Date: 18 August 2026 Industrial Transformation Research Program 2027 The Australian Research Council (ARC) advises that changes have been made to the Industrial Transformation Research Program 2027 grant opportunities, which are scheduled to open for applications on 16 September 2026 and close on 25 November 2026: Industrial Transformation Research Hubs 2027 Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2027 The Industrial Transformation Research Hubs (research hubs) grant opportunity supports eligible organisations to undertake cutting-edge research on new technologies and economic, commercial and social transformation to benefit industry partners in the Industrial Transformation Priority areas. The Industrial Transformation Training Centres (training centres) grant opportunity supports partnerships between university-based researchers and those in industry. Training centres provide Higher Degree by Research (HDR) and postdoctoral training for industries vital to Australia's future. What has changed Changes to funding levels and contribution requirements have been introduced to improve the feasibility and sustainability of collaborative research projects, including increasing the total maximum funding level to $10 million. Partner Organisation contribution requirements have been adjusted to support increased participation while maintaining strong industry engagement through a demonstrated financial commitment to the research hub or training centre and by providing expertise, mentoring, placements, access to facilities, data, infrastructure, end-users, professional networks, and other career development opportunities relevant to early career researchers’ career objectives: For research hubs, the Partner Organisation cash contribution requirement has been reduced from 75 per cent to 37.5 per cent to encourage greater industry participation. For both research hubs and training centres, combined Partner Organisation contributions, including cash and in-kind contributions, must match or exceed 50 per cent of the total funding requested from the ARC. The rejoinder process has been removed and replaced with more detailed feedback to applicants. The ARC will no longer collect assessment, establishment and grant management information all at the application stage. In its place, a new assurance and compliance check will be introduced at award to support grant establishment. Successful applicants will be required to certify compliance with relevant requirements. Collecting establishment-related information, including Conflict of Interest declarations, only from successful applicants will reduce duplication and improve project data accuracy for the ARC. Introducing an establishment phase will also streamline processes and reduce administrative burden in response to sector feedback through the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) Policy Review. The Grant Opportunity Guidelines and supporting materials will be published on GrantConnect ahead of the scheme opening. These include additional updates to improve clarity, consistency and transparency for applicants, and to align with the ARC’s statutory responsibilities, including requirements relating to research integrity, due diligence and research security. As the Grant Opportunity Guidelines are legislative instruments, they have been tabled in Parliament and are subject to a disallowance period which is scheduled to conclude on 12 October 2026. If the Guidelines are disallowed, the ARC will provide further advice to Research Offices. Why these changes have been made Funding levels have been increased to reflect rising research implementation costs, while Partner Organisation cash contribution requirements have been reduced in response to sector feedback on the challenges of securing partner contributions under previous settings. Together, these changes are intended to improve the feasibility and sustainability of large‑scale collaborative research projects, while continuing to support strong industry engagement and shared investment in research. The removal of the rejoinder process will reduce the assessment timeframe for ITRP and administrative burden on applicants. The introduction of a more detailed feedback mechanism for both grant opportunities, supported by clearer guidance to assessors, will provide applicants with more useful assessment feedback, address issues such as disparate scoring and incorrect assessor comments, and maintain the integrity and robustness of peer review. What Research Offices should do Research Offices are encouraged to share this information with relevant academic and professional staff within their organisation, and to support applicants by: familiarising relevant staff with the updated eligibility requirements; providing an update on process changes including the removal of rejoinders, the introduction of an establishment phase and their research security and research integrity responsibilities; working early with researchers to ensure they understand the updated Partner Organisation contribution requirements; and providing clear and consistent messaging across their organisation and encouraging applicants to refer to ARC communications and the Grant Opportunity Guidelines once published. Future Fellowships 2027 The Australian Research Council (ARC) advises that the Future Fellowships 2027 grant opportunity is scheduled to open for applications on 23 September 2026. Submissions will close on 6 November 2026. The Future Fellowships scheme provides 4-year fellowships to support outstanding mid-career researchers to undertake high-quality research in areas of national and international benefit. The ARC may also provide Administering Organisations with up to $60,000 per year in non-salary funding to support personnel, equipment, travel and field research costs directly related to the Future Fellow's research. Scheme settings and updates The scheme eligibility settings for Future Fellowships 2027 are unchanged from previous rounds, including the cap of a maximum of 3 submissions (attempts). The ARC will no longer collect assessment, establishment and grant management information all at the application stage. In its place, a new assurance and compliance check will be introduced at award to support grant establishment. Successful applicants will be required to certify compliance with relevant requirements. Collecting establishment-related information, including Conflict of Interest declarations, only from successful applicants will reduce duplication and improve