The Linkage Program is designed to achieve the Australian Government’s objectives for research and innovation.

This grant program contributes to the ARC’s Outcome 1, which is to grow knowledge and innovation through managing research grants, measuring research excellence and providing advice.

The following process flowchart applies to the Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grant opportunity.

The grant opportunity opens.

We (the ARC) publish the grant guidelines and advertise on GrantConnect.

We manage the assessment of all applications.

We manage the assessment of applications against eligibility criteria and assessment criteria including an overall consideration of value for money.

Your application will be assigned to Detailed Assessors to undertake in-depth assessments. You will have an opportunity to respond to Detailed Assessors’ written comments through a rejoinder.

Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) members will then assess Your application, consider the Detailed Assessors’ ratings and comments and Your rejoinder and assign a final score.

We make grant recommendations.

The SAC will collectively consider all applications and recommend to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) the applications to be funded, and the level and duration of funding for each project.

The CEO will then recommend to the Minister the applications to be funded, and the level and duration of funding for each grant.

In making recommendations to the Minister, the CEO will consider the applicant’s response to the National Interest Test. The CEO will seek information from Administering Organisations on applications where there is concern about how they meet the National Interest Test based on the information provided in the application form. The CEO will make grant recommendations to the Minister that satisfy the National Interest Test and which are eligible for funding.

Grant decisions are made.

The Minister decides which applications are approved, and the level of funding and duration of funding for each approved project. The Minister may consider the National Interest Test in determining which applications to approve.

We enter into a grant agreement with You.

We will enter into a grant agreement with You through RMS.

Delivery of the grant.

You undertake the grant activity and report to Us as set out in Your grant agreement. We manage the grant by monitoring Your progress and making payments.

Evaluation of the grant opportunity.

We evaluate the specific grant activity and the grant opportunity as a whole. We will use information You provide to Us through Your reports to inform evaluations.

2.1.                  These guidelines contain information for the LIEF grant opportunity.

2.2.                  This document sets out:

2.3.                  In these grant guidelines:

2.4.                  You and the named participants must read this document before filling out an application for a LIEF grant opportunity.  

3.1.                  These grant guidelines establish the rules which govern the administration of the Linkage Program including the application, eligibility, and selection processes to be followed and the selection criteria that will be used to recommend grant recipients.

3.2.                  The Linkage Program is one of two Programs under the ARC National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP).

3.3.                  The Linkage Program supports the growth of research partnerships between university-based researchers and researchers in other sectors in Australia and overseas for projects that generate new knowledge, technologies and innovations.

3.4.                  The purpose of the Linkage Program is to promote national and international research partnerships between researchers and business, industry, community organisations and other publicly funded research agencies. By supporting the development of partnerships, the ARC encourages the transfer of skills, knowledge and ideas as a basis for securing commercial and other benefits of research.

3.5.                  The ARC's Linkage Program encourages and extends cooperative approaches to research and improve the use of research outcomes by strengthening links within Australia’s innovation system and with innovation systems internationally.

3.6.                  The objectives of the Linkage Program are to deliver outcomes of benefit to Australia and build Australia’s research and innovation capacity through support for:

3.7.                  The grant opportunities currently available under the Linkage Program are:

-            Industrial Transformation Research Hubs (Research Hubs);

-            Industrial Transformation Training Centres (Training Centres);

3.8.                  The intended outcome of the Linkage Program is to increase Australia’s research and innovation capacity to generate new knowledge and result in the development of new technologies, products and ideas, the creation of jobs, economic growth and an enhanced quality of life in Australia. 

3.9.                  Linkage Program grants are awarded on the basis of excellence through a competitive peer review processes for each opportunity.

3.10.              Depending on the grant opportunity, grant applications may be accepted once a year, on a continuous basis or as required.

3.11.              The key performance indicators (KPIs) for the Linkage Program are identified each year in the ARC Portfolio Budget Statements and the ARC corporate plan. Reporting is provided every year in Our annual report.

3.12.              The KPIs focus on long-term outcomes as well as medium-term outcomes relating to building Australia’s research capacity, for example, research careers and training, contributions in areas of national need and research collaboration.

