ARC Discovery Projects

ARC Discovery Projects is the Australian Research Council's flagship open-topic project scheme under the federal ARC, a non-corporate Commonwealth entity in the Education portfolio. It backs university-led basic and applied research across all disciplines except medical research, and the ARC uses it to support work that can deliver economic, commercial, environmental, social, or cultural benefit for Australia. The program awards AUD 30,000 to 500,000 a year for up to five years, with applications submitted through an Australian university Administering Organisation. From DP27 onward, the process begins with an expression of interest at the administering-organisation level, and shortlisted applicants are invited to submit a full proposal. Eligible spending covers research staff, stipends, teaching relief, infrastructure access, fieldwork, third-party services, equipment, travel, publication, and essential carer support. Its fit is strongest for teams that already sit inside a university and want investigator-driven research without an industry partner requirement. The scheme is annual, the applicant must be a university or approved research organisation in Australia, and the medical-research exclusion keeps the focus on the ARC's non-medical remit. In practice, applicants win by proposing work that is both academically strong and capable of clear national benefit.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.