DECRA Fellowships
Status: DECRA 2026
Internal deadlines
Please note applications for DE26 will now be submitted to the ARC in March 2025 rather than late 2024.
Stage | REQUIRED? | SUBMISSION |
---|---|---|
**NEW PROCESS** Applicants to contact faculty/institute Research office to check their nomination process. Applicants approved by faculty to submit NOIS via online form FoH applicants – FoH Nomination Form required | M | Monday 18th November 2024 Any queries, please email Deakin Research Grants |
DE26 scheme opens in RMS | n/a M | Thursday 30th January 2025 |
Supported applicants contact Deakin Research Office to arrange an external review of their proposal | O | Email Deakin Research Grants |
Final application submitted to Research Office via RMS | M | Via RMS - Submit to Research Office (from) Tuesday 18th February 2025 |
Request Not to Assess | O | New process - Submit to the Research office Via RMS. Further instructions will be sent to all applicants closer to the submission date. Wednesday 26th February 2025 (due at Research Office) |
O - Optional / M - Mandatory
Overview - based on Discovery Fellowships Grant Guidelines 2023 edition
A scheme for early career researchers (ECRs), which forms a part of the ARC's Discovery program. The objectives of the DECRA grant opportunity 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; and
- advance promising early career researchers and promote enhanced opportunities for diverse career pathways in high-quality and supportive environments.
DECRAs will be awarded funding in 2026 for a period of up to 3 years on a full time-basis. A researcher may only apply for up to 2 DECRAs over the period in which they are eligible.
DE26 is open to applicants who have been awarded a PhD on or after 1 March 2020, or have an award of PhD date together with an allowable period of career interruptions that would be commensurate with an award of PhD date on, or after 1 March 2020. The allowable career interruptions set out and the period allowed for each are in Table 8 of the Discovery Fellowships Grant Guidelines 2023 edition. Dates for DE26 TBC
Funding amounts
ARC funding :
Up to a maximum of $162,897 per year of funding. Per annum salary contribution from the ARC is fixed at $112,897 (inc. 30% on costs) and up to a maximum of $50,000 for project costs per year.
PhD stipend rates (DE25, DE26 TBC):
- ARC - $32,212 pa
- Deakin - $34,400 pa
How to apply
- Read the Grant Guidelines, Instructions to Applicants and FAQs
- Liaise with your mentor and your faculty/institute Research office to check their nomination process.
- Complete the NOIS via online form
DR Grants liaise with Faculty / IFM / IISRI/ A2I2 / ADI to get an approved NOIS list
- Applicants will receive further information on the next steps in the process from DR Grants
- Contact the Deakin Library team via this form to assist with Research Metrics.
- Applicants to commence application in the ARC Research Management System – RMS.
- Use the Deakin University templates provided below and liaise with the DR-Grants ARC team as necessary
- Complete submission of your application via RMS to the Research Office for compliance checking by the date selected via Eventbrite booking.
Documents and information
The ARC will no longer publish scheme specific documents on its website, but will make these available through GrantConnect. Links to scheme specific documents can be found below.
Policies and Strategies can still be found on the ARC website.
ARC documents
- Grant Guidelines and summary of changes to Grant Guidelines for DE25 submissions
- Instructions to Applicants
- DRAFT Funding Agreement DE25
- Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
- DE25 Sample form
ARC Policies
- Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE) Statement
- ARC Medical Research Policy, FAQs and examples
- ARC Research Integrity and Research Misconduct Policy
- ARC Open Access Policy for publications arising from ARC funded projects.
- ARC Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy
- National Principles of Intellectual Property Management for Publicly Funded Research
- ARC’s Policy on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the ARC’s grants programs
Templates, forms and tools
- B4 - Research Load - non ARC Grants
- B8 - Details of the DECRA candidate career
- C1 - Project Description
- C2 - Administering Organisation letter of support
- D2 - Justification of non-salary funding from the ARC
- D3 - Details of Non-ARC Contributions
Templates, certification forms and other resources are available below, or will be made available as relevant information is released by the ARC.
Templates:
Other resources:
- Deakin Library Research Metrics Request Form
- Compliance Checklist
- Guidance sheet for Statement by the Administering Organisation
- Budget and Justification Guide
- General Guidance sheet for completing ARC Project Budgets
- Eligibility Exemption Request - please email Deakin Research Grants if you need to discuss your eligibility.
- Deakin University Salary Calculator
- Form to access library of successful DECRA applications