6.1 You must address all of the relevant assessment criteria in Your application. We will assess your application based on the weighting given to each criterion.6.2 The assessment criteria for the Explore grant opportunity are:Criterion 1: WHY | Weighting 60%Idea and innovation | Weighting: 50%What is the aim of the proposed research?Assessors are looking for:Clear and ambitious research aims that demonstrate why this research has potential to be high-risk and high reward. This could include how the research will: create new knowledge, address a significant problem, trial innovative methodologies, forge new interdisciplinary or industry and other partnerships, or explore a radically new approach or area of inquiry.Evidence that the research idea is sufficiently novel and potentially transformational.If your research involves engagement with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, and/or organisations (including where this is needed due to factors such as location or demographics), or if you are applying for the Indigenous Community Engagement Supplement, assessors will also look for:Evidence that your research aims are genuinely relevant to the priorities or interests of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people(s) who are involved or impacted.Evidence that your research aims were developed through meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people(s), commensurate with their planned involvement.Benefit | Weighting: 10%What are the potential benefits of your proposed research?Assessors are looking for:An explanation of potential benefits, outcomes and outputs for Australia including fundamental knowledge creation; commercial, cultural, economic, environmental and/or social benefits; and/or alignment with ARC strategic goals and Government priority areas.A credible plan to disseminate project outcomes and communicate the value of the research even if the results do not lead to intended outcomes or require a long time horizon to deliver impact.A credible plan to share benefits (e.g. financial compensation, access to knowledge, skills or resources developed through research, support for community leadership with policy needs) with people involved in, or impacted by, the research.If your research involves Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, and/or organisations (including incidental involvement due to factors such as location or demographics), or if you are applying for the Indigenous Community Engagement Supplement, assessors will also look for:An explanation of the potential benefits for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people(s) who are involved or impacted.A credible and mutually agreed plan to communicate outcomes, share benefits, provide remuneration or repatriation of resources, and develop next steps (if any).Criterion 2: HOW | Weighting 20%How are you going to deliver your proposed research?Assessors are looking for:A clear, coherent and feasible research plan outlining the design, methods and/or approach you intend to use – including, for interdisciplinary research, a clear articulation of the contributions from each discipline – as well as any resources (e.g. infrastructure or equipment) that will support the project.A risk assessment plan including plans to mitigate risk where possible.The suitability of any collaborations with industry and other partners, and whether the type/scale of their involvement is sufficient to deliver the project.Cost effectiveness or value with money.If your research involves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities, and/or organisations (including incidental involvement due to factors such as location or demographics), and/or if you are applying for the Indigenous Community Engagement Supplement, assessors will also look for:Evidence that your proposed research is based on appropriate collaboration, reciprocity, engagement and relationship building (including building a trusted, meaningful and genuine partnership).Evidence that your research plan appropriately considers and adheres to relevant codes and principles, including the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020 version), NHMRC’s guidelines on Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities (2018 version) and the Australian Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles (2018 version).Criterion 3: WHO | Weighting 20%Why are you the right individual or team to deliver the proposed research?Assessors are looking for:Alignment of the investigator/team’s expertise, experience, research opportunity and transferrable skills (if pivoting to a new field or area of inquiry) with the proposed research.Evidence of capacity-building, such as opportunities for early-career researchers and interdisciplinary engagement.If your research involves Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, communities, and/or organisations (including incidental involvement due to factors such as location or demographics), or if you are applying for the Indigenous Community Engagement Supplement, assessors will also look for:Evidence of appropriate skills, team composition and/or existing relationships to undertake a project involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research (including an appropriate level of internal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership).A defined strategy with mechanisms to build Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander research capacity through the project.
