Policy Review of the National Competitive Grants Program

NCGP via regionally-targeted funding 4 POLICY REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM PURPOSE AND IMPACT OF ARC RESEARCH GRANTS Future-focused objectives of the NCGP Driving the future impact of the NCGP RUN welcomes the development of more While there were limited programs explicit and overarching (draft) objectives in place to support translation and of the NCGP, as reflected in the re. [...] While there is have a broad view of the research and nothing wrong with the increased focus on development landscape beyond that of applied research, this should not come at just the National Science and Research the expense of basic research. [...] The NCGP needs to ensure that early career researchers, women, Indigenous To increase the benefits of Australia’s and underrepresented groups, including research knowledge stock, RUN recognises researchers at regional universities, are the need to increase the number of First able to access research grants and can Nations PhD students as well as those experience the career certainty that is with a. [...] important to acknowledge that the ARC is fundamentally designed to support RUN would like to see a more reliably fundamental research and this needs to consistent, and transparent split of funding be a core function of the NCGP. [...] While the between different ARC programs as to application of research is important, there enable a degree of surety for Australia’s a range of other programs to take the research sector, especially between basic outcomes of research further along the and applied research.