations.
Introduction
1.1. These guidelines contain information for the Discovery Program grant opportunities.
1.2. This document sets out:
a description of each of the grant opportunities;
b. the general eligibility and assessment criteria applicable for all Discovery Program grant opportunities;
c. the additional specific eligibility and assessment criteria applicable to each grant opportunity;
d. information on how applications are assessed and evaluated;
e. how grantees will be monitored and evaluated; and
f. responsibilities and expectations in relation to each opportunity.
1.3. In these grant guidelines:
an application refers to the completed documentation submitted to Us requesting a grant for a specific grant opportunity. If an application is successful, the grant activity is then referred to as a project;
b. a fellowship refers to an Australian Laureate Fellowship, Future Fellowship, a DECRA or a DAATSIA. A Fellow is a candidate who has been awarded a fellowship; and
c. the glossary provides a list of defined terms and the definitions that apply to these terms throughout this document.
1.4. You and the named participants must read this document before applying for a Discovery Program grant opportunity.
2. About the Discovery Program
2.1. These grant guidelines establish the rules which govern the administration of the Discovery Program grant opportunities including the application, eligibility, and selection processes to be followed and the assessment criteria that will be used to select grant recipients.
2.2. The Discovery Program is one of two Programs under the ARC National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP).
Objectives
2.3. The Discovery Program aims to deliver outcomes of benefit to Australia and build Australia’s research capacity through support for:
excellent, internationally-competitive research by individuals and teams;
b. research training and career opportunities for the best Australian and international researchers;
c. international collaboration; and
d. research in priority areas
Intended outcome
2.4. The intended outcome of the Discovery Program is to contribute to the growth of Australia’s research and innovation capacity. Increasing Australia’s research and innovation capacity generates new knowledge and results in the development of new technologies, products and ideas, the creation of jobs, economic growth and an enhanced quality of life in Australia.
Scope and timeframes
2.5. Discovery Program grants are awarded on the basis of excellence through a competitive peer review process for each grant opportunity.
2.6. Each Discovery Program grant opportunity is open for applications once a year or as required.
Key performance indicators
2.7. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the Discovery Program are identified each year in the ARC Portfolio Budget Statements and the ARC corporate plan. Reporting is provided every year in Our annual report.
2.8. The KPIs focus on long-term outcomes as well as medium-term outcomes relating to building Australia’s research capacity, for example, research careers and training, contributions in areas of national need and research collaboration.
Other relevant information
2.9. The Discovery Program is undertaken according to the Australian Research Council Act 2001 (ARC Act) and the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines (CGRGs).
2.10. These grant guidelines are a legislative instrument current as at the date of signing by the Minister and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the ARC Act in force at that date.
3. About the Discovery Program Grant Opportunities
3.1. These grant guidelines contain information on the grant opportunities in the Discovery Program:
Sections 1 to 15 provide general information for all Discovery Program grant opportunities; and
b. Parts A to E provide specific information on each grant opportunity.
3.2. The grant opportunities available under the Discovery Program are:
Australian Laureate Fellowships—Part A;
b. Future Fellowships—Part B;
c. Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)—Part C;
d. Discovery Indigenous—Part D; and
e. Discovery Projects—Part E.
3.3. The five grant opportunities comprise:
three grant opportunities which provide fellowships for individual researchers at different stages of their careers:
– early career researchers through the DECRA;
– mid-career researchers through Future Fellowships; and
– established researchers through Australian Laureate Fellowships;
b. the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity which provides project funding and fellowships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and may include a Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researcher Award (DAATSIA); and
c. the Discovery Projects grant opportunity which provides project funding for research conducted by individuals and teams.
4. Grant amounts and grant periods
4.1. For each grant opportunity, applications for the levels of funding listed in Table 1 will be considered. Further details are provided in the grant opportunity specific parts (Parts A to E) of these grant guidelines.
4.2. Table 1: Grant funding available for each Discovery Program grant opportunity
Grant Opportunity
Funding for:
Australian Laureate Fellowships<br>(Part A)
a salary supplement for the Australian Laureate Fellow, for five consecutive years on a full-time basissalary support for two Postdoctoral Research Associates (PDRA), for five years eachstipend support for two Postgraduate Researchers (PGR), for four years eachproject costs of up to $300,000 per year for five consecutive years (which may be used to fund additional PDRAs and PGRs)up to an additional $20,000 per year for Kathleen Fitzpatrick or Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellows
Future Fellowships<br>(Part B)
a salary at one of three levels for the Future Fellow, for four consecutive years on a full-time basis project costs of up to $50,000 per year for up to four consecutive years
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award<br>(Part C)
salary support for the DECRA candidate, for three consecutive years on a full-time basisproject costs of up to $40,000 per year for three consecutive years
Discovery Indigenous<br>(Part D)
a salary at one of five levels for the DAATSIA Fellow, for up to five consecutive years on a full-time basisproject costs of between $30,000 and $500,000 per year for up to five consecutive years, inclusive of the DAATSIA salary
Discovery Projects (Part E)
project costs of between $30,000 and $500,000 per year for up to five consecutive years.
4.3. A recommended budget is determined by the SAC after assessing and considering Your application.
4.4. We reserve the right to recommend funding levels which may be less than that requested in the application, and a project duration that may differ from that requested in the application.
4.5. All funding decisions regarding the Discovery Program will be made by the Minister in accordance with the ARC Act.
4.6. If successful, You can only spend grant funds on eligible grant activities as defined in Section 6 and relevant sections of Parts A to E of these grant guidelines and the grant details in Your grant agreement.
5. Grant eligibility criteria
5.1. We must not recommend Your application to the Minister for funding if it does not satisfy all grant eligibility criteria.
Who is eligible to apply for a grant?
5.2. We will only accept applications from the Eligible Organisations in Section 5.4.
5.3. The Eligible Organisation that submits the application will be the ‘Administering Organisation’ and is referred to as ‘You’. All other Eligible Organisations listed on the application will be an ‘Other Eligible Organisation’.
5.4. Eligible Organisations:
Australian Capital Territory
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
The Australian National University
University of Canberra
New South Wales
Australian Catholic University
Charles Sturt University
Macquarie University
Southern Cross University
The University of New England
The University of New South Wales
The University of Newcastle
The University of Sydney
University of Technology Sydney
University of Wollongong
Western Sydney University
Northern Territory
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Charles Darwin University
Queensland
Bond University
Central Queensland University
Griffith University
James Cook University
Queensland University of Technology
The University of Queensland
University of Southern Queensland
University of the Sunshine Coast
South Australia
Flinders University
The University of Adelaide
Torrens University Australia
University of South Australia
Tasmania
University of Tasmania
Victoria
Deakin University
Federation University Australia
La Trobe University
Monash University
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University)
Swinburne University of Technology
The University of Melbourne
University of Divinity
Victoria University
Western Australia
Curtin University
Edith Cowan University
Murdoch University
The University of Notre Dame Australia
The University of Western Australia.
Who is eligible to be a named participant?
5.5. Named participants are those individual researchers who are nominated for the particular roles identified for each grant opportunity.
5.6. Roles that named participants may be nominated for under the Discovery Program are:
Australian Laureate Fellowship candidates (Part A);
b. Future Fellowship candidates (Part B);
c. DECRA candidates (Part C);
d. DAATSIA candidates (Part D);
e. Chief Investigators (CIs) (Parts D and E); and
f. Partner Investigators (PIs) (Parts D and E).
5.7. All CIs, PIs and candidates named in an application must satisfy the eligibility criteria for the role they are to perform. Details of these eligibility criteria are provided in Parts A to E of these grant guidelines.
5.8. All CIs, PIs and candidates named 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.
What are the limits on the number of applications and projects per named participant?
5.9. These limits do not apply to PIs or to unnamed participants on projects such as Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students and research assistants.
5.10. A named participant can be concurrently funded through the Discovery Program for a maximum of:
two projects as a CI; or
b. one ARC Fellowship and one project as a CI; or
c. one ARC Fellowship or project if the individual is also a CI or Director on an active ARC Centre of Excellence or a Special Research Initiative project.
5.11. We will calculate the limits of projects and applications at the closing time of submission of applications, and may re-calculate this limit as other grant opportunity announcements are made, by totalling:
the number of Discovery Program CI roles or ARC Fellowships that the individual will hold on active projects as at the relevant active project assessment date;
b. the number of ARC Centres of Excellence and Special Research Initiatives CI and/or Director roles that the named participant will hold on active projects as at the relevant grant opportunity active project assessment date; and
c. the number of Discovery Program applications We are currently assessing which include that individual as a CI or candidate.
5.12. We must approve the relinquishment of a project or role before the closing time of submission of applications, except where indicated in Section 5.14. Any relinquishment made or approved after the grant opportunity closing date will not be taken into account for the purposes of calculating the number of projects and applications for limit considerations.
5.13. 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. All 2018 ARC grant guidelines are available on GrantConnect. For previous years, please visit the ARC website.
5.14. Notwithstanding the above, applications for Australian Laureate Fellowships, Future Fellowships, ARC Centres of Excellence or Special Research Initiatives will not count towards the above limits.
5.15. Named participants on successful applications for Australian Laureate Fellowships, Future Fellowships, ARC Centres of Excellence or Special Research Initiative projects must meet the project limit requirements. This may be achieved by relinquishing existing project(s), or relinquishing role(s) on existing projects, or withdrawing application(s), where allowed, that would exceed the project limits. You must nominate and adequately justify the proposed relinquishment(s) if these applications were successful. We will determine the outcome of Your nominated relinquishment(s).
6. What the grant money can be used for
Eligible grant activities
6.1. Research activities that meet the definition of ‘research’, as stated in the glossary in these grant guidelines are eligible to be supported under the Discovery Program.
Activities not supported
6.2. Unless the following activities meet the definition of research stated in the glossary in these grant guidelines, the Discovery Program does not support production of:
computer programs, research aids and tools;
b. data compilations, catalogues or bibliographies; or
c. teaching materials.
6.3. The Discovery Program does not support applications that involve Medical Research, as detailed in the ARC Medical Research Policy on the ARC website.
Eligible expenditure
6.4. Grant money may be requested and used for budget items that directly support the research project contained in an application, including the following items:
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);
expenditure on field research essential to the project, including technical and logistical support and travel expenses (accommodation, meals and incidental costs) (see Parts C to E);
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:
(i) language translation services, transcribing services;
(ii) purchase of bibliographical or archival material (electronic or hard copy); and
(iii) data collection and analysis services;
e. 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;
f. publication and dissemination of project research outputs and outreach activity costs;
g. personnel, 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;
h. stipends for HDR candidates at a rate of $27,094 per year[1];
i. specialised computer equipment and software essential to the project;
j. teaching relief for CIs (see Parts D and E);
k. travel costs essential to the project, as specified in the relevant part of these grant guidelines (see Parts A to E);
l. web hosting and web development specific to the project;
m. 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
n. 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 (see Parts A to E).
6.5. You must justify all items for which grant money is sought in Your application to Our satisfaction.
6.6. You can only spend grant funds on eligible grant activities as defined in these grant guidelines and any additional expenditure conditions specified in the grant agreement.