3.13.              The Linkage Program is undertaken according to the Australian Research Council Act 2001 (ARC Act) and the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines (CGRGs) 2017.

3.14.              These grant guidelines are a legislative instrument current as at the date of signing by the Minister and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the ARC Act in force at that date.

4.1.                  The grant commencement date for LIEF for funding commencing in 2020 will be
1 January 2020.

4.2.                  The active project assessment date for LIEF for funding commencing in 2020 will be
1 July 2020.

4.3.                  The LIEF grant opportunity provides funding for research infrastructure, equipment and facilities to Eligible Organisations. It enables researchers to participate in cooperative initiatives so that expensive research infrastructure, equipment and facilities can be shared between higher education organisations and also with Industry. The scheme also fosters collaboration through its support of the cooperative use of international or national research facilities.

4.4.                  Participating organisations involved in LIEF projects must commit a significant contribution of cash and/or in-kind and/or other material resources to the application having regard to the total cost of the proposed LIEF project and the relative contribution of named participants at the organisation.

4.5.                  The objectives of the LIEF grant opportunity are to:

4.6.                  LIEF grant applications are accepted once a year.

5.1.                  For the LIEF grant opportunity, applications for the levels of funding listed in Table 1 will be considered.

5.2.                  Table 1: LIEF funding and grant duration

5.3.                  We reserve the right to recommend funding levels which may be less than that requested in the application, and a project duration that may differ from that requested in the application.

5.4.                  All funding decisions regarding the LIEF grant opportunity will be made by the Minister in accordance with the ARC Act.

5.5.                  If successful, You can only spend grant funds on eligible grant activities as defined in section 7 of these grant guidelines and the grant details in Your grant agreement.

6.1.                  We cannot recommend Your application to the Minister for funding if it does not satisfy all grant eligibility criteria.

6.2.                  This section of the grant guidelines provides details of the eligibility requirements for:

6.3.                  To be eligible, Your LIEF application must:

6.4.                  You and each of the Other Eligible Organisations on the application must make a cash contribution.

6.5.                  Organisational cash contributions for direct costs must make up a minimum of 25 per cent of the total direct cost of the research infrastructure. Cash contributions from You, Other Eligible Organisation(s), Partner Organisation(s) and Other Organisation(s) are all eligible to make up this minimum of 25 per cent. The cash contributions should be a demonstration of significant commitment to the project.

6.6.                  Organisational cash contributions for indirect costs are not eligible to make up part of the minimum of 25 per cent of the total direct cost of the research infrastructure.

6.7.                  We will only accept applications from the Eligible Organisations listed below.

6.8.                  The Eligible Organisation that submits the application will be the ‘Administering Organisation’ and is referred to as ‘You’. All Other Eligible Organisations listed on the application will be an ‘Other Eligible Organisation’.

6.9.                  Eligible Organisations

6.10.              To be eligible as a Partner Organisation, an organisation cannot be:

6.11.              Each Partner Organisation is expected to participate in the project for the project activity period unless otherwise approved by Us.

6.12.              Each Partner Organisation must make a contribution of cash and/or in-kind and/or other material resources that is specific to the project, and having regard to the total cost of the project and not be part of a broader contribution to Your organisation or an Other Eligible Organisation.

6.13.              Partner Organisation cash contributions cannot:

6.14.              Organisations that are not Eligible Organisations and not Partner Organisations but that are named as organisational participants on an application will be Other Organisations.

6.15.              Other Organisations are not required to make a cash or in-kind contribution to the project, but must be relevant to and involved with the LIEF project.

6.16.              Named participants are those individual researchers who are nominated for the particular roles required for each grant opportunity.

6.17.              Roles that named participants may be nominated for under the LIEF grant opportunity are: 

6.18.              All CIs and PIs named in an application must satisfy the eligibility criteria for the role they are to perform. Details of these eligibility criteria are provided in these grant guidelines.

6.19.              All CIs and PIs named in an application must take responsibility for the authorship and intellectual content of the application, appropriately citing sources and acknowledging all significant contributions, including from third parties.