AcronymsFor the purposes of the National Competitive Grants Program grant opportunity guidelines, acronyms have the meanings defined below.Acronym | DescriptionAIATSIS | Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander StudiesARC | Australian Research CouncilARC Act | Australian Research Council Act 2001CGRPs | Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles 2024CI | Chief InvestigatorDOI | Digital Object IdentifierECR | Early Career ResearcherFTE | Full Time EquivalentGST | Goods and Services TaxHDR | Higher Degree by ResearchHECS | Higher Education Contribution SchemeHELP | Higher Education Loan ProgramNCGP | National Competitive Grants ProgramNACC | National Anti-Corruption CommissionNIT | National Interest TestORCID | Open Researcher and Contributor IdentifierPhD | Doctor of PhilosophyPI | Partner InvestigatorRMS | Research Management SystemSCI | Salaried Chief InvestigatorDefinitionsFor the purposes of the Explore grant opportunity guidelines, terms have the meanings defined below.Term | DefinitionAboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | as provided by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), 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 Authorityhas the meaning given in section 12(2) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013. For clarity, 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 grant agreement, or has any carryover funds approved by the ARC, or has an ARC-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 | the Eligible Organisation that submits an application in accordance with these grant opportunity guidelines.applicant | the Administering Organisation that submits an application in response to these grant opportunity guidelines.application | An application for funding submitted in accordance with these grant opportunity guidelines.applied research | original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective, as relates to Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC).ARC Act | the Australian Research Council Act 2001.ARC Board | the Australian Research Council Board established by section 8 of the ARC Act.ARC College of Expertsthe body of experts of international standing appointed to assist the ARC to identify research excellence, moderate external assessments and recommend applications for funding.The ARC website provides information on who is a member of the College of Experts.assessment criteria | the principles or standards in the grant opportunity guidelines against which applications are assessed, including the weighting applied to those criteria, to determine merit and, where applicable, ranking.Australian Government priority areas | any areas identified by the Australian Government as priorities for research.award of PhD date | the date of conferral of a PhD, not the date of submission of the thesis, nor the date the thesis was accepted by the examination board.bench fees | fees charged by an organisation for an individual’s access to infrastructure or facilities that would ordinarily be provided to the organisation’s employees. This may include, for example, office or laboratory space with associated appropriate equipment, or access to non-specialised equipment owned by the organisation.candidate | a named participant nominated for a position under an NCGP scheme where the salary is funded wholly or partly by the ARC through grant funding.cash contribution | the cash from a participating organisation for the purposes of the Project, which is transferred to and managed by the Administering Organisation.Chief Investigator or CI | a participant who meets the eligibility criteria for a Chief Investigator under these grant opportunity guidelines.closing date | the applicable closing date and time for the grant opportunity published in GrantConnect.date of effect | the date on which a grant agreement takes effect, being the date the grant agreement is executed by the ARC.decision maker | either the ARC Board or the Minister that makes a decision to award a grant as specified in the grant opportunity guidelines.digital object identifier (DOI) | a unique persistent identifier for a published digital object, such as an article or a report, issued by the DOI Foundation and its registration agencies such as Crossref and DataCite.due diligence | the assessment undertaken by the ARC of matters relevant to the Project, including risk, governance, financial, legal, and grant opportunity guideline compliance considerations.early career researcher | a researcher who has, as at the grant opportunity closing date, an eligible award of PhD date as per the grant opportunity eligibility dates listed on the ARC website or has an award of PhD date together with an allowable period of career interruption that would be commensurate with an award of PhD date on or after the grant opportunity eligibility dates listed on the ARC website.eligibility criteria | the mandatory criteria which must be met to be eligible to be awarded a grant. Assessment criteria may apply in addition to eligibility criteria.Eligible Organisation | an organisation listed as an eligible organisation in Appendix B of these grant opportunity guidelines.experimental developmentexperimental development is systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processes, as relates to Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC).Note the ARC’s Policy Statement on Experimental Development (2024 version) available on the ARC website.expert assessors | assessors drawn from the ARC assessor community who are assigned applications to review for their specific expertise in a field of research.field research | the collection of information integral to the project outside a laboratory, library or workplace setting and often in a location external to the participant’s normal place of employment.grant activity | the tasks, services or components of work that You are required to undertake as part of the Project. A Project may comprise one or more grant activities.grant agreement | the agreement entered into by the ARC and an Administering Organisation under which the ARC provides grant funding to the organisation.grant commencement date | the date on which grant funding may commence.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.grant opportunity | the specific grant round or process through which a Commonwealth grant is made available to potential grantees, and which reflects the applicable grant selection process. A grant opportunity may be open or targeted.grant opportunity closing date | the last day on which applications for a grant opportunity will be accepted for consideration for a specific grant opportunity.grant opportunity guidelines | these grant opportunity guidelines, approved as funding rules by the Minister under section 59 (including as varied under section 60) of the ARC Act.grant recipient | an individual or organisation that has been awarded and received grant funding from the ARC.grant schedule | in respect of a project, the document showing the project details, grant funding amount and any special conditions.GST | has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (Cth).head agreement | the overarching agreement entered into by the ARC and an Eligible Organisation outlined in Appendix B, providing common terms that apply to all applications and grants.higher degree by research (HDR)a higher degree by research including: a Master’s Degree (Research), that meets the level 9 criteria of the Australian Qualifications Framework (Second Edition, January 2013); and a PhD, that meets the level 10 criteria of the Australian Qualifications Framework (Second Edition, January 2013)high-risk and high reward | exploratory research that is untested but has the potential to be highly transformative, whether by creating fundamental knowledge or driving economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia.honorary academic appointmenta non-salaried position that receives: full academic status, as certified by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (or equivalent) in the application; and access to research support, that is comparable to employees in a salaried position.Examples include Emeritus Professor and Adjunct Professor. A 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.Indigenous Data Sovereignty | as provided by the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020 version) which refers to the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to exercise ownership, control, and governance over data that is about them or may affect them. This includes authority across all stages of the data lifecycle, from creation and collection to access, analysis, interpretation, management, dissemination and reuse.in-kind contributions | 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. The ARC 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.