Linkage Program

Preparing ARC Grants

Research Office Mailing Lists

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.

• Subscribe to the Research-ARC Mailing list (University staff and students only)

Documents

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 research-applications@newcastle.edu.au or phone 4921 7733.

The University of Newcastle Documents

• University of Newcastle ARC Certification [Written Evidence] (DOC)
• External Grant Application Coversheet (includes ARC/NHMRC) (DOC)
• ARC/NHMRC Grant Rounds Submission Procedures (PDF)
• Partner Organisation Letter of Support Template (DOC)
• ARC Rejoinder Guide and Tips (PDF)

RMS Access

RMS allows researchers requesting funding under 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:

• RMS User Management Guide
• Submitting a Proposal in RMS

All new applications as well as final reports will need to be submitted to RMS.

RMS minimum system requirements

RMS is compatible with the latest versions of Google Chrome and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Compatibility with different browsers or older versions of Google Chrome and Microsoft Internet Explorer is not guaranteed.

Research Outputs/Publications

RMS auto-population of Research Outputs and ORCID

As part of the ARC’s commitment to integrating ORCID into RMS, it is now possible to auto-populate research output data into ARC RMS profiles and application forms.

• User Guide (PDF)

For more information on ORCID and your grant application, please see the below resources that the UON Library has kindly developed:

• Grant Applications and ORCID
• How to add your publications to your ORCID profile

Research Liaison Librarians

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.

Contact your school’s Research Liaison Librarian to discuss your research needs.

Preparing ARC Budgets

Information on how to calculate salary costs for your budget can found on our Preparing Research Budgets page.

• 30% on-costs must be included in all salary requests.
• Indexation cannot be included.
• Salary increase due to increase in HEW step levels can be included.

Eligibility Matters

The ARC has developed an Eligibility Matters webpage which address some of the most common eligibility requirements for ARC schemes. It covers items including:

• Researcher Roles
• Fellowships/Awards
• Number of Applications, Funded Projects and Cross-Scheme Eligibility
• Organisational types
• Incomplete or Misleading Information
• Medical Research
• Submission of applications

Visit the ARC Eligibility Matters webpage for more details.

Eligibility and Compliance Checks

The Research Office 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 either via your College/School or through the UON Academy of Reviewers 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.

Please note: To enable the allocation of appropriate resourcing, bookings must be made prior to the defined scheme E&C Check period. Access to book an E&C Check will no longer be available once the Check period has commenced. This does not apply for schemes with continuous rounds (i.e. ARC Linkage Projects and NHMRC Partnership Projects).

• Make an E&C Check booking

Written Evidence for ARC Projects - Certification

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 (1) email to research-applications@newcastle.edu.au by the University deadline for final application (at least 1 week prior to submission date).

Participation on externally-led ARC applications

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 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 the Application Coversheet. Once approved, the signed Coversheet and the submission-ready application should be emailed to research-applications@newcastle.edu.au by the Internal Deadline to allow review and approval of your participation.

Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy

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).

Confidentiality and IP

We recommend that if submitting a research project with potential IP which could be patented/exploited or involves an Industry Partner which requires confidentiality, applicants should clearly identify the information as confidential or commercially sensitive within the application.

Applicants should insert the following sentence at the start of the Project Description within their application: "The following project is disclosed to the ARC in confidence for the purpose only of applying for ARC Funding."

National Interest Test (NIT) Statement

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 webpage Articulating National Interest in grant applications for more details.

Submission Process

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 submit the final, submission ready application in RMS via the 'Submit to Research Office' button and forward all associated documentation (e.g Cover Sheet and Organisation Certifications) to research-applications@newcastle.edu.au.

ARC Reporting and Eligibility

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.

Requirement for Acknowledgement of ARC Funding

For all research projects that are either partially or fully supported by ARC funding, the ARC Grant/Funding Agreements require that the ARC contribution to research and other activities must be appropriately acknowledged. The acknowledgement should include mention of the ARC as a funding body and where the Research Output is a publication, in addition to acknowledging ARC support, the relevant Project ID must be included.

