New research funding to address intelligence and national security threats

A new research grants program is designed to boost innovation and support national intelligence and security research in Australia. The Office of National Intelligence (ONI) and the Department of Defence’s National Security Science and Technology Centre (NSSTC) are funding the National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grants (NISDRG) program, which will total $18million.  The grants will help deepen understanding of emerging science and technology to address intelligence and national security interests.

Through the program, the national intelligence and security communities will systematically engage with Australian researchers to work together on significant intelligence and security challenges.

The grants will support research aligned with priorities identified by the Australian Government in the Intelligence Challenges and National Security Challenges developed under the broad National Security Science and Technology Priorities. It is anticipated the NISDRG program will fund about 12 research grants per year between $400,000 and $600,000 per grant, for a period of up to three years.

Applications will be managed by the Australian Research Council (ARC) on behalf of the ONI and NSSTC. The ARC has long-standing experience in the allocation of research grants through competitive peer review processes.

Applications for grants will open on 27 October 2020 and close on 16 December 2020.

Further information for potential applicants is available at www.arc.gov.au/research-grants-services.