The Australian Research Council (ARC) has announced the release of a new calendar which provides greater clarity on the timing of competitive grant rounds, including the fortnight in which grant outcomes will be announced.

Published following consultation with the research sector and in response to a Letter of Expectations from the Minister of Education, The Honourable Jason Clare MP, the calendar is being welcomed by Macquarie University staff.

“This is the ARC acknowledging that we need to know outcomes of a scheme before we can affectively submit applications for the next,” says Dr Erin Semon, the Director of Research Grants and Awards in Research Services. “It provides greater transparency for our researchers and allows our Grant Development Team to proactively plan for the cycle of awards and ensure researchers have the information they need sooner.”

Uncertainty around the timing of grant outcomes can be a considerable source of anxiety for researchers who rely on external funding to continue their research work.

“Sometimes a second round of funding had been announced while staff were still waiting to hear on their first application,” notes Erin. “Researchers didn’t know if they needed to apply again, or whether they needed to do additional work on their application to ensure a favourable outcome. The calendar will provide greater certainty for all staff involved in the process.”

Recent DECRA awardee Dr Zixin Huang – a Sydney Quantum Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences – says the change will have a positive impact.

“As an ECR, so much is uncertain,” she says. “Knowing when grant outcomes will be announced will help with planning.”

With grant outcomes impacting a number of contingencies down the line ­– including hiring, travel, teaching and academic schedules – the ARC’s new calendar will make life easier for more than just the researchers themselves, notes Professor Louise D’Arcens, Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Arts.

“The ARC calendar is also about making effective planning and support possible within faculties and departments. And in terms of the sector at large, it’s about the Minister and the ARC building a good faith relationship that acknowledges what is happening at the universities,” Louise says.

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