AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL (ARC)

Australians Unified – Education, Skills & Lifelong Learning Portfolio

The Australian Research Council (ARC) is Australia’s national body for funding, evaluating, and advancing research excellence across universities, institutes, and industry. It supports world‑class discovery research, strengthens innovation capability, and drives national competitiveness through strategic investment in knowledge, talent, and partnerships.

The ARC works with universities, researchers, industry, government agencies, and international partners to ensure Australia’s research system is globally competitive, future‑focused, and aligned with national priorities.

 

OUR ROLE

The ARC exists to:

  • Fund world‑class discovery and applied research

  • Strengthen Australia’s research capability and workforce

  • Support industry collaboration and innovation

  • Deliver national research evaluation and quality frameworks

  • Promote excellence, integrity, and transparency in research

  • Support First Nations research leadership and knowledge systems

  • Provide evidence and insights to guide national research policy

The ARC ensures Australia’s research system remains globally competitive, innovative, and future‑ready.

OUR STRENGTHS

Research & Innovation Strengths

  • Trusted national research funding and evaluation frameworks

  • Strong partnerships with universities and research institutes

  • Deep expertise in research excellence and impact assessment

  • Proven ability to support breakthrough discoveries

  • National leadership in research integrity and standards

Sovereign Strengths

  • Critical to national innovation and economic growth

  • Essential for future workforce capability

  • Supports Australia’s global research reputation

 

OUR WEAKNESSES

Structural Weaknesses

  • Fragmented research data systems across institutions

  • Slow grant assessment and approval cycles

  • Limited long‑term funding certainty

  • Under‑resourced support for emerging research fields

  • Inconsistent pathways for early‑career researchers

Operational Weaknesses

  • Workforce shortages in specialist research areas

  • Rising complexity of global research competition

  • Limited outreach to regional and First Nations researchers

  • Increasing demand for rapid, high‑impact research

OUR THREATS

External Threats

  • Global competition for research talent and investment

  • Rising cost pressures on universities and research institutes

  • Digital inequity affecting research access

  • International instability affecting collaboration

Internal Threats

  • Resource constraints

  • Outdated digital systems

  • Workforce fatigue and retention challenges

  • Limited surge capacity for major research initiatives

 

OUR OPPORTUNITIES

Strategic Opportunities

  • Modernise national research data and evaluation systems

  • Strengthen industry collaboration and commercialisation

  • Expand First Nations research leadership

  • Improve early‑career researcher support and mentoring

  • Enhance international research partnerships

Operational Opportunities

  • Recruit and retain specialist research assessors

  • Improve digital grant management and analytics

  • Strengthen partnerships with universities and industry

  • Expand community and regional engagement

 

CONDENSED YEARLY COSTING MODEL — AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL

Baseline + Uplift Investment Framework

 

BASELINE FUNDING (Already Provided)

  • Core ARC operations: $0.18B

  • Discovery & Linkage research programs: $0.42B

  • Research evaluation & integrity systems: $0.10B

Total Baseline Funding:

$0.70B per year

 

PHASE 1 — FOUNDATION (Years 1–2)

Annual uplift: $0.50B – $0.70B 2‑year uplift total: $1.00B – $1.40B

 

PHASE 2 — ACCELERATION (Years 2–4)

Annual uplift: $0.70B – $0.95B 3‑year uplift total: $2.10B – $2.85B

 

PHASE 3 — EXPANSION (Years 4–6)

Annual uplift: $0.90B – $1.20B 2‑year uplift total: $1.80B – $2.40B

 

PHASE 4 — FUTURE‑READY (Years 6–10)

Annual uplift: $1.15B – $1.50B 4‑year uplift total: $4.60B – $6.00B

 

TOTAL INVESTMENT SUMMARY

6‑YEAR TOTAL

  • Uplift: $4.90B – $6.65B

  • Baseline: $4.20B

Total 6‑Year Investment:

$9.10B – $10.85B

10‑YEAR TOTAL

  • Uplift: $8.80B – $12.65B

  • Baseline: $7.00B

Total 10‑Year Investment:

$15.80B – $19.65B

THE FUTURE‑READY ARC

A national blueprint for research excellence, innovation, and global competitiveness

 

1. FASTER, MORE EFFECTIVE RESEARCH SYSTEMS

Strengthening national research capability

Key Actions

  • Modern digital grant and evaluation systems

  • Faster assessment and approval pathways

  • Improved research quality and impact tools

  • Strengthened coordination with universities and industry

Outcome: A more agile, responsive national research system.

 

2. STRONGER SOVEREIGN RESEARCH CAPABILITY

Building Australian capability for global leadership

Key Actions

  • Specialist research and innovation teams

  • National research data and modelling platform

  • Strengthened oversight and governance

  • Expanded research workforce planning

Outcome: A more resilient, future‑focused research ecosystem.

 

3. A MODERN, RESILIENT ARC WORKFORCE

Supporting the people who support Australia’s research future

Key Actions

  • Workforce wellbeing and retention programs

  • Specialist training pathways

  • Diversity and inclusion initiatives

  • Modern digital and analytical tools

Outcome: A strong, supported ARC workforce.

 

4. BETTER INTEGRATION WITH GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITIES & INDUSTRY

One national research and innovation ecosystem

Key Actions

  • Integrated data‑sharing platforms

  • Stronger partnerships with universities, TAFEs, and industry

  • National community and regional engagement

  • Shared analytics and intelligence systems

Outcome: A more coordinated, community‑connected research network.

 

5. A MORE INNOVATIVE, FUTURE‑READY AUSTRALIA

Supporting researchers, institutions, and communities

Key Actions

  • Early‑career researcher support and mentoring

  • Industry collaboration and commercialisation pathways

  • First Nations research leadership and knowledge systems

  • Public transparency and open data

Outcome: A more innovative, skilled, and globally competitive nation.