Linkage Projects 2020 Round 3 Announcement Banner

ARC Industry Fellowships

The Industry Fellowships Program (IFP) is a suite of three new fellowship schemes under the ARC’s Linkage Program. These schemes were announced as part of the University Research Commercialisation Action Plan.

The schemes create a pathway to support academic researchers in establishing careers in industry, and industry-based researchers to work in university settings, with the aim of increased two-way mobility and skill-building in research collaboration, translation and commercialisation.

Program objectives

There are three levels in the IFP: Early Career Industry Fellowships, Mid-Career Industry Fellowships, and Industry Laureate Fellowships. All levels seek to: 

  • develop a strong pipeline of researchers in Australia with capabilities in research collaboration, translation and commercialisation; 
  • open up and maintain a diversity of career pathways traversing university and industry settings; 
  • increase strategic engagement and alignment between universities and industry;  
  • contribute to the solving of industry-identified challenges and opportunities; and 
  • create commercial, economic and other benefits for Australia through enhanced translation and commercialisation, including the development of start-up companies.  

Each level also has specific aims:

Early Career Industry Fellowships 

  • develop the industry collaboration skills of early career researchers;  

  • support early career researchers to achieve translatable and/or commercialisable outcomes. 

Mid-Career Industry Fellowships 

  • strengthen the industry collaboration skills of mid-career researchers  

  • encourage uptake of a wider range of career options for established researchers; and 

  • supervise and develop future research and nurture their development of collaboration, commercialisation and translation skills; and 

  • deliver significant, actionable outcomes for industry partners and end-users. 

Industry Laureate Fellowships 

  • provide leadership in the development of high quality and impactful collaborations between university and industry personnel; 

  • fund significant programs of research that deliver step-changes across a variety of industry settings; 

  • provide an excellent research training environment and exemplary mentorship to nurture the development of collaboration, commercialisation and translation skills among early career researchers and Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students; and 

  • attract and retain, within Australia, outstanding researchers and research leaders of international reputation with demonstrated capacity for collaboration, commercialisation and/or translation. 

 

Who is this for?

This Program is intended to support researchers from industry as well as university settings, for example:

Early Career Industry Fellows

Mid-Career Industry Fellows

Industry Laureate Fellows

Postdocs seeking to build industry experience and expertise.

Researchers wanting to build industry connections and tackle a new industry problem.

Senior Researcher, with an exemplary record of research translation, who wants to build the next generation in their field.

Career researchers from industry looking to return to the university system to work on industry problems.

Professionals looking to strengthen university connections and research skills.

Chief Technology Officer looking to build and transform an emerging industry.

 

Program requirements

The Grant Guidelines outline the specific requirements for each scheme. In general, applicants will require:

  • A significant industry or end-user defined research challenge or opportunity;
  • An industry or end-user partner who will support them in undertaking this research, including by providing appropriate facilities and access for the duration of the fellowship; and
  • A university who will act as their host, and through which grant funds will be administered.

Fellows must spend time undertaking research in both the university and industry setting.

Program benefits

Successful applicants will be provided with:

  • Early Career Industry Fellowships
    • salary contribution for the Early Career Industry Fellow, for up to 3 years (full time equivalent)
    • project costs up to $150,000
  • Mid-Career Industry Fellowships
    • salary contribution for the Mid-Career Industry Fellow, for up to 4 years (full time equivalent)
    • Project costs up to $290,000
  • Industry Laureate Fellowships
    • salary contribution to the Industry Laureate Fellow, for up to 5 years (full time equivalent)
    • project costs up to $1.5 million
    • up to $20,000 pa. to support ambassadorial work
    • stipend support for two Postgraduate Researchers
    • salary support for two Postdoctoral Research associates

How do I apply?

University Research Offices manage applications for any ARC scheme. Interested researchers should contact the relevant Research Office who will assist in preparing and submitting an application through the ARC’s Research Management System (RMS).

How do I find out more?.

The Grant Guidelines provide further detail on the schemes, including eligibility requirements and assessment criteria. These are published on Grant Connect.

Opening and closing dates are listed on the ARC’s Grant's Calendar.

A presentation on key features of the Industry Fellowships Program is available here: Industry Fellowships Scheme Webinar. This presentation outlines some of the aspects of the program differ from previous schemes, including:

  • Quicker outcomes – from close of applications to announcement in less than 6 months. As part of this, the Program does not have rejoinders.
  • More flexible settings, including in relation to career stage and qualifications
  • Simpler guidelines and application forms.

FAQs (available through Grant Connect) have been updated to include questions and answers from the webinars to date.

If you are an applicant and have any queries about these schemes please contact a university research office in the first instance.

Key Documents

Contact

The ARC can be contacted for queries about the Industry Fellowships Program at NCGP@arc.gov.au. 

Back to top