What the grant money cannot be used for
6.7. You cannot request or use grant money for the following activities:
bench fees or similar laboratory access fees;
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, 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.
6.8. The following basic facilities must be provided (where relevant) and funded by You, or the Other Eligible Organisations and are not funded by the ARC:
access to a basic library collection;
access to film or music editing facilities;
work accommodation (for example, laboratory and office space, suitably equipped and furnished);
basic computer facilities and standard software; and
standard reference materials or funds for abstracting services.
7. The assessment criteria
7.1. You must address all of the relevant assessment criteria in Your application. Different weightings are assigned to individual criterion.
7.2. The application form asks questions that relate to the assessment criteria. The amount of detail and supporting evidence You provide in Your application should be relative to the project size, complexity and grant amount requested. The application form includes character, word and page limits.
8. How to apply
8.1. Before You submit an application, You and the named participants must read these grant guidelines, the relevant part of this document for the appropriate grant opportunity, the sample application form, the Instructions to Applicants, and the draft grant agreement. These documents may be found at GrantConnect. Any additional documents will be published on GrantConnect and by registering on this website You will be automatically notified of any changes.
8.2. To apply, You must:
complete the application form in the format We require;
address all of the eligibility and assessment criteria to be considered for a grant;
ensure the application contains all the information necessary for assessment, including eligibility assessment, without the need for further written or oral explanation, or reference to additional documentation. We may request additional information;
for each named participant list (i) all current grants and requested funding under any ARC grant program, and (ii) all current grants under any other Commonwealth grant program. Full details of any financial assistance received for, or in connection with, the research activities or project must be disclosed in the application and on an ongoing basis;
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 Administering Organisations;
make sure that Your application is submitted in accordance with these grant guidelines, grant agreement, Instructions to Applicants and application form. You must only submit an application, if it and the named participants, will be eligible for the grant opportunity as per these grant guidelines; and
certify that the application is compliant with these grant guidelines and all relevant laws and regulations.
8.3. You must submit Your application through Your Research Office.
8.4. You must:
submit Your application on the relevant application form available in RMS unless We advise You otherwise; and
b. certify Your application online in RMS. Research Offices must ensure that the person assigned the Research Office Delegate role in RMS is authorised to certify and submit applications.
8.5. You are responsible for ensuring that Your application is complete and all details in the application are accurate and current at the time of submission. Giving incomplete, false or misleading information will exclude Your application from further consideration.
8.6. You cannot change Your application (additions, deletions or modifications) after the grant opportunity closing date and time.
8.7. We reserve the right at any point in the process to seek evidence from You to support the certification of applications. We are not obliged to accept any additional information, nor requests from You to correct or amend applications after the closing time.
8.8. We may approve the withdrawal of an application upon receipt of a written request with justification from You. We will only approve such a request in exceptional circumstances.
8.9. In-kind contributions in the budget section of the application should not include basic salary for any Commonwealth Fellowships, unless it is salary over and above the Commonwealth component supported.
8.10. We cannot fund the same research activities, infrastructure or project previously funded or currently being funded through any other Commonwealth grant.
8.11. The application form includes help information and further information is in the Instructions to Applicants document on the ARC website. If You have any technical difficulties, please contact arc-systems@arc.gov.au.
Attachments to the application
8.12. You must attach supporting documentation to the application form in line with the instructions provided in these grant guidelines, within the form or in the Instructions to Applicants. You should only attach requested documents. We will not consider information in attachments that We do not request.
Timing of the grant opportunities
8.13. We publish information on GrantConnect for all Discovery Program grant opportunities and this includes the relevant timing for the submission of applications.
8.14. You must submit Your application to Us between the grant opportunity opening and closing date and time specified on GrantConnect. 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.
8.15. Subject to these grant guidelines, a grant will commence:
on the grant commencement date (given in the relevant part) for the grant opportunity;
b. after Ministerial announcement;
c. on a date set by the Minister; or
d. in line with other arrangements that are approved by Us,
whichever is the later.
Questions during the application period
8.16. Questions during the application period should be directed to Your Research Office. Answers to frequently asked questions may also be posted on GrantConnect.
9. The grant selection process
9.1. All applications will be considered through a competitive grant process.
Who will assess applications?
9.2. Applications submitted for Discovery Program grants will be assessed by Detailed Assessors and a SAC comprising of General Assessors.
9.3. Detailed Assessors are discipline-specific and interdisciplinary experts in their knowledge fields drawn from the ARC assessor community. Detailed Assessors are assigned applications to review based on their specific expertise in one or more fields of research.
9.4. We appoint a SAC for each grant opportunity. The SAC may consist of both eminent academic experts and/or ARC College of Experts members who are assigned applications to assess based on their discipline.
9.5. Any Detailed Assessors or General Assessors who are not Australian Public Servants must adhere to and uphold the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018).
9.6. Any College of Experts or SAC members who are not an Australian Public Servant must uphold the Australian Public Service Values and Code of Conduct in accordance with Part 1, Section 2.9 of the CGRGs.
9.7. We have procedures in place for managing organisational and personal Conflicts of Interest for Detailed Assessors, SAC members and ARC staff. Details of these procedures are in the relevant section of these grant guidelines and in the ARC’s Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy.
What is the grant assessment process?
Eligibility Criteria
9.8. We will review Your application against all the eligibility criteria contained in these grant guidelines.
9.9. We may determine whether an application meets the eligibility requirements in these grant guidelines at any stage during assessment of the application.
9.10. If We consider that an application is ineligible, the application may not be progressed through the assessment process.
9.11. If an application is ineligible, We must not recommend the application for funding.
The assessment process
9.12. All applications which meet the eligibility criteria will be assessed and merit ranked using all assessment criteria.
9.13. We manage the assessment of applications. Your application will be considered on its merits, based on:
how well it meets the assessment criteria;
b. how it is ranked against other applications; and
9.14. The process that We will undertake includes the following steps:
We assign applications to General Assessors.
Applications are assigned to Detailed Assessors. In assigning assessors We may take requests not to assess into account (see below for further information).
c. Detailed Assessors provide assessments to Us with scores and written comments against assessment criteria for each application.
d. Applicants are provided with Detailed Assessors’ comments and are invited to submit a rejoinder to the assessment text (see below for further information on this process).
e. Applications, scores and comments provided in the detailed assessments and the applicant’s rejoinder are provided to the General Assessors for consideration. General Assessors assign their own scores against the relevant assessment criteria.
f. The relevant SAC meets to discuss the ranking of each application relative to other applications and determines funding recommendations.
g. The SAC makes recommendations to the CEO on which applications should be approved for funding, which applications should not be approved for funding, and the level of funding and duration of each grant. The CEO may make recommendations for funding to the Minister based on any number of assessments.
h. The CEO will make grant recommendations to the Minister who may make a decision on which applications are approved for funding.
Requests not to assess process
9.15. You may name up to three persons whom You do not wish to assess an application by submitting a ‘Request Not to Assess’ form as detailed on GrantConnect and on the ARC website. This form must be received by Us two weeks prior to the closing date of the relevant grant opportunity.
9.16. Only one request containing the names of up to three individual assessors may be submitted per application.
9.17. If You name a current ARC College of Experts member, as listed on the ARC website at the time of submitting the ‘Request Not to Assess’ 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 of the request.
9.18. You may submit a ‘Request Not to Assess’ form naming more than three persons whom You do not wish to assess an application. Any request containing more than three names must be accompanied by comprehensive evidence justifying the request for all persons listed. If We consider the evidence is not sufficient for one or more of the named people, We will reject part, or all, of the request.
9.19. We will have absolute discretion about whether We accept or refuse a ‘Request Not to Assess’. We will not notify You of the outcome.
Rejoinder Process
9.20. You will be given the opportunity to respond to assessors’ written comments through a rejoinder, and to provide any additional information requested by Us. Names of assessors will not be provided. Further information on the rejoinder process is available on the ARC website.
Who will approve grants?
9.21. In accordance with the ARC Act, Our CEO will submit grant recommendations to the Minister for consideration.
9.22. The Minister will determine which grants to approve. The Minister’s decision is final in all matters, including:
the approval of the grant;
b. the grant funding amount to be awarded;
c. the duration of the grant; and
d. the terms and conditions of the grant.
9.23. The ARC Act states that the Minister must not approve a grant for any application that fails to:
meet the eligibility criteria;
b. comply with the assessment process; and
c. satisfy the requirements for financial assistance.
9.24. The CGRGs state that the Minister must consider the key principle of achieving value with for money when approving a grant.
9.25. Any successful application awarded a grant will be subject to sufficient funds being available for the Program and the provisions of the ARC Act.
10. Notification of application outcomes
10.1. You will be notified of the outcome of Your application via RMS, following a decision by the Minister. The notification in RMS will include information on:
successful and unsuccessful applications;
b. feedback on applications;
c. grant amounts;
d. any specific conditions to be included in the grant agreement; and
e. the commencement of the grant period. This is usually the grant commencement date.
10.2. If You are unsuccessful, You may be able to submit a new application for the same, or similar, research application in future grant opportunity rounds. This will depend on the specific provisions of the grant opportunity You are applying for. You should include new or more information to address any weaknesses that may have prevented Your previous application from being successful.
10.3. If Your application is found to be ineligible, You will be notified of this through RMS.
Feedback on Your application
10.4. If Your application was found to be eligible, feedback on Your application will be provided through RMS.
11. Successful grant applications
The grant agreement
11.1. If You are successful, You must enter into a legally binding grant agreement with the Commonwealth represented by the ARC.
11.2. We use the ARC Discovery Program grant agreement that contains standard terms and conditions that cannot be changed. The draft grant agreement is available on GrantConnect. Any additional conditions attached to the grant will be identified in the grant offer.
11.3. You will have 28 calendar days from the date of the grant offer to execute this grant agreement with the Commonwealth.
11.4. We must execute a grant agreement with You before We can make any payments. We are not responsible for any of Your project expenditure until a grant agreement is executed. You must not start any activities until all third party agreements are executed.
11.5. If You enter an agreement for a Discovery Program grant, You cannot receive other grants for the same budgeted grant activities from other Commonwealth grant programs.
11.6. You will be required to conduct the project substantially in accordance with the ‘Project Description’ contained in the application for that project. Your application forms part of the grant agreement.
11.7. We will recover grant funds and terminate the project if You fail to meet the obligations of the grant agreement.
Specific research policies and practices
11.8. You and each project research participant are required to be compliant with all relevant laws and regulations. In particular, You must certify in Your application that You comply with the following requirements.
Ethics and Research Practices
11.9. All applications and ARC-funded research projects must comply with the requirements specified in the following and successor documents:
the ARC Research Integrity and Research Misconduct Policy (2016);
b. the National Principles of Intellectual Property Management for Publicly Funded Research (2017);
c. the ARC Open Access Policy (2017);
d. the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018);
e. as applicable, the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) (updated July 2018);
f. as applicable, NHMRC Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders (2018);
g. as applicable, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies (2012);
h. as applicable, Australia Council for the Arts Protocols for Producing Indigenous Australian Music; Writing; Visual Arts; Media Arts; and Performing Arts (2007); and
i. as applicable, the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (2013).
