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.
- If offered, attend UQ R&I information sessions and access PowerPoint presentations from presentations and slides.
Key documents
ONI
Before applying, please review the full suite of documents available from GrantConnect (GO7246), the Australian Government grants information system (Login required).
UQ
- Part C Project Description EOI template (DOCX, 23.9 KB)
- UQ NIDG 2025 Application Certification Form (DOCX, 63.1 KB)
- UQ NIDG 2025 Organisation Certification Form for Other Organisations (DOCX, 46.1 KB)
Templates
- UQ NIDG 2025 D1 Project Description template (DOCX, 27.8 KB)
- UQ NIDG 2025 E2 Budget Justification template (DOCX, 25.2 KB)
- UQ NIDG 2025 E3 Admin Org Contributions template (DOCX, 18.8 KB)
- UQ NIDG 2025 F8 Research Load template (DOCX, 18.7 KB)
- UQ NIDG 2025 F8 Research Load Nothing to Report (PDF, 83.7 KB)
- UQ NIDG 2025 F18 ROPE template (DOCX, 25.3 KB)
- UQ Indicative Salary Scales 2025 (XLSX, 45.7 KB)
Contact the Research Office
industrygrants@research.uq.edu.au
Round coordinator
Industry Pre-award Team