Linkage Program Grant Guidelines
(2024 edition – Variation 1):
Linkage Projects
Opening date:
Available on GrantConnect
Closing date and time:
Available on GrantConnect
Commonwealth policy entity:
Australian Research Council
Enquiries:
Questions during the application period should be directed to the Administering Organisation’s Research Office. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions will be posted on GrantConnect.ARC Contacts are on the ARC website.
Date guidelines released:
Type of grant opportunity:
Restricted competitive
Australian Research Council Act 2001
I, Jason Clare, Minister for Education, having satisfied myself of the matters set out in section 58 of the Australian Research Council Act 2001, approve these grant guidelines under section 59 of that Act.
The Linkage Program supports 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.
Linkage Projects is funded within the Linkage Program.
The grant opportunity opens.
We (the ARC) publish the grant guidelines and advertise on GrantConnect.
You (the Administering Organisation) complete and submit an application.
You work with Partner Organisations to complete an application on the ARC’s Research Management System (RMS), addressing eligibility and the assessment criteria.
We manage the assessment of all applications.
We manage the assessment of applications against eligibility criteria and assessment criteria.
Your application may be assigned to Detailed Assessors to undertake in-depth assessments. You will have an opportunity to respond to any 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 considers applications and recommends those to be funded, and the level and duration of funding for each project, to the ARC Accountable Authority.
The ARC Accountable Authority then makes an assessment, considering the SAC’s advice, compliance with the eligibility criteria and grant application process, alignment with Australian Government priorities and any other due diligence matters. The ARC Accountable Authority may consider advice from other Commonwealth agencies and make its own independent enquiries.
Grant decisions are made.
The ARC Accountable Authority decides which applications are approved, and the level of funding and duration of funding for each approved project.
If the Minister decides the ARC Accountable Authority should not fund a project for reasons relevant to security, defence or international relations of Australia, the Minister must notify the ARC Accountable Authority, advise the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and take any other steps required under the ARC Act.
We notify You of the outcome.
We advise You if Your application was successful or not through RMS.
We enter into a grant agreement with You.
We enter into a grant agreement with You through RMS, if You are successful.
Delivery of the grant.
You undertake the grant activity and report to Us as set out in Your grant agreement.
We manage the grant, monitor Your progress and make payments.
Evaluation of the grant opportunity.
We evaluate the specific grant activity and the grant opportunity as a whole.
We will use information You provide to Us through Your reports to inform evaluations.
About the grant program
The Linkage Program is one of two Programs under the ARC National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP). Information about the Linkage Program is available on the ARC website.
The ARC administers funding of excellent pure basic, strategic basic and applied research in all disciplines under the NCGP, excluding medical research. The ARC does not fund experimental development.
About the Linkage Projects grant opportunity
The Linkage Projects scheme is funded under the Linkage Program.
The Linkage Projects scheme objectives are to:
a. support internationally competitive research projects and teams on challenges or opportunities of relevance to research end-users;
b. foster the establishment and strengthening of research alliances between higher education organisations and research end-users;
c. enhance the scale and focus of research, including in Australian Government priority areas.
The intended outcomes of the Linkage Projects scheme are:
a. new or strengthened collaborations and research alliances between universities and research end-users;
b. new knowledge that is of benefit to Australian research end-users, including in Australian Government priority areas; and
c. economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia.
Grant amount and grant period
For each Linkage Projects grant opportunity, applications for the levels of funding listed in Table 1 will be considered.
Table 1: Linkage Projects funding and grant duration.
Category
Details
Linkage Projects funding level
Between $50,000 and $300,000 per year.
Linkage Projects funding duration
Between two and five consecutive years.
Eligibility criteria
Who is eligible to apply for a grant?
We will only accept applications from Eligible Organisations as identified in Appendix B. The Eligible Organisation that applies will be the ‘Administering Organisation’ (henceforth, ‘You’).
If
an application was submitted pursuant to these grant guidelines by either the University of Adelaide or the University of South Australia (collectively, ‘Previous Universities’) during the period that Adelaide University was being established and becoming operational; and
at the time that We award grants pursuant to these grant guidelines, one or more named participants on the application has transferred from one of the Previous Universities to Adelaide University,
then We may award the grant to Adelaide University.
What are the eligibility requirements for applications?
