New ARC Fellowships program to boost industry research capabilities

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Image credit: ARC

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has launched Industry Fellowships, a $215 million program that would provide a boost for research aimed at addressing critical challenges in the industry. 

The program, which will officially roll out in September, will help industry-based researchers find a university or institution they can partner with and connect academia-based researchers with a company, government entity, or charity. 

The four-year program will support up to 83 industry fellows in early, mid, and senior roles annually to explore opportunities in both industry and academia for research collaboration, translation, and commercialisation. 

Judi Zielke, chief executive officer of ARC, said the initiative will increase the strategic engagement and alignment between universities and industry. 

According to Zielke, the scheme will streamline the translation of research skills and knowledge into real-world applications. 

“Australia can only benefit from a boost to the amount of research and development done in an industry setting, and that’s one of the aims of the Industry Fellowships,” Zielke said. 

The Industry Fellowships will also provide support for senior researchers that seek to nurture the next generation of research talent in an industry setting. 

“The ARC has worked hard to make these schemes accessible to researchers with an industry background, to break down the barriers that exist between research conducted in an industry setting, and that based in universities.”

Guidelines for the program have been published on GrantConnect, while key dates for the scheme are outlined on ARC’s Grant Calendar.