EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines made under section 60 of the Australian Research Council Act 2001

Discovery Program: Discovery Fellowships Grant Opportunity Guidelines (2026 edition): Future Fellowships

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Education

Subject: Australian Research Council Act 2001—Discovery Program: Discovery Fellowships Grant Opportunity Guidelines (2026 edition): Future Fellowships (“Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines”)

Authority

The Minister approved the Australian Research Council Act 2001—Discovery Program Grant Guidelines – Fellowships (2024 edition – Variation 1): (“Original Discovery Fellowships Grant Guidelines”) on 19 August 2025, under section 59 of the Australian Research Council Act 2001 (ARC Act).

Section 60 of the ARC Act provides that the Minister must approve variations of Australian Research Council (ARC) grant opportunity guidelines.

Purpose and effect

These Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines relate to the Discovery Fellowships schemes funded under the Discovery Program of the ARC National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP), for applications made after the date of the Minister’s approval. The Discovery Program supports the growth of Australia’s research and innovation capacity, which generates new knowledge resulting in the development of new technologies, products and ideas, the creation of jobs, economic growth and an enhanced quality of life in Australia.

Original Discovery Fellowships Grant Guidelines

In accordance with section 58 of the ARC Act, the ARC Board must prepare grant opportunity guidelines for a grant program, to be provided to the Minister for approval under section 59 of the ARC Act. Grant opportunity guidelines must contain:

1.           the eligibility criteria to be met in order for the Board or the Minister to approve the making of grants of financial assistance to organisations under this Division;
2.           the making of applications by organisations for such an approval;
3.            the assessment process for deciding which applications will receive such an approval;
4.           any other matters that the Board considers appropriate.

The Original Discovery Fellowships Grant Guidelines approved by the Minister on 19 August 2025 complied with section 58.

Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines

In accordance with section 60 of the ARC Act, the ARC Board may prepare varied grant opportunity guidelines for a grant program, and the Minister may then approve them.

The Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines:

• clarify the flowchart on page 4 to improve readability, ensuring alignment with the updated processes outlined throughout the guidelines.
• have been restructured and minor grammatical amendments have been made to align with the Department of Finance “Open competitive” template. Additional provisions, consistent with the template, have also been included.
• content and structural amendments made to remove references to Australian Laureate Fellowships and Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) schemes as not offered under these guidelines.
• clarify the requirement to consider alignment with Australian Government priorities, particularly the National Science and Research Priorities at clause 2.2.
• reinforce institutional obligations relating to due diligence, research security and research integrity.
• add clause 4.14 to require compliance with any Ministerial notice issued on the grounds of Australia’s security, defence or international relations, rendering affected applications ineligible.
• reflect the establishment of Adelaide University by removing the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia as Eligible Organisations at Appendix B.
• remove the bridging clause that allowed grant funding to be awarded to Adelaide University for applications submitted via the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia prior to the establishment of Adelaide University.
• include Assurance and Compliance requirements to be checked at the ‘At Award’ stage in the flowchart and at clauses 10.5 to 10.7.
• clarify peer review requirements in clause 10.13 and 10.14 to advise applicants that, on acceptance of a grant agreement, they are obligated to contribute to the ARC peer review system, supporting program integrity.
• extend the period to execute the grant agreement to 60 days from the date of the grant offer to support the introduction of the assurance and compliance requirements.
• clarify the grant agreement variation process.
• reinforce Indigenous Sovereignty Principles in clause 12.7, supported by hyperlinks to the AIATSIS Code and a supporting definition.
• correct reference to the Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles (2018).
• strengthen clause 12.14 to require that all Chief Investigators hold a persistent digital identifier in their RMS profile prior to project commencement, supporting the use of unique identifiers to reliably link researchers to their research outputs and improve data quality and integrity.
• update privacy provisions to clarify obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, including requirements for consent, disclosure and handling of personal information.
• update references throughout to reflect the ARC Board as the accountable authority for the Discovery Fellowships schemes.
• correct document version titles to be consistent throughout.
• updates to consistently use instances of ‘clause’ and ‘section’.
• replace ‘Client Agency’ terminology with current term ‘ARC Policy Partner’.
• strengthen the Glossary definition of a Partner Investigator by incorporating references and text that appeared elsewhere in the Guidelines.
• correct hyperlinks to point to the ARC website, including the hyperlink to the Medical Research Policy.

Documents incorporated by reference

The following documents are incorporated by reference in the Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines:

• ARC Medical Research Policy available for free on the ARC website (as at July 2025)
• ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy available for free on the ARC website (as at July 2025)

• ARC Open Access Policy available for free on the ARC website (as at July 2026)
• Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research available for free on the NHMRC website (as at 2018)
• ARC Research Integrity and Other Misconduct Policy available for free on the ARC website (as at 2026)
• ARC Research Security Framework available for free on the ARC website (as at May 2026)
• Australian Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles available for free on the Maiam Nayri Wingara website (as at 2018)

• Proof of Aboriginality available for free on the AIATSIS website (as at May 2022)
• AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research available for free on the AIATSIS website (as at 2020)
• NHMRC’s guidelines on Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities available for free on the NHMRC website (as at 2018)
• National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2025 available for free on the NHMRC website (as at 2026)
• Australian Qualifications Framework (second edition) available for free on the aqf.edu.au website (as at January 2013)

Commencement

The Discovery Program: Discovery Fellowships Grant Opportunity Guidelines (2026 edition): Future Fellowships are a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislation Act 2003 (Legislation Act). This instrument will take effect on the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislation.

The provisions

The Original Discovery Fellowships Grant Guidelines include the information needed by applicants to apply for, and the ARC to decide and award, grants for the Future Fellowships scheme. This includes grant amount, eligibility, and assessment criteria. The Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines do not alter the policy intent, eligibility settings, or overall risk profile of the scheme.

Consultation

Broad consultation was undertaken for the Discovery Fellowships Grant Guidelines (2024 edition) to support substantive streamlining and reforms to improve the clarity, usability, and effectiveness of the guidelines. The consultation focused on reducing administrative burden, ensuring legislative compliance, and aligning the guidelines with broader government policy expectations. That consultation engaged a wide range of stakeholders, including universities, researchers, government agencies, assessors, and Indigenous representatives, conducted through surveys, workshops, webinars, and direct communications. Feedback informed updates to eligibility criteria, assessment processes, and post-award requirements as part of a broader reform effort.

In preparing the Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines, the ARC drew on targeted consultation undertaken for the NCGP Policy Review engaging key stakeholders, including universities, researchers, government agencies, assessors, and Indigenous representatives. This consultation informed broader scheme design and policy development across the NCGP, as well as specific changes reflected in these guidelines, including removal of transitional arrangements for Adelaide University to be recognised as an Eligible Organisation, and the development of ARC research security and due diligence processes following amendments to the ARC Act.

In accordance with section 17 of the Legislation Act 2003, the ARC consulted with experts and individuals likely to be affected in developing the original legislative instrument and considered their feedback in finalising the Original Discovery Fellowships Grant Guidelines.

The amendments to the guidelines are intended to align with those previously consulted arrangements. As the changes are consequential and machinery in nature, and do not introduce new policy settings, no additional consultation was undertaken for this instrument. Stakeholders have previously been advised of the relevant research security and due diligence requirements through existing grant administration arrangements, targeted communiqués, and updates to grant opportunity guidelines and supporting guidance.

The ARC obtained approval for the Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines from the Department of Finance and the Minister for Education, in accordance with the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles (CGRPs) process for releasing new grant opportunity guidelines. The Department of Finance advised that there were no issues with the policy authority or funding profile of the guidelines and that they had no further comments from a CGRP perspective.

The ARC will undertake sector‑wide communications prior to the opening of the Future Fellowships scheme to ensure that amendments and expectations of the way grants are administered are clearly understood. These communications will emphasise that the changes are intended to align with existing NCGP guidelines.

