Overview The Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme provides focused research support for early career researchers in both teaching and research, and research-only positions. The objectives of Discovery Early Career Researcher Award scheme are to: Support outstanding early-career researchers with demonstrated capacity for high-quality research and emerging capability for leadership and supervision; Foster collaboration, with national or international researchers; Support excellent and innovative research that addresses a significant problem or gap in knowledge and represents value for money; Create new or advanced knowledge resulting from the outcomes of the research with economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits for Australia; Advance promising early career researchers and promote enhanced opportunities for diverse career pathways in high-quality and supportive environments. Selection process Applications for funding commencing in 2026 opened on 30 January 2025 and closed on 18 March 2025. Applications were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines outcomes from the selection process for the DECRA 2026 round. These outcomes are based on advice from the ARC Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) which: assigned independent assessors to review the applications assessed applications and reviewed assessments made by independent assessors reviewed participants’ comments on assessors’ reports ranked each application relative to the others on the basis of the application, the assessors’ reports and participants’ responses to those assessments assessed 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 assessors where required, sought advice from the ARC’s Medical Research Advisory Group made decisions with respect to the eligibility of applications. This report reflects the funding outcomes approved by the ARC Board. Unless otherwise specified, data presented in this report excludes withdrawn applications. Assessment criteria All applications that met the eligibility criteria for the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026 were assessed and merit ranked using the following assessment criteria: a. Investigator/Capability (35%) Describe the: Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE) including record of high quality research outputs appropriate to the discipline/s; capability of candidate to build collaborations both within Australia and internationally. b. Project quality and innovation (35%) Describe the: contribution to an important gap in knowledge or significant problem; innovation of the research in the context of recent international advances in research in this area; clarity of the major research questions; cohesiveness of the project design and implementation plan (including the appropriateness of the aim, conceptual framework, method, data and/or analyses); and extent 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 (2018); and The project’s understanding of, and proposed strategies to adhere to, the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2020) and NHMRC’s guidelines on Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities (2018). c. 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; and potential contribution to capacity in the Australian Government priority areas. d. Feasibility (15%) Describe the: cost-effectiveness of the research and its value for money; feasibility of the research (including contribution of the project’s design and participants and resources to the timely completion of the project); supportive environment for the DECRA candidate and their project including resources and development opportunities the organisation will provide for the candidate; and availability of the necessary facilities to complete the project Assessment process The ARC assessment process for Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026 involved 92 Selection Advisory Committee members across 5 discipline panels and was managed in the RMS. A total of 3436 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC. Funding levels and duration DECRA’s are funded for three consecutive years on a full-time basis. The annual salary contribution is fixed at $126,693 (2025$), including 30 per cent on-costs. In addition, the ARC may provide up to $50,000 in project costs per annum. Summary of outcomes The ARC received a total of 1534 applications for Discovery Early Career Researcher Award for funding commencing in 2026, of which 2 applications were withdrawn. Two hundred Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards are approved for funding commencing in 2026, shown in Table 1. The overall success rate for Discovery Early Career Researcher Award for funding commencing in 2026 is 13.1 per cent. A comparison of success rates and funding amounts is shown in Table 1. Of the unsuccessful applications, 9 were found not to meet eligibility requirements. Table 1. Comparison of application numbers, success rates, requested and allocated funds for approved Discovery Early Career Researcher Award applications from 2025 to 2026 Funding year Applications considered Applications approved Success rate (%) Requested funds over project life for all applications considered ($) Requested funds over project life for approved applications ($) Funds allocated over project life for approved applications ($) 2025 1120 200 17.9 526,216,969 94,552,531 92,996,128 2026 1532 200 13.1 785,302,227 103,169,415 102,793,175 Outcomes by discipline A summary of outcomes by discipline panel is shown in Table 2. Table 2. Application numbers, success rates and requested and allocated funds for approved Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026 applications by discipline Discipline* Applications considered Applications approved Success 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 ($) Return rate for approved applications (%) BSB 269 35 13.0 139,899,359 18,218,119 18,149,129 99.6 EIC 515 67 13.0 264,741,757 34,603,442 34,375,606 99.3 HCA 183 24 13.1 92,203,351 12,518,527 12,518,527 100 MPCE 235 31 13.2 119,262,691 15,759,724 15,717,465 99.7 SBE 330 43 13.0 169,195,069 22,069,603 22,032,448 99.8 Total 1532 200 13.1 785,302,227 103,169,415 102,793,175 99.6 * BSB – Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; EIC – Engineering, Information and Computing Sciences; HCA – Humanities and Creative Arts; MPCE – Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences; SBE – Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences Outcomes by Administering Organisation A summary of outcomes by Administering Organisation is shown in Table 3. Table 3. Numbers of applications and success rates for approved Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026 applications by Administering Organisation Administering Organisation Applications considered Applications approved Success rate (%) Funds over project life for approved applications ($) Australian Capital Territory 99 18 18.2 9,406,458 The Australian National University 92 16 17.4 8,374,861 University of Canberra 7 2 28.6 1,031,597 New South Wales 457 61 13.3 31,304,005 Australian Catholic University 10 0 0 0 Charles Sturt University 7 2 28.6 1,017,089 Macquarie University 47 10 21.3 5,251,812 Southern Cross University 6 1 16.7 528,629 The University of New England 8 1 12.5 456,549 The University of New South Wales 136 12 8.8 5,991,638 The University of Newcastle 17 4 23.5 2,102,280 The University of Sydney 141 18 12.8 9,357,521 University of Technology Sydney 57 8 14.0 4,123,004 University of Wollongong 16 4 25 1,999,994 Western Sydney University 12 1 8.3 475,489 Northern Territory 9 1 11.1 521,822 Charles Darwin University 9 1 11.1 521,822 Queensland 278 29 10.4 14,783,902 Central Queensland University 5 1 20 529,993 Griffith University 37 5 13.5 2,566,982 James Cook University 6 0 0 0 Queensland University of Technology 52 5 9.6 2,529,831 The University of Queensland 151 16 10.6 8,097,018 University of Southern Queensland 20 1 5 529,999 University of the Sunshine Coast 7 1 14.3 530,079 South Australia 116 17 14.7 8,724,732 Flinders University 27 7 25.9 3,672,878 The University of Adelaide 67 9 13.4 4,539,089 Torrens University 2 0 0 0 University of South Australia 20 1 5 512,765 Tasmania 17 0 0 0 University of Tasmania 17 0 0 0 Victoria 462 58 12.6 29,899,258 Deakin University 41 2 4.9 1,057,244 La Trobe University 34 1 2.9 508,923 Monash University 128 25 19.5 12,854,536 RMIT University 55 6 10.9 3,123,875 Swinburne University of Technology 24 1 4.2 526,081 The University of Melbourne 172 21 12.2 10,827,308 Victoria University 8 2 25 1,001,291 Western Australia 94 16 17.0 8,152,998 Curtin University 39 7 17.9 3,517,324 Edith Cowan University 9 1 11.1 500,713 Murdoch University 6 0 0 0 The University of Notre Dame Australia 5 3 60 1,550,012 The University of Western Australia 35 5 14.3 2,584,949 Total 1532 200 13.1 102,793,175 Career age and gender Of the 1532 participants in this round, 616 were woman or female, 880 were man or male, 5 preferred a different term, 12 were non-binary, 17 preferred not to answer, and 2 chose not to specify their gender. The success rate for woman or female, man or male, non-binary, different term, no answer and unspecified participants in this round is 13.8%, 12.3%, 20%, 16.7%, 17.6% and 50% respectively. Success rates of participants by career age and gender in the current Discovery Early Career Researcher Award round are presented in Figure 1. At the closing time of submission of applications, of the 1532 participants, 1097 were within five years of the award of their PhD and 435 were beyond 5 years of the award of their PhD. Of the approved Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards, 146 participants were within five years of the award of their PhD and 54 were beyond five years of the award of their PhD. To be eligible to apply for Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, the latter group of researchers had their significant career interruptions certified by their Administering Organisation. Figure 1. Participation and success rate of participants in Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026 by gender and career age*^ * Career age is calculated as years since PhD based on the earliest qualification held by the participant. ^ Calculated career age does not take career interruptions into consideration. Gender by Panel Table 4. Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026: Gender by Discipline Panel - submission and award numbers, and success rates Panel# Woman or female submitted Woman or female funded Woman or female success rate (%) Man or male submitted Man or male funded Man or male success rate (%) Other Gender* submitted Other Gender* funded Other Gender* success rate (%) BSB 117 12 10.3 146 22 15.1 6 1 16.7 EIC 121 17 14.0 387 47 12.1 7 3 42.9 HCA 115 17 14.8 64 7 10.9 4 0 0.0 MPCE 75 14 18.7 154 17 11.0 6 0 0.0 SBE 188 25 13.3 129 15 11.6 13 3 23.1 Grand Total 616 85 13.8 880 108 12.3 36 7 19.4 #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 Sciences. *Other Gender includes Different term, Non-binary, Prefer not to answer, or Unspecified gender categories. Figure 2. Participation and success rate of Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026 participant by gender and panel# #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 Sciences Attracting and retaining outstanding researchers Applications were open to Eligible Organisations to nominate participants who are promising early career researchers, resident either within Australia or overseas (Table 5). Table 5. Citizenship/residency status of Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026 participants and approved Awardees Citizenship/residency status Applications considered % of Applications considered Applications approved Success rate (%) Foreign Nationals 351 22.9 47 13.4 Resident Australians 1075 70.2 140 13.0 Returning Australians 106 6.9 13 12.3 Total 1532 100 200 13.1 Note: All totals and percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum. International Collaboration Among 1532 of the applications considered, applicants foreshadowed 3018 instances of collaboration with researchers in 119 overseas locations. Of the applications approved for funding, applicant’s foreshadowed 461 instances of collaboration with researchers in 56 overseas locations (Figure 3). Figure 3. International collaborations by location in approved Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026 applications* *The top 10 international collaboration locations are listed in Figure 3 and the remaining are grouped in the ‘Other’ category.