6.20.              Every CI and PI (and/or their research group) must be a significant and regular user of the research infrastructure, for a minimum of 10 per cent of the available time of the research infrastructure. Where there are more than ten named participants on an application, the minimum usage is the pro rata percentage of the available time.

6.21.              A project cannot commence until all CIs and PIs meet the eligibility criteria in these grant guidelines.

6.22.              CIs are expected to:

6.23.              The CI who is also the Project Leader must have a demonstrated capacity to manage the project.

6.24.              To be eligible to apply as a CI, the individual nominated must, as at the grant opportunity closing date, have met their obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.

6.25.              An individual is not eligible to be nominated as a CI if, as at the grant commencement date, or during the project’s active period, the individual is undertaking an HDR. Individuals are eligible to be a CI if they are undertaking an HDR during the application period but the HDR is conferred prior to the grant commencement date.

6.26.              As at the grant commencement date, and for the grant activity period when the CI is engaged in the project, the CI must meet at least one of the following criteria:

6.27.              A CI must reside predominantly in Australia for the project activity period. Any significant absences including fieldwork or study leave directly related to the project must have approval from You and must not total more than half the project activity period. In extraordinary circumstances, changes must be approved via a Variation.

6.28.              PIs are expected to take significant intellectual responsibility for the planning and conduct of the project and for any strategic decisions required in its pursuit and the communication of results.

6.29.              A PI may, or may not, be an employee of a Partner Organisation.

6.30.              A PI must not be eligible to be a CI at the grant commencement date.

6.31.              To be eligible as a PI, the individual nominated must, as at the grant opportunity closing date, have met their obligations regarding previously funded projects, including submission to the ARC of satisfactory final reports.

6.32.              A PI must not meet the eligibility criteria for a CI at any time during the project activity period.

6.33.              You may name a participant as a PI, who would otherwise be a CI but who does not reside predominantly in Australia.

6.34.              These limits do not apply to PIs or to unnamed participants on projects such as HDR students, postdoctoral researchers and research assistants.

6.35.              A named participant can apply for and be concurrently funded for a maximum of two LIEF projects as a CI.

6.36.              We will calculate limits of projects and applications as at the closing time of submission of applications, and may re-calculate this limit as other grant opportunity announcements are made, by totalling:

6.37.              It is Your responsibility to determine if applying for, or holding, a project under these guidelines will affect an individual researcher’s eligibility for the other ARC grant opportunities as other ARC grant opportunities may have different project limits. We reserve the right to change project and application limits in future grant opportunities. All 2018 ARC grant guidelines are available on GrantConnect. For previous years, please visit the ARC website.

6.38.              We must approve the relinquishment of a project or role before the closing time of submission of applications. Any relinquishment made or approved after the grant opportunity closing date will not be taken into account for the purposes of calculating the number of projects and applications for limit considerations.

7.1.                  Research activities that meet the definition of research infrastructure stated in the glossary in these grant guidelines for use in research projects are eligible to be supported under the LIEF grant opportunity.

7.2.                  The LIEF grant opportunity does not support applications that involve medical research as detailed in the ARC Medical Research Policy on the ARC website.

7.3.                  Except where such activities meet the definition of research stated in the glossary in these grant guidelines, the LIEF grant opportunity does not support research infrastructure for the production of teaching materials.

7.4.                  The LIEF grant opportunity does not support the management of access to existing infrastructure, equipment or facilities, including those already funded by the Commonwealth. As per 7.5 d below, coordinated access to international facilities and major national facilities is supported.

7.5.                  Grant money may be requested and used for budget items that directly support the provision of research infrastructure for use in research projects, including the following items:

7.6.                  You must justify all items for which grant funds are sought in Your application to Our satisfaction. This includes confirmation that competitive quotes were negotiated for the research infrastructure.

7.7.                  Any salary costs requested under 7.5 a. or 7.5 b. requires thorough justification.

7.8.                  You can only spend grant funds on eligible grant activities as defined in these grant guidelines and any additional expenditure conditions specified in the grant agreement.

7.9.                  You cannot request or use the grant money for the following activities:

7.10.              The following basic facilities must be provided (where relevant) and funded by You, or the Other Eligible Organisations or Partner Organisations and are not funded by the ARC:

8.1.                  You must address all of the relevant assessment criteria in Your application. Different weightings may be assigned to individual criterion.

