Variation to your ARC grant due to COVID-19

The ARC recognises that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may be affecting many members of the Australian research community, including our current grant holders. If a grant holder’s circumstances have changed – for example, unable conduct research activity– The Research Office can submit variation requests on behalf of the researchers.

Grants due to commence in 2020

Below is a list of the ARC’s final commencement dates for grants awarded in 2020. You may commence your grant at any time up to this date (as long as -if required- you have the necessary agreements such as a MIA in place).

It is also possible to request a further delayed start date to your project. This is done through an official variation request to the ARC. However please note the ARC currently have restrictions on how far in advance you can request an extension.

Scheme	Final commencement date without needing ARC approval	Latest commencement date requiring ARC approval
2020 Discovery Projects	19-June-2020	19-Dec-2020
2020 DECRA	18-June-2020	18-Dec-2020
2019 Future Fellowships	20-May 2020	20-Nov-2020
2019 Linkage Projects Assessment Dates 1-3	Due to continuing rounds please email ric-arclinkage@unimelb.edu.au for dates
2020 Discovery Indigenous	19-Jun-2020	19-Dec-2020
2020 LIEF	12-Aug-2020	12-Feb-2021

Should you wish to extend your start date, please email RIC below as soon as possible. Please note that requests to extend your start date beyond the ‘final commencement date without needing ARC approval’ must be submitted to the ARC before the ‘final commencement date…’ for the relevant scheme.

Discovery Projects - ric-arcdiscovery@unimelb.edu.au

Discovery Indigenous – ric-arcdiscovery@unimelb.edu.au

Future Fellowships- ric-arcdiscovery@unimelb.edu.au

DECRA- ric-arcdecra@unimelb.edu.au

Linkage Projects- ric-arclinkage@unimelb.edu.au

Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities - arc-lief@unimelb.edu.au

Current funded Discovery Projects, Discovery Indigenous, Linkage Projects

Currently funded grants experiencing problems/delays may wish to request a suspension of their project. A suspension can be requested via an official variation request to the ARC. Justification must be provided to request a suspension.

Suspension Considerations:

If a suspension is requested your project end date will be extended. Please take into consideration the impact of this on your eligibility to apply for future ARC funding. (There are ARC-imposed limits on the number of Discovery Program and Linkage Program grants that a researcher can hold.)
There can be no expenditure of ARC funds during a suspension period. Consider whether or not research personnel or students must be paid from the ARC funds. If so, it may be more suitable to extend the project rather than suspend.

Alternatively, an extension to your project may be requested. An extension is generally requested via the end of year reporting process (completed Dec-March) and can be requested for up to 12 months at a time. If your project is due for completion in the coming months, and you are no longer able to complete your project at this present time please contact RIC to arrange an extension. As per the ARC’s request, should your project be due for completion in the second half of 2020, please contact us closer to your end date when the full impact and delays to your project are known.

Extension considerations

If an extension is requested your project end date will change. Please take into consideration the impact of this on your eligibility to apply for future ARC funding. (There are ARC-imposed limits on the number of Discovery Program and Linkage Program grants that a researcher can hold.)

Salaried Grants such as DECRA and Future Fellowship’s

Consider the following options:

If you have not commenced, consider a delayed start date noting ARC-funded salaries won’t be paid until your nominated start date.
Consider a suspension for a defined period. Keep in mind ARC-funded salaries will no longer be paid during this time. A suspension will also extend your project end date and may impact your eligibility to apply for future ARC funding. (There are ARC-imposed limits on the number of Discovery Program and Linkage Program grants that a researcher can hold.)
For projects underway an extension may be possible. Noting that once the ARC’s salary is exhausted, an extension would be for time and project costs only.

Changes to research projects

In cases where the impact of Covid-19 will severely impact research aims and objectives, it may be possible to change the scope of the project. This can be done though submitting a formal variation to the ARC. Please note the ARC has stated that such a request should be made later this year when the full impact of Covid-19-related restrictions on a project is known.

For any changes or extensions to ARC Laureate Fellowships, SRIs, ITRP please contact ric-majorinitiatives@unimelb.edu.au for LIEF contact arc-lief@unimelb.edu.au

Final reports

The ARC will approve an initial 3-month extension to final report due dates on request. Please email

Ric-arcreporting@unimelb.edu.au should you need an extension.

Proposals under review

Selection Advisory Committee meetings are still commencing with face to face meetings to be replaced with video conferencing. At present there has been no indication of delayed announcements for proposals under consideration.

ARC updates can be viewed here