Your application must:
a. include at least one Partner Organisation;
b. nominate at least one Chief Investigator (CI);
c. include a commitment from Partner Organisation(s) to provide total eligible cash and/or in-kind contributions that at least match the total funding requested from Us; and
d. include a commitment from Partner Organisation(s) to provide total eligible cash contributions of at least 25% of the total funding requested from Us. If all Your Partner Organisations are Exempt Partner Organisations[1], You are not required to meet the 25% minimum eligible cash contribution requirement.
You and each Other Eligible Organisation on an application must commit a significant contribution of cash and/or in-kind and/or other material resources to the application having regard to the total cost of the proposed project and the relative contribution of any Chief Investigators or Partner Investigator(s) at the organisation.
You must ensure that any additional certification requirements, applied by the ARC as a result of findings of breaches of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), are provided at the grant opportunity closing date for any named participant on an application.
Your application must not include medical research as detailed in the ARC Medical Research Policy (2025 version) on the ARC website.
Who is eligible to be a Partner Organisation?
A Partner Organisation is an Australian or overseas organisation, other than an Eligible Organisation, which satisfies the eligibility requirements for a Partner Organisation in 4.8-4.12.
Each Partner Organisation must:
a. participate in the project for the project activity period unless otherwise approved by Us;
b. make a contribution of cash and/or in-kind and/or other material resources that is specific to the project, and having regard to the total cost of the project and not be part of a broader contribution to Your organisation or an Other Eligible Organisation; and
c. provide a Letter of Partner Organisation Certification, using the proforma provided on GrantConnect.
A Partner Organisation cannot be:
a. included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’ (www.nationalredress.gov.au);
b. an Eligible Organisation;
c. a controlled entity of any Eligible Organisation; or
d. an entity (for example a joint venture) where more than 50% is owned by one or more Eligible Organisations.
Partner Organisation cash contributions cannot:
a. be sourced from funds awarded or appropriated by the Commonwealth or an Australian State or Territory Government for the purposes of research, nor from funds previously used to leverage government research or research infrastructure funding; or
b. be a contribution to salaries for CIs and/or PIs on the application.
Partner Organisation(s) whose funds are appropriated predominantly from Commonwealth or Australian State or Territory Government funding sources for the purposes of research are only eligible to make up a maximum of 25% of the combined cash and/or in-kind contributions from Partner Organisations. This maximum of 25% is the combined eligible contribution from Partner Organisations of this type, and is not the maximum per individual Partner Organisation of this type.
Partner Organisation(s) whose funds are appropriated predominantly from Commonwealth or Australian State or Territory Government funding sources for the purposes of research can make combined contributions to the project over and above 25% of the required Partner Organisation contribution, however these additional contributions are not eligible to make up part of the required Partner Organisation contribution.
Who is eligible to be an Other Organisation?
Organisations that are not Eligible Organisations and not Partner Organisations but that are named as organisational participants on an application will be Other Organisations. Other Organisations are not required to make a cash or in-kind contribution to the project, but must be relevant to and involved with the project.
An Other Organisation cannot be included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’ (www.nationalredress.gov.au).
Who is eligible to be a named participant?
Roles that named participants may be nominated for under the Linkage Projects scheme are:
a. Chief Investigators (CIs); and
b. Partner Investigators (PIs).
A project cannot commence until all named participants meet the eligibility criteria in these grant guidelines for the selected role they are to perform.
As at the grant commencement date or, if successful, at any time during the project activity period, named participants:
a. who meet the eligibility criteria to be a CI, must be a CI and cannot opt to be a PI;
b. who do not meet the eligibility criteria to be a CI, must be a PI.
All named participants in an application must have met their obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission of satisfactory final reports to the ARC at the date of application submission and any relevant consequential actions that may have been applied under the ARC Research Integrity Policy (2023 version).
An application will not be considered where We have made a decision to exclude grant applications involving a particular named participant for a period of time, whether or not they otherwise meet the eligibility requirements.
Chief Investigators
CIs must meet at least one of the following criteria as at the grant commencement date and, if successful, for the project activity period:
a. be an employee for at least 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.
CIs must reside in Australia for more than 50% of the project activity period. Any significant absences including fieldwork or study leave directly related to the project must have approval from You and must not total more than half the project activity period. In extraordinary circumstances, changes must be approved via a Variation.
CIs must not undertake an HDR during the project activity period.