Whilst this acknowledgement most often occurs within research outputs, such as journal publications, efforts should also be made if participating in dissemination activities such as conferences or interviews with media outlets.

The ARC provides further details on the acceptable forms for acknowledgement of ARC funding on their website, including advice on use of the ARC logo and recommended wording.

Access to Successful Applications

Research Services can provide researchers with access to view successful applications where the lead Chief Investigator has provided consent.

Applications must be viewed in hard copy in the Research Services office or by arrangement at HMRI.

How to Arrange to View a Successful Application

Contact research-applications@newcastle.edu.au to request access to view successful applications for a specific scheme. Please include preferred date(s), time(s) and location.

Confirmation of the date, time and venue will be provided to you by Research Services staff.

Presentations

The Research Advantage team have developed a Resources Hub which provides recordings and slides of recent presentations.

Research Office Contact
Judy.Alexander@newcastle.edu.au

Register Interest in the scheme

If you are interested in the ARC Centres of Excellence scheme either as lead CI or as a node of an application led by another university, please complete the online expression of interest form.

The program

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:

• Undertake highly innovative and potentially transformational research that aims to achieve international standing in the fields of research envisaged and leads to a significant advancement of capabilities and knowledge;
• Link existing Australian research strengths and build critical mass with new capacity for interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches to address the most challenging and significant research problems;
• Develop relationships and build new networks with major national and international centres and research programs to help strengthen research, achieve global competitiveness and gain recognition for Australian research;
• Build Australia's human capacity in a range of research areas by attracting and retaining, from within Australia and abroad, researchers of high international standing as well as the most promising research students;
• Provide high-quality postgraduate and postdoctoral training environments for the next generation of researchers;
• Offer Australian researchers opportunities to work on large-scale problems over longer periods of time; and
• Establish Centres of such repute in the wider community that they will serve as points of interaction among higher education institutions, governments, industry and the private sector generally.

The ARC selection process for the 2023 ARC Centres of Excellence round involves a competitive three-stage process:

1. Expression of Interest (EOI) to the ARC
2. Shortlisted EOIs will be invited to submit a full proposal
3. Shortlisted full Proposals will be invited to participate in an interview process conducted by the ARC's Selection Advisory Committee.

The selection criteria is weighted as follows:

For further information regarding the scheme, please visit the ARC Centres of Excellence website.

Key dates

Current Past University of Newcastle ARC Centres of Excellence

Final Reports and Eligibility

Any outstanding ARC Final Reports have eligibility implications for current ARC applications. The Grant Guidelines state:

C.19 "To be eligible to apply individuals nominated as the Centre Director, CIs and PIs in an EOI application or full application must:have met all obligations for previously funded ARC projects, including submitting satisfactory progress and final reports."    

RMS contains new functionality in the application form that will determine whether key eligibility requirements have been met by ALL participants. Section F10 of the application form will prevent the submission of an application where any participant has an overdue Final Report for any ARC-funded projects.

The ability to submit a valid application form to the ARC does not mean that participants have met all eligibility requirements. You will still need to ensure that comprehensive checks have been made so that participants comply with the eligibility requirements set out in the grant guidelines.

If you believe there is an incorrect End Date and therefore incorrect Final Report Due Date in RMS, please contact the Research Grants team immediately at research-grants@newcastle.edu.au.

Documents

Certification Proforma and Other Useful Information

ARC Certification proformas, a guide to writing the National Interest Test (NIT) Statement, a guide to auto-populate Research Outputs and ORCID in RMS, preparing budgets and other useful information is available in the ‘Preparing ARC Grants’ accordion on the Linkage Program page.

ARC Supporting Documents

The ARC is now required to publish Grant Guidelines and associated documents on GrantConnect, the Australian Government whole-of-government, centralised, web-based, grant information system. You will need to sign in or create a User Registration account in GrantConnect to access all relevant documentation.