8.2.                  The application form asks questions that relate to the assessment criteria. The amount of detail and supporting evidence You provide in Your application should be relative to the project size, complexity and grant amount requested. The application form includes character, word and page limits.

8.3.                  The Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities assessment criteria are:

9.1.                  Before You submit an application, You and the named participants must read these grant guidelines, the sample application form, the instructions to applicants, and the draft grant agreement. These documents may be found at GrantConnect. Any additional documents will be published on GrantConnect and by registering on this website You will be automatically notified of any changes.

9.2.                  You must also consult the LIEF register to prevent the unnecessary duplication of research infrastructure, equipment and facilities. This register is available on the ARC website.

9.3.                  To apply, You must:

9.4.                  Where Your application is for subscription or coordinated access to international facilities and major national facilities, You must have commenced discussions and negotiations with the specific international facility prior to the submission of the application and provide evidence of this.

9.5.                  Your application:

9.6.                  Your Partner Organisations’ cash contributions must not be a contribution to salaries for CIs and/or PIs on the project.

9.7.                  In-kind contributions must be essential and central to the application. It is Your responsibility to establish the merit of the case for recognition of in-kind contributions.

9.8.                  In-kind contributions in the budget section of the application should not include basic salary for any Commonwealth Fellowships, unless it is salary over and above the Commonwealth component supported.

9.9.                  Your application cannot include cash or in-kind contributions in years beyond the project activity period.

9.10.              We reserve the right to determine the value of Partner Organisation contributions and may, for the purposes of assessment, determine contributions to be at levels that may differ from those in Your application.

9.11.              Partner Organisation contributions must be specified in Australian dollars and, subject to these grant guidelines, contributed at the specified level regardless of currency fluctuations.

9.12.              You must:

9.13.              You are responsible for ensuring that Your application is complete and all details in the application are accurate and current at the time of submission. Giving incomplete, false or misleading information will exclude Your application from further consideration.

9.14.              You cannot change Your application (additions, deletions or modifications) after the grant opportunity closing date and time.

9.15.              We reserve the right at any point in the process to seek evidence from You to support the certification of applications. We are not obliged to accept any additional information, nor requests from You to correct or amend applications after the closing time.

9.16.              We may approve the withdrawal of an application upon receipt of a written request with justification from You. We will only approve such a request in exceptional circumstances.

9.17.              We cannot fund the same research activities, infrastructure or project previously funded or currently being funded through any other Commonwealth grant.

9.18.              The application form includes help information and further information is in the instructions to applicants document on GrantConnect. If You have any technical difficulties, please contact arc-systems@arc.gov.au.

9.19.              You must attach supporting documentation to the application form in line with the instructions provided in these grant guidelines, within the form or in the instructions to applicants. You should only attach requested documents. We will not consider information in attachments that We do not request.

9.20.              We publish information on GrantConnect for all Linkage Program grant opportunities and this includes the relevant timing for the submission of applications.

9.21.              You must submit Your application to Us between the grant opportunity opening and closing date and time specified on GrantConnect. We will not accept late applications, other than in exceptional circumstances (such as due to natural disasters) in which case We will discuss this with You, and if We agree, invite You to make a late application.

9.22.              Subject to these grant guidelines, a grant will commence on or after the grant commencement date for the grant opportunity.

9.23.              Questions during the application period should be directed to Your Research Office. Answers to frequently asked questions may also be posted on GrantConnect.

10.1.              All applications will be considered through a competitive assessment process.

10.2.              Applications submitted for LIEF grants will be assessed by Detailed Assessors and a SAC comprising General Assessors.

10.3.              Detailed Assessors are discipline-specific and interdisciplinary experts in their knowledge fields drawn from the ARC assessor community. Detailed Assessors are assigned applications to review based on their specific expertise in one or more fields of research.

10.4.              We appoint one SAC for the LIEF grant opportunity. The SAC may consist of both eminent academic experts and/or ARC College of Expert members.

10.5.              Any Detailed Assessors or General Assessors who are not Australian Public Servants must adhere to and uphold the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018).