11.10. If there is any conflict between a successor document and its predecessor, then the successor document prevails to the extent of any inconsistency. These documents are all available on the ARC website.
11.12. If We consider that an application is incomplete We may in Our absolute discretion decide to recommend that the application not be approved for a grant.
11.13. If We consider that an application is inaccurate or contains false or misleading information, or involves misconduct, We will in Our absolute discretion decide to recommend that the application not be approved for a grant.
11.14. Examples of misleading information and misconduct include:
providing fictitious Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE);
b. plagiarism;
c. making false claims in relation to the authorship of the application;
d. failing to make adequate acknowledgement of intellectual, design or other significant contributions to the application;
e. making false claims in publications records (such as describing a paper as accepted for publication when it has only been submitted);
f. making false claims in relation to qualifications and/or appointments;
g. making false certifications; and
h. failing to disclose the existence, and nature, of actual or potential Conflicts of Interest of any of the parties involved in the application/project (such as any affiliations or financial interest in any organisation that has a direct interest in the matter or outputs of the project).
Intellectual Property
11.15. We do not claim ownership of any intellectual property in an application or in any research arising from a project.
11.16. You must adhere to an intellectual property policy, approved by Your governing body, which has as one of its aims the maximisation of benefits to Australia arising from publicly funded research. You should ensure that individuals applying for ARC grants are familiar with the current intellectual property and patent landscape for the research areas included in the application. Unless otherwise approved by the Commonwealth, Your intellectual property policy must comply with the National Principles of Intellectual Property Management for Publicly Funded Research and/or any successor document(s). These document(s) are available on the ARC website.
Publication and dissemination of research outputs and research data
11.17. All research projects funded by us must comply with the ARC Open Access Policy on the dissemination of research findings, which is on the ARC website.
11.18. Participants and institutions have an obligation to collect and maintain research data in accordance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018). We strongly encourage the depositing of data arising from a project in an appropriate publicly accessible discipline and/or institutional repository. Participants must outline briefly in their application how they plan to manage research data arising from a project.
11.19. We strongly encourage all participants applying for grants to have an Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier (ORCID) in their RMS Profile.
How We pay the grant
11.20. Payments will be made as set out in the grant agreement.
11.21. The grant offer will specify the approved amount for that project, or as otherwise varied by Us in accordance with the grant agreement.
11.22. Any project expenditure incurred by You for a project additional to the approved amount for that project specified in the grant offer, or as otherwise varied by Us, is Your responsibility. The Commonwealth will not reimburse You for such costs under any circumstances.
11.23. You are responsible for any and all financial and taxation implications associated with receiving funds. Grant funding may be indexed. Grant funding will typically be paid monthly through ARC’s payment system.
11.24. Once the grant agreement is signed by the Commonwealth payment will be made on the next available date for grant payments after the grant commencement date.
11.25. Any grant awarded will be subject to sufficient funds being available for the project, the provisions of the ARC Act and continued satisfactory progress of the project.
11.26. All amounts referred to in these grant guidelines are to be read as exclusive of the goods and services tax (GST), unless expressly stated otherwise.
Grant agreement variations
11.27. We recognise that unexpected events may affect the progress of a project. In these circumstances, You can request a variation to Your grant agreement, including:
changing a project’s internal budget or research plan;
b. extending the timeframe for completing the project; and
c. changing participants or organisations named on the project.
11.28. You cannot request an increase to the agreed amount of grant funds.
11.29. If You want to propose changes to the grant agreement, You must submit a Variation of Grant Agreement (Variation) to Us in RMS.
11.30. A Variation must be approved by Us to be a valid part of the grant agreement. We will consider Your request based on factors such as:
how it affects the project outcome; and
b. consistency with the grant opportunity objectives, the project’s aims and objectives and any relevant ARC policies.
11.31. We will notify You of the outcome of a Variation.
Keeping Us informed
11.32. You should let Us know if anything is likely to affect Your project.
11.33. You must also inform Us of any changes to Your:
name;
b. address(es);
c. nominated contact details; and
d. bank account details.
11.34. If You become aware of a breach of terms and conditions under the grant agreement, You must contact Us immediately.
12. Announcement of grants
12.1. If successful, Your grant will be listed on the GrantConnect website 21 calendar days after the date of effect as required by Section 5.3 of the CGRGs.
12.2. We may publicise and report offers and grants awarded, including the following information about the project:
Your name and any other parties involved in or associated with the project;
b. named participants and their organisations;
c. the research project (the title and summary descriptions);
d. classifications and international collaboration country names; and
e. the ARC grant funding amount.
12.3. You should ensure that information contained in the project title and summary descriptions will not compromise Your requirements for confidentiality (such as protection of intellectual property).
12.4. In making public information about a project that has been approved for a grant, We may use a project description, including title and summary, which differs from that provided in the application.
13. How We monitor Your grant activity
13.1. We will monitor the grant activities through information You provide including:
end-of-year reports, progress reports by exception and final reports; and
b. other information, as requested, for program or grant opportunity evaluations.
13.2. You must submit reports in line with the grant agreement. Reports must be submitted to Us through RMS.
13.3. The amount of detail You provide in Your reports should be relative to the project’s scale and complexity.
13.4. We will monitor progress by assessing reports You submit and may conduct site visits or request records to confirm details of Your reports if necessary. We may occasionally need to re-examine claims, seek further information or request an independent audit of claims and payments.
End of year reports
13.5. You must submit an End of Year Financial Report by 31 March in the year following each calendar year for which the grant was awarded, in accordance with the instructions We provide each year. We will make the form for these reports available in RMS, with instructions on the ARC website.
Progress reporting by exception
13.6. A progress report by exception must be completed only if significant issues are affecting the progress of the project.
13.7. If We are not satisfied with the progress of any project, further payment of funds will not be made until satisfactory progress has been made on the project. If satisfactory progress is still not achieved within a reasonable period of time, the grant will be terminated and all outstanding monies will be recovered by Us.
Final report
13.8. You must submit a final report for the project within 12 months of the final ARC approved project end date. We will make the form for this report available in RMS, with instructions on the ARC website.
13.9. The final report must address compliance with the conditions on which funding was granted, as set out in the grant agreement.
13.10. If final reports are not submitted or are not satisfactory to Us this will be considered as an eligibility matter.
13.11. We may also seek additional information about subsequent research outputs after submission of the final report. We may contact You up to five years after You finish Your grant for information to assist with evaluation of a Discovery Program grant opportunity.
Compliance visits and record keeping
13.12. We may visit You during or at the completion of Your project to review Your compliance with the grant agreement. We may also inspect the records You are required to keep under the grant guidelines and grant agreement. We will provide You with reasonable notice of any compliance visit.
13.13. You must retain the evidence and paperwork relied upon to certify Your application in RMS and make this available to Us if requested.
Evaluation
13.14. We undertake evaluations of the performance and administration of the grant opportunities under the Discovery Program. Your grant agreement requires You to provide information to help with these evaluations.
Acknowledgement
13.15. Subject to commercial sensitivities and intellectual property considerations, the outcomes of projects are expected to be communicated to the research community and to the community at large.
13.16. You must ensure that Our contribution and support of the project is acknowledged in a prominent place and a form acceptable to Us.
13.17. Advice of acceptable forms of acknowledgement and use of the ARC logo is provided on the ARC website. Any published research output must include acknowledgement of ARC funding and the ARC Project ID.
14. Probity
14.1. We will make sure that the grant opportunity processes are fair, in accordance with the published grant guidelines, incorporate appropriate safeguards against fraud, unlawful activities and other inappropriate conduct and are consistent with the ARC Act and the CGRGs.
Appeals process
14.2. We will only consider appeals against the administrative process and not against committee decisions, assessor ratings and comments or the assessment outcome. Appellants must identify the specific clause(s) of the grant guidelines, policy or procedure which they believe has been incorrectly applied.
14.3. You are able to submit an appeal against the administrative process used to assess applications. The appeals process is designed to ensure that the application has been treated fairly and consistently in the context of selection processes.
14.4. You must submit an appeal using the ARC Appeals Form on the ARC website and have it authorised by a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or equivalent. Appeals must be received within 28 days of the date You receive notification of the outcome of Your application. We will not accept appeals later than 5.00pm (AEDT/AEST) on the appeals submission due date.
14.5. Appeals must be submitted to Us electronically to ARC-NCGP@arc.gov.au.
14.6. If You do not agree with the way We have handled Your appeal, You may complain to the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will not usually look into a complaint unless the matter has first been raised directly with Us. The Commonwealth Ombudsman can be contacted on:
14.7. Applicants for funding may at any time seek to appeal ARC decisions using available external appeal options. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal does not have general power to review ARC decisions.
Conflict of interest
14.8. The ARC’s purpose is to support the highest quality research and as such Our conflict of interest policy is designed to ensure that all material personal interests are disclosed. As a result, Conflicts of Interest are identified and managed in a rigorous and transparent way to ensure the integrity, legitimacy, impartiality and fairness of Our processes. Management of Conflicts of Interest in this way is designed to maintain public confidence in Our business processes.
14.9. Any Conflicts of Interest could affect conduct of the selection processes and/or the performance of the grant. There may be a conflict of interest, or perceived conflict of interest, if the relevant ARC staff, an assessor, member of a committee or advisor and/or You or any of Your personnel:
has a professional, commercial or personal relationship with a party who is able to influence the application selection process, such as an Australian Government officer;
b. has a relationship with, or interest in, an organisation, which is likely to interfere with or restrict the applicants from carrying out the proposed activities fairly and independently; or
c. has a relationship with, or interest in, an organisation from which they will receive personal gain because the organisation receives a grant under the NCGP.
14.10. You will be asked to certify, as part of Your application, any perceived or existing Conflicts of Interests or that, to the best of Your knowledge, there is no conflict of interest. Each individual or organisation named in an application must declare to the Administering Organisation at the date of submission any conflict of interest that exists or is likely to arise in relation to any aspect of the application or project.
14.11. If a Conflict of Interest exists or arises, You must have documented processes in place for managing the Conflict of Interest for the duration of the project. Such processes must comply with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy and any relevant successor documents.
14.12. If You later identify that there is an actual, apparent, or potential Conflict of Interest or that one might arise in relation to an application, You must inform Us in writing immediately.
14.13. We will handle any Conflicts of Interest as set out in Australian Government policies and procedures. Conflicts of Interest for Australian Government staff will be managed as set out in the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct (Section 13(7)) of the Public Service Act 1999. Committee members and other officials including the decision maker must also certify any conflicts of interest.
14.14. We publish Our Conflict of Interest Policy on the ARC website.
Privacy: confidentiality and protection of personal information
14.15. We treat Your personal information according to the 13 Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act 1988. This includes letting You know:
what personal information We collect;
b. why We collect Your personal information; and
c. who We give Your personal information to.
14.16. You are required, as part of Your application, to certify Your compliance with the Privacy Act 1988, including the Australian Privacy Principles and impose the same privacy obligations on any subcontractors You engage to assist with the activity. You must ask for the Australian Government’s consent in writing before disclosing confidential information.
