Submissions—Discussion Paper: A New Plan for ARC-Funded Research
Australian Academy of Science submission
On 14 April 2025, the Academy made a submission to the Australian Government on the Discussion Paper: A New Plan for ARC-Funded Research.
Download submission (PDF, 260KB)
The Academy recommends:
- the Initiate grants have a minimum duration of 3 years, ideally 4 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.
Early-and Mid-Career Researcher Forum (EMCR Forum) submission
On 14 April 2025, the EMCR Forum of the Australian Academy of Science made a submission to the Australian Government on the Discussion Paper: A New Plan for ARC-Funded Research.
Download submission (PDF, 260KB)
The EMCR Forum recommends:
- that the ARC undertake further consultation with EMCRs in developing a framework and implementation plan that articulates how EMCRs will navigate and transition through the new schemes throughout their careers
- the ARC define career stages clearly and incorporate these definitions into the modelling and evaluation of the new scheme to assess impact on researchers at different career stages. This includes acknowledging the different goals and challenges faced by three cohorts of EMCRs.
