Career disruptions
General Information
Funders often have very clear definitions and timeframes to assist someone determining whether career disruptions can be included as part of a grant application process to bring them into the eligible window. Often, they require the Research Office to hold some form of evidence, should the funder seek further clarifications.
Career disruptions are not the same as relative to opportunity (also known as career circumstances or research opportunity), which is usually far less strict in its allowable inclusions and does not impact eligibility.
The Research Office can assist you in interpreting these criteria and determine the nature of the evidence required. Please contact the Pre-award team should this be relevant to you when considering your application.
The tool below can assist you with calculating your eligibility. Please note, if you are applying for an NHMRC, ARC or MRFF grant a specific tool may be available, please see the scheme website.
Eligibility Exemption Calculator (XLSX, 21.8 KB)
ARC
Find further information here: Eligibility and Career Interruptions Statement | Australian Research Council. Please note, the grant guidelines for your specific scheme/round will always be the source of truth.
The ARC uses PhD conferral date to determine eligibility: the official date of award where all academic requirements are complete and recorded in your transcript. This may not coincide with graduation date.
| Eligibility Career Interruptions | Period of time claimable |
|---|---|
| Disruption due to international relocation | A period of time commensurate with the interruption, not exceeding three months per international relocation. |
Caring responsibilities
| A period of time commensurate with the interruption. |
| Primary carer of a dependent child | Up to two-years, inclusive of parental leave, for each dependent child. If required, an additional period of time commensurate with the interruption. |
NHMRC
Find further information here: NHMRC Relative to Opportunity Policy | NHMRC. Please note, the grant guidelines for your specific scheme/round will always be the source of truth
The NHMRC defines a career disruption as a prolonged interruption to an applicant’s capacity to work, due to the following limited categories:
- pregnancy
- major illness/injury
- carer responsibilities
To qualify as a career disruption, the period of disruption must be:
- a continuous absence from work for 90 calendar days or more, and/or
- continuous, long-term, part-time employment (with defined %FTE) due to circumstances classified as career disruption, with the absence amounting to a total of 90 calendar days or more.
Any interruption that falls outside of these categories cannot be claimed, but can be referred to elsewhere in the application as context for relative to opportunity/career circumstances.
The NHMRC uses PhD pass date to determine eligibility: the date you are notified that you have passed.