The ARC's Linkage funding schemes aim to encourage and extend cooperative approaches to research and improve the use of research outcomes by strengthening links within Australia’s innovation system and with innovation systems internationally.
Linkage promotes 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.
See below for further information on Linkage Program Schemes and other important information relating to preparing ARC grants.
The Research-ARC mailing list is managed by the Research Office and used to communicate updates regarding grants and fellowships offered by the Australian Research Council (ARC). If you currently hold an ARC grant or fellowship, or intend applying for one, the Research Office strongly recommends subscribing to this list. Information about applying, changes to guidelines and conditions of award, progress report requirements etc. will be communicated via this list.
The ARC is required to publish Grant Guidelines and all associated scheme documents on GrantConnect, the Australian Government whole-of-government, web-based, grant information system. You will need to sign in or create a User Registration account in GrantConnect to access all relevant documentation for ARC applications.
Once you have signed in to GrantConnect, the essential documents can be found by searching for the relevant scheme under ‘grant opportunities’ (open schemes) or ‘forecast opportunities’ (upcoming schemes). As the ARC often updates documents after the scheme opens, it is highly recommended that you sign up for alerts by editing your profile.
If you encounter any problems accessing or downloading these documents please contact the Research Grants team.
RMS allows researchers requesting funding from the ARC National Competitive Grants Program to prepare and submit proposals electronically via the internet.
Each proposal is completed by researchers and consists of an electronic document generated from a combination of data entered directly into the proposal form, and PDF documents attached to the proposal form in RMS.
Note: The Admin Organisation will be The University of Newcastle
The RMS Information Page contains links to key documents such as:
All new applications as well as final reports will need to be submitted to RMS.
RMS is compatible with the latest versions of Google Chrome and Microsoft Esge. Compatibility with different browsers or older versions of Chrome or Edge is not guaranteed.
As part of the ARC’s commitment to integrating ORCID into RMS, it is possible to auto-populate research output data into ARC RMS profiles and application forms.
For more information on ORCID and your grant application, please see the below resources that the UON Library has kindly developed:
Research Liaison Librarians offer a number of specialist research services and resources, including advice and support for undertaking literature searches, systematic reviews, referencing, citation analysis, current awareness, promotion of research, and management of research data.
Information on how to calculate salary costs for your budget can found on our Preparing Research Budgets page.
The ARC has developed an Eligibility Matters webpage which address some of the most common eligibility requirements for ARC schemes. It covers items including:
Applications that involve medical research under the definitions in the ARC Medical Research Policy are not eligible to be funded by the ARC. It is strongly recommended that you review the current ARC Medical Research Policy.
If you believe there is any chance your application could be identified as involving medical research, we recommend you select ‘Yes’ at the relevant question within the application and provide a clear justification. Please be aware that eligibility against the Medical Research Policy is assessed on the intention of the project, and the way the application is written in addition to your justification.
Please contact the Research Grants team if you suspect your application may be considered as medical and we can provide additional support.
Research Grants uses an online booking process to manage optional Eligibility and Compliance Checks (E&C Checks) on applications for ARC Schemes.
In these checks, scientific content is not reviewed but rather, this check will look at your application to make sure it meets the grant guidelines and ensure that you won’t be ruled out due to an ineligible proposal. It is recommended that you also seek Peer Review of your application via your College and/or School where available.
A booking must be made within the allocated E&C Check period for each scheme. Applicants are strongly encouraged to commence their application in RMS ASAP after the scheme opens so they can book their preferred day for an E&C Check. Bookings without a RMS Application ID will be cancelled.
The University of Newcastle is required to obtain written evidence of all Other Eligible organisations included on applications under the relevant Grant Guidelines. Certification for individual participants is now requested in RMS as part of the application.
Download the Certification Proforma (DOC) and follow the guidelines on the first page for submission.
The completed ARC Certification Proforma is required for ALL Eligible Organisations listed in an ARC application.
Please attach and send ALL responses in ONE email to research-applications@newcastle.edu.au by the internal deadline (at least 10 business days prior to submission date).
If you are participating on an ARC application being led by another university, you will need to provide the Project Leader (CIA) with a Certification form signed by the DVCRI delegate from the University of Newcastle. Many universities will have their own form, based on the ARC proforma. Please ask the CIA to provide this to you in advance with a deadline for its return. The University of Newcastle ARC Certification form (DOC) can be used if the lead university does not have their own form.
In addition, you will need to complete and then seek the signature of your Head of School (HoS) and College Assistant Dean of Research (ADR) on an Externally-led Application Coversheet. Please contact Research Grants to obtain this coversheet.
The ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy outlines the obligations that apply to individuals involved in ARC business including. Researchers are requested to provide this information as a named participant for ARC research funding (both CIs and PIs).