14.17. Your personal information can only be disclosed to someone else if:
You are given reasonable notice of the disclosure;
where disclosure is authorised or required by law or is reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law;
if it will prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person’s life or health; or
if You have consented to the disclosure.
14.18. The Australian Government may also use and disclose information about grant applicants and grant recipients under the NCGP in any other Australian Government business or function. This includes giving information to the Australian Taxation Office for compliance purposes.
14.19. We may reveal confidential information to:
assessors, the SAC and other Commonwealth employees and contractors to help Us manage the program effectively and in accordance with any other provision of these grant guidelines or subsequent grant agreement;
b. the Minister and their staff;
c. employees and contractors of Our entity so We can research, assess, monitor and analyse Our programs and activities;
d. employees and contractors of other Commonwealth agencies for any purposes, including government administration, research or service delivery;
e. other Commonwealth, State, Territory or local government agencies in program reports and consultations;
f. the Auditor-General, Ombudsman or Privacy Commissioner; and
g. a House or a Committee of the Australian Parliament.
14.20. We may share the information You give Us with other Commonwealth agencies for any purposes including government administration, research or service delivery and according to Australian laws, including the:
Crimes Act 1914;
Criminal Code Act 1995;
Privacy Act 1988;
Public Service Act 1999;
e. Public Service Regulations 1999; and
f. Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
14.21. We will treat the information You give Us as sensitive and therefore confidential if it meets one of the four conditions below:
You clearly identify the information as confidential and explain why We should treat it as confidential;
b. the information is commercially sensitive;
c. revealing the information would cause unreasonable harm to You or someone else; or
d. You provide the information with an understanding that it will stay confidential.
14.22. The grant agreement will include any specific requirements about special categories of information collected, created or held under the grant agreement.
Freedom of information
14.23. All documents in the possession of the Australian Government, including those about the Discovery Program, are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
14.24. 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.
14.25. All Freedom of Information requests must be referred to the Freedom of Information Coordinator in writing.
15.1. We may conduct a survey of Eligible Organisations after the outcomes of each selection round are announced. Outcomes of the survey will be considered in the development of subsequent grant guidelines.
Part A Australian Laureate Fellowships
A1. About the grant opportunity
A1.1 This part of the document sets out the specific requirements for the Australian Laureate Fellowships grant opportunity. This part must be read together with the general Discovery Program requirements detailed in Sections 1-15 of these grant guidelines.
Important dates
A1.2 The grant commencement date for the Australian Laureate Fellowships grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2019 is 1 July 2019.
A1.3 The active project assessment date for the Australian Laureate Fellowships grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2019 is 1 January 2020.
Description
A1.4 The Australian Laureate Fellowships grant opportunity reflects the Australian Government’s commitment to excellence in research by supporting world-class researchers to conduct research in Australia.
A1.5 The opportunity encourages applications from the highest-quality researchers by providing eligible Australian Laureate Fellows with project funding in addition to a salary supplement and salary-related (on-cost) support.
A1.6 In addition, We may name two successful Australian Laureate Fellowship recipients as the Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellow and the Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellow. The Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship may be available to a highly ranked female candidate from the humanities, arts and social science disciplines. The Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship may be available to a highly ranked female candidate from the science and technology disciplines. Recipients will be provided with additional funding to undertake an ambassadorial role to promote women in research.
A1.7 The Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship and the Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship are awarded to:
undertake an ambassadorial role to promote women in research;
b. mentor early career researchers, particularly women, to encourage them to enter and establish research careers in Australia; and
c. encourage applications from female research leaders of international repute.
Objectives
A1.8 The objectives of the Australian Laureate Fellowships grant opportunity are to:
attract and retain outstanding researchers and research leaders of international reputation;
b. support ground-breaking, internationally-competitive research;
c. provide an excellent research training environment and exemplary mentorship to nurture early-career researchers;
d. forge strong links among researchers, the international research community and/or industry;
e. expand Australia’s knowledge base and research capability; and
f. enhance the scale and focus of research in the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities.
A1.9 Preference will be given to researchers who will play a significant, sustained leadership and mentoring role in increasing Australia’s internationally competitive research capacity.
A2. Grant amount
A2.1 Up to 17 Australian Laureate Fellowships may be awarded funding commencing in 2019, including the Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship and Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship.
A2.2 We provide a salary supplement and project funding for the Australian Laureate Fellowships grant opportunity as detailed in Table 2. The salary supplement and project funding will not be awarded separately.
A2.3 Table 2. Australian Laureate Fellowships, details of funding[3] and grant duration
Category
Details
Australian Laureate Fellow salary supplement
$163,074 per year (including 30 per cent on-costs) towards a Professorial Level E (or equivalent) salary
Australian Laureate Fellow salary supplement duration
Five consecutive years on a full-time basis
Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) salary support
$100,124 per year (including 30 per cent on-costs) for each of two PDRAs for five years each
Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) stipend
$27,094 per year for each of two PGRs for four years each
Project funding
Up to $300,000 per year, which may include a request for funding for additional postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate students
Project funding duration
Five consecutive years on a full-time basis
Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship or Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship
Additional funding of up to $20,000 per year for use as part of the ambassadorial role to promote women in research
A2.4 You must provide an Australian Laureate Fellow with a Level E professorial appointment (or equivalent) and salary in line with Your organisation’s normal arrangements for the duration of the Australian Laureate Fellowship.
A3. Grant eligibility criteria
A3.1 The organisation role available under the Australian Laureate Fellowships grant opportunity is an:
Administering Organisation.
A3.2 The named participant role available under the Australian Laureate Fellowships grant opportunity is an:
Australian Laureate Fellowship candidate.
Applications
A3.3 To be eligible, Your Australian Laureate Fellowship application must:
nominate only one Australian Laureate Fellow candidate; and
b. request funding for a minimum of two PDRAs and two PGRs.
A3.4 You must not nominate an individual for more than one Australian Laureate Fellowship in any given year.
A3.5 You may submit an application for an Australian Laureate Fellowship on behalf of an Australian or international researcher.
Australian Laureate Fellowship candidates
Eligibility to apply
A3.6 A previous recipient of an Australian Laureate Fellowship is not eligible to apply for another Australian Laureate Fellowship.
A3.7 To be eligible for consideration, an Australian Laureate Fellowship candidate must, as at the grant opportunity closing date for applications:
only apply for one Australian Laureate Fellowship in a given year; and
b. have met the obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.
Eligibility to hold
A3.8 The Australian Laureate Fellow:
must 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;
b. must reside in Australia for a minimum of three out of the five years of the Fellowship. We may approve Fellows to undertake research outside Australia for periods of up to two years in total, providing You clearly demonstrate this is in the best interests of the research project and its outcomes, and of national benefit to Australia;
c. is expected to be employed full time (1.0 FTE) by You;
d. is expected to spend a minimum of 0.8 FTE on research and research capacity-building activities related to the Australian Laureate Fellowship. Research capacity-building activities could include research leadership in teams and centres (ARC Centres of Excellence or other research-related centres) and supervision of postgraduate students, but does not include a major role in administration; and
e. may spend a maximum of 0.2 FTE on non-Laureate project activities at Your organisation. This may include teaching activities. The Australian Laureate Fellowship will not be extended to accommodate any periods of teaching.
A3.9 With the exception of the Australian Laureate Fellowship Level E salaried position, the Australian Laureate Fellow must relinquish any fellowships or the duties of any existing appointments prior to the commencement of the fellowship unless otherwise approved by Us. Approval for any such appointments that would enhance the fellowship must be sought from Us and will be at Our absolute discretion.
A3.10 The Australian Laureate Fellow may hold honorary or non-remunerated fellowships or awards. Approval must be obtained from Us for any responsibilities assumed after the award of the project.
Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellowship or Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship
A3.11 Candidates for a Kathleen Fitzpatrick or Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship will be assessed for an Australian Laureate Fellowship prior to being assessed for a Kathleen Fitzpatrick or Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship.
A3.12 To be eligible for either the Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship or Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship the candidate must:
be female;
b. meet the eligibility criteria for Australian Laureate Fellow; and
c. include a brief outline of proposed activities for the relevant ambassadorial role within their application.
A3.13 Candidates for a Kathleen Fitzpatrick or Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship will be assessed against the same selection criteria and will be subject to the same conditions and obligations that apply to all Australian Laureate Fellowship candidates. Preference will be given to candidates who are able to demonstrate outstanding mentoring and capacity building qualities.
A3.14 We may decide not to award one or both of these named fellowships.
A4. What the grant money can be used for
Eligible expenditure
A4.1 The grant money can be used for the activities set out in these grant guidelines and the grant agreement including:
salary supplement and on-costs for the Australian Laureate Fellow;
b. salary and on-costs for a minimum of two Postdoctoral Research Associates (PDRAs);
c. stipends for a minimum of two Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs);
d. project costs as detailed in Section 6.4, subject to Your policies; and
e. if relevant, ambassadorial activities.
A5. The assessment criteria
A5.1 The assessment criteria for the Australian Laureate Fellowship are:
Investigator 40%
Describe the quality of the candidate’s Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE) including evidence of:
outstanding research outputs and achievements taking into account research opportunity;
potential to undertake ground-breaking research;
outstanding leadership ability;
potential to create an enduring legacy that would be enhanced by the Australian Laureate Fellowship;
contribution to national and international public policy debates and initiatives; and
time and capacity to undertake the research.
b. Program of Research Activity 30%
Describe:
The extent to which the research project is innovative including:
– the project aims and concepts are original and innovative, representing the leading edge of research in the field;
– any new methods, technologies, theories or ideas that will be developed; and
– how the research program will enhance innovation in Australia.
the approach to the research project including:
– the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses, demonstrating these are adequately developed, well integrated and appropriate to the aims of the project.
the extent to which the research project is significant and of national benefit including the extent to which:
– the research addresses an important problem;
– the anticipated outcomes will advance the knowledge base;
– the project will make a major contribution to public policy formulation and debate;
– the research maximises economic, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits to Australia;
– the research will be cost-effective and represents value for money;
– the potential for the research to contribute to the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities; and
– this research builds new international research collaboration or links between research and industry.
c. Mentoring/Capacity Building 30%
Describe:
the extent to which the project will build new teams and create world-class research capacity, collaboration and innovation; and
the extent to which the Australian Laureate Fellowship candidate:
– demonstrates exceptional ability to supervise and mentor postdoctoral researchers and other early-mid career researchers;
– has a record of successful postgraduate supervision, where applicable;
– provides evidence in the application of a suitable environment for postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers;
– demonstrates exceptional leadership and the organisational ability to ensure the development of scale and focus in research; and
– provides evidence of the potential to attract financial resources to enhance research capacity.
A6. Successful grant applications
Your responsibilities
A6.1 You must ensure the Australian Laureate Fellow has access to the following leave entitlements in line with Your normal practice:
maternity leave;
b. partner/parental leave;
c. recreation leave;
d. sick leave; and
e. additional leave of up to twelve months using accrued leave or leave without pay.
A6.2 Further information on leave entitlements is provided in the Discovery Program grant agreement. Funding for paid leave, and suspension of the project to undertake such leave, must be requested from Us via a Variation as detailed in the grant agreement.
