What has been registered
The Australian Research Council (ARC) has registered the official guidelines for the 2026 round of the Explore grant opportunity under the National Competitive Grants Program. The guidelines came into force on 9 September 2026.
What the guidelines cover
The guidelines set out the following matters:
- Who can apply for an Explore grant
- How much funding is available
- What the money can be used for
- How applications are assessed
- What obligations successful grant recipients must meet
Eligibility categories addressed
The guidelines include eligibility rules for the following categories of participant:
- Chief Investigators
- Partner Investigators
- Partner Organisations
- Other Organisations
Other matters addressed in the guidelines
The guidelines also cover rules relating to research security, research integrity, and reporting requirements for grant recipients.
Scope of the program
The Explore program is an ARC research grant. The guidelines are directed at universities and research organisations.
Key actions
- If your organisation is a university or eligible research body seeking to apply for an Explore grant, the full guidelines are available at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01187 - the guidelines set out eligibility criteria and application requirements.
- Check the Timing of the grant opportunity section of the guidelines for the specific application opening and closing dates - these dates are not stated in the registered instrument summary.
- Enquiries about the Explore grant opportunity can be directed using the contact details set out in the guidelines document itself.
This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.