The Australian Academy of Science has called for the time allocated to research grants to be extended to a “minimum duration of three years, ideally four” to foster groundbreaking research and attract skilled researchers.
Academy President, Professor Chennupati Jagadish, said shorter grants detract from research productivity and risk excessive administrative load, particularly impacting early- and mid-career researchers.
The Academy’s recommendations to the Australia Research Council’s (ARC) review of the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) also included the development of “clear pathways” between NCGP grant schemes to support researchers’ career progression, a focus on talent attraction, the creation of clear structures that enable multidisciplinary research, facilitation of international collaboration, and strengthening and improving peer review processes.
The Academy’s submission was made in response to an ARC Discussion Paper,1 which has proposed a complete re-design of the NCGP scheme structure, further streamlining of administrative processes, greater focus on the generation of new knowledge, and strengthened opportunities for early career researchers.
Prof Jagadish endorsed the ARC’s greater appetite for risk outlined in the proposed reforms.
Prof Jagadish endorsed the ARC’s greater appetite for risk outlined in the proposed reforms.
“Any changes to the scheme should be considered in the context of broader transformation of Australia’s R&D system, including not adversely impacting early and mid-career researchers,” he said.
The ARC Board is due to submit its final report to the Government in mid-2025.
Reference
- Australian Research Council, Policy Review of the National Competitive Grants Program. Discussion Paper: A New Plan for ARC-Funded Research, available at: arc.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-02/NCGP%20Policy%20Review%20Discussion%20Paper.pdf [accessed April 2025].