A7. How We monitor Your grant activity
A7.1 In addition to the reporting requirements described in Section 13, Australian Laureate Fellows are required to submit mid-term case studies for their research project.
Part B Future Fellowships
B1. About the grant opportunity
B1.1 This part of the document sets out the specific requirements for the Future Fellowships grant opportunity. This part must be read together with the general Discovery Program requirements detailed in Sections 1-15 of these grant guidelines.
Important dates
B1.2 The grant commencement date for the Future Fellowships grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2019 is 1 July 2019.
B1.3 The active project assessment date for the Future Fellowships grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2019 is 1 January 2020.
Description
B1.4 The Future Fellowships grant opportunity provides support for excellent mid-career researchers to undertake high quality research in areas of national and international benefit.
Objectives
B1.5 The objectives of the Future Fellowships grant opportunity are to:
support outstanding mid-career researchers to be recruited and retained by universities in continuing academic positions;
b. build collaboration across industry and/or research organisations and/or disciplines;
c. support research in Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities that will result in economic, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia; and
d. strengthen Australia’s research capacity by supporting innovative, internationally-competitive research.
B1.6 Preference will be given to Australian researchers.
B2. Grant amount
B2.1 Up to 100 Future Fellowships may be awarded funding commencing in 2019.
B2.2 We provide salary and project funding for the Future Fellowships grant opportunity as detailed in Table 3. Salary and project funding will not be awarded separately.
B2.3 Table 3: Future Fellowships, details of funding and grant duration
Category
Details
Fellowship salary
Requested and/or awarded at one of three salary levels including on-costs (see Table 4)
Fellowship salary duration
Four consecutive years on a full-time basis. A Future Fellowship may be undertaken on a part-time basis not exceeding eight consecutive years
B2.5 A Future Fellowship salary must be requested and will be awarded at one of three levels which provide salary and salary-related (on-cost) funding. Applicants should select the level according to their academic level (or equivalent) at the closing time for submission of applications (Table 4). For example, a researcher who is currently an Academic Level C must apply for a Future Fellowship Level 2.
B2.6 The requested level must align with the Future Fellowship candidate’s current academic level unless:
the Future Fellowship candidate is not employed at an Australian university at the time of application, or is an international researcher, in which case the academic level applicable must be fully justified by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or equivalent; or
b. the Future Fellowship candidate has experienced significant interruptions to their academic career, due to family responsibilities as primary care giver and/or due to working with a relevant industry, in which case they may choose the most appropriate salary level. The circumstances of the career interruption and chosen salary level must be justified and certified by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or equivalent.
B2.7 We have absolute discretion in determining the relevant academic level for the purposes of deciding the relevant salary level for Future Fellowship candidates who are employed overseas, who are not employed, or who are not receiving a salary, at the time of submission of applications.
B3. Grant eligibility criteria
B3.1 Organisation roles available under the Future Fellowships grant opportunity are:
Administering Organisation; and
b. Host Organisation.
B3.2 The named participant role available under the Future Fellowships grant opportunity is a:
Future Fellowship candidate.
Applications
B3.3 To be eligible, Your Future Fellowship application must:
nominate only one Future Fellow candidate; and
b. list an organisation as a Host Organisation within the application, if the candidate proposes to undertake research at an organisation other than Your organisation while holding a Future Fellowship.
B3.4 The Future Fellow may conduct research at a listed Host Organisation(s), if it is in the best interests of the research project and its outcomes, and is of national benefit to Australia. You may identify one or more Host Organisations on each application.
B3.5 You must not nominate an individual for more than one Future Fellowship in any given year.
Future Fellowship candidates
Eligibility to apply
B3.6 A previous recipient of a Future Fellowship is not eligible to apply for another Future Fellowship.
B3.7 An individual who has been nominated for a Future Fellowship on three previous occasions, over the period in which the candidate is eligible, is not eligible to apply for another Future Fellowship. This includes applications that were withdrawn after the closing time of submission of applications and applications that We deemed ineligible.
B3.8 To be eligible, the candidate must, as at the grant opportunity closing date:
only apply for one Future Fellowship in a given year; and
b. have met the obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.
B3.9 To be eligible, the candidate must, as at the grant opportunity closing date:
have an Award of PhD Date on, or between, 1 March 2004 and 1 March 2014; or
b. have a PhD award date together with allowable period of career interruption that would be commensurate with being awarded a PhD on or after 1 March 2004. The allowable career interruptions that will be considered, and the period allowed for each is in Table 5.
B3.10 Where the Future Fellowship candidate holds a research higher degree that is not a PhD, it is Your responsibility to certify that the qualification meets the level 10 criteria of the Australian Qualifications Framework Second Edition.
B3.11 Where the Future Fellowship candidate holds a professional equivalent to a PhD which is relied upon as the relevant qualification, this must be certified by You.
B3.12 The allowable career interruptions that will be considered, and the period allowed for each is in Table 5. Each period of career interruption must be:
significant and not overlapping;
b. for a period of greater than one month; and
c. certified by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).
B3.13 Table 5: Allowable career interruptions reasons and timeframes for Future Fellowships
Reason for Career Interruption
Time which can be claimed
Disruption due to international relocation
A period of time commensurate with the interruption not exceeding three months per international relocation
Carer’s responsibilitiesIllness or disabilityMaternity or parental leaveUnemploymentNon-research employment not concurrent with research employment
A period of time commensurate with the interruption will be considered.
Being the primary carer of a dependent child (inclusive of carer’s responsibilities and any maternity or parental leave)
Two years per dependent child, inclusive of any period of maternity or other parental leave, with no maximum identified.<br>A primary carer who has had extensive caring responsibilities for a dependent child may be granted a further extension (in addition to the two years) with justification. This may be due to the child being ill or having a disability.
Eligibility to hold
B3.14 The Future Fellow must be an employee of Your organisation for the project activity period. The Future Fellow may be employed on either a full-time, or a part-time basis subject to the employment conditions of Your organisation provided that the Future Fellowship does not exceed eight years from the date of commencement (excluding any approved periods of suspension).
B3.15 A Future Fellow is not required to have a minimum time commitment for the Future Fellowship, but the time commitment of the Fellow must match that of the fellow’s employment contract. You are responsible for managing changes to the Future Fellow’s working hours. You are required to notify Us of any changes to working hours through submission of a Variation.
B3.16 The Future Fellow:
must 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;
b. must not spend more than half of the project activity period outside Australia, except where We have approved such activity;
c. is expected to spend a minimum of 80 per cent of full time equivalent (0.8 FTE) (or pro-rata part-time equivalent) of their time on research activities related to the Future Fellowship;
d. may spend a maximum of 0.2 FTE (or pro-rata part-time equivalent) of their time on activities not related to the Future Fellowship. This may include teaching. The Future Fellowship will not be extended to accommodate any periods of teaching. Supervision of honours or postgraduate students is not included in this limit;
e. must spend a minimum of 0.2 FTE annually located at Your organisation, if undertaking some aspects of the project at a Host Organisation(s);
f. must relinquish any fellowships or the duties of any existing appointments prior to the commencement of the Future Fellowship. The Future Fellow may hold honorary or non-remunerated fellowships or awards. You must ensure that honorary or non-remunerated fellowships will not impair the capacity of the Fellow to complete the project. You must also obtain Our approval for any responsibilities assumed after the award of the project;
g. cannot begin another ARC Fellowship until the Future Fellowship has been completed; and
h. may not engage in other professional employment during the project activity period without prior approval from Us.
B4. What the grant money can be used for
Eligible expenditure
B4.1 The grant money can be used for the activities set out in these grant guidelines and the grant agreement including:
salary and on costs for the Future Fellow;
project costs as detailed in Section 6.4, subject to Your policies; and
travel costs essential to the project, as detailed in Section 6.4, up to $100,000 over the project activity period. Travel and accommodation costs related to carrying out Field Research or any carers’ costs are not included in this $100,000 limit.
B5. The assessment criteria
B5.1 The assessment criteria for the Future Fellowship candidates are:
Future Fellowship Candidate 40%
Describe the quality of the candidate as per the relevant section in Table 6.
Table 6: Future Fellowship candidate
Future Fellowship Level 1
Future Fellowship Level 2
Future Fellowship Level 3
Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE)capacity and leadership to undertake the researchrecord of high quality research outputs appropriate to the discipline/sevidence of research training, mentoring and supervisionevidence of national research standing.
Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE)capacity and leadership to undertake the researchrecord of high quality research outputs appropriate to the discipline/sevidence of research training, mentoring and supervisionevidence of national and emerging international research standing.
Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE)capacity and leadership to initiate and manage large research projectsrecord of outstanding research outputs appropriate to the discipline/sevidence of international research standingevidence of excellence in research training, mentoring and supervisionevidence of contribution to national and/or international public policy debates and initiatives.
b. Project Quality and Innovation 35%
Describe:
the extent to which the research addresses a significant problem;
evidence that the conceptual/theoretical framework is innovative and original;
the extent to which the research project includes aims, concepts, methods and results which will advance knowledge;
the appropriateness of the design and methods;
the extent to which the project will maximise economic, environmental, social, and/or cultural benefits to Australia;
the potential for the research to contribute to the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities;
the extent to which the project involves interdisciplinary research;
the extent to which the project will push the boundaries of research;
the extent to which the project opens up new research opportunities; and
the extent to which the project contributes to public policy formulation and debate.
c. Feasibility and Strategic Alignment 10%
Describe:
the extent to which the Future Fellowship candidate aligns with and/or complements the core or developing research strengths and staffing profile of Your organisation;
the availability of the necessary facilities to conduct the research;
the resources You will provide to support the Future Fellowship candidate during her/his Future Fellowship; and
the capacity within Your organisation to transition the candidate at the end of the Future Fellowship to a continuing position.
d. Benefit and Collaboration 15%
Describe:
how the Future Fellowship candidate will build collaborations across research organisations and/or industry and/or with other disciplines both within Australia and internationally;
how the host organisations will be utilised in the project;
the significant new knowledge and/or innovative economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits the completed projected will produce for Australia and international communities; and
the cost-effectiveness of the research and its value for money.
B6. How to Apply
B6.1 In addition to the requirements in Section 8, You must include a statement within Your application which:
outlines the area of core or emerging areas of research strength and describes the level of resources to be provided to support the candidate (for example, include project costs, PhD students, or salary top-up);
b. outlines plans to retain the successful Future Fellow in a continuing position, subject to appropriate performance during the Fellowship;
c. describes how the salary that was previously provided by You to the candidate will be used where the Future Fellowship candidate is Your existing employee; and
d. is signed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or equivalent.
B7. Successful grant applications
Your responsibilities
B7.1 The Future Fellow must be Your employee for the project activity period.
B7.2 If a Future Fellow undertakes research at a Host Organisation, the Host Organisation must accommodate the Future Fellow and provide suitable resources.
B7.3 You must ensure the Future Fellow has access to the following leave entitlements in line with Your normal practice:
maternity leave;
b. partner/parental leave;
c. recreation leave;
d. sick leave; and
e. additional leave of up to twelve months using accrued leave or leave without pay.