10.6.              Any College of Experts or SAC members who are not an Australian Public Servant must uphold the Australian Public Service Values and Code of Conduct in accordance with Part 1, section 2.9 of the CGRGs.

10.7.              We have procedures in place for managing organisational and personal Conflicts of Interest for Detailed Assessors, SAC members and ARC staff. Details of these procedures are in the relevant section of these grant guidelines and in the ARC’s Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy.

10.8.              We will review Your application against all the eligibility criteria contained in these grant guidelines.

10.9.              We may determine whether an application meets the eligibility requirements in these grant guidelines at any stage during assessment of the application.

10.10.          If We consider that an application is ineligible, the application may not be progressed through the assessment process.

10.11.          If an application is ineligible, We must not recommend the application for funding.

10.12.          All applications which meet the eligibility criteria will be assessed and merit ranked using all assessment criteria.

10.13.          We manage the assessment of applications. Your application will be considered on its merits, based on:

10.14.          The process that We will undertake includes the following steps:

10.17.          You may name up to three persons whom You do not wish to assess an application by submitting a ‘Request Not to Assess’ form as detailed on GrantConnect and the ARC website. This form must be received by Us two weeks prior to the grant opportunity closing date.

10.18.          Only one request containing the names of up to three individual assessors may be submitted per application.

10.19.          If You name a current ARC College of Experts member, as listed on the ARC website at the time of submitting the ‘Request Not to Assess’ form, the request must be accompanied by comprehensive evidence justifying the request for the ARC College of Experts member or members named. If We consider the evidence is not sufficient for the named ARC College of Experts member or members, We will reject part, or all, of the request.

10.20.          You may submit a ‘Request Not to Assess’ form naming more than three persons whom You do not wish to assess an application. Any request containing more than three names must be accompanied by comprehensive evidence justifying the request for all persons listed.  If We consider the evidence is not sufficient for one or more of the named people, We will reject part, or all, of the request.

10.21.          We will have absolute discretion about whether We accept or refuse a Request Not to Assess. We will not notify you of the outcome.

10.22.          You will be given the opportunity to respond to assessors’ written comments through a rejoinder, and to provide any additional information requested by Us. Names of assessors will not be provided. Further information on the rejoinder process is available on the ARC website.

10.23.          In accordance with the ARC Act, Our CEO will submit grant recommendations to the Minister for consideration.

10.24.          The Minister will determine which grants to approve. In addition to the assessment criteria set out in Section 8, the Minister may consider the national interest in determining which applications to approve. Under the ARC Act, the Minister may (but is not required to) rely solely on recommendations made by the CEO.

10.25.          The Minister’s decision is final in all matters, including:

10.26.          The ARC Act states that the Minister must not approve a grant for any application that fails to:

10.27.          The CGRGs state that the Minister must consider the key principle of achieving value with money when approving a grant.

10.28.          Any successful application awarded a grant will be subject to sufficient funds being available for the Program and the provisions of the ARC Act.

11.1.              You will be notified of the outcome of Your application via RMS, following a decision by the Minister. The notification in RMS will include information on:

11.2.              If You are unsuccessful, You may be able to submit a new application for the same, or similar, research in future grant opportunity rounds. This will depend on the specifics of the grant opportunity You are applying for. You should include new or more information to address any weaknesses that may have prevented Your previous application from being successful.

11.3.              If Your application is found to be ineligible, You will be notified of this through RMS.

11.4.              If Your application was unsuccessful and found to be eligible, feedback will be provided through RMS.

12.1.              If You are successful, You must enter into a legally binding grant agreement with the Commonwealth represented by the ARC.

12.2.              We use the ARC Linkage Program LIEF grant agreement which contains standard terms and conditions that cannot be changed. A sample grant agreement is available on GrantConnect. Any additional conditions attached to the grant will be identified in the grant offer.

12.3.              You will have 28 calendar days from the date of the grant offer to execute this grant agreement with the Commonwealth.

12.4.              We must execute a grant agreement with You before We can make any payments. We are not responsible for any of Your project expenditure until a grant agreement is executed. You must not start any activities until all third party agreements are executed.

