ARC DECRA 2021 (DE21) Faculty Resources and Internal Processes

The Faculty Research Office (FRO) has launched a new online resource for FMNHS ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher (DECRA) fellowship applicants to provide you with up-to-date advice and information to help you prepare your application.

DECRAs are 3 year fellowships for Early Career Researchers who are 0-5 years post-PhD. The fellowship includes salary support and up to $50,000 per year in research support funds.

The 2020 internal Monash deadline for DE21 is 13 February 2020. Strategic Statements are due to the FRO by 28 January 2020.

The new ARC DECRA 2021 site has a great deal of advice and insights into the application process, including timelines and internal processes. If you are still deciding if you will apply this round, the site may help you make your final decision. If you intend to apply, then the site provides a great deal of advice on various aspects of the application and all the steps you need to take to submission.

Ready to Apply?  Please follow these steps:

1. Get in touch with your relevant School/Institute contact and let them know that you intend to apply.  
2. After speaking to your School/Institute, please email the Faculty Research Office to let us know that you intend to apply.  
3. Read the Grant Guidelines and Instructions to Applicants (ITA) on the ARC website.
4. Prepare your Strategic Statement (Section D2 – Statement by the Administering Organisation outlining Strategic Alignment), and discuss your financial package with your relevant School contact.  
5. Begin your application in RMS.
6. Submit your draft Strategic Statement to the Faculty Research Office by 28 January 2020.
7. Complete your application by 13 February and send to Monash Research Office (MRO) for mandatory eligibility and compliance checks via Pure.
8. MRO will submit all applications to ARC on 12 March 2020. 

Faculty Support Package (FSP)
The FMNHS will support all DECRA 2021 candidates with a $10,000 cash contribution to use towards the use of the FMNHS Technology Research Platforms. Please visit our FSP webpage for more information about the package, as well as a list of the eligible platforms.

Strategic Statement
We have provided a lot of helpful advice, as well as exemplar statements on our website's Strategic Statement page. This page also includes the statement template to help you get started.

You MUST submit your draft Strategic Statement to the FRO (medicine.research@monash.edu) by 28 January for our review and editing. You must also confirm your financial package with your relevant School contact prior to submitting the statement to the FRO.

The FRO is responsible for finalising your statement, as well as obtaining approval from Prof Ross Coppel, Senior Deputy Dean and Director of Research. The MRO will only accept final approved statements from the FRO. Please do not send your statement directly to the MRO, as it will not be accepted. The MRO will arrange for the final statement to be signed by Prof Rebekah Brown, Senior Vice-Provost and Vice-Provost (Research).

Questions?
Please direct any queries about DECRA 2021 to medicine.research@monash.edu or 990 55035.  We look forward to working with all DECRA applications in this round.