B7.4 The grant agreement includes further information on leave entitlements. Funding for paid leave, and suspension of the project to undertake such leave, must be requested from Us via a Variation as detailed in the grant agreement.
Part C Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)
C1. About the grant opportunity
C1.1 This part of the document sets out the specific requirements for the DECRA grant opportunity. This part must be read together with the general Discovery Program requirements detailed in Sections 1-15 of these grant guidelines.
Important dates
C1.2 The grant commencement date for the DECRA grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2020 is 1 January 2020.
C1.3 The active project assessment date for the DECRA grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2020 is 1 July 2020.
Description
C1.4 The DECRA grant opportunity provides focused research support for early career researchers in both teaching and research, and research-only positions.
Objectives
C1.5 The objectives of the DECRA grant opportunity are to:
support excellent basic and applied research by early career researchers;
b. advance promising early career researchers and promote enhanced opportunities for diverse career pathways;
c. enable research and research training in high quality and supportive environments;
d. expand Australia’s knowledge base and research capability; and
e. enhance the scale and focus of research in the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities.
C2. Grant amount
C2.1 Up to 200 fellowships may be awarded funding commencing in 2020.
C2.2 We provide a salary and project funding for the DECRA grant opportunity as detailed in Table 7. Salary and/or project funding will not be awarded separately.
C2.3 Table 7. Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, details of funding[5] and grant duration
Category
Details
Salary funding level
$102,372 (including 30 per cent on-costs). Salary and/or project costs will not be awarded separately
Salary funding duration
Three consecutive years on a full-time basis. A DECRA project may be undertaken on a part-time basis not exceeding six consecutive years
Project funding level
Up to $40,000 per year
Project funding duration
Three consecutive years
C2.4 DECRA salary funding may be used for other project funding purposes to support the project in changed circumstances with Our approval and without extension to the project activity period. These purposes will not include supporting the DECRA recipient to begin another ARC Fellowship.
C2.5 The use of DECRA salary funding for other project purposes does not confer an exemption from the limits applicable to budget items for the grant.
C3. Grant eligibility criteria
C3.1 The organisation role available under the DECRA grant opportunity is an:
Administering Organisation.
C3.2 The named participant role available under the DECRA grant opportunity is a:
DECRA candidate.
Applications
C3.3 To be eligible, Your DECRA application must:
nominate only one DECRA candidate.
C3.4 You must not nominate an individual for more than one DECRA in any given year.
DECRA candidates
Eligibility to apply
C3.5 A previous recipient of a DECRA is not eligible to apply for another DECRA.
C3.6 An individual who has been nominated for a DECRA on two previous occasions, over the period in which the candidate is eligible, is not eligible to apply for another DECRA. This includes applications that were withdrawn after the closing time of submission of applications and applications that We deemed ineligible.
C3.7 To be eligible, the candidate must, as at the grant opportunity closing date:
only apply for one DECRA in a given year; and
b. have met the obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.
C3.8 To be eligible, the candidate must, as at the grant opportunity closing date:
have an award of PhD[6] Date on, or after 1 March 2014; or
b. have an award of PhD Date together with an allowable career interruptions that would be commensurate with an Award of PhD Date on or after 1 March 2014. The allowable career interruptions that will be considered, and the period allowed for each are in Table 8.
C3.9 Where the Candidate holds a higher research degree that is not a PhD, it is Your responsibility to certify that the qualification meets the level 10 criteria of the Australian Qualifications Framework Second Edition.
C3.10 The allowable career interruptions that will be considered, and the period allowed for each is in Table 8. Each period of career interruption must be:
significant and not overlapping;
b. for a period of greater than one month; and
c. certified by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).
C3.11 Table 8: Allowable career interruptions reasons and timeframes for DECRA.
Reason for Career Interruption
Time which can be claimed
Disruption due to international relocation.
A period of time commensurate with the interruption not exceeding three months per international relocation.
Carer’s responsibilitiesIllness or disabilityMaternity or parental leaveUnemploymentNon-research employment not concurrent with research employment
A period of time commensurate with the interruption will be considered.
Being the primary carer of a dependent child (inclusive of carer’s responsibilities and any maternity or parental leave)
Two years per dependent child, inclusive of any period of maternity or other parental leave, with no maximum identified.<br>A primary carer who has had extensive caring responsibilities for a dependent child may be granted a further extension (in addition to the two years) with justification. This may be due to the child being ill or having a disability.
Eligibility to hold
C3.12 The DECRA recipient must be an employee of Your organisation for the project activity period. The DECRA may be undertaken on either a full-time, or part-time, basis subject to Your organisation’s employment conditions and provided that the DECRA does not exceed six years from the date of commencement (excluding any approved periods of suspension).
C3.13 A DECRA recipient is not required to have a minimum time commitment. The time commitment of the DECRA must match the DECRA’s employment contract. You are responsible for managing changes to the DECRA’s working hours. You are required to notify Us of any changes to working hours through submission of a Variation.
C3.14 The DECRA:
must 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;
b. must not spend more than one third of the project activity period outside Australia, except where We have approved such activity;
c. is expected to spend a minimum of 80 per cent per cent of full time equivalent (FTE) (or pro-rata part-time equivalent) of their time on research activities related to the DECRA;
d. may spend a maximum of 0.2 FTE (or pro-rata part-time equivalent) of their time on activities not related to the DECRA. This may include teaching. The DECRA will not be extended to accommodate any periods of teaching. Supervision of honours or postgraduate students is not included in this limit;
e. must relinquish any fellowships or awards. The DECRA may hold honorary or non-remunerated fellowships or awards. You must ensure that honorary or non-remunerated fellowships will not impair the capacity of the DECRA to complete the project. You must obtain Our approval for any responsibilities assumed after the award;
f. cannot begin another ARC Fellowship until the DECRA has been completed; and
g. may not engage in other professional employment during the project activity period without prior approval from Us.
C4. What the grant money can be used for
Eligible expenditure
C4.1 The grant money can be used for the activities set out in these grant guidelines and the grant agreement including:
salary and on-costs for the DECRA recipient;
b. projects costs outlined in Section 6.4, subject to limitations in the clause below; and
c. in addition to the project costs, up to one HDR stipend per application.
C4.2 Travel costs essential to the project, as detailed in Section 6.4, may be supported up to $50,000 over the project activity period. Travel and accommodation costs related to carrying out Field Research or any carers’ costs are not included in this $50,000 limit.
C5. The assessment criteria
C5.1 The assessment criteria for the DECRA grant opportunity are:
DECRA Candidate 40%
Describe:
Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE); and
time and capacity to undertake the research.
b. Project Quality and Innovation 35%
Describe:
the extent to which the research addresses a significant problem;
evidence that the conceptual/theoretical framework is innovative and original;
the potential for the research to contribute to the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities; and
the extent to which the research project includes aims, concepts, methods and results which will advance knowledge.
c. Feasibility 10%
Describe:
how the project’s design, participants and requested budget create confidence in the timely and successful completion of the project;
the existing, or developing, supportive and high quality environment for this candidate and their project, and for HDR students where appropriate; and
the availability of the necessary facilities to complete the project.
d. Benefit and Collaboration 15%
Describe:
the significant new knowledge and/or innovative economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits the completed project will produce for Australia and international communities;
the extent to which the DECRA candidate will build collaborations across research organisations and/or industry and/or with other disciplines both within Australia and internationally; and
the cost-effectiveness of the research and its value for money.
C6. How to Apply
C6.1 In addition to the requirements in Section 8, You must include a statement within Your application which:
indicates that this area is a core or emerging research strength and describes the level of resources to be provided to support the successful DECRA candidate (for example, project costs, PhD students, or salary top-up);
b. details opportunities for the DECRA candidate to demonstrate the level of independence required to be competitive for research and/or research and teaching pathways at the Your organisation during and after the project; and
c. is signed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or equivalent.
C7. Successful grant applications
Your responsibilities
C7.1 The DECRA must be Your employee for the project activity period.
C7.2 You must ensure the DECRA has access to the following leave entitlements in line with Your normal practice:
maternity leave;
b. partner/parental leave;
c. recreation leave;
d. sick leave; and
e. additional leave of up to twelve months using accrued leave or leave without pay.
C7.3 The grant agreement includes further information on leave entitlements. Funding for paid leave, and suspension of the project to undertake such leave, must be requested from Us via a Variation as detailed in the grant agreement.
Part D Discovery Indigenous
D1. About the grant opportunity
D1.1 This part of the document sets out the specific requirements for the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity. This part must be read together with the general Discovery Program requirements detailed in Sections 1-15 of these grant guidelines.
Important dates
D1.2 The grant commencement date for the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2020 is 1 January 2020.
D1.3 The active project assessment date for the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2020 is 1 July 2020.
Description
D1.4 The Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity provides grant funding to support research projects led by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researcher.
D1.5 Discovery Indigenous grants include support for Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Awards (DAATSIAs) which are fellowships available to eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers.
Objectives
D1.6 The objectives of the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity are to:
support excellent basic and applied research and research training by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers as individuals and as teams;
b. develop the research expertise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers;
c. support and retain established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers in Australian higher education institutions; and
d. expand Australia’s knowledge base and research capability.
D2. Grant amount
D2.1 We provide project funding and DAATSIA salary funding for the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity as detailed in Table 9. You may not request funding for a DAATSIA without project funding.
D2.2 Table 9. Discovery Indigenous, details of funding and grant duration
Category
Details
Project funding
Between $30,000 and $500,000 per year
Project funding duration
Up to five consecutive years
DAATSIA salary
Requested and/or awarded at one of five salary levels as specified in Table 10. The DAATSIA salary is counted towards the $500,000 maximum level of funding per year.
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.
D2.3 DAATSIA salary funding may be requested at one of five salary levels, as per Table 10, including 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.
D2.5 DAATSIA salary funding may be used for other project funding purposes to support the project in changed circumstances with Our approval and without extension to the project activity period.
D2.6 The use of DAATSIA salary funding for other project purposes does not confer an exemption from the limits applicable to budget items for the grant.
D3. Grant eligibility criteria
D3.1 Organisation roles available under the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity are:
Administering Organisation;
b. Other Eligible Organisation;
c. Host Organisation; and
d. Other Organisation.
D3.2 The named participant roles available under the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity are:
CI;
b. DAATSIA candidate; and
c. PI.
Applications
D3.3 To be eligible, Your Discovery Indigenous application must:
nominate at least one CI or a DAATSIA candidate per application. The first-named CI or the DAATSIA must be an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researcher and will be the Project Leader;
b. identify no more than two Australian or international organisations as Host Organisations within the application, where a candidate may, subject to Your approval, undertake research for up to 12 months in total over the project activity period; and
c. request a minimum level of funding of $30,000 per year in project costs in Your application if a DAATSIA is requested. This must be requested in addition to the DAATSIA salary which is detailed in Tables 9 and 10. The $500,000 maximum level of funding per year includes the DAATSIA.
D3.4 You may include one or more PIs in Your application.
D3.5 You must not nominate an individual for more than one DAATSIA in any given year.
D3.6 You must describe the extent of the collaboration between the DAATSIA candidate and the Host Organisation(s).
