Australian Research Council

Last updated

Australian Research Council
Australian Research Council logo.svg
Council overview
Formed2001;24 years ago (2001)
Jurisdiction Australian Government
Headquarters Canberra
Employees140 [1]
Annual budgetIncrease2.svgA$934.6 million (2023–24) [1] , [a]
Minister responsible
Council executive
  • Professor Ute Roessner, CEO [3]
Key document
Website arc.gov.au

The Australian Research Council (ARC) is a Commonwealth entity established as an independent body under the Australian Research Council Act 2001, [4] reporting to the Minister for Education.

Contents

The ARC's purpose [5] [6] is to help shape Australian research for the nation's economic, social, environmental and cultural benefit:

  1. enabling research,
  2. evaluating the excellence, impact and depth of Australian research,
  3. providing advice and research grants services, and
  4. supporting research integrity and promoting ethical research.

The ARC supports early-stage research through the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP), which supports approximately $1 billion per year [1] of research to individuals, teams and large-scale centres in all disciplines except for medical.

Since 2011, ARC has awarded the annual Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship and the Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship, which are research fellowships for female Australian and international researchers, intended to support innovative research programs and mentor early career researchers.

History and governance

The ARC was founded in 2001 under the Australian Research Council Act 2001 [4] It is directly descended from the 1965 Australian Research Grants Committee. [7] As of 2025, the agency reports to the Minister for Education. [2]

Research integrity

Management of research integrity in Australia is a shared responsibility that involves the Australian Research Council (ARC), the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and a range of other institutions and entities. [8] [9]

There is no single Commonwealth agency with regulatory powers for the management or oversight of research integrity in Australia. Responsibility for the various aspects of research integrity is shared among institutions that conduct research, funding agencies, agencies such as Ombudsman Offices in the jurisdictions, Crime and Corruption Commissions in jurisdictions and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). [8] [9] [10]

Functional areas

National Competitive Grants Program

The ARC funds research and researchers under the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP). Funding opportunities administered by the ARC include the Australian Laureate Fellowship. [11]

On 25 February 2025, the ARC released the Discussion Paper: A New Plan for ARC-Funded Research, proposing major reforms to the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP). Developed following extensive 2024 consultations, the paper outlines a redesigned scheme structure, streamlined processes, stronger support for early career researchers, and a greater focus on knowledge generation and collaboration. The review aims to ensure the NCGP remains innovative, aligned with national research priorities, and delivers clear public value. Submissions are now closed, with a final report due in Q3 2025. [12]

Research Insights Capability

The ARC is developing a new approach research evaluation, designed to be a useful tool to build understanding, recognise excellent Australian research and celebrate its outstanding achievements. It's being referred to as the ARC's Research Insights Capability. [13]

Gender equity

The ARC has awarded research fellowships for female Australian and international researchers and research leaders to build Australia's research capacity, undertake innovative research programs and mentor early career researchers since 2011. The Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship is awarded to a candidate from the humanities, arts and social science disciplines, and the Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship is awarded to a candidate from the science and technology disciplines. [14]

