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: August 2024
Expected Expression of Interest open in RMS-ONI: 26 August 2024*
UQ internal NOI close: 10 September 2024
Expression of Interest due to UQ Research Office: 10 September 2024
Expression of Interest close with ARC: 24 September 2024

Full applications open by invitation: October 2024*
Requests not to Assess close with ARC: Late November 2024*
Full applications due to UQ Research Office: 3 December 2024
Full applications close with ARC: 17 December 2024
Rejoinders: Late February 2024*
Anticipated announcement: Mid-2024*

*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 challenges
Identity management challenges
Emerging biological science challenges
Emerging material science challenges
Cyber security, protective security and offensive cyber 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 hosted a webinar for the NIDG 2025 EOI on 21 August 2024, which provided information to university Research Offices and potential eligible applicants about the ID25 program and EOI application process.

A recording of the information webinar is available from the Resource Hub.

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 industrygrants@research.uq.edu.au
Internal review by UQ RO/feedback provided (compliance/eligibility/grantsmanship).

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.
Watch the 2024 UQR&I NHMRC Development Grants information session

Key documents

ONI

Before applying, please review the full suite of documents available from GrantConnect (GO7246), the Australian Government grants information system (Login required).

National Intelligence Discovery Grants (NIDG) Program

UQ

Templates