Linkage Projects

Fact Sheet (PDF 249KB)

For information on recently announced grant outcomes under the Linkage Projects scheme please visit the following pages:

Selection Report: Linkage Projects 2024 Round 1
Announcement Kit: Linkage Projects 2024 Round 1 Announcement

The Linkage Program promotes national and international research partnerships between researchers and business, industry, community organisations and other publicly funded research agencies. By supporting the development of partnerships, the ARC encourages the transfer of skills, knowledge and ideas as a basis for securing commercial and other benefits of research.

The Linkage Projects grant opportunity supports projects which initiate or develop long term strategic research alliances to apply advanced knowledge to problems, acquire new knowledge and as a basis for securing commercial and other benefits of research.

To facilitate successful collaboration between higher education institutions and other parts of the innovation system, there are two assessment rounds for Linkage Projects per year.

The Linkage Projects scheme objectives are to:

support internationally competitive research projects and teams on challenges or opportunities of relevance to research end-users;
foster the establishment and strengthening of research alliances between higher education organisations and research end-users;
enhance the scale and focus of research, including in Australian Government priority areas.

Applications for funding under the Linkage Projects scheme must include at least one Partner Organisation. The Partner Organisation must make a contribution in cash and/or in kind to the project. The combined Partner Organisation contributions for an application (i.e. the total of the cash and in-kind contributions of the Partner Organisations) must at least match the total funding requested from the ARC.

The Linkage Projects scheme provides project funding of $50,000 to $300,000 per year for two to five years.

Who is this for?

This scheme is intended to support researchers from higher education organisations and industry to build partnerships with organisations, to conduct research which will benefit the organisations and Australia.

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.

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 Grants Calendar.

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

Key Documents and Information for Linkage Projects 2025

Applicant Feedback

The Linkage Projects scheme provides feedback comments for eligible unsuccessful applications. There are three feedback comments, graded to assist applicants to identify the relative overall position of their application.

Starting from Linkage Projects 2025 Round 1, applicant feedback for the Linkage Projects scheme will align with the feedback provided for most other schemes. Further information is available on the Applicant Feedback page.

Situation	Linkage Projects Standard feedback comment (Unsuccessful)
Applications with a score high enough to be progressed to a meeting, and applications which had a lower score but were progressed to a meeting for discussion.	As a result of assessment scores, Application LPxxxxxxxxx progressed to a selection meeting, however it was not recommended for funding.	Higher score Lower score
Applications which were fast-tracked as low-ranked applications, but which had a score close to progressing to a meeting.	As a result of assessment scores, Application LPxxxxxxxxx was fast-tracked as a low ranked application, did not progress to a selection meeting, and was not recommended for funding. This Application fell just short of the threshold for progressing to a selection meeting at this time.
Applications which were fast-tracked as low-ranked applications.	As a result of assessment scores, Application LPxxxxxxxxx was fast-tracked as a low-ranked application, did not progress to a selection meeting, and was not recommended for funding.

Situation

Linkage Projects Standard feedback comment (Unsuccessful)

Applications with a score high enough to be progressed to a meeting, and applications which had a lower score but were progressed to a meeting for discussion.

As a result of assessment scores, Application LPxxxxxxxxx progressed to a selection meeting, however it was not recommended for funding.

Higher score

Lower score

Applications which were fast-tracked as low-ranked applications, but which had a score close to progressing to a meeting.

As a result of assessment scores, Application LPxxxxxxxxx was fast-tracked as a low ranked application, did not progress to a selection meeting, and was not recommended for funding. This Application fell just short of the threshold for progressing to a selection meeting at this time.

Applications which were fast-tracked as low-ranked applications.

As a result of assessment scores, Application LPxxxxxxxxx was fast-tracked as a low-ranked application, did not progress to a selection meeting, and was not recommended for funding.