12.5.              You must list the contributions of each organisation in the ensuing contractual agreements between Your organisation and the other organisations.

12.6.              If You enter an agreement for a Linkage Program grant, You cannot receive other grants for the same budgeted grant activities from other Commonwealth grant programs.

12.7.              You will be required to conduct the project substantially in accordance with the ‘Project Description’ contained in the application for that project. Your application forms part of the grant agreement.

12.8.              We will recover grant funds and terminate the project if You fail to meet the obligations of the grant agreement.

12.9.              You and each project research participant are required to be compliant with all relevant laws and regulations. In particular, You must certify in Your application that You comply with the following requirements.

12.10.          All applications and ARC-funded research projects must comply with the requirements specified in the following and successor documents:

12.11.          If there is any conflict between a successor document and its predecessor, then the successor document prevails to the extent of any inconsistency. These documents are all available on the ARC website.

12.12.          All research projects funded by Us must comply with the ARC Research Integrity and Research Misconduct Policy.

12.13.          If We consider that an application is incomplete We may in Our absolute discretion decide to recommend that the application not be approved for a grant.

12.14.          If We consider that an application is inaccurate or contains false or misleading information, or involves misconduct, We will in Our absolute discretion decide to recommend that the application not be approved for a grant.

12.15.          Examples of misleading information and misconduct include:

12.16.          We do not claim ownership of any intellectual property in an application or in any research arising from a project.

12.17.          You must adhere to an intellectual property policy, approved by Your governing body, which has as one of its aims the maximisation of benefits to Australia arising from publicly funded research. You should ensure that individuals applying for ARC grants are familiar with the current intellectual property and patent landscape for the research areas included in the application. Unless otherwise approved by the Commonwealth, Your intellectual property policy must comply with the National Principles of Intellectual Property Management for Publicly Funded Research and/or any successor document(s). These document(s) are available on the ARC website.

12.18.          All research projects funded by Us must comply with the ARC Open Access Policy on the dissemination of research findings, which is on the ARC website.

12.19.          Participants and institutions have an obligation to collect and maintain research data in accordance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018). We strongly encourage the depositing of data arising from a project in an appropriate publicly accessible discipline and/or institutional repository. Participants must outline briefly in their application how they plan to manage research data arising from a project.

12.20.          We strongly encourage all participants applying for grants to have an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) Identifier in their RMS Profile.

12.21.          Payments will be made as set out in the grant agreement.

12.22.          The grant offer will specify the approved amount for that project, or as otherwise varied by Us in accordance with the grant agreement. 

12.23.          Any project expenditure incurred by You for a project additional to the approved amount for that project specified in the grant offer, or as otherwise varied by us, is Your responsibility. We will not reimburse You for such costs under any circumstances.

12.24.          You are responsible for any and all financial and taxation implications associated with receiving funds. Grant funding may be indexed. Grant funding will typically be paid annually through Our payment system.

12.25.          Once the grant agreement is signed by the Commonwealth payment will be made on the next available date for grant payments after the grant commencement date.

12.26.          Any grant awarded will be subject to sufficient funds being available for the project, the provisions of the ARC Act and continued satisfactory progress of the project.

12.27.          All amounts referred to in these grant guidelines are to be read as exclusive of GST, unless expressly stated otherwise.

12.28.          Funding for a project may only be carried forward for a maximum of two years from the grant commencement date, except under exceptional circumstances and only with Our approval.

12.29.          We recognise that unexpected events may affect the progress of a project. In these circumstances, You can request a variation to Your grant agreement, including:

12.30.          You cannot request an increase to the agreed amount of grant funds.

12.31.          If You want to propose changes to the grant agreement, You must submit a Variation of grant agreement (Variation) to Us in RMS.

12.32.          If a CI is at any time no longer able to work as proposed on the project, the project may be continued, provided any replacement CI meets the CI eligibility criteria. We must approve these changes via a Variation.

12.33.          If a PI is at any time no longer able to work as proposed on the project, the project may be continued, provided any replacement PI meets the PI eligibility criteria. We must approve these changes via a Variation.