Once you have signed in to GrantConnect you should download and review the following documents:

• Centre of Excellence 2023 Grant Guidelines
• Instructions to Applicants
• Sample Application Form

If you encounter any problems using GrantConnect or accessing any of the relevant documentation, please contact research-applications@newcastle.edu.au or phone on (02) 492 17733.

UON

• ARC/NHMRC Application Submission Procedures (PDF)
• External Application Coversheet (includes ARC/NHMRC) (DOC)
• Rejoinder and Rebuttal Guide and Tips (PDF)

Further information

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.

Research Grants contact:

research-applications@newcastle.edu.au

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). For more information, please visit the LIEF page on the ARC website.

Key Dates

For funding commencing in 2025

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.

* 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).

** Researchers must lodge submission-ready grant applications with the Research Grants team 10 working days before the funding body's submission deadline, rather than the current five days. For more information, please visit the ReSearchHub

A Final Application includes a final submission-ready application submitted to Research Grants (Submit to RAO) in RMS, a complete and fully signed External Application Cover Sheet and all CI/PI and Partner Organisation Certifications (Written Evidence) emailed to research-applications@newcastle.edu.au.

To enable the allocation of appropriate resourcing, bookings must be made prior to the defined scheme Eligibility and Compliance Check period. Access to book an Eligibility and Compliance Check will no longer be available once the Eligibility and Compliance Check period has commenced.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to commence their application in RMS ASAP after the scheme opens so that they can:

Please review our ARC/NHMRC Grant Rounds Submission Procedures (PDF) for essential information regarding application submission under this scheme.

Documents

Certification Proforma and Other Useful Information

University of Newcastle ARC Written Evidence Certification proformas, Guide to auto-populate Research Outputs and ORCID, Preparing budgets and other useful information is available in the ‘Preparing ARC Grants’ accordion on the Linkage Program page.

ARC Supporting Documents

The ARC publishes Grant Guidelines and associated documents on GrantConnect. You will need to sign in or create a User Registration account in GrantConnect to access all relevant documentation for ARC LIEF grants including the Linkage Program Grant Guidelines, Instructions to Applicants and the Sample Application Form.

If you encounter any problems using Grant Connect or accessing any of the relevant documentation, please contact research-applications@newcastle.edu.au or phone on (02) 492 17733.

University of Newcastle Documents

• ARC/NHMRC Grant Rounds Submission Procedures (PDF)
• External Application Coversheet (includes ARC/NHMRC) (DOC)
• Rejoinder Guide and Tips (PDF)

Further Information

For further information regarding the ARC LIEF scheme, please contact research-applications@newcastle.edu.au or phone on (02) 4921 7733.

Please ensure that you and your University of Newcastle colleagues are subscribed to the Research Grants ARC Mailing List for ongoing updates.

Research Office Contact:
research-applications@newcastle.edu.au

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.

Key Dates

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. Applications can be submitted at any time between 14 December 2023 and 11 December 2024 and will be assessed within one of two assessment rounds.

* Announcements are anticipated approximately six months from the application closing date for the round.

Please note: A Final Application comprises of a final submission-ready application submitted to the Research Office in RMS, a complete and fully signed External Application Cover Sheet and all CI/PI and Other/Eligible Organisation Certifications (Written Evidence) emailed to research-applications@newcastle.edu.au.

Please review our ARC/NHMRC Grant Rounds Submission Procedures (PDF) for essential information regarding application submission under this scheme.

ARC Final Reports

Please note that any outstanding ARC Final Reports now have eligibility implications for current ARC applications. Within the current Grant Guidelines under Eligibility to apply it states:

4.16 “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.”

In this application round, the ARC and assessors will be able to view grants with outstanding reports in Section D8 for each researcher. If such grants have had approved extensions and as such the Final Report is not overdue then this should be stated in the report within Section G2.

If you have an outstanding Final Report for any project for which you are a named CI, it is your responsibility to ensure this is submitted to the ARC in adequate time prior to your intended submission date to the ARC.