YearKathleen Fitzpatrick FellowGeorgina Sweet Fellow
2011 Pippa Norris [15] Mahananda Dasgupta [16]
2012 Susan O'Connor [17] Nalini Joshi [18]
2013 Glenda Sluga [19] Tanya Monro [20]
2014 Joy Damousi [21] Veena Sahajwalla, [22] Kate Smith-Miles [23]
2015 Anne Orford [24] Leann Tilley [24]
2016 Adrienne Stone, [25] Sharon Parker [26] Branka Vucetic [27]
2017 Ann McGrath [28] Michelle Coote [28]
2018 Marilyn Fleer [29] Christine Beveridge [30]
2019 Lynette Russell [31] Belinda Medlyn [32]
2020 Maureen Dollard [33] Catherine Lovelock [34]
2021 Sundhya Pahuja [35] Yun Liu [36]
2022 Larissa Behrendt [37] Joanne Etheridge [38]
2023Janeen Baxter [39] Catherine Stampfl [40]
2024Jacqueline Peel [41] Hongxia Wang [42]
2025 Felicity Meakins [43] Anya Reading [44]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ This value represents the funding allocated to the ARC for the purposes of research grants, and does not include the operational budget of the agency.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "ARC Annual Report 2023–2024" (PDF). Australian Research Council. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 "About the Australian Research Council". Australian Research Council. 25 May 2021. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "CEO". Australian Research Council. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Australian Research Council Act 2001 – Latest Version". Federal Register of Legislation. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "Purpose". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  6. ↑ "Grants and Funding". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 20 August 2025. "Research Integrity". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Benner, Mats; Grant, Jonathan; O'Kane, Mary (2022), Benner, Mats; Grant, Jonathan; O'Kane, Mary (eds.), "Higher Education in Australia", Crisis Response in Higher Education: How the Pandemic Challenged University Operations and Organisation, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 51–63, doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-97837-2_4 , ISBN   978-3-030-97837-2
  8. 1 2 "Research integrity – roles and responsibilities". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Research integrity in Australia – roles and responsibilities". National Health and Medical Research Council. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  10. ↑ "Guidance note: Academic and research integrity". Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  11. ↑ "National Competitive Grants Program". Australian Research Council. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "Policy review of the National Competitive Grants Program". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  13. ↑ "A new approach to research evaluation: ARC's Research Insights capability". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  14. ↑ "Kathleen Fitzpatrick and Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellows". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  15. ↑ "Fellowships shed light on 21st-century democratisation and the history of Australian racial thought". University of Sydney . 10 August 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  16. ↑ "ANU Annual Report 2011" (PDF). Australian National University . April 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  17. ↑ "ANU tops nation in ARC Laureate Fellowships". Australian National University . 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  18. ↑ Gill, Katynna (30 July 2012). "Three new ARC Australian Laureate Fellows for Faculty of Science". University of Sydney . Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  19. ↑ "Professor Glenda Sluga won ARC Australian Laureate Fellowships". University of Sydney . 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  20. ↑ "TWO LAUREATE FELLOWSHIPS FOR UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE". University of Adelaide . 9 July 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  21. ↑ "University of Melbourne researcher awarded prestigious ARC Laureate Fellowship". University of Melbourne . 22 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Modern-day alchemists win Australian Laureate Fellowships". University of New South Wales . 22 August 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  23. ↑ "Monash receives two Australian Laureate Fellowships". Monash University . 22 August 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  24. 1 2 "University congratulates new ARC Laureate Fellows". University of Melbourne . 24 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  25. ↑ "University congratulates new Laureate fellows and Linkage Project awardees". University of Melbourne . 6 May 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  26. ↑ "Ground-breaking work design researcher wins ARC Laureate Fellowship". University of Western Australia . 6 May 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  27. ↑ Hollick, Victoria (6 May 2016). "ARC Laureate Fellowship for wireless communications specialist". University of Sydney . Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  28. 1 2 "ANU wins three Australian Laureate Fellowships". Australian National University . 5 June 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  29. ↑ "Australian laureate fellowships for two Monash researchers". Monash University . 2 August 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  30. ↑ "UQ soars with a record-breaking six laureates". University of Queensland . 2 August 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  31. ↑ "Monash academics awarded Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowships". Monash University . 12 September 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  32. ↑ "Western Sydney University academic wins prestigious Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship". Western Sydney University . 10 October 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  33. ↑ "2020 Laureate Profile: Professor Marueen Dollard" . Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  34. ↑ "2020 Laureate Profile: Professor Catherine Lovelock" . Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  35. ↑ "2021 Laureate Profile: Professor Sundhya Pahuja". Australian Research Council. 23 June 2021. Archived from the original on 7 July 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  36. ↑ "2021 Laureate Profile: Professor Yun Liu". Australian Research Council. 23 June 2021. Archived from the original on 7 July 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  37. ↑ "2022 Laureate Profile: Professor Larissa Behrendt". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  38. ↑ "2022 Laureate Profile: Professor Joanne Etheridge". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  39. ↑ "2023 Laureate Profile: Professor Janeen Baxter". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  40. ↑ "2023 Laureate Profile: Professor Catherine Stampfl". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  41. ↑ "2024 Laureate Profile: Professor Jacqueline Peel". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  42. ↑ "2024 Laureate Profile: Professor Hongxia Wang". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  43. ↑ "2025 Laureate Profile: Professor Felicity Meakins". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  44. ↑ "2025 Laureate Profile: Professor Anya Reading". Australian Research Council.
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