3About the Linkage Program

3.                     About the Linkage Program

3.1.                  These grant guidelines establish the rules which govern the administration of the Linkage Program including the application, eligibility, and selection processes to be followed and the selection criteria that will be used to recommend grant recipients.

3.2.                  The Linkage Program is one of two Programs under the ARC National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP).

Objectives

3.3.                  The Linkage Program supports the growth of research partnerships between university-based researchers and researchers in other sectors in Australia and overseas for projects that generate new knowledge, technologies and innovations.

3.4.                  The purpose of the Linkage Program is to promote national and international research partnerships between researchers and business, industry, community organisations and other publicly funded research agencies. By supporting the development of partnerships, the ARC encourages the transfer of skills, knowledge and ideas as a basis for securing commercial and other benefits of research.

3.5.                  The ARC's Linkage Program encourages and extends cooperative approaches to research and improve the use of research outcomes by strengthening links within Australia’s innovation system and with innovation systems internationally.

3.6.                  The objectives of the Linkage Program are to deliver outcomes of benefit to Australia and build Australia’s research and innovation capacity through support for:

1. collaborative research between university-based researchers and researchers in other sectors;
2. research training and career opportunities that enable Australian and international researchers and research students to work with industry and other end-users; and
3. research in priority areas.

3.7.                  The current grant opportunities available under the Linkage Program are:

1. Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP) comprising of:

-                         Industrial Transformation Research Hubs (Research Hubs);

-                         Industrial Transformation Training Centres (Training Centres);

b.              Linkage Projects;

c.              Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF);

d.              ARC Centres of Excellence;

e.              Special Research Initiatives (SRI);

f.               Learned Academies Special Projects, and

g.              Supporting Responses to Commonwealth Science Council Priorities.