Documents

Certification Proforma and Other Useful Information

University of Newcastle ARC Written Evidence Certification proformas, Guide to writing the National Interest Test (NIT) Statement, Guide to auto-populate Research Outputs and ORCHID, Preparing budgets and other useful information is available in the ‘Preparing ARC Grants’ accordion located at the top of this page.

ARC Supporting Documents

The ARC is now required to publish Grant Guidelines and associated documents on GrantConnect, is the Australian Government whole-of-government, centralised, 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 Linkage Projects.

If you have any problems using GrantConnect or accessing relevant documentation please contact us at research-applications@newcastle.edu.au or 02 4921 7733.

Please note that the following important information is still available directly through the ARC:

• Definition of Medical and Dental Research
• Classification Codes: FOR, RFCD, SEO and ANZSIC

University of Newcastle Documents

• Information for Industry (PDF)
• ARC Linkage Presentation Slides (PDF)
• External Grant Application Coversheet (includes ARC/NHMRC) (DOC)
• ARC/NHMRC Application Submission Procedure (PDF)
• Setting up an RMS account and Partner Organisation (PDF)
• ARC Rejoinder Guide and Tips (PDF)

AusIndustry R&D Tax Incentive

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.

Linkage Project Information Sessions

The Research Advantage team have developed a Resources Hub which provides recordings and slides of recent presentations.

Rejoinders

Instructions for submitting a Rejoinder in RMS are available on the Rejoinders Information page of the ARC website. The Research Office will email the first named Participants individually with further advice.

Download a Rejoinder Guide (PDF)

Further Information

For further information regarding the Linkage Projects Scheme, please contact research-applications@newcastle.edu.au or phone on (02) 4921 7733.

Research Office Contact:
research-applications@newcastle.edu.au

The Industry Fellowships Program (IFP) is a suite of three fellowship schemes under the ARC’s Linkage Program.

The primary goal of the IFP is to create a pathway to support academic researchers in establishing careers in industry, and industry-based researchers to work in university settings, with the aim of increased two-way mobility and skill-building in research collaboration, translation and commercialisation. The schemes will also drive research collaboration, translation and commercialisation outcomes across a range of industry settings.

Program objectives

There are three levels in the IFP: Early Career Industry Fellowships, Mid-Career Industry Fellowships, and Industry Laureate Fellowships. All levels seek to:

• develop a strong pipeline of researchers in Australia with capabilities in research collaboration, translation and commercialisation;
• open up and maintain a diversity of career pathways traversing university and industry settings;
• increase strategic engagement and alignment between universities and industry;
• contribute to the solving of industry-identified challenges and opportunities; and
• create commercial, economic and other benefits for Australia through enhanced translation and commercialisation, including the development of start-up companies.

If you are intending to apply please advise your College.

For further information, please visit the ARC Industry Fellowships page.

Key Dates

For Funding Commencing in 2024

Please subscribe to the Research Office ARC mailing list to receive updates for this scheme.

Industry Laureate Fellowship

Early Career Industry Fellowship

Mid-Career Industry Fellowships - NOW CLOSED

Please note:

• To enable the allocation of appropriate resourcing, bookings must be made prior to the defined scheme Eligibility and Compliance Check period. Access to book an Eligibility and Compliance Check will no longer be available once the Eligibility and Compliance Check period has commenced.
• The internal deadline is 9:00am 10 working days prior to the ARC closing date and requires provision of a final, submission-ready application and all associated documentation including a fully signed External Application Coversheet (DOC).
• Schools and Colleges have their own internal dates for the purpose of peer review/Head of School and Assistant Dean (Research) approval etc. Please contact your School Executive Officer and College Research Office for further information on School/College internal processes.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to commence their application ASAP after the scheme opens in RMS so that they can:
  • book their preferred day for an Eligibility and Compliance check
  • receive a copy of the scheme specific Essential Instructions developed by the Research Office to assist you with the completion of your application.