Regulatory Impact Statement

The Original Discovery Fellowships Grant Guidelines only impose regulation on higher education sector applicants for grants under the Future Fellowships scheme, in relation to preparation and submission of proposals.

The Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines clarify, and in some cases slightly strengthen, several obligations as described at ‘Purpose and effect’ above, to better meet the aims of the Future Fellowships scheme. Whilst these changes slightly increase burden on applicants, the extra clarity on how to meet obligations reduces administrative burden on applicants.

Statement of compatibility with human rights

Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

Discovery Program: Discovery Fellowships Grant Opportunity Guidelines (2026 edition): Future Fellowships.

This Disallowable Legislative Instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011. The Future Fellowships scheme supports the right to education for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers, as detailed below. The research projects funded under the Future Fellowships scheme may also support development of knowledge in relation to other listed human rights and freedoms.

Overview of the Disallowable Legislative Instrument

This Disallowable Legislative Instrument sets out the Varied Grant Opportunity Guidelines for the Future Fellowships scheme funded under the Discovery Program of the ARC National Competitive Grants Program, for applications made after the date of the Minister’s approval.

The ARC is a vital component of Australia’s innovation and research system. It supports excellent research that builds knowledge, capability and collaboration for Australia’s economic, social, environmental and cultural benefit through the NCGP. The ARC considers the alignment of all projects funded under the NCGP with Australian Government priorities, including the National Science and Research Priorities.

The Discovery Program supports the growth of Australia’s research and innovation capacity, which generates new knowledge resulting in the development of new technologies, products and ideas, the creation of jobs, economic growth and an enhanced quality of life in Australia.

The Future Fellowships scheme provides grant funding to support outstanding mid‑career researchers to conduct innovative research that addresses national priorities and builds Australia’s research capacity. The scheme is open to all eligible researchers, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers, across all disciplines excluding clinical and other medical research.

The objectives of the Future Fellowships scheme are to:

1.             support outstanding mid-career researchers, with demonstrated capacity for high-quality research, leadership, research training and mentoring;
2.             support excellent basic and applied research by outstanding mid-career researchers to be recruited and retained by universities in continuing academic positions;
3.              foster national and international research collaboration;
4.             support excellent and innovative research that addresses a significant problem or gap in knowledge and represents value for money;
5.             create new or advanced knowledge resulting from the outcomes of the research with economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia, and enhances the scale and focus of research in Australian Government priority areas.

Human rights implications

This Disallowable Legislative Instrument engages the right to education and the right to privacy. It does not otherwise directly engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms, but the research projects funded under the Future Fellowships scheme may also support development of knowledge in relation to other listed human rights and freedoms.

This Disallowable Legislative Instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Right to education

The Instrument supports the right to education under Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, including by supporting research capacity and opportunities for researchers, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers.

Right to privacy

The right to privacy under Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is engaged because the Instrument provides for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information as part of the grants application, assessment and administration processes. This may include information provided by applicants and partner organisations, as well as information shared with other Commonwealth entities for purposes such as due diligence and the management of risks, including foreign interference.

Section 47(8) of the ARC Act requires the Minister to refuse to approve funding for a grant application if the Minister considers that, for reasons relevant to the security, defence or international relations of Australia the approval should be refused. In order for the ARC to conduct the due diligence needed to assist the Minister to fulfil their obligation under section 47(8), the ARC must be able to share personal information in the way described in the Instrument. In order to safeguard other Australian Government grant funding and research programs, it is important that the ARC be able to share the results of due diligence (including personal information) with other grant-funding entities in the way described in the Instrument.

To the extent that the Instrument limits the right to privacy, those limitations are reasonable, necessary and proportionate to achieving the legitimate objectives of the program. These objectives include ensuring the proper administration of public funding, maintaining the integrity of grant processes, and managing risks to Australia’s research system.

The handling of personal information is subject to the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles and is limited to what is necessary for these purposes.

Conclusion

This Disallowable Legislative Instrument is compatible with human rights because it advances the right to education and, to the extent that it limits the right to privacy, those limitations are reasonable, necessary and proportionate.