Scheme Calendar

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has released the 2025-26 National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) Scheme Calendar, providing indicative timings to support planning for participants and research administrators.

The 2025-26 Scheme calendar sets out the anticipated key timeframes for seven upcoming NCGP schemes:

  • Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
  • Future Fellowships
  • Discovery Projects
  • Linkage Projects
  • Industrial Transformation Research Hubs
  • Industrial Transformation Training Centres
  • Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities

The NCGP Policy Review Final Report remains under consideration by the Australian Government. To maintain continuity and certainty for the research sector, two additional schemes will be added to the 2025-26 Scheme Calendar:

  • Australian Laureate Fellowships 2027
  • Discovery Indigenous 2027

Six existing NCGP schemes remain paused pending the finalisation of the NCGP Policy Review:

  • Industry Laureate Fellowships
  • Mid-Career Industry Fellowships
  • Early Career Industry Fellowships

3-year cycle:

  • ARC Centres of Excellence

Occasional:

  • Special Research Initiative
  • Learned Academies Special Projects

For grant commencement and active project assessment dates, please refer to the webpage: Important Dates for ARC Grant Application Process.

Note:

  1. In the event of a change to the scheme calendar, the ARC will notify the sector.
  2. For all schemes the closing time for Requests Not to Assess, Applications Close and Rejoinders is 5:00pm Canberra time on the dates provided.

NCGP Scheme Calendar 2024–25

Last updated 12 January 2026

Scheme round Submission Request Not To Assess Rejoinder SAC Announcement

Schemes opening after 1 July 2024.

The timing for schemes opening after 1 July 2024 has been adjusted in line with the legal requirements of the amended ARC Act.

All dates are indicative and may be subject to change.
Discovery Projects Expression of Interest
(DP26 EOI)

31 October to

13 December 2024

31 October to

26 November 2024

 N/A N/A 26 to 28 February 2025
Discovery Projects
(DP26)

5 March to        

16 April 2025

 N/A

30 June to     

11 July 2025

 25 to 29 August 2025 16 to 30 October 2025
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
(LE26)

22 January to

9 April 2025

22 January to

26 March 2025

25 June to    

8 July 2025

 2 to 3 September 2025 14 to 28 November 2025
Linkage Projects
(LP25 R1)

12 December 2024 to 

26 March 2025

12 December 2024 to 

12 March 2025

28 May to     

11 June 2025

 29 to 31 July 2025 16 to 29 October 2025
Linkage Projects
(LP25 R2)

3 April to 

23 July 2025

3 April to 

9 July 2025

17 September to

1 October 2025

 18 to 21 November 2025

20 March to           

19 June 2026

NCGP Scheme Calendar 2025–26

Scheme round Submission Request Not To Assess Rejoinder SAC Announcement

Schemes opening after 1 July 2025.

The timing for schemes opening after 1 July 2024 has been adjusted in line with the legal requirements of the amended ARC Act.

All dates are indicative and may be subject to change.
Industrial Transformation Research Program
(IC26 & IH26)

17 September to

26 November 2025

17 September to

11 November 2025

29 January to

11 February 2026

25 March to

26 March 2026

9 July to                      

8 October 2026
Future Fellowships
(FT26)

24 September to

5 November 2025

24 September to

22 October 2025

12 February to

25 February 2026

20 April to

24 April 2026

13 August to                

23 October 2026
Discovery Projects Expression of Interest
(DP27 EOI)

3 November to

12 December 2025

3 November to

28 November 2025

 N/A N/A

25 February to

27 February 2026
Linkage Projects
(LP26)

14 January to

18 March 2026

14 January to

4 March 2026

27 May to

10 June 2026

27 July to

31 July 2026

10 December 2026 to 

9 March 2027
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
(LE27)

22 January to

9 April 2026

22 January to

26 March 2026

17 June to

30 June 2026

10 August to

14 August 2026

22 December 2026 to

16 March 2027
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
(DE27)

28 January to

11 March 2026

28 January to

25 February 2026

25 May to

5 June 2026

20 July to

31 July 2026

10 December 2026 to 

9 March 2027
Discovery Projects
(DP27)

2 March to

22 April 2026

 N/A

23 June to

6 July 2026

17 August to

28 August 2026

15 January to           

15 April 2027
Australian Laureate Fellowships (FL27)

17 March to      

30 April 2026

17 March to    

16 April 2026

2 July to         

15 July 2026

31 August to   

1 September 2026

18 February to         

17 May 2027
Discovery Indigenous (IN27)

2 June to        

25 August 2026

2 June to         

11 August 2026

18 November to 

1 December 2026

2 February to 

3 February 2027

23 June to               

23 September 2027

The National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) is currently undergoing a comprehensive review. As a result, existing programs and schemes are expected to evolve, with changes being progressively introduced to improve transparency, security, and alignment with national priorities.

For information on the review, see: