Discovery Indigenous

Overview

The Discovery Indigenous scheme provides funding to Administering Organisations to support research programs led by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researcher. and to build the research capacity of higher degree research and early career researchers. The scheme aims to:

• Support excellent basic research and applied research training by Aboriginal and/ Torres Straight Island  researchers as individuals and as teams
• Support national and international research collaboration
• Enhance the scale and focus of research in Australian Government priority areas
• Support and retain established  Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers in Australian higher education institutions.

National Interest Test

• Under the new National Interest Test, applications will need to meet the NIT definition and score highly in the competitive grants process to be recommended to the Minister for funding.
• Applicants will be asked to explain ‘the extent to which the research contributes to Australia’s national interest through its potential to have economic, commercial, environmental, social or cultural benefits to the Australian community’.
• The previous “benefit and impact” application text will be replaced with a compulsory field for the applicant to make their case against the NIT. This statement will be 100 to 150 words and in plain English.

To be eligible as a Chief Investigator on a 2023 Discovery Indigenous Project you must, at 1 January 2023,  and if successful, for the project activity period:
a. be an employee for at least 0.2 FTE at an Eligible Organisation; or 
b. be a holder of an honorary academic appointment at an Eligible Organisation.

Honorary Academic Appointment means any honorary position that gives full academic status, as certified by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or equivalent in the application. The researcher must have access to research support comparable to employees e.g. an emeritus appointment.  The researcher is not eligible to be a Chief Investigator using their honorary academic appointment if they are employed by an organisation other than an Eligible Organisation for more than 0.2 FTE.

If you hold an Honorary  appointment and you wish to apply as a Chief Investigator please contact ric-arcdiscovery@unimelb.edu.au to arrange DVC-R certification.

ACTIVE PROJECTS & ACTIVE PROJECT ASSESSMENT DATE

Active Projects  mean a Project that is receiving funding according to the terms of the original Funding Agreement, or has any carryover funds approved by the ARC, or an approved variation to the Project’s end date. Therefore if a project has carried forward any funding and the end date has changed, the NEW end date determines an active project. Active projects can be viewed via the applicants RMS profile by selecting Person Profile > Current ARC Projects> end date.

The new term Active Project Assessment Date (the date on which Active Project eligibility will be considered), has been introduced into the Definitions, and referenced at subsection 15.2. This is a scheme-specific date that nominates the date when Project and Application limit eligibility is assessed by the ARC.

The ARC will calculate active projects as at the closing time of submission of Applications (and may calculate this rule again as other scheme rounds’ announcements are made and End of Year Reports are submitted.

For the 2023 Discovery Indigenous Project Round to fulfill eligibility, ALL CIs must meet the following criteria as of the 1 Jan 2023:(note applicants should review all Limits on Project and Grant Guidelines- See 4.11 - 4.17 - pages 14-15 of the Grant Guidelines)

4.13 Within the Discovery Program a researcher can be funded for a maximum of: 
a. two Projects as a CI; or
b. one ARC Fellowship or ARC Award, and one Project as a CI; or
c. one ARC Fellowship or project if the individual is also a  Director on an active ARC Centre of Excellence or a Special Research Initiative project.

Please contact RIC at ric-arcdiscovery@unimelb.edu.au:

1. If you or any of your CIs listed on your project are unsure if you meet the eligibility requirements OR
2. If you or any of your CIs have 2 active projects as of the 1 July 2023 - please contact ric-arcdiscovery@unimelb.edu.au to discuss either formally amending your end date or arranging a Project or role relinquishment through a variation to fulfill eligibility.

SELECTION CRITERIA - new weighting

The new criteria weighting is as followed:

• Investigator(s)/ Capability: 35%
• Project Quality and Innovation: 40%
• Benefit:15%
• Feasibility:10%

Funding

The scheme provides $30,000-$500,000 funding per annum for three years. Project costs can be used to hire research personnel, stipends for 1.0 FTE HDR for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, or fund teaching relief, equipment, consumables, Field Research, Travel, and dissemination costs. A Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards (DAATSIA) may be requested for one researcher per proposal to devote more time to the project. DAATSIA funding may be requested at one of five salary levels. See section D of the Grant Guidelines for more information.

Establishment Grants for ARC DAATSIA Fellowship

Overview

The Scheme aims to:

• Support successful ARC DAATSIAs in establishing their research program at the University of Melbourne
• Enhance the candidate’s competitiveness when applying for the ARC Discovery Indigenous (IN) scheme.