12.34.          A Variation must be approved by Us to be a valid part of the grant agreement. We will consider Your request based on factors such as:

12.35.          We will notify You of the outcome of a Variation.

12.36.          You should let Us know if anything is likely to affect Your project.

12.37.          You must also inform Us of any changes to Your:

12.38.          If You become aware of a breach of terms and conditions under the grant agreement, You must contact Us immediately.

13.1.              If successful, Your grant will be listed on the GrantConnect website 21 calendar days after the date of effect as required by Section 5.3 of the CGRGs.

13.2.              We may publicise and report offers and grants awarded, including the following information about the project:

13.3.              You should ensure that information contained in the project title and summary descriptions will not compromise Your requirements for confidentiality (such as protection of intellectual property).

13.4.              In making public information about a project that has been approved for a grant, We may use a project description, including title and summary, which differs from that provided in the application.   

13.5.              We will also list the research infrastructure in the LIEF Register on the ARC website under the Administering Organisations.

14.1.              We will monitor the grant activities through the requirements of the grant agreement for You:

14.2.              You must submit reports in line with the grant agreement. Reports must be submitted to Us through RMS, unless otherwise advised by Us. 

14.3.              The amount of detail You provide in Your reports should be relative to the project’s size, complexity and grant amount.

14.4.              We will monitor progress by assessing reports You submit and may conduct site visits or request records to confirm details of Your reports if necessary. We may occasionally need to re-examine claims, seek further information or request an independent audit of claims and payments.

14.5.              You must submit an end of year financial report by 31 March in the year following each calendar year for which the grant was awarded, in accordance with the instructions We provide each year. We will make the form for these reports available in RMS, with instructions on the ARC website.

14.6.              A progress report by exception must be completed as part of the End of Year Report only if significant issues are affecting the progress of the project.

14.7.              If We are not satisfied with the progress of any project, further payment of funds will not be made until satisfactory progress has been made on the project. If satisfactory progress is still not achieved within a reasonable period of time, the grant may be terminated and all outstanding monies will be recovered by Us.

14.8.              You must submit a progress report in year three for a four or five year project.

14.9.              You must submit a final report for the project within 12 months of the final ARC approved project end date. We will make the form for this report available in RMS, with instructions on the ARC website.

14.10.          The final report must address compliance with the conditions on which funding was granted, as set out in the grant agreement. It must also contain information which We may publicise regarding the details of the research infrastructure, equipment or facilities, including access arrangements.

14.11.          You must ensure that all participants have completed all obligations for the final report.

14.12.          If the final report is not submitted or are not satisfactory to Us this will be considered as an eligibility matter for future ARC applications for the named participants on the project.

14.13.          We may also seek additional information about subsequent research outputs after submission of the final report.

14.14.          We may visit You during or at the completion of Your project to review Your compliance with the grant agreement. We may also inspect the records You are required to keep under the grant guidelines and grant agreement. We will provide You with reasonable notice of any compliance visit.

14.15.          You must retain the evidence and paperwork relied upon to certify Your application in RMS and make this available to Us if requested.

14.16.          We undertake evaluations of the performance and administration of the grant opportunities under the Linkage Program. Your grant agreement requires You to provide information to help with these evaluations.

14.17.          Subject to commercial sensitivities and intellectual property considerations, the outcomes of projects are expected to be communicated to the research community and to the community at large.

14.18.          You must ensure that Our contribution and support of the project is acknowledged in a prominent place and a form acceptable to Us. This clause applies to any website established for the LIEF project.

14.19.          Advice of acceptable forms of acknowledgement and use of the ARC logo is provided on the ARC website. Any published research output must include acknowledgement of ARC funding and the ARC Project ID.

15.1.              We will make sure that the grant opportunity processes are fair, in accordance with the published grant guidelines, incorporate appropriate safeguards against fraud, unlawful activities and other inappropriate conduct and are consistent with the ARC Act and the CGRGs.

15.2.              We will only consider appeals against the administrative process and not against committee decisions, assessor ratings and comments or the assessment outcome. Appellants must identify the specific guideline/legislative instrument clause, policy or procedure which they believe has been incorrectly applied.

15.3.              You are able to submit an appeal against the administrative process used to assess applications. The appeals process is designed to ensure that the application has been treated fairly and consistently in the context of selection processes.

