Research and Development

Research Support - Grants and Contracts

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About the Australian Research Council (ARC)

The ARC funds research and researchers under the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP). The Australian Research Council (ARC) is a statutory authority within the Australian Government's Innovation, Industry, Science and Research portfolio. The ARC advises the Government on research matters and manages the National Competitive Grants Program, a significant component of Australia's investment in research and development.
Researchers seeking ARC support will find information here about schemes funded under the National Competitive Grants Program. Researchers must prepare an application for funding that is submitted to the ARC through the Murdoch University Research Office.
Applicants must be familiar with the Funding Rules or Guidelines for the ARC scheme under which they are applying for funding. The Funding Rules govern the application and selection processes.
Most ARC applications require a form to be completed on-line using the ARC’s Grant Application Management System (GAMS) as well as other materials/documentation that must be submitted in hard copy.  The Funding Rules set out closing dates and rules for submitting eligible applications.
ARC funding is provided to organisations, not individual researchers. The Funding Agreement or Conditions of Grant is the Agreement between the ARC and university.  Applicants are advised to be familiar with the Funding Agreement.

The ARC funds research and researchers under the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP). As part of its commitment to nurturing the creative abilities and skills of Australia’s most promising researchers, the NCGP provides:

• support for the highest-quality research leading to the discovery of new ideas and the advancement of knowledge
• financial assistance towards facilities and equipment that researchers need to be internationally competitive
• support for the training and skills development of the next generation of researchers
• incentives for Australia’s most talented researchers to work in partnership with leading researchers throughout the national innovation system and internationally, and to form alliances with Australian industry.

The NCGP comprises two main elements - Discovery and Linkage - under which the ARC funds a range of complementary schemes to support researchers at different stages of their careers, build Australia's research capability, expand and enhance research networks and collaborations, and develop centres of research excellence.
Administration of the NCGP is usually scheme-based and across the following inter-disciplinary groupings:

• Biological Sciences and Biotechnology
• Engineering and Environmental Science
• Humanities and Creative Arts
• Mathematics, Information and Communication Sciences
• Physics, Chemistry and Geoscience
• Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences.

Funding recommendations are made to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research by the CEO following independent and extensive competitive peer review by Australian and international experts.

ARC funding schemes aim to support research and research training in the Australian Government's four National Research Priority areas of:

• an environmentally sustainable Australia
• promoting and maintaining good health
• frontier technologies for building and transforming Australian industries
• safeguarding Australia.

The ARC Funding Agreement requires that any ARC contribution to research and other activities be appropriately acknowledged.
When, at any time during or after completion of a project, the researcher or any other party publishes or produces material such as books, articles, newsletters or other literary or artistic works which relate to the research project, the Administering Organisation must ensure (wherever possible) that the ARC's contribution and support of the project is acknowledged in a prominent place and in an appropriate form. The acknowledgement should include the mention of the ARC as a funding body.
Wherever possible, the ARC logo should be included with acknowledgements of ARC funding. Guidelines for usage of the ARC logo and copies of the logo in various print quality formats are available at http://www.arc.gov.au/about_arc/arc_logo.htm.
Researchers who have been awarded a fellowship by the ARC should acknowledge that they are the recipient of a fellowship which has been funded by the ARC (e.g. Australian Research Council Federation Fellowship, Australian Research Council Australian Research Fellowship etc).