Faculties may set their own objectives and priorities in determining which candidates will be nominated for Establishment Grant support. IN applicants must apply to their host faculty for Establishment Grant support through whatever process the faculty deems appropriate. Establishment Grant requests must be submitted by faculties to Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (RIC), not directly by individual IN applicants. For further information refer to your Faculty Research Manager.

The Establishment Grant is only available for ARC DAATSIA Fellowships.

Funding

For the 2023 Discovery Indigenous, ARC DAATSIA Fellowships will be supported by an internal establishment grant on a 2:1 co-contribution basis, with a maximum DVC(R) contribution of $100,000 matched to a maximum of $50,000 from faculty/Department/School.

How to apply

1. Submit a Notice of Intent (NOI)

   The NOI should be completed early to provide RIC with CIA contact details.

2. Update RMS  profile

   All CIs and PIs must obtain access to RMS and update profile information (see RMS information)

3. Review documentation

   Review the Discovery Indigenous Funding Rules and the Instructions to Applicants. These documents are available under the Support documents tab.

4. Complete the draft application in RMS 2.0

   Log on to RMS to complete the draft application.

5. Submit 'Review ready' application to RIC

   Submit application via email to RIC within the RIC internal submission period. Include the following:

   • PDF copy of the complete review ready draft application

6. Application review

   Two RIC staff members will review the application and provide the applicant with feedback via email.

7. Complete the application

   After taking feedback from the RIC team into consideration, complete the application in RMS. It is suggested advice is sought from colleagues, Faculty Mentors, etc. before finalising the application.

8. Submit the UOM Authority to Submit form

   The form must be submitted to RIC electronically before 5:00pm on the final internal closing date. This form should include:

   • Complete the compliance and eligibility section
   • Signature of all CIs and PIs
   • Signature of the Head of Department for each CI
   • Signature of the CEO (or delegate) for all Australian-based PIs

   Electronic signatures are permitted.

   This is an ARC requirement and the application cannot be submitted to ARC until received.

9. Final submission

   Before 5:00pm on the final internal Closing date, the applicant must:

   • Submit final application by clicking ‘Submit to Research Office’ in RMS.
   • Email RIC ric-arcdiscovery@unimelb.edu.au) a pdf copy of the final application and a signed Authority to Submit form

   Note: Applications without a completed Authority to Submit form cannot be submitted to the ARC

10. RIC will submit the application

    Once the application has been submitted to ARC, you will receive an email from RIC confirming submission.

Supporting documents

ARC

• ARC Guidance - Preparing Applications - Responding to the impact of COVID-19 Updated 2/09/2021
• The ARC Discovery Indigenous website
• Discovery Program Grant Guidelines (2021 edition)
• IN23 FAQs
• Instructions to Applicants 2023
• Research Outputs User Guide
• Submitting a Request Not to Assess in RMS
• Submitting a Rejoinder  (User  Guide)
• ARC Medical Research Policy
• ARC College of Experts
• Australian Government Science and Research Priorities

RIC

• Authority to Submit form (UoM  log-in required)
• IN23 UoM Salary scales (UoM  log-in required)
• Instructions for adding Research Outputs (see step by step instructions and video) - Updated 30 November 2020
• F5 – Research Load (Non-ARC Grants and Research) table template
• 2022 College of Experts Members - FOR Codes

Instructional Videos

• Video - Setting up a RMS Account (2:22)
• Video - Completing G1 Table (2:10)
• Video - Entering the Budget (7:56)

Webinars

• GaRDeN Development Sessions - Developing a Great Discovery Project Team and Grant Camp Sessions

How to write a rejoinder

• Rejoinder fact sheet Updated March 2022
• Rejoinder information webinar recording 8 June 2021
• Rejoinder information webinar  slides 8 June 2021
• 2020 ARC Rejoinder Webinar 19 June 2020
• Rejoinder fact sheet Updated July 7 2018
• Rejoinder information session slides June 13 2019
• Rejoinder Information session 2019 Seminar  (UoM login required) June 13 2019

Please note: Assessor comments should only include details on the Investigator(s)/DAATSIAs, Project Quality and Innovation, Feasibility, and Benefit and Collaboration.  Assessors should not be commenting on Eligibility and Compliance.  If you notice any comments to that effect when reading the Assessments please let your Faculty or RIC know so that we can in turn advise the ARC. Please note that applicants should never contact the ARC directly. Always speak to your Faculty or RIC first.

Contacts

Manage Your Grant