Eligibility Assessment

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:

• GO6414 - Industry Laureate Fellowships for funding commencing in 2024
• GO6444 - Early Career Industry Fellowships for funding commencing in 2024
• GO6327 - Mid-Career Industry Fellowships for funding commencing in 2024 (now closed)

Update for 2024 Round

Determining eligibility for Early-Career Fellowship:

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.

Career Interruptions

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:

• Caring and parental responsibilities.
• Disaster management and recovery.
• Limited or no access to facilities and resources—such as through workplace interruptions.
• Medical condition/disability/misadventure.
• Non-research employment.
• Unemployment.
• Community obligations including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural practices and protocols.

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:

• CESE-Research@newcastle.edu.au
• CHMW-ResearchAndInnovation@newcastle.edu.au
• CHSF-Research@newcastle.edu.au

Documents

Certification Proforma and Other Useful Information

• Industry Fellowship Program Eligibility Assessment Form (DOC)

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'.

ARC Supporting Documents

The ARC is now required to publish Funding Guidelines and associated documents on GrantConnect, the Australian Government whole-of-government, centralised, 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 schemes including guidelines, instructions to applicants and sample forms.

If you encounter any problems using Grant Connect or accessing any of the relevant documentation, please contact research-applications@newcastle.edu.au or phone on (02) 4921 7733.

University of Newcastle Supporting Documents

• External Grant Application Coversheet (includes ARC/NHMRC) (DOC)
• ARC/NHMRC Application Submission Procedure (PDF)
• Quick Guide - External Application Coversheet process (PDF)
• Rejoinder Guide and Tips (PDF)

The Special Research Initiatives (SRI) scheme provides funding for new and emerging fields of research and builds capacity in strategically important areas. The ARC currently funds several SRIs in a wide range of research areas.

The objective of the SRI scheme is to support high-quality research which will assist in advancing Australia’s research excellence to be globally competitive and deliver benefits to the community. This extends, but is not limited, to supporting research-related activities which will respond to emerging opportunities or changing priorities.

The SRI scheme provides funding to support: cooperative activities amongst researchers; cooperative development of national and international linkages; cooperative development of innovative research areas; activities aimed at building the scale and focus of research and research training; and other activities that the ARC judges to be consistent with the scheme’s objectives.

Funding may also be used to develop networks and initiate collaborations that would be unlikely to occur otherwise and, where appropriate, disseminate the outcomes of the collaborative activities funded under the scheme.

Funding under the SRI scheme is available to support activities related to high‑quality research in all or any fields of research supported by the ARC.

Applications for SRI funding may be submitted only when invited by the ARC by means of a call for proposal(s) for funding.

Current initiatives

Applicants are strongly encouraged to commence their application ASAP after the scheme opens in RMS so that they can book their preferred day for application review.

Previous initiatives

• Special Research Initiative for Australian Society, History and Culture 2020
• PFAS (Per- And Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances) Remediation
• Antarctic Gateway Partnership
• Tropical Health and Medicine
• Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researchers' Network
• Science of Learning Research Centre
• Synchrotron Science
• Stem Cell Science
• Research in Bionic Vision Science and Technology
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
• ARC Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security
• Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART)

Documents

Certification Proforma and Other Useful Information

University of Newcastle ARC Written Evidence Certification proformas, Guide to writing the National Interest Test (NIT) Statement, Guide to auto-populate Research Outputs and ORCHID, Preparing budgets and other useful information is available in the ‘Preparing ARC Grants’ accordion on the Linkage Program page.

ARC Supporting Documents

The ARC is now required to publish Grant Guidelines and associated documents on GrantConnect, the Australian Government whole-of-government, centralised, 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 Discovery Projects including the Discovery Program Grant Guidelines, Instructions to Applicants and Sample Application Form.

If you encounter any problems using Grant Connect or accessing any of the relevant documentation, please contact research-applications@newcastle.edu.au or phone on (02) 492 17733.

University of Newcastle Documents

• ARC/NHMRC Grant Rounds Submission Procedures (PDF)
• External Application Coversheet (includes ARC/NHMRC) (DOC)
• Certification Proforma (PDF)
• Rejoinder Guide and Tips (PDF)