ARC/ERC Implementing Arrangement

The ARC’s partnership with the European Research Council (ERC) provides ARC funded early-career researchers an opportunity to collaborate with European researchers.

Access to the Implementing Arrangements is restricted to existing Discovery Early Researcher Awards (DECRA) recipients.  The intention of the potential opportunity is to enhance the DECRA’s own ARC-funded work whilst also contributing to the ERC-funded team, and to build potential ongoing collaborations with European researchers. 

DECRA recipients will continue to receive their ARC funded salary whilst on the placement. Only those DECRA recipients whose award is closely aligned with an ERC funded research project will be eligible to participate in collaborations identified under the arrangement.

DECRA recipients are able to carry out research visits with ERC funded European team through single and long-term (three to a maximum 12 months) visits or multiple short term visits (one to three months).

DECRA recipients must comply with the terms and conditions of their Grant Agreement, including with respect to time outside of Australia. If a DECRA has spent more than one third of the Project Activity Period outside of Australia, they would not be eligible to participate in the Implementing Arrangement.

Eligible DECRA’s are required to liaise directly with the ERC-funded researchers to manage any collaboration visits under the arrangement. The ARC is not involved in this process of negotiation.

Approval must be obtained from the DECRA recipient’s Administering Organisation before the DECRA can commence a collaborative arrangement with ERC funded grantees. 

The Administering Organisation is responsible for advising the ARC regarding any DECRAs taking up an implementing arrangement opportunity via an Additional Appointment variation request in RMS. 

Current Opportunities

The ERC has conducted its 2023 call for Principal Investigators holding ERC-funded grants within Europe to express interest in collaborating with non-European researchers.

The ARC has distributed the list of ERC-funded collaboration opportunities (including a project description) to university Research Offices. 

Research Offices are responsible for advising researchers at their institution of the opportunities. Eligible DECRA recipients should contact their Research Office for information about the opportunities available.

Further details and conditions within the Implementing Arrangement.

Inquiries regarding the ARC/ERC Implementing Arrangement should be directed to: international@arc.gov.au