project data accuracy for the ARC. Introducing an establishment phase will also streamline processes and reduce administrative burden in response to sector feedback through the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) Policy Review. The Grant Opportunity Guidelines and supporting materials will be published on GrantConnect before the scheme opens. These include additional updates to improve clarity, consistency and transparency for applicants, and to align with the ARC’s statutory responsibilities, including requirements relating to research integrity, due diligence and research security. As the Grant Opportunity Guidelines are legislative instruments, they have been tabled in Parliament and are subject to a disallowance period which is scheduled to conclude on 12 October 2026. If the Guidelines are disallowed, the ARC will provide further advice to Research Offices. What Research Offices should do Research Offices are encouraged to share this information with relevant academic and professional staff within their organisation, and support applicants by: familiarising relevant staff with the eligibility requirements and participation pathways; and providing clear and consistent messaging across their organisation and encouraging applicants to refer to ARC communications and the Grant Opportunity Guidelines once published. Discovery Projects 2028 The Australian Research Council (ARC) advises that changes have been made to the Discovery Projects 2028 grant opportunity, which is scheduled to open for applications in February 2027: Discovery Projects 2028 The Discovery Projects grant opportunity supports individuals and research teams to undertake excellent early-stage research and research training across all disciplines (excludes clinical and other medical research), by generating new knowledge which lays the groundwork for future transformational benefits to Australia. What has changed The Expression of Interest (EOI) and two-stage application process that was part of the Discovery Projects 2025 (DP25), Discovery Projects 2026 (DP26), and Discovery Projects 2027 (DP27) application processes has been removed for the upcoming Discovery Projects 2028 (DP28) round. Changes to Chief Investigator application limits have been introduced to broaden access to project funding and create opportunities for a wider range of researchers: Chief Investigators can only apply for one DP28 application. Chief Investigators can only apply if they have not been previously awarded any Discovery Projects in the last two Discovery Projects rounds (DP27, DP26). The request not to assess (RNTA) and rejoinder processes have been removed and replaced with more detailed feedback to applicants. The ARC will no longer collect assessment, establishment and grant management information all at the application stage. In its place, a new assurance and compliance check will be introduced at award to support grant establishment. Successful applicants will be required to certify compliance with relevant requirements. Collecting establishment-related information, including Conflict of Interest declarations, only from successful applicants will reduce duplication and improve project data accuracy for the ARC. Introducing an establishment phase will also streamline processes and reduce administrative burden in response to sector feedback through the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) Policy Review. The Grant Opportunity Guidelines and supporting materials will be published on GrantConnect ahead of the scheme opening. These include additional updates to improve clarity, consistency and transparency for applicants, and to align with the ARC’s statutory responsibilities, including requirements relating to research integrity, due diligence and research security. As the Grant Opportunity Guidelines are legislative instruments, they have been tabled in Parliament and are subject to a disallowance period which is scheduled to conclude on 12 October 2026. If the Guidelines are disallowed, the ARC will provide further advice to Research Offices. Specific dates for the Discovery Projects 2028 grant opportunity, which is scheduled to open in February 2027, will be provided in due course through an updated NCGP Scheme Calendar. Why these changes have been made The EOI stage was removed following a review of the Discovery Projects two-stage application process, which found that it had increased application volumes and administrative burden for shortlisted applicants and Research Offices without increasing competitive applications or materially shortening final outcome announcement timeframes. The application limit for the Discovery Projects grant opportunity has been revised as the ARC transitions to the revitalised NCGP. Limiting Chief Investigators to one application per round and for Chief Investigators who have not been awarded in the previous two rounds of Discovery Projects is intended to broaden access to project funding, create opportunities for a wider range of researchers, and manage application volumes. This aligns with the revitalised NCGP’s simpler and more flexible scheme structure, designed to provide researchers across career stages with more equitable access to funding opportunities and support a broader portfolio of excellent research. The removal of the RNTA and rejoinder processes will reduce the assessment timeframe for Discovery Projects and administrative burden on applicants and Research Offices. The introduction of a more detailed feedback mechanism, supported by clearer guidance to assessors, will provide applicants with more useful assessment feedback, address issues such as disparate scoring and incorrect assessor comments, and maintain the integrity and robustness of peer review. What Research Offices should do Research Offices are encouraged to share this information with relevant academic and professional staff within their organisation, and to support applicants by: working early with researchers to ensure they understand the updated application process including the removal of EOIs; familiarising relevant staff with the updated Chief Investigator eligibility requirements; providing an update on process changes including the removal of RNTAs, rejoinders, the introduction of an establishment phase, and their research security and research integrity responsibilities; and providing clear and consistent messaging across their organisation and encouraging applicants to refer to ARC communications and the Grant Opportunity Guidelines once published.