15.4.              You must submit an appeal using the ARC Appeals Form on the ARC website and have it authorised by a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or equivalent. Appeals must be received within 28 days of the date You receive notification of the outcome of Your application. We will not accept appeals later than 5.00pm (AEDT/AEST) on the appeals submission due date.

15.5.              Appeals must be submitted to Us electronically to ARC-NCGP@arc.gov.au.

15.6.              If You do not agree with the way We have handled Your appeal, You may complain to the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will not usually look into a complaint unless the matter has first been raised directly with the ARC. The Commonwealth Ombudsman can be contacted on:

15.7.              Applicants for funding may at any time seek to appeal ARC decisions using available external appeal options. Regarding available options for external appeal, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal does not have general power to review ARC decisions.   

15.8.              Our purpose is to support the highest quality research and as such Our conflict of interest policy is designed to ensure that all material personal interests are disclosed. As a result, conflicts of interest are identified and managed in a rigorous and transparent way to ensure the integrity, legitimacy, impartiality and fairness of Our processes. Management of conflicts of interest in this way is designed to maintain public confidence in Our business processes.

15.9.              Any conflicts of interest could affect conduct of the selection processes and/or the performance of the grant. There may be a conflict of interest, or perceived conflict of interest, if the relevant ARC staff, an assessor, member of a committee or advisor and/or You or any of Your personnel:

15.10.          You will be asked to certify, as part of Your application, any perceived or existing conflicts of interests or that, to the best of Your knowledge, there is no conflict of interest. Each individual or organisation named in an application must declare to the Administering Organisation at the date of submission any conflict of interest that exists or is likely to arise in relation to any aspect of the application or project.

15.11.          If a Conflict of Interest exists or arises, You must have documented processes in place for managing the Conflict of Interest for the duration of the project. Such processes must comply with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), the ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy and any relevant successor documents.

15.12.          If You later identify that there is an actual, apparent, or potential conflict of interest or that one might arise in relation to an application, You must inform Us in writing immediately.

15.13.          We will handle any conflicts of interest as set out in Australian Government policies and procedures. Conflicts of interest for Australian Government staff will be handled as set out in the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct (Section 13(7)) of the Public Service Act 1999. Committee members and other officials including the decision maker must also certify any conflicts of interest.

15.14.          We publish Our Conflict of Interest Policy on ARC website.

15.15.          We treat Your personal information according to the 13 Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act 1988. This includes letting You know:

15.16.          You are required, as part of Your application, to certify Your compliance with the Privacy Act 1988, including the Australian Privacy Principles and impose the same privacy obligations on any subcontractors You engage to assist with the activity. You must ask for the Australian Government’s consent in writing before disclosing confidential information.

15.17.          Your personal information can only be disclosed to someone else :

15.18.          The Australian Government may also use and disclose information about grant applicants and grant recipients under the Program in any other Australian Government business or function. This includes giving information to the Australian Taxation Office for compliance purposes.

15.19.          We may reveal confidential information to:

15.20.          We may share the information You give with other Commonwealth agencies for any purposes including government administration, research or service delivery and according to Australian laws, including the:

15.21.          We will treat the information You give Us as sensitive and therefore confidential if it meets one of the four conditions below:

15.22.          The grant agreement will include any specific requirements about special categories of information collected, created or held under the grant agreement.

15.23.          All documents in the possession of the Australian Government, including those about the Program, are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

15.24.          The purpose of the FOI Act is to give members of the public rights of access to information held by the Australian Government and its entities. Under the FOI Act, members of the public can seek access to documents held by the Australian Government. This right of access is limited only by the exceptions and exemptions necessary to protect essential public interests and private and business affairs of persons in respect of whom the information relates.

15.25.          All Freedom of Information requests must be referred to the Freedom of Information Coordinator in writing.

By mail: Freedom of Information Coordinator

16.1.              The ARC may conduct a survey of Eligible Organisations after the outcomes of each selection round are announced. Outcomes of the survey will be considered in the development of subsequent grant guidelines.

18.1.              For the purposes of the Linkage Program: LIEF grant guidelines, terms have the meanings defined below.