Office of National Intelligence

Key dates for National Intelligence Discovery Grants (NIDG) Program

Formerly known as the National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grants (NISDRG) program.

Release of Grant Guidelines: July 2025
Expected Expression of Interest open in RMS-ONI: 19 August 2025*
UQ internal NOI close: 4 September 2025
Expression of Interest due to UQ Research Office: 4 September 2025
Expression of Interest close with ARC: 18 September 2025

Full applications open by invitation: 6 October 2025*
Requests not to Assess close with ARC: 21 November 2025*
Full applications due to UQ Research Office: 21 November 2025
Full applications close with ARC: 5 December 2025
Rejoinders: TBC
Anticipated announcement: Mid-2026*

*Anticipated dates, these are subject to change

Overview

The NIDG program supports excellent research that deepens understanding of emerging science and technology and addresses intelligence and national security interests. The grants program will facilitate innovation and develop national security and intelligence capacity. It will also enable Australia’s National Intelligence and Security Communities to systematically engage with Australia’s research and technology community.

The NIDG program provides support to research that aligns with the priority research areas identified by the Australian Government. These research areas are outlined in the Intelligence Challenges.

The National Intelligence Challenges for the NIDG Program for Funding commencing in 2025 are:

Covert collection challenges
Space-based technology challenges
Identity management challenges
Emerging biological science challenges
Emerging material science challenges
Cyber security, protective security and physical security challenges
Human behaviour and influence challenges
Data-driven and real-time analytical challenges
Situation awareness and multi-source assessment challenge

NIDG Webinar

On behalf of ONI, the Australian Research Council (ARC) – Research Grants Services (RGS) team will host a webinar for the NIDG 2026 EOI on 21 August 2025, which will provide information to university Research Offices and potential eligible applicants about the ID26 program and EOI application process.

Potential applicants can register to attend the webinar here.

A recording of the information webinar will be made available from the Resource Hub in due course.

How to apply

Submit a UQ internal NOI

Step 1: RMS updates and scheme reading

Update your full profile in RMS-ONI ‘Person Profile’.
Familiarise yourself with the key Office of National Intelligence (ONI) and UQ documentation (coming soon).

Step 2: Completing the application

Log into RMS and complete the EOI in the Office of National Intelligence RMS portal.

Step 3: UQ Research Office internal review and feedback

Ahead of internal review, ensure all online components are complete and valid, generate a PDF of your EOI form for your records and select 'Submit to Research Office' in RMS for review.
To initiate review, email your completed Funding Certification to UQ RO at grants@research.uq.edu.au
Internal review by UQ RO/feedback provided (compliance/eligibility/grantscraft).

Step 4: Final submission

Final submission by UQ RO to the ARC.

Readership and researcher support

Before applying, we recommend you:

Contact your faculty or institute research manager for advice on peer readership programs.
Join the UQ R&I Mailer to stay up to date with round developments.
Access the UQ R&I Grants Library, a helpful resource of past successful proposals.

Key documents

ONI

Before applying, please review the full suite of documents available from GrantConnect (ID26R1), the Australian Government grants information system (Login required).

National Intelligence Discovery Grants (NIDG) Program

UQ

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