Chief Investigators
Eligibility to apply
D3.7 To be eligible as a CI, the individual nominated must, as at the grant opportunity closing date, have met their obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.
D3.8 An individual is not eligible to be nominated as a CI if, as at the grant commencement date, or during the project activity period, the individual is undertaking an HDR. Individuals are eligible to be a CI if they are undertaking an HDR during the application period and the HDR is conferred prior to the grant commencement date.
Eligibility to hold
D3.9 As at the grant commencement date, and for the grant activity period when the CI is engaged in the project, the CI must meet at least one of the following criteria:
be an employee for at least 20 per cent of full time equivalent at an Eligible Organisation; or
b. be a holder of an honorary academic appointment (as defined in the Glossary) at an Eligible Organisation.
D3.10 A CI must reside predominantly in Australia for 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, changes must be approved via a Variation.
DAATSIA candidates
Eligibility to apply
D3.11 To be eligible to be a DAATSIA candidate, the nominated individual must be an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researcher.
D3.12 To be eligible to be a DAATSIA candidate, the nominated individual must, as at the grant opportunity closing date:
not be nominated for more than one DAATSIA in any given year; and
b. have met their obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.
D3.13 An individual is not eligible to be nominated as a DAATSIA if, as at the grant commencement date, or during the project activity period, the individual is undertaking an HDR. Individuals are eligible to be a DAATSIA if they are undertaking a HDR during the application period and the HDR is conferred prior to the grant commencement date.
D3.14 An individual who has previously been awarded a DAATSIA may apply for another DAATSIA, but can only hold one at a time.
Eligibility to hold
D3.15 A DAATSIA must hold an appointment at Your Organisation for the project activity period.
D3.16 The DAATSIA may be undertaken on a full-time, or part-time, basis subject to Your organisation’s employment conditions and provided the DAATSIA does not exceed eight years from the date of commencement (excluding any approved periods of suspension).
D3.17 The DAATSIA is not required to have a minimum time commitment. The time commitment of the DAATSIA must match that of the DAATSIA fellow’s employment contract. You are responsible for managing changes to the DAATSIA fellow’s working hours. You are required to notify Us of any changes to working hours through submission of a Variation.
D3.18 A DAATSIA must reside predominantly in Australia for 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, changes must be approved via a Variation.
Partner investigators
Eligibility to apply
D3.19 A PI must not be eligible to be a CI as at the grant commencement date.
D3.20 To be eligible as a PI, the individual nominated must, as at the grant opportunity closing date, have met their obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.
Eligibility to hold
D3.21 A PI must not meet the eligibility criteria for a CI during the project activity period.
D3.22 An employee of an Eligible Organisation who does not reside predominantly in Australia may be a PI.
D4. What the grant money can be used for
Eligible Expenditure
D4.1 The grant money can be used for the activities set out in these grant guidelines and the grant agreement including:
if relevant, salary and on-costs for the DAATSIA recipient; and
b. project costs as detailed in Section 6.4, subject to the following limitations:
(i) teaching relief for CIs up to a total of $50,000 per year. A CI awarded a DAATSIA will not be awarded teaching relief;
(ii) HDR stipends may be supported at a rate of $27,094 per year (up to two per application) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled at an Eligible Organisation; and
(iii) travel costs essential to the project up to $50,000 over the project activity period. Travel and accommodation costs related to carrying out field research or any carers’ costs are not included in this $50,000 limit.
D4.2 Stipends may be requested to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Honours students, subject to Your policies.
D5. The assessment criteria
D5.1 The assessment criteria for the Discovery Indigenous grant opportunity are:
Investigator(s)/DAATSIAs 35%
Describe:
research opportunity and performance evidence (ROPE);
time and capacity to undertake the research; and
evidence of research training, mentoring and supervision (where appropriate).
b. Project Quality and Innovation 40%
Describe:
the extent to which the research addresses a significant problem;
evidence that the conceptual/theoretical framework is innovative and original;
the extent to which the research project includes aims, concepts, methods and results which will advance knowledge; and
the potential for the research to contribute to the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities.
c. Feasibility 10%
Describe:
the strategies for enabling collaboration with Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities where appropriate (for example, dialogue/collaboration with an Indigenous cultural mentor);
any existing or developing, supportive and high quality research communities;
the availability of the necessary facilities to complete the project; and
how the design of the project and the expertise of the participants is sufficient to ensure that it can be completed within the proposed budget and timeframe.
d. Benefit and Collaboration 15%
Describe:
the significant new knowledge and/or innovative economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits the completed project will produce for Australian and international communities;
how the host organisations will be utilised in the project;
the extent to which the project will build collaboration across research organisations and/or industry and/or with other disciplines both within Australia and internationally; and
the cost-effectiveness of the research and its value for money.
D6. How to Apply
D6.1 In addition to the requirements in Section 8, You must include in Your application information on why the project quality would be enhanced by a DAATSIA and detail the ways in which the additional research time would be utilised (for example, undertaking sustained Field Research, archival research or laboratory work).
D7. The grant selection process
National Interest Test
D7.1 On the application form, applicants must provide a separate response on the national interest of the research proposal.
D7.2 As set out in Section 9, the SAC makes recommendations to the CEO on which applications should be approved for funding, which applications should not be approved for funding, and the level of funding and duration of each grant.
D7.3 In making recommendations to the Minister the CEO will:
(a) consider the recommendations from the SAC;
(b) consider the applicant’s response to the National Interest Test;
(c) seek information from Administering Organisations on applications where there is concern about how they meet the National Interest Test based on the information provided in the application form; and
(d) make grant recommendations to the Minister that satisfy the National Interest Test and which are eligible for funding.
D8. Who will approve grants
D8.1 In addition to the assessment criteria set out in D5.1, the Minister may consider the National Interest Test in determining which applications to approve.
D8.2 Under the ARC Act, the Minister may (but is not required to) rely solely on recommendations made by the CEO.
Grant Agreement Variation
D8.3 If the Project Leader is, at any time, no longer able to work as proposed on the project, and there are no other CIs, the project must be terminated.
D8.4 If a DAATSIA or CI is, at any time, no longer able to work as proposed on the project, the project may be continued provided that the project still includes at least one CI who was named on the application and any replacement CI meets the CI eligibility criteria. We must approve these changes via a Variation.
D8.5 If a PI is at any time no longer able to work as proposed on the project, the project may be continued provided any replacement PI meets the PI eligibility criteria. We must approve these changes via a Variation.
Your responsibilities
D8.6 You must employ the DAATSIA fellow(s) for the project activity period.
D8.7 You must ensure the DAATSIA has access to the following leave entitlements in line with Your normal practice:
maternity leave;
b. partner/parental leave;
c. recreation leave;
d. sick leave; and
e. additional leave of up to twelve months using accrued leave or leave without pay.
D8.8 The Discovery Program grant agreement includes further information on leave entitlements. Funding for paid leave, and suspension of the project to undertake such leave, must be requested from Us via a Variation as detailed in the grant agreement.
D8.9 If a DAATSIA undertakes research at a Host Organisation, the Host Organisation must accommodate the DAATSIA and must provide suitable resources.
Part E Discovery Projects
E1. About the grant opportunity
E1.1 This part of the document sets out the specific requirements for the Discovery Projects grant opportunity. This part must be read together with the general Discovery Program requirements detailed in Sections 1-15 of these grant guidelines.
Important dates
E1.2 The grant commencement date for the Discovery Projects grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2020 is 1 January 2020.
E1.3 The active project assessment date for the Discovery Projects grant opportunity for funding commencing in 2020 is 1 July 2020.
Description
E1.4 The Discovery Projects grant opportunity provides grant funding to support research projects that may be undertaken by individual researchers or research teams.
E1.5 Funding under this opportunity may be awarded for Discovery International Awards which support CIs to work overseas on the project with an overseas-based PI, and/or a PI based overseas to work in Australia on the project.
Objectives
E1.6 The objectives of the Discovery Projects grant opportunity are to:
support excellent basic and applied research by individuals and teams;
b. encourage high-quality research and research training;
c. enhance international collaboration in research;
d. expand Australia’s knowledge base and research capability; and
e. enhance the scale and focus of research in the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities.
E2. Grant amount
E2.1 We provide project funding for the Discovery Projects grant opportunity as detailed in Table 11.
E2.2 Table 11. Discovery Projects, details of funding and grant duration
Category
Details
Project funding
Between $30,000 and $500,000 per year
Project funding duration
Up to five consecutive years
E2.3 Funding for Discovery International Awards will be provided within the total funding levels identified in Table 11.
E3. Grant eligibility criteria
E3.1 Organisation roles available under the Discovery Projects grant opportunity are:
Administering Organisation;
b. Other Eligible Organisation; and
c. Other Organisation.
E3.2 The named participant roles available under the Discovery Projects grant opportunity are:
CI; and
b. PI.
Applications
E3.3 To be eligible, Your Discovery Projects application:
must nominate at least one CI; the first named CI will be the Project Leader.
E3.4 You may nominate additional CIs and PIs in Your application.
E3.5 You may nominate up to two participants (CIs and/or PIs) for a Discovery International Award.
Chief investigators
Eligibility to apply
E3.6 To be eligible as a CI, the individual nominated must, as at the grant opportunity closing date have met their obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.
E3.7 An individual is not eligible to be nominated as a CI if, as at the grant commencement date, or during the project activity period, the individual is undertaking an HDR. Individuals are eligible to be a CI if they are undertaking an HDR during the application period and the HDR is conferred prior to the grant commencement date.
Eligibility to hold
E3.8 As at the grant commencement date, and for the grant activity period, the CI must meet at least one of the following criteria:
be an employee for at least 20 per cent of full time equivalent (0.2 FTE) at an Eligible Organisation; or
b. be a holder of an honorary academic appointment (as defined in the Glossary) at an Eligible Organisation.
E3.9 A CI must reside predominantly in Australia for 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, changes must be approved via a Variation.
Partner investigators
Eligibility to apply
E3.10 A PI must not be eligible to be a CI as at the grant commencement date.
E3.11 To be eligible as a PI, the individual nominated must, as at the grant opportunity closing date, have met their obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.
Eligibility to hold
E3.12 A PI must not meet the eligibility criteria for a CI during the project activity period.
E3.13 An employee of an Eligible Organisation who does not reside predominantly in Australia may be a PI.
E4. What the grant money can be used for
Eligible expenditure
E4.1 The grant money can be used for the activities set out in Section 6.4 of these grant guidelines, subject to the following limitations:
teaching relief for CIs may be supported up to a total of $50,000 per year per project; and
b. economy travel costs for domestic and/or international travel may be supported up to $50,000 over the project activity period. Travel and accommodation costs related to carrying out field research or any carers’ costs are not included in this $50,000 limit.
E4.2 Discovery International Awards will be funded as a Special Condition and may be requested for:
up to two named participants (either CIs or PIs) per application; and
b. a CI to work overseas on the project with an overseas-based PI subject to the requirement for CIs to reside predominantly in Australia; and/or an overseas-based PI to work in Australia on the project. Preference will be given to overseas-based PIs to travel to Australia for collaborative research.
