OverviewThe Discovery Projects scheme reflects the Australian Government’s commitment to excellence in research by supporting grant funding to support research projects that may be undertaken by individual researchers or research teams.The objectives of the Discovery Projects scheme are to:support excellent pure basic, strategic basic and applied research, and research training, across all disciplines excluding clinical and other medical research, that addresses a significant problem or gap in knowledge and represents value for money;expand research capacity in Australia by supporting excellent researchers and teams;foster national and international research collaboration;create new knowledge with economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia; andenhance the scale and focus of research in Australian Government priority areas.Selection processApplications for funding commencing in 2025 opened on 11 April 2024 and closed on 4 June 2024. Only shortlisted applicants from the Discovery Projects Expression of Interest (EOI) for funding commencing in 2025 round were invited to submit their full application in the Discovery Projects 2025 round. All Discovery Projects 2025 data provided below relates to the full application round only. A separate selection outcomes report has been produced for the EOI stage. Applications were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines outcomes from the selection process for that round. These recommendations are based on advice from the ARC Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) which:assigned independent assessors to review the applicationsassessed applications and reviewed assessments made by independent assessorsreviewed candidates’ comments on assessors’ reportsranked each application relative to the others on the basis of the application, the assessors’ reports and candidates’ responses to those assessmentsassessed and recommended budgets; and, advice from the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) Eligibility Committee which:considered eligibility issues identified by ARC staff, the members of the ARC College of Experts or independent assessorswhere required, sought advice from the ARC’s Medical Research Advisory Groupmade recommendations to the CEO in respect of ineligible applications.This report reflects the outcomes approved by the Minister. Unless otherwise specified, data represented in this report exclude withdrawn applications.Assessment criteriaAll applications that meet the eligibility criteria for the Discovery Projects 2025 applications were assessed and merit ranked using the following assessment criteria:Investigator(s)/Capability (30%)Taking into account research opportunity,Record of high-quality research outputs appropriate to the discipline(s)evidence of excellence in research training, mentoring and supervision (where appropriate); andthe capability of the investigator or team to build collaborations both within Australia and internationally.Project quality and innovation (45%)contribution to an important gap in knowledge or significant problem;novelty/originality and innovation of the proposed research (including any new methods, technologies, theories or ideas that will be developed);clarity of the hypothesis, theories and research questions;cohesiveness of the project design and implementation plan (including the appropriateness of the aim, conceptual framework, method, data and/or analyses); andextent to which the research has the potential to enhance international collaboration.If the project involves Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander research additional criteria include: the project’s level of collaboration, engagement, relationship building and benefit sharing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and First Nations Organisations and Communities;the project’s strategy and mechanisms for Indigenous research capacity building within the project;the project’s level of internal leadership of Indigenous research;The project’s adherence to the Australian Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles; andThe project’s understanding of, and proposed strategies to adhere to, the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research and NHMRC’s guidelines on Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities.Benefit (15%)Describe the potential benefits including the:new or advanced knowledge resulting from outcomes of the research;economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia and international communities; andpotential contribution to capacity in the Australian Government priority areas.Feasibility (10%)Describe the:cost-effectiveness of the research and its value for money;time and capacity of investigator or team to undertake the research;suitability of the environment for the research team and their project, and for HDR students where appropriate;availability of the necessary facilities to complete the project; andextent to which the project’s design, participants and requested budget create confidence in the timely and successful completion of the project.Assessment processThe ARC assessment process for Discovery Projects 2025 involved 70 College of Experts members across five discipline panels and was managed in RMS. A total of 3260 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC.Funding levels and durationFunding of between $30,000 and $500,000 per annum for up to 5 consecutive years may be awarded for each Discovery Project application.Summary of outcomesThe ARC received a total of 1133 applications for Discovery Projects for funding commencing in 2025, of which one application was withdrawn.A total of 536 projects are approved for funding commencing in 2025, shown in Table 1. The overall success rate for Discovery Projects for funding commencing in 2025 is 47.3 per cent. A comparison of success rates and funding amounts with the previous round is shown in Table 1.Of the unsuccessful applications in 2025, eight were found not to meet eligibility requirements.Table 1. Comparison of application numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for approved Discovery Projects applications from 2024 to 2025Funding yearApplications consideredApplications approvedSuccess rate (%)Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($)Funds allocated over project life for approved applications ($)Return rate for approved applications (%)2024259042116.3$1,651,322,807$275,707,441$220,182,44179.92025113253647.3$855,492,724$396,059,920$342,168,48986.4Outcomes