This information is gathered via a researcher’s profile in RMS, and is designed to support transparency of personal interests and to provide a mechanism to declare relationships and support to the Administering Organisation and the ARC.
It is important to note that RMS blocks submission of applications until all questions have been answered by all participants (both CIs and PIs) named on the application. As such, the Research Grants team strongly recommends that you maintain an up-to-date RMS profile to avoid any potential delay with submission. The Research Grants team is required to review these responses prior to submitting applications to the ARC.
A researcher’s responses will not be visible to other participants on the application or assessors who review the application. ARC peer review processes will continue to be based on assessing the merit of each application against the assessment criteria set out in Grant Guidelines. Please refer to the relevant Instructions to Applicants for the funding scheme for ARC directions on completion of these profile questions and complete them to the best of your knowledge.
If you have an international collaborator on an ARC application or hold an honorary appointment at an international university please note that:
All ARC applications require a National Interest Test (NIT) Statement. The purpose of the NIT is to explain the societal benefits (economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural) of the proposed research beyond the academic community. The audience of the NIT is the general public - a different audience than the Application Project Summary, which is addressed to the applicant’s peers. Further information is in the Guidelines and Instructions to Applicants for each scheme.
The NIT is assessed by the ARC Chief Executive Officer prior to recommendation to the Minister. It will not be visible to Assessors or within the application PDF.
Please see the ARC Submission Procedure on the ARC Grants webpage and the Online Booking System User Guide for instructions on how to make a booking for an Eligibility and Compliance Check.
Once complete, the CI submits the final, submission ready application in RMS via the 'Submit to Research Office' button and forwards all associated documentation to research-applications@newcastle.edu.au on or before the internal deadline.
If you have a current ARC grant with outstanding reports, this may affect your eligibility for current ARC applications. Please see the ARC Reporting Requirements webpage.
RMS now has improved functionality to detect and prevent applications from being submitted where any participant has not met their ARC reporting requirements or where project or application limits have been breached.
Please see the scheme-specific Grant Guidelines and the ARC Reporting Requirements webpage.
Research Grants can provide researchers with access to view successful applications where the lead Chief Investigator has provided consent.
Applications must be viewed in hard copy at the Research Grants Office.
Contact the Research Grants team to request access to view successful applications for a specific scheme. Please include preferred date(s) and time(s) in your email.
The Research Advantage team have developed a Resources Hub which provides recordings and slides of recent presentations.
This scheme is currently OPEN.
Expressions of Interest for the Centres of Excellence opened Tuesday 13 August 2024 and closes Wednesday 18 September 2024. The internal deadline for EOIs is 9am Tuesday 3 September 2024.
Full applications are expected to open 14 January 2025 and close 27 March 2025.
ARC Centres of Excellence are prestigious outstanding collaborative research initiatives addressing areas of national priority to both maintain and enhance Australia's international standing.
Scheme objectives are:
The ARC selection process for the ARC Centres of Excellence round involves a competitive three-stage process:
The selection criteria is weighted as follows:
| EOI | Proposal | |
| A. Research program – quality and innovation | 70% | 20% |
| B. Investigators | 30% | 20% |
| C. Institutional Support | - | 20% |
| D. Governance, leadership and mentoring | - | 20% |
| E. Outcomes and linkages | - | 20% |
For further information regarding the scheme, please visit the ARC Centres of Excellence website.
| Expressions of Interest Key Dates | |
| Expressions of Interest (EOI) open in RMS | Tuesday 13 August 2024 |
|---|---|
| Eligibility & Compliance Check Period | Thursday 22 - Wednesday 28 August 2024 |
| 'Request not to Assess' due to Research Grants | Monday 26 August 2024 |
| ARC Deadline for 'Request not to Assess' | Monday 2 September 2024 |
| Internal Deadline | 9am Wednesday 4 September 2024 |
| EOI ARC submission | 5pm Wednesday 18 September 2024 |
| EOI Rejoinder Period | 6 November to 19 November 2024 |
| Anticipated announcement | 28 January 2025 |
| Full Proposal Key Dates | |
| Full application period open in RMS | Wednesday 22 January 2025 |
| Internal Deadline | 9am Thursday 12 March 2025 |
| Full Proposal ARC submission | 5pm Thursday 27 March 2025 |
| Interviews | TBC |
| Full application Rejoinder Period | 8 May to 21 May 2025 |
| Anticipated announcement | 24 October to 6 November 2025 |
| Centre Name | Director | Funded Dates |
|---|---|---|
| ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Benefication of Minerals | Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin | 2020 - 2026 |
| ARC Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering | Laureate Professor Scott Sloane | 2011 - 2017 |
| ARC Centre of Excellence for Biotechnology | Laureate Professor John Aitken | 2008 - 2010 |
| ARC Centre of Excellence for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control | Professor Rick Middleton and Laureate Professor Graham Goodwin | 2003 - 2007 |
If you have any enquiries regarding eligibility and compliance for the ARC Centres of Excellence Scheme, please contact research-applications@newcastle.edu.au or phone 492 17733.
This scheme is OPEN.
Assessment Round Two of Linkage Projects for funding commencing in 2025 opened Wednesday 7 August and will close Tuesday 17 September 2024. The internal deadline is 9am Tuesday 3 September 2024.
The Linkage Projects scheme provides funding to Eligible Organisations to facilitate collaborative research and development (R&D) projects between higher education researchers and other parts of the national innovation system.
Proposals for funding under the Linkage Projects scheme must include at least one Partner Organisation. The Partner Organisation must make a contribution in cash and/or in kind to the project. The combined Partner Organisation contributions for a Proposal (i.e. the total of the cash and in-kind contributions of the Partner Organisations) must at least match the total funding requested from the ARC.
For further information, please visit the Linkage Projects page on the ARC website.
Please subscribe to the Research Office ARC mailing list to receive up to date information on ARC funding opportunities.
In 2024 there will be two assessment rounds for applications for Linkage Projects for funding applied for in 2024.
| 2024 Assessment Round 1 | 2024 Assessment Round 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open in RMS | Thursday 14 December 2023 | Wednesday 7 August 2024 |
| University E&C Check Period | Monday 8 - Tuesday 16 April 2024 | Monday 19 - Tuesday 27 August 2024 |
| Request Not to Assess due to Research Office | Thursday 17 April 2024 | Tuesday 27 August 2024 |
| Request Not to Assess due to ARC | Thursday 24 April 2024 | Tuesday 3 September 2024 |
| Certification (Written Evidence) for Other Eligible organisations | Tuesday 23 April 2024 | TBC |
| Internal Deadline | 9am Tuesday 23 April 2024 | 9am Tuesday 3 September 2024 |
| ARC Close | Wednesday 8 May 2024 | Tuesday 17 September 2024 |
| Rejoinders | 10 to 23 July 2024 | 12 November to 25 November 2024 |
| Anticipated Announcement* | 31 October to 13 November 2024 | 14 April to 30 April 2025 |
* Announcements are anticipated approximately six months from the application closing date for the round.
Under the R&D Tax Incentive, businesses can offset the cost of eligible R&D that is undertaken by them or through partners such as universities. This could be through eligible expenses in an ARC Linkage Projects grant, contract research, or a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC).
The R&D Tax Incentive provides a tax offset for eligible companies which reduce the cost and risk to businesses of undertaking R&D, increasing the incentive to invest in research and innovation. The University of Newcastle and Newcastle Innovation are both registered Research Service Providers (RSPs) for this scheme.
Further information on this scheme for researchers and industry can be found at AusIndustry R&D Tax Incentive.
For further information regarding the Linkage Projects Scheme, please contact the Research Grants team.
Industry Fellowships are currently CLOSED
Early Career, Mid-Career and Industry Fellowships are expected to open Tuesday 24 September 2024 and close Tuesday 12 November 2024.
The Industry Fellowships Program (IFP) is a suite of three fellowship schemes under the ARC’s Linkage Program.
If you are intending to apply for any level of fellowship under this program, please advise your College.
| Applications Open | Tuesday 24 September 2024 |
|---|---|
| Request Not to Assess due to Research Grants | Tuesday 22 October 2024 |
| Request Not to Assess due to ARC | Tuesday 29 October 2024 |
| University Eligibility and Compliance Check period | Wednesday 9 - Tuesday 22 October 2024 |
| Internal Deadline | 9am Tuesday 29 October 2024 |
| ARC Close | 5pm Tuesday 12 November 2024 |
| Rejoinder Period | 4 to 17 February 2025 |
| Anticipated Announcement | 2 to 15 July 2025 |
The ARC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Early-Career Fellowships were updated on 6 September 2023, and include examples to assist you and the University to assess your eligibility. These updates may impact your eligibility to apply at the same level as previous years. Please review the FAQs and other scheme-related documents which can be downloaded from GrantConnect:
The 5 or less years of research experience requirement is a guide to Fellowship level, not a prescriptive eligibility requirement and it does not include those periods undertaken during study.
