Submission – Discussion paper: A new plan for ARC-funded research

The Australian Research Council (ARC) serves as Australia's main government entity for investing in fundamental research. The Academy endorses the ARC’s dedication to early-stage research and fostering a greater appetite for risk within the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP).

The Academy recommends:

• the Initiate grants have a minimum duration of three years, ideally four years, and embedded fellowships should align with the duration of the primary grants
• clear pathways between NCGP grant schemes to support researchers’ career progression
• the design of the Lead and Mentor scheme be changed to focus on talent attraction
• the new NCGP create clear structures that enable multidisciplinary research
• maintenance and enhancement of a LIEF-like small infrastructure grant function
• facilitation of international collaboration through participation in established forums like the Belmont Forum and Horizon Europe
• strengthening and improving peer review processes
• development of an implementation plan with ongoing evaluation and clear communication to researchers.

The ARC is the government’s primary mechanism to invest in basic research and this must remain the central focus of the NCGP. As such, scope creep to focus on later stage research should be carefully guarded against throughout this reform.

Reforms to the NCGP must also be aligned with the Australian Government’s Strategic Examination of Research and Development (R&D). The NCGP is a vital part of Australia’s R&D investment and any changes to the scheme should be considered in the context of broader transformation of Australia’s R&D system.