The first-named CI will be the Project Leader. The Project Leader must have a demonstrated capacity to manage the project.
Partner Investigators
A PI who is representing a Partner Organisation on an application is required to have a role within that Partner Organisation.
What are the limits on the number of applications and projects per CI?
A named participant can be concurrently funded through the Linkage Program for a maximum of 4 Linkage Program projects as a CI or Director. For the purpose of counting project limits, Linkage Program projects:
a. include CIs on Linkage Projects, Industrial Transformation Research Program and ARC Centres of Excellence;
b. include Directors on Industrial Transformation Research Program, Special Research Initiatives and ARC Centres of Excellence;
c. do not include CIs on LIEF, Special Research Initiatives, LASP or Supporting Responses to Commonwealth Science Council Priorities; and
d. do not include Fellows under the Industry Fellowships Program.
At the date of submission of applications we will count the number of:
a. Linkage Program projects that the named participant will hold as a CI or Director on active projects as at the active project assessment date; and
b. Linkage Projects applications We are currently assessing which include that participant as a CI.
If a role or Project must be withdrawn or relinquished to meet the limits under Section 4.25, We must approve the Variation before the application is submitted.
What the grant money can be used for
What grant funds can be used for
The Linkage Program supports research activities that meet the definition of ‘research’, as defined in the Glossary.
You can only spend the grant on eligible expenditure items that directly support the project and in accordance with any additional special conditions in the grant agreement.
Eligible expenditure items may include:
a. salary support for other personnel, for example, research associates and assistants, technicians and laboratory attendants at an appropriate salary level, including 30% on-costs, at the employing organisation;
b. stipends for HDR students, at an appropriate level for the Administering Organisation or the relevant sector;
c. teaching relief for CIs up to a total of $50,000 per CI per year;
d. equipment (and its maintenance) and consumables, including specialised computer equipment and software essential to the project;
e. travel costs essential to the project, including economy travel costs for domestic and/or international travel and accommodation, not exceeding an average of $20,000 per year of the project. The following travel costs are not counted towards the average of $20,000 per year limit:
expenditure on field research essential to the project, including technical and logistical support, travel expenses (including accommodation, meals and incidental costs); and
reasonable essential costs to allow a participant who is a carer, or who personally requires care or assistance, to undertake travel essential to the project.
What grant funds cannot be used for
You cannot request or use grant funds for:
a. research activities, infrastructure or projects previously funded or currently being funded through any other Commonwealth grant;
b. medical research as detailed in the ARC Medical Research Policy (2025 version) on the ARC website;
c. experimental development, as defined in the Glossary;
d. activities leading solely to the creation or performance of a work of art, including visual art, musical compositions, drama, dance, film, broadcasts, designs and literary works, unless those works are directly related to the project activities and demonstrably research based;
e. contracted research or consultancy arrangements where one or more Organisation(s) is seeking expert external assistance, not available within their own organisation, in order to develop specific applications or outputs that involve little innovation or are low risk;
f. production of computer programs, research aids and tools; data warehouses, catalogues or bibliographies; or teaching materials, unless these meet the definition of ‘research’;
g. basic facilities, including:
bench fees or similar laboratory access fees;
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 such as desktop computers, portable computer devices, printers, word processing, and other standard software; and
standard reference materials or funds for abstracting services;
h. capital works and general infrastructure costs;
i. costs not directly related to the project, including but not limited to professional membership fees, professional development courses, fees for patent application and maintenance, equipment for live music or drama performances, equipment for gallery and museum exhibitions, visas, relocation costs, entertainment costs, purchase of alcohol, insurance, mobile phones (purchase or call charges) and other indirect costs;
j. fees for international students or the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) liabilities for students; and
k. salaries and/or on-costs, in whole or in part, for CIs or PIs.
The assessment criteria
You must address all assessment criteria in Your application. We will assess your application based on the weighting given to each criterion. The Linkage Projects assessment criteria are:
a. Project quality and innovation 30%
significance and innovativeness of the research in the context of previous research in the area;
robustness and appropriateness of the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses;
the adequacy and appropriateness of the budget, including cash and in-kind contributions pledged by the participating organisations, and value for money considerations.