by project disciplineA summary of outcomes by project discipline is shown in Table 2.Table 2. Application numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved Discovery Projects 2025 applications by disciplineDiscipline*Applications consideredApplications approvedSuccess rate (%)Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($)Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($)Funds over project life for approved applications ($)Return Rate for approved applications (%)BSB29013646.9$251,393,182$116,838,526$102,177,13087.5EIC27412846.7$197,412,204$91,909,141$78,003,37384.9HCA1377051.1$86,377,285$42,216,896$36,869,59987.3MPCE20410652$152,430,032$78,354,138$64,861,18782.8SBE2279642.3$167,880,021$66,741,219$60,257,20090.3Total113253647.3$855,492,724$396,059,920$342,168,48986.4* BSB – Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EIC – Engineering, Information and Computing Sciences, HCA – Humanities and Creative Arts; MPCE – Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences; SBE – Social, Behavioural and Economic SciencesNote - Project Discipline is determined by the primary FoR codes provided in the application.Outcomes by Administering OrganisationA summary of outcomes by Administering Organisation is shown in Table 3.Table 3. Numbers of applications and success rates for approved Discovery Projects 2025 applications by Administering OrganisationAdministering OrganisationApplications ConsideredApplications approvedSuccess rate (%)Funds over project life for approved applications ($)Australian Capital Territory713549.3$22,236,550The Australian National University683348.5$19,744,798University of Canberra3266.7$2,491,752New South Wales36218049.7$113,968,308Australian Catholic University10550.0$2,528,350Charles Sturt University5360.0$1,346,148Macquarie University281139.3$7,023,736Southern Cross University11100.0$597,196The University of New England200$0The University of New South Wales1186454.2$41,014,942The University of Newcastle16531.3$3,173,596The University of Sydney1165749.1$36,850,123University of Technology Sydney371848.6$9,822,487University of Wollongong15640.0$3,439,986Western Sydney University141071.4$8,171,744Northern Territory33100$3,046,359Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education11100.0$999,608Charles Darwin University22100.0$2,046,751Queensland1939649.7$60,141,538Central Queensland University4125.0$877,410Griffith University271244.4$7,218,149James Cook University7571.4$2,704,730Queensland University of Technology341647.1$9,873,318The University of Queensland1105650.9$35,498,959University of Southern Queensland6350.0$1,771,452University of the Sunshine Coast5360.0$2,197,520South Australia823441.5$21,845,163Flinders University231043.5$6,761,547The University of Adelaide421740.5$10,782,897Torrens University Australia11100.0$767,899University of South Australia16637.5$3,532,820Tasmania12650.0$4,019,860University of Tasmania12650.0$4,019,860Victoria35415844.6$101,485,743Deakin University27829.6$4,756,429La Trobe University23939.1$5,734,175Monash University1507248.0$49,370,062RMIT University221359.1$7,189,703Swinburne University of Technology11545.5$2,690,390The University of Melbourne1165144.0$31,744,984Victoria University500$0Western Australia552443.6$15,424,968Curtin University16637.5$3,456,227Edith Cowan University22100.0$823,208Murdoch University100$0The University of Notre Dame Australia100$0The University of Western Australia351645.7$11,145,533Total113253647.3$342,168,489Career age and genderOf the 2922 Chief Investigators (CIs) considered in this round, 1120 (38.33%) were female, 1782 (60.99%) were male, 0 (0.00%) were indeterminate/intersex, and 20 (0.68%) were unspecified. The success rate for female, male, and unspecified CIs is 46.61 per cent, 47.03 per cent, and 45.00 per cent respectively.Success rates of CIs by career age and gender in Discovery Projects 2025 round are presented in Figure 1. CIs who did not specify the date of completion of their PhD or equivalent or who do not hold a PhD are not represented in the figure below.Figure 1. Participation and success rate of CIs in Discovery Project 2025 by gender and career age*^ * Career age is calculated as years since PhD based on the relevant qualification as selected in the application.^ Calculated career age does not take career interruptions into consideration. Gender by Project DisciplineTable 4. Discovery Projects 2025: Gender by Project Discipline– submission numbers, applications approved and success ratesProject DisciplineFemale consideredFemale approvedFemale success rate Male consideredMale approved Male success rate Unsp* consideredUnsp* approvedUnsp* success rateBSB23211248.28%41418745.17%5240.00%EIC1496442.95%54925846.99%6233.33%HCA24812952.02%1719756.73%3266.67%MPCE1296651.16%37218950.81%3133.33%SBE38115540.68%31912940.44%3266.67%Grand Total113952646.18%182586047.12%20945.00%Note – The data provided in the above table is a representation of all Chief Investigators listed on applications considered in DP25. Project Discipline is determined by the primary FoR codes provided in the application. *Unsp - UnspecifiedTable 5. Discovery Projects 2025: Lead Chief Investigator Gender by Project Discipline– submission numbers, applications approved and success ratesProject DisciplineFemale consideredFemale approved Female success rateMale consideredMale approved Male success rateUnsp* consideredUnsp* approved Unsp* success rateBSB864552.33%2039144.83%100.00%EIC532649.06%22010246.36%100.00%HCA833946.99%533056.60%11100.00%MPCE412253.66%1608351.88%3133.33%SBE1004343.00%1275341.73%00N/AGrand Total36317548.21%76335947.05%6233.33%Note – The data provided in the above table is a representation of the Lead Chief Investigators listed on applications considered in DP25. Project Discipline is determined by the primary FoR codes provided in the application. *Unsp - UnspecifiedFigure 2. Participation and success rates of Discovery Projects 2025 Chief Investigators by gender and project discipline International CollaborationAmong 1132 of the applications considered, applicants foreshadowed 1947 instances of collaboration with researchers in 90 overseas locations. Of the applications approved for funding, 416 foreshadowed 958 instances of collaboration with researchers in 65 overseas locations (Figure 3).Figure 3. International collaborations by location in approved Discovery Projects 2025 applications* *The top 10 international collaboration locations are listed in Figure 3 and the remaining locations are grouped in the ‘Other’ category.