When assessing the length of research experience, candidates should consider the number of years they have spent in research-based employment (whether this be in an academic, industry, or other setting), their research opportunities in terms of FTE, and career interruptions (IE24 Frequently Asked Questions V 1)
Last year the ARC published guidance in the IE23 FAQ document stating that applicants should take into account the amount of time spent in research-based employment as a percentage of FTE. This example has been removed from the FAQs released in the most recent round and replaced with the following wording:
When determining whether the candidate should apply for an Early Career Industry Fellowship as opposed to Mid-Career Industry Fellowship, they should take into consideration other factors in addition to their research experience measured in FTE, such as their career stage, salary level, academic ranking or professional status, national and/or international research standing, postgraduate supervision and/or management experience, and proposed research project. As a result, whilst a candidate with less than 5 years of research experience measured by FTE might be eligible to apply for an Early Career Industry Fellowship, applying for a Mid-Career Fellowship might be more suitable to their career position. (IE24 Frequently Asked Questions V 1)
The ARC has not provided additional clarification. We have therefore left the option for you to calculate FTE using the 40:40:20 model in the Eligibility Assessment Form (DOC). However, we ask that you consider your career stage, experience, and professional status when justifying your eligibility for a particular level at Question 4 of the form and discuss with your College.
Applicants should provide interruptions within the Eligibility Assessment Form. The ARC’s Research Opportunity and Performance Statement available on the ARC website provides a list of career interruptions that can be included. These include (but are not limited to) the following
Types of career interruptions include but are not limited to:
All candidates, regardless of which scheme they are applying for, must complete an Eligibility Assessment Form (DOC) and submit to your College Research Office by 9am Tuesday 26 September 2023 if you have not already done so. Your College will use this information to review your eligibility based on the number of years of research required to align with the designations of Early Career, Mid-Career or Laureate.
Please contact your College Research Office if you have further questions via the appropriate email address:
University of Newcastle ARC Written Evidence Certification proformas, Guide to auto-populate Research Outputs and ORCHID, Preparing budgets and other useful information is available on the ‘Preparing ARC Grants page'.
If you have any questions about applying for this program, please contact the Research Grants team.
This scheme is CLOSED.
Industrial Transformation Training Centres and Industrial Transformation Research Hubs for funding commencing in 2025 are expected to open on Wednesday 9 October 2024 and close Tuesday 26 November 2024.
The Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP) supports university researchers to partner with industry in priority areas for Australia.
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs fund research projects focused on issues facing industry and Industrial Transformation Training Centres support Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students and postdoctoral researchers gain practical skills and experience through placements with industry.
The Industrial Transformation Priorities for ITRP for funding commencing in 2024 (ITRP24) were:
* Applications which address the ‘Medical Science’ industrial transformation priority must take the ARC Medical Research Policy into consideration.
Please note the below dates are indicative only and may be subject to change.
| ARC Opens | Wednesday 9 October 2024 |
|---|---|
| University Eligibility and Compliance Check Bookings Period | Monday 28 October - Tuesday 5 November 2024 |
| Request not to assess due to Research Office | Friday 8 November 2024 |
| Request not to assess due to ARC | Friday 15 November 2024 |
| Internal Deadline | 9am Tuesday 12 November 2024 |
| ARC Closes | 5pm Tuesday 26 November 2024 |
| Rejoinders | Friday 7 to Thursday 20 February 2025 |
| Announcement | 29 July to 4 August 2025 |
For further information regarding the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Hubs Scheme, please contact the Research Grants team.
This scheme is CLOSED
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) for funding commencing in 2026 is expected to open Wednesday 22 January 2025 and will close Wednesday 9 April 2025.
The ARC LIEF scheme provides funding for large-scale cooperative initiatives to enable the purchase of expensive infrastructure, equipment and facilities costing at least $200,000 (with the minimum amount of $150,000 requested from the ARC).
Please note, the below timeline is indicative only and may be subject to change
Please subscribe to Research Grants ARC mailing list to receive up to date information on ARC funding opportunities.
| Key Dates | |
|---|---|
| University Notification of Intention to Apply (NOI) due to Research Grants* | TBC |
| ARC opens | Wednesday 22 January 2025 |
| Eligibility and Compliance (E&C) Check Period | Monday 10 - Wednesday 19 April 2025 |
| Request Not to Assess due to Research Grants | Wednesday 19 March 2025 |
| Request Not to Assess due at ARC | Wednesday 26 March 2025 |
| Internal Deadline | 9am Wednesday 26 March 2025 |
| ARC Submission Deadline | Wednesday 9 April 2025 |
* It is a requirement for all applicants intending to submit an ARC LIEF grant commencing in 2025, either through the University of Newcastle or through another institution, to submit a Notification of Intent to Apply (NOI).
For further information regarding the ARC LIEF scheme, please contact the Research Grants team.
Please ensure that you and your University of Newcastle colleagues are subscribed to the Research Grants ARC Mailing List for ongoing updates.
For matters related to new grant applications, contact the Research Grants Pre-Award team: research-applications@newcastle.edu.au
For matters related to awarded grants and current projects, contact the Research Grants Post-Award team: research-grants@newcastle.edu.au
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.