If the project involves Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander research, additional criteria include:
the project’s level of collaboration, engagement, relationship building and benefit sharing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and First Nations Organisations and Communities;
the project’s strategy and mechanisms for Indigenous research capacity building within the project;
the project’s level of internal leadership of Indigenous research;
The project’s adherence to the Australian Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles (2018); and
the project’s understanding of, and proposed strategies to adhere to, the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020) and NHMRC’s guidelines on Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities (2018).
b. Impact 20%
demonstration of the mutual benefit for participating organisations now and into the future;
evidence of how the research will advance/address Partner Organisation(s)’s core strategy;
potential contribution to Australian Government priority areas;
potential economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia; and
appropriateness of strategies for adoption, commercialisation, promotion, and/or dissemination of research outcomes, including IP management arrangements.
c. Investigator(s’) capability and quality of team 20%
quality of the named participant(s)’ skills and experience, relative to opportunity, including evidence of potential to engage in collaborative research;
experience in research training, mentoring and supervision;
capability and capacity of the team to undertake and manage the project; and
evidence of previous history of successful collaboration between the named participant(s) and this or other Partner Organisation(s).
d. Strength of the proposed research alliance 30%
extent and nature of commitment to the project, including provision of research environment, facilities and personnel (where relevant), relative to the scale of the project and the capacity of the participating organisations;
extent and appropriateness of proposed governance, structures and processes to support the project;
capacity and intent of Partner Organisations to use the outcomes of the research; and
potential of partnership to lead to long-term collaborations.
How to apply
Application process
Instructions To Applicants will be issued on the opening of the grant opportunity and applicants must follow the processes described in those Instructions.
Your application must be completed in RMS.
You cannot change Your application after the closing date and time, unless invited to by the ARC.
We reserve the right to seek evidence to support the certification of applications at any point.
Questions during the application period should be directed to the Administering Organisation’s Research Office. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions will be posted on GrantConnect.
An application may be submitted more than once for the same grant opportunity, if the previously submitted application has been announced as unsuccessful.
If You wish to withdraw Your application, You must inform Us in writing.
National Interest Test Statement
Applicants must provide a National Interest Test statement: a brief response that articulates the benefits of the proposed research in plain English in general terms beyond the period of the grant.
Timing of the grant opportunities
Linkage Projects grant applications are accepted on a continuous basis.
You must submit Your application to Us between the grant opportunity opening and closing date and time specified on GrantConnect.
The grant selection process
Eligibility and assessment
All applications will be considered through a competitive peer process, based on:
a. how well it meets the weighted assessment criteria;
b. how it is ranked against other applications; and
c. whether it provides value for money (as defined in the Glossary).
Applications will undergo peer review assessment and recommendations will be made to the ARC Accountable Authority from a Selection Advisory Committee.
You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete and accurate. Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). We will investigate any incomplete, inaccurate, false or misleading information and may recommend to the Accountability Authority that Your application not be considered further.
For the avoidance of doubt, this includes failure to disclose any conflict of interest of any named participant, including but not limited to matters described in clauses 3.1 and 3.3 of the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025) on the ARC website.
We may seek advice on security or other matters from Commonwealth agencies at any time during the process and may seek information from third party sources. We may seek information from You about activities and protections in line with that advice and other information.
During the assessment, We may request additional information, which does not change the nature of Your application.
Who will approve grants
The ARC Accountable Authority will decide which grants to fund, after considering the advice from peer review, and alignment with Australian Government priorities. The ARC Accountable Authority’s decision is final in all matters.
The outcome of all applications will be published in RMS.
The Minister may at any time decide that, for reasons relevant to the security, defence or international relations of Australia, the ARC Accountable Authority should not approve a grant. The ARC Accountable Authority must comply with the Minister’s decision.
Requests not to assess process
You may name up to three persons whom You do not wish to assess an application by submitting a ‘Request Not to Assess’ form in RMS as detailed on GrantConnect and on the ARC website. This form must be received by Us two weeks prior to the grant opportunity closing date.
Only one request containing the names of up to three individual assessors may be submitted per application.
If a request includes the name of a current ARC College of Experts member, as listed on the ARC website or in RMS at the time of submitting the ‘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.
We have discretion about whether We accept or refuse a ‘Request Not to Assess’. We will not notify You of the outcome.
Rejoinder process
You will be given the opportunity to respond to assessors’ written comments through a rejoinder. Names of assessors will not be provided. Further information on the rejoinder process is available on the ARC website.
