Archived Grant Opportunity View - GO4477

The Australian Research Council (ARC) on behalf of the Department of Defence, is conducting a grant opportunity for the National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grants (NISDRG).

The NISDRG supports excellent research that deepens understanding of emerging science and technology and addresses intelligence and national security threats.

The NISDRG provides support to research that aligns with the priority research areas identified by the Australian Government. These research areas are outlined in the National Security Challenges developed under the broad National Security Science and Technology Priorities. The current National Security Challenges are: 

• Influence in the Pacific
• Resilient Supply Chains
• Disinformation Detection and Counter Narratives
• Detection for 2040
• Human Identification and Vulnerability Assessments
• Analysis and Decision Support for 2040
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) for Investigative Support and Forensics Science
• Robust Consequences Management Improving Australia’s Responses to, and Recovery from, Disasters and Emergencies 

The objectives of the NISDRG opportunity are to: 

• support excellent research in areas identified in the Intelligence Challenges and National Security Challenges; 
• build Australia’s research capacity and capability in these areas by supporting researchers, fostering research trainees, and contribution to a greater body of open source research; 
• enhance collaboration in the research, science and technology community that supports Australia’s National Intelligence and Security Communities; and
• support systematic and coordinated engagement between the research, science and technology community and Australia’s National Intelligence and Security Communities.

An application may only be submitted through the Research Office of an Eligible Organisation listed in the relevant grant guidelines.

All individuals named in an application must satisfy the eligibility criteria for the role they are to perform as at the Grant Commencement Date and for the duration of the Project. 

Roles that named participants may be nominated for under NS21 are: 

• Chief Investigator
• Partner Investigator 

Applications must nominate the following named participants to be eligible:

• At least one eligible CI from the Administering Organisation
  

An application may also include additional Other Eligible Organisations and Other Organisations.

All organisations participating in the application must be Australian organisations.

An Other Organisation named on an application must have a Partner Investigator (PI) listed.

Chief Investigators and Partner Investigators must be Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or holders of a New Zealand Special Category Visa.

Funding may be sought for up to three years. 

$3,000,000.00

From $400,000.00 to $600,000.00

The application must be submitted as a mature research plan presenting the proposed Project ready for implementation and must contain all the information necessary for its assessment without the need for further written or oral explanation, or reference to additional documentation, unless requested by the ARC. 
Administering Organisations must submit applications through the specific Defence portal of RMS unless otherwise advised by the ARC. 
All applications must meet the format and content requirements, including certification, as set out in the RMS online form and the relevant program Instructions to Applicants.

The Defence portal of the Research Management System is a web-based system used to prepare and submit research proposals, assessments and rejoinders for the Australian Research Council (ARC) on behalf of the Department of Defence National Security Science and Technology Centre (NSSTC).

Registered users can login your usual RMS email address and password at https://defence.researchgrants.gov.au/

To request a new account, go to https://defence.researchgrants.gov.au/ and click on the Request New Account link.