E4.3 Grant money for Discovery International Award recipients may be used to fund international return economy class airfares, reasonable local travel, a living allowance and consumables. The living allowance should be based on Your standard organisational rates for academic visitors.
Activities not supported
E4.4 In addition to the activities set out in Section 6.7 of these grant guidelines, Discovery International Awards must not be used to fund travel to Australia by PIs located at an overseas campus of an Australian Eligible Organisation.
E5. The assessment criteria
E5.1 The assessment criteria for the Discovery Projects grant opportunity are:
Investigator(s) 35%
Describe:
Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE);
evidence of research training, mentoring and supervision;
evidence of ability to build international linkages; and
time and capacity to undertake the research.
b. Project Quality and Innovation 40%
Describe:
the extent to which the research addresses a significant problem;
evidence that the conceptual/theoretical framework is innovative and original;
potential for the research to contribute to the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities;
the extent to which the research project includes aims, concepts, methods and results which will advance knowledge; and
the extent to which the research has the potential to enhance international collaboration.
c. Feasibility 10%
Describe:
how the project’s design, participants and requested budget create confidence in the timely and successful completion of the project;
the existing or developing, supportive and high quality research environment for this project and for HDR students where appropriate; and
the availability of the necessary facilities to complete the project.
d. Benefit 15%
Describe:
the significant new knowledge and/or innovative economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits the completed project will produce for Australia and international communities; and
the cost-effectiveness of the research and its value for money.
E6. The grant selection process
National Interest Test
E6.1 On the application form, applicants must provide a separate response on the national interest of the research proposal.
E6.2 As set out in Section 9, the SAC makes recommendations to the CEO on which applications should be approved for funding, which applications should not be approved for funding, and the level of funding and duration of each grant.
E6.3 In making recommendations to the Minister the CEO will:
(a) consider the recommendations from the SAC;
(b) consider the applicant’s response to the National Interest Test;
(c) seek information from Administering Organisations on applications where there is concern about how they meet the National Interest Test based on the information provided in the application form; and
(d) make grant recommendations to the Minister that satisfy the National Interest Test and which are eligible for funding.
E7. Who will approve grants
E7.1 In addition to the assessment criteria set out in E5.1, the Minister may consider the National Interest Test in determining which applications to approve.
E7.2 Under the ARC Act, the Minister may (but is not required to) rely solely on recommendations made by the CEO.
E8. Successful grant applications
Grant Agreement Variation
E8.1 If a sole CI is at any time no longer able to work as proposed on the project, the project must be terminated.
E8.2 If a CI is at any time no longer able to work as proposed on the project, the project may be continued provided that the project still includes at least one CI who was named on the application and any replacement CI meets the CI eligibility criteria. We must approve these changes via a Variation.
E8.3 If a PI is at any time no longer able to work as proposed on the project, the project may be continued provided that any replacement PI meets the PI eligibility criteria. We must approve these changes via a Variation.
16. Acronyms
Acronym
Description
ARC
Australian Research Council
ARC Act
Australian Research Council Act 2001
CGRGs
Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines 2017
CEO
Chief Executive Officer
CI
Chief Investigator
DAATSIA
Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award
DECRA
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
FOI
Freedom of Information
FTE
Full Time Equivalent
GST
Goods and Services Tax
HDR
Higher Degree by Research
HECS
Higher Education Contribution Scheme
HELP
Higher Education Loan Program
KPI
Key Performance Indicator
NCGP
National Competitive Grants Program
NHMRC
National Health and Medical Research Council
ORCID ID
Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier
PDRA
Postdoctoral Research Associate
PGR
Postgraduate Researcher
PI
Partner Investigator
RMS
Research Management System
ROPE
Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence
SAC
Selection Advisory Committee
17. Glossary
17.1. For the purposes of the Discovery Program grant guidelines, terms have the meanings defined below.
Term
Definition
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
a person of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person and is accepted as an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person by the community in which they live or have lived.
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.
active project assessment date
the date on which active project eligibility will be considered for project and application limits per named participant.
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.
Applicant
the Administering Organisation.
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.
ARC assessor community
the Australian and international assessors that assess applications submitted to the ARC that are within their areas of expertise.
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.<br>The ARC website provides information on who is a member of the College of Experts.
ARC Fellowship
a named Fellowship position within any ARC grant program where the salary is funded wholly or partly by the ARC.
ARC Project ID
the identifier assigned through RMS when an application is commenced.
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.
Australian researcher
an Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand Special Category Visa holders.
award of PhD date
the date of conferral of a PhD, not the date of submission of the thesis, nor the date the thesis was accepted by the examination board.
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.
candidate
the person nominated in an application for a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, Future Fellowship, Australian Laureate Fellowship or Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researcher Award.
Chief Executive Officer
means the person holding the position of ARC CEO in accordance with the ARC Act or any person acting in that position.
Chief Investigator
a participant who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a CI under these grant guidelines.
Commonwealth
the Commonwealth of Australia, as represented by the Australian Research Council specified in these grant guidelines and includes, where relevant, its officers, employees, contractors and agents.
date of effect
the date on which a grant agreement is signed or a specified starting date.
Detailed Assessors
assessors drawn from the ARC assessor community who are assigned applications to review for their specific expertise in a field of research.
Discovery Program
a program within the NCGP which comprises: Australian Laureate Fellowships, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, Discovery Indigenous, Discovery Projects, Future Fellowships and other grant opportunities as updated from time to time.
eligibility criteria
the mandatory criteria which must be met to qualify for a grant. Assessment criteria may apply in addition to eligibility criteria.
Eligible Organisation
an organisation listed in Section 4 of these grant guidelines.
Fellow
the holder of a research fellowship, such as the Australian Laureate Fellowship, Future Fellowship, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award or Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award.
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.
General Assessors
the members that make up a relevant grant opportunity’s Selection Advisory Committee. General Assessors utilise knowledge of their disciplinary areas and a broad understanding of intellectual and methodological issues and good research planning. Each application has a lead General Assessor (known as Carriage 1) who is typically close to the academic field of the application, and one or more General Assessors (known as Other Carriages) with supplementary expertise.
grant activity
the project/tasks/services that the grantee is required to undertake. A project consists of a number of grant activities.
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’.
grant commencement date
the date on which grant funding may commence.
grant offer
the details listed in the ARC’s RMS under ‘Funding Offers’ showing the project details and grant amount.
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.
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.
grant opportunity closing date
the last day on which applications for a grant opportunity will be accepted for consideration for a specific grant opportunity.
grant opportunity opening date
the first day on which applications for a grant opportunity will be accepted for consideration for a specific grant opportunity.
grantee
the Administering Organisation which has been selected to receive a grant.
GST
the meaning as given in Section 195-1 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.
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.
honorary academic appointment
any honorary position that gives full academic status, as certified by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (or equivalent) in the application. For ARC purposes this relationship must include access to research support comparable to employees e.g. an emeritus appointment. The person would not be considered to hold an honorary academic appointment for the purposes of these grant guidelines if they hold a substantive, paid position elsewhere.
Host Organisation
an organisation, other than the Administering Organisation, at which the Future Fellow or DAATSIA recipient undertakes part of her/his research. A Host Organisation does not need to be an Eligible Organisation.
Instructions to Applicants
a set of instructions prepared by the ARC to assist applicants in completing the application form.
Key Performance Indicators
a set of quantifiable measures that the ARC uses to monitor and report on progress of research outcomes.
legislative instrument
a law on matters of detail made by a person or body authorised to do so by the relevant enabling legislation.
Linkage Program
for the purposes of eligibility, the grant opportunities funded under the Linkage Program of the NCGP which consist of: ARC Centres of Excellence, Industrial Transformation Research Hubs, Linkage Industrial Transformation Training Centres, Linkage Projects, Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities, Learned Academies Special Projects, Supporting Responses to Commonwealth Science Council Priorities, Special Research Initiatives and other grant opportunities as announced from time to time under the Linkage Program.
medical research
medical research as defined in the ARC Medical Research Policy available on the ARC website.
Minister
the Minister responsible for the administration of the ARC Act.
named participants
individual researchers nominated for particular roles in an application.
national interest
the extent to which the research contributes to Australia’s national interest through its potential to have economic, commercial, environmental, social or cultural benefits to the Australian community.
officials
officials of a Commonwealth entity. An official of a Commonwealth entity is an individual who is in, or forms part of the entity (see Section 8 of the PGPA Act).
ORCID Identifier
a persistent digital identifier for an individual researcher available on the ORCID website.
Other Eligible Organisation
an organisation listed in Section 4 of these guidelines which is not the Administering Organisation on an application.
Other Organisation
an organisation that is not an Administering Organisation or Other Eligible Organisation that contributes to the research project.
participants
all named participants on an application (ie. CIs, PIs, Candidates); and all unnamed researchers such as postdoctoral research associates and postgraduate researchers working on a project.
Partner Investigator
a named participant who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a Partner Investigator under these grant guidelines.
PhD
a qualification that meets the level 10 criteria of the Australian Qualifications Framework Second Edition January 2013.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
a postdoctoral research associate funded by the Commonwealth through the Administering Organisation, who will be employed on the project.
Postgraduate Researcher
a postgraduate research student funded by the Commonwealth through the Administering Organisation, who will undertake a HDR through the project.
project
an application approved by the Minister to receive funding from the ARC through an application.
project activity period
the period during which a project is receiving 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.
project end date
the expected date that the project activity is completed and the grant spent by.
Project Leader
the named participant from the Administering Organisation who is the first-named CI on an application.
recipient
an individual or organisation who has received grant funding from the ARC.
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.<br>This definition of research is consistent with a broad notion of research and experimental development comprising “creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man [humankind], culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications” OECD (2002), Frascati Manual: Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys on Research and Experimental Development, Paris (Page 30).
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.
Research Office
a business unit within an Eligible Organisation that is responsible for contact with the ARC regarding applications and projects.
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.
research output
all products of a research project.
Science and Research Priorities
those priority research areas identified by the Australian Government, and available on the Australian Government’s Science website.
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 CEO. A SAC may be drawn from the ARC College of Experts.
selection criteria
the eligibility criteria and assessment criteria.
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.
Special Condition
a condition specified in a grant offer which governs the use of the funding provided by the ARC.
technical workshop services
the specialised construction and maintenance activities carried out by a technician, often within a dedicated facility for working with materials such as wood, glass, metal, plastics or electronics.
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.
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.
Variation of Grant Agreement (Variation)
a request submitted to the ARC in RMS to agree a change in the grant agreement. This is also referred to as a ‘Variation of Funding Agreement’.
We
the Australian Research Council (ARC). ‘Us’ and ‘Our’ are also used in this context.
You
the Eligible Organisation that submitted the application. ‘Your’ is also used in this context.
[1] The figures in this section are based on the 2018 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.
[3] The figures in this section are based on the 2018 price levels of funding and may be subject to variation (for example, due to annual indexation). Updated levels will be available on the ARC website.
[4] The figures in this section are based on the 2018 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.
[5] The figures in this section are based on the 2018 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.
[6]If a DECRA candidate has more than one PhD, the earliest awarded PhD must fall within this timeframe.
[7] The figures in this section are based on the 2018 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.