Successful grant applications
Advice and Announcement
If your grant application is successful, We:
a. will give You a copy of the ARC’s Accountable Authority’s approval no more than 21 days after the ARC’s Accountable Authority’s decision;
b. may give You earlier notice of the ARC Accountable Authority’s approval and may impose a short embargo on announcements in order to enable parties to co-ordinate announcements; and
c. will list Your grant on GrantConnect no more than 21 calendar days after the date of effect.
We will publicise and report offers and grants awarded, including the following information about the project:
a. Your name and any other parties involved in or associated with the project;
b. named participants and their organisations;
c. the project description (the title and summary descriptions);
d. Your National Interest Test statement;
e. classifications and international collaboration country names; and
f. the ARC grant funding amount.
You should ensure information contained in the project title, summary descriptions and National Interest Test statement will not compromise Your requirements for confidentiality (such as protection of Intellectual Property).
We may publish a project description, including title and summary, which differs from that provided in the application.
Grant Agreements
You must enter into a grant agreement with Us to receive a grant.
We use the ARC Linkage Program Linkage Projects grant agreement which contains standard terms and conditions. A sample grant agreement is available on GrantConnect. Any special conditions will be identified in the grant offer.
You will have 30 calendar days from the date of offer to execute the grant agreement.
We must execute a grant agreement with You before We can make payment. 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.
How we pay the grant
Payments will be made as set out in the grant agreement. Grant funding will typically be paid monthly through Our payment system to You.
The grant offer will specify the approved grant amount. We will not pay more than the approved grant amount under any circumstances. If you incur extra costs, You must meet them.
Grant funding may be subject to indexation.
All amounts referred to in these grant guidelines are exclusive of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), unless expressly stated otherwise.
Any grant awarded will be subject to sufficient funds being available for the project, the provisions of the ARC Act and the continued satisfactory progress of the project.
Grant Agreement Variation
The Grant Agreement outlines the circumstances in which Variations must be submitted. Variations are subject to ARC approval and further information can be found in the Grant Agreement.
Responsibilities
Chief Investigator responsibilities
Chief Investigators must:
a. take responsibility for the authorship and intellectual content of the application, appropriately citing sources and acknowledging all significant contributions, including from third parties; and
b. meet residential requirements specified in the grant agreement.
Partner Investigator responsibilities
Partner Investigators must:
a. take significant intellectual responsibility for the planning and conduct of the project and for any strategic decisions required in its pursuit and the communication of results; and
b. have the relevant skills and experience to contribute to the project.
Partner Organisation responsibilities
Partner Organisations will be required to certify their commitment to the successful completion of the project, including any financial contributions they will make and that they have appropriate governance arrangements in place.
Specific research policies and practices
All applications and ARC-funded research projects must comply with the requirements for responsible and ethical research practice specified in the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), and the codes, guidelines, practices and policies on the ARC website, including the ARC Conflict of Interest Policy (2025) and any actions that have been applied under the ARC Research Integrity Policy (2023 version).
An ethics plan must be in place before commencement of the project.
Intellectual Property arrangements should be negotiated between You, the Partner Organisations and Other Organisations as relevant. We do not claim ownership of any IP arising from the project.
All research projects must comply with the ARC Open Access Policy (2021 version) on the dissemination of findings on the ARC website.
A data management plan must be in place before the project commences, in line with the grant agreement, and ARC expectations on the ARC website.
All named participants applying for grants are strongly encouraged to have a persistent digital identifier such as Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier (ORCID) in their RMS Profile.
Monitoring and reporting
You must inform us of any changes to Your:
a. name;
b. addresses;
c. nominated contact details; or
d. bank account details.
You must submit reports in line with the grant agreement. Reports must be submitted through RMS, unless otherwise advised by Us. Reporting may include:
a. End of year reports;
b. Final reports; and
c. Post-project reporting.
We will monitor progress by assessing Your reports and may conduct site visits or request records to confirm details of Your reports if necessary. We may re-examine claims, seek further information or request an independent audit of claims and payments.
We may evaluate the project to measure how well the outcomes and objectives were achieved. We may use information from Your application and reports or may contact You after grant completion to assist evaluation.
Probity
The Australian Government will make sure that the grant opportunity process is fair, according to the published guidelines, incorporates appropriate safeguards against fraud, unlawful activities and other inappropriate conduct and is consistent with the CGRPs and the ARC Act.