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.national interest | the extent to which the research contributes to Australia’s national interest through its potential to have economic, commercial, environmental, social or cultural benefits to the Australian community.NCGP Legacy schemes | Previous NCGP schemes including ARC Centres of Excellence, Australian Laureate Fellowships, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, Discovery Indigenous, Discovery Projects, Early Career Industry Fellowships, Future Fellowships, Industrial Transformation Research Hubs, Industrial Transformation Training Centres, Industry Laureate Fellowships, Learned Academies Special Projects, Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities, Linkage Projects, Mid-Career Industry Fellowships, Special Research Initiatives.Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) | a persistent digital identifier for an individual researcher issued by the ORCID organisation and made available on the ORCID website, www.orcid.org.Other Organisation | an organisation that contributes to the research project and is not an Eligible Organisation or Partner Organisation.other partners | end users of research including businesses, governments, government business enterprises, non-government organisations, not for-profit groups and community organisations.participants | all named participants on an application (i.e. CIs, PIs, candidates); and all unnamed researchers such as postdoctoral research associates working on a project.participating organisationmeans any of the following: the Administering Organisation; an Eligible Organisation; Partner Organisation and Other Organisations.Partner Investigator or PI | a participant who meets the eligibility criteria for a Partner Investigator under these grant opportunity guidelines.Partner Organisation | an Australian or overseas organisation, other than an Eligible Organisation or Other Organisation, which satisfies the eligibility requirements for a Partner Organisation.PhD | a qualification that meets the level 10 criteria of the Australian Qualifications Framework (Second Edition, January 2013).preprint or comparable resource | a preprint or comparable resource is a scholarly output that is uploaded by the authors to a recognised publicly accessible archive, repository, or pre-print service (such as, but not limited to, arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, ChemRxiv, Peer J Preprints, Zenodo, GitHub, PsyArXiv and publicly available university or government repositories etc.). This will include a range of materials that have been subjected to varying degrees of peer review from none to light and full review. Ideally, a preprint or comparable resource should have a unique identifier or a DOI (digital object identifier). Any citation of a preprint or comparable resource should be explicitly identified as such and listed in the references with a DOI, URL or equivalent, version number and/or date of access, as applicable.project | an application approved to receive grant funds, and in respect of which both parties have accepted a grant schedule under an ARC head agreement. For clarity, references to ‘Project’ include the entire Project, and any part of, or an activity within, the Project.project activity period | the period during which a project is receiving grant funding according to the original grant schedule, 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 earliest of: The date determined by the ARC (as recorded in RMS and as varied from time to time) on which the project is to end; and The date on which all ARC Grant Funds for the project have been expended.project start date | The date on which the project commences, being the earlier of: The date on which project research activities begin; or The date on which grant funds are first expended in relation to the project.Project Leader | the first-named Chief Investigator on an application.pure basic research | basic research carried out for the advancement of knowledge, without seeking long-term economic or social benefits or making any effort to apply the results to practical problems or to transfer the results to sectors responsible for their application, as relates to Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC).research | 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.Research Integrity EventMeans any:event that the ARC Research Integrity and Other Misconduct Policy (2026 version) states that an Administering Organisation must report to the ARC;adverse comments or findings made by a court, commission, tribunal, or other statutory, professional or academic body, regarding the conduct or performance of a Project Participant that impacts, or could reasonably be perceived to impact, on the: proper conduct of a Project in accordance with this Agreement; Project Participant’s capability, fitness, or reputation, in connection with a Project; or ethical and appropriate conduct of research in connection with a Project; orother significant matter, including the commencement of legal, regulatory or disciplinary action involving a Project Participant that might adversely impact on: compliance with this Agreement, Commonwealth policy, or applicable laws; the Commonwealth’s reputation; or the public interest or confidence in a Project, any associated research, or the ARC’s funding or support of a Project or any associated research.Research Office | a business unit within the Administering Organisation that is responsible for contact with the ARC regarding applications and projects.research output | all products (including preprints or comparable resources) of a research project that meet the definition of research.Salaried Chief Investigator (SCI) | a participant who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a CI under these grant opportunity guidelines and is requesting a salary.selection process | the method used to select applications to which funding is awarded. 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 included in the grant schedule by the ARC that is identified as being a special condition, or is otherwise reasonably apparent that it is intended to be a special condition.strategic basic research | experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new knowledge directed into specified broad areas in the expectation of practical discoveries. It provides the broad base of knowledge necessary for the solution of recognised practical problems, as relates to Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC).travel costs | the domestic and international economy travel costs associated with the project, including to foster and strengthen collaborations between researchers in Australia and overseas.value with money | in this document refers to ‘value with relevant money’ which is a judgement based on the application representing an efficient, effective, economical and ethical use of public resources determined from a variety of considerations, including merit of the proposal, risk, cost and expected contribution to outcome achievement.Variation of Grant Agreement (Variation) | a request submitted to the ARC in RMS to agree to 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.
Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at legislation.gov.au, © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Compilations may have been reformatted.