Appeals process
We will only consider appeals against the NCGP administrative process and not against committee decisions, assessor ratings and comments, or the assessment outcome. Appellants must identify the specific guideline/legislative instrument clause, policy or procedure which they believe has been incorrectly applied.
You must submit an appeal using the Form on the ARC website and have it authorised by the Administering Organisation’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or equivalent.
The appeals process is set out on the ARC website.
Conflict of interest
You will be asked to certify as part of Your application that any perceived, potential or existing conflicts of interests have been declared to You or that, to the best of Your knowledge, there is no conflict of interest in Your application. Each named individual or organisation must make this declaration about any aspect of the application or project to You at the date of submission.
If a conflict of interest exists or arises, You must have documented processes in place to manage that Conflict for the duration of the project. Processes must comply with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025) and any relevant documents.
We will handle any conflicts of interest as set out in Australian Government policies and procedures. Refer to the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy (2025) on the ARC website.
Privacy and protection of personal information
We treat Your personal information according to the Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act 1988.
You are required, as part of Your application, to certify Your compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), 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 our consent in writing before disclosing confidential information.
Information about privacy and personal information is set out on the ARC website.
Confidential information
The Australian Government may use and disclose confidential information about grant applicants and grant recipients to any other Australian Government business or function.
We will treat the information You give Us as confidential if:
a. You clearly identify the information as confidential and explain why We should treat it as confidential;
b. the information is commercial in confidence;
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.
Freedom of information
All documents in the possession of the Australian Government, including those about this program, are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information process is set out on the ARC website.
Appendix A: Glossary
Acronyms
Acronym
Description
Acronym
Description
ARC
Australian Research Council
HECS
Higher Education Contribution Scheme
ARC Act
Australian Research Council Act 2001
HELP
Higher Education Loan Program
CGRPs
Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles 2024
NCGP
National Competitive Grants Program
CI
Chief Investigator
LASP
Learned Academies Special Projects
FTE
Full Time Equivalent
LIEF
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
FOI
Freedom of Information
PI
Partner Investigator
GST
Goods and Services Tax
RMS
Research Management System
HDR
Higher Degree by Research
SAC
Selection Advisory Committee
Definitions
Term
Definition
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person
a person of Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person and is accepted as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person by the community in which they live or have lived.
Accountable Authority
Members of the ARC Board are the Accountable Authority of the ARC as defined in section 5 of the ARC Act.
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.
the ARC Board is appointed by the Minister and consists of the Chair, Deputy Chair and up to seven other members. The ARC Board’s functions include determining priorities, strategies and policies for the ARC. The ARC Board is the Accountable Authority of the Australian Research Council.
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.The ARC website provides information on who is a member of the College of Experts.
assessment criteria
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.
assessment round
there may be one or more assessment rounds within each Linkage Projects grant opportunity. Assessment round dates will be available on the ARC website.
Australian Government priority areas
any areas identified by the Australian Government as priorities for research .
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.
Cash contribution
the cash from an organisation, which is transferred to and managed by the Administering Organisation.
Chief Investigator
a participant who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a CI under these grant guidelines.
Consultancy
the provision of specialist advice, analysis, assistance, services or products to another organisation(s), generally where the consultancy services are for the sole or preferred use of that other organisation(s).
date of effect
the date on which a grant agreement is signed or a specified starting date.
Detailed Assessors
assessors who are assigned applications to review for their specific expertise in a field of research.
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 Appendix B of these grant guidelines.
Exempt Archive and Public Record Office
means a non-profit organisation which holds a significant national, state or regional collection of data or documents for the purposes of public information and record-keeping and available for the purposes of research.
Exempt Charity
means an organisation which meets the definition of a charity under relevant legislation of any given jurisdiction. In Australia, this means any charity as defined in the Charities Act 2013.
Exempt Herbarium
means a non-profit, established institution in the service of society, which acquires, conserves, and researches preserved and labelled plant specimens, arranged to allow easy access and archival storage with a mission to preserve and document the diversity of plants.
Exempt Museum and Collecting Organisation
means a non-profit, established institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.Adapted from: Museum Definition – International Council of Museums – International Council of Museums (icom.museum)
Exempt Non-Profit Organisation
means an organisation that does not operate for the profit or gain of its individual members, either directly or indirectly, while the organisation is operating and when it winds up. This definition is based on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) definition of a non-profit organisation, which is available on the ATO website.
Exempt Small Business
means an organisation which has fewer than twenty full-time employees.
Exempt Start-up
means a company that is commercialising research and development (R&D) activities and has an average annual revenue over the previous two years of income that does not exceed $5 million per year. The start-up must have a majority of its employees (by number) and assets (by value) inside Australia.
the collection of information integral to the project outside a laboratory, library or workplace setting and often in a location external to the individual’s normal place of employment.
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 Guidelines
grant guidelines, otherwise known as funding rules, are rules approved by the Minister under section 59 (including as varied under section 60) of the ARC Act.
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 CGRPs.
Grantee
the Administering Organisation which has been selected to receive a grant.
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.Each Linkage Projects grant opportunity may have one or more assessment rounds.
Grant recipient
an individual or organisation who has received grant funding from the ARC.
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 program, for which at least two-thirds of the student load for the program is required as research work’ as defined by the Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines (Research) 2017.
Honorary academic appointment
An honorary academic appointment for eligibility purposes means a position that gives full academic status to the researcher, as certified by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (or equivalent) in the application. The researcher must have access to research support comparable to employees e.g., an emeritus appointment. The researcher is not eligible to be a Chief Investigator using their honorary academic appointment if they are employed by an organisation other than an Eligible Organisation for more than 0.2 FTE.
In-kind contribution
a contribution of goods, services, materials and/or time to the project from an individual, business or organisation. Values should be calculated based on the most likely actual cost, for example, current market, preferred provider or internal provider rates/valuations/rentals/charges (that is in the financial year of the date of the application) of the costs of labour, workspaces, equipment and databases. The calculations covering time and costs should be documented by the Administering Organisation. We may require these calculations to be audited.
Instructions to Applicants
a set of instructions prepared by the ARC to assist applicants in completing the application form.
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
the schemes currently funded under the Linkage Program of the NCGP consist of: ARC Centres of Excellence, Industry Early Career Fellowships, Industry Mid-Career Fellowships, Industry Laureate Fellowships, Industrial Transformation Research Hubs, 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 under the Linkage Program.
medical research
medical research as defined in the ARC Medical Research Policy (2025 version) available on the ARC website.
Named participants
individual researchers nominated for particular roles in an application.
Other Eligible Organisation
an organisation listed in Appendix B of these grant guidelines which is not the Administering Organisation on an application.
Other material resources
resources where a monetary value is not relevant or to which it is difficult to assign a monetary value, for example, access to restricted data, samples or documents.
Other Organisation
an organisation that is not an Eligible Organisation and not a Partner Organisation that contributes to the research project.
Partner Investigator
a named participant who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a PI under these grant guidelines.
Project
an application approved by the ARC Accountable Authority to receive funding from the ARC.
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 by which all grant funding will be spent.
Project Leader
means the named participant from the Administering Organisation who is the first-named CI on an application.
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.This definition of research is consistent with a broad notion of research and Experimental Development comprising “creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge”OECD (2015), Frascati Manual 2015: Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development (p.378).
research end-user
A person, community or organisation that stands to benefit from the outputs of research. In the context of the Linkage Program, end-users may include, but are not limited to, industry, government, communities, and not-for-profit organisations.
research infrastructure
the assets, facilities, services, and coordinated access to major national and/or international research facilities or consortia which directly support research in higher education organisations and more broadly, and which 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.
Selection Advisory Committee (SAC)
a group of experts from academia and research end-users appointed to assist the ARC to assess applications and to provide a recommendation for funding to the ARC Accountable Authority. A SAC may be drawn from the ARC College of Experts.
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.
the domestic and international economy travel costs associated with the project, including to foster and strengthen collaboration between researchers in Australia and overseas.
value for money
‘value for money’ is a judgement based on the application representing an efficient, effective, economical and ethical use of public resources determined from a variety of considerations: merit of the application, risk, cost and expected contribution to outcome achievement.
Variation of grant agreement (Variation)
a request submitted to the ARC in RMS to agree a change in the grant 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] Exempt Archive and Public Record Office; Exempt Charity; Exempt Herbarium; Exempt Museum and Collecting Organisation; Exempt Non-Profit Organisation; Exempt Small Business; and Exempt Start-up. See Glossary for details.