The ARC Future Fellowship 2027 is a prestigious research fellowship in Australia that supports outstanding mid-career researchers undertaking high-quality research with national and international significance. The Australian Research Council (ARC) administers the program under Australia’s National Competitive Grants Program.
Future Fellowships provide successful researchers with a four-year fellowship, including a salary and research funding. The ARC states that the fellowship is intended to support excellent mid-career researchers with demonstrated research capacity, leadership, research training and mentoring abilities.
The 2027 round is officially included in the ARC’s 2026–27 Scheme Calendar. Applications are scheduled to open on 23 September 2026 and close on 6 November 2026 at 5:00 PM Canberra time. These dates are currently indicative and may be changed by the ARC.
The University of Melbourne is among Australia’s major research universities and researchers seeking an ARC Future Fellowship may apply through an eligible Australian administering organisation, subject to the ARC’s rules and the university’s internal application procedures.
According to the ARC, the fellowship aims to:
- Support outstanding mid-career researchers.
- Develop research leadership, training and mentoring capacity.
- Support excellent basic and applied research.
- Encourage national and international research collaboration.
- Support innovative research addressing significant problems or gaps in knowledge.
- Produce research outcomes that can deliver economic, commercial, environmental, social or cultural benefits for Australia.
Future Fellowships are awarded for four years. The ARC provides a salary at one of three salary levels together with project funding of up to $60,000 per year.
Degree Level
- The ARC Future Fellowship is a postdoctoral and mid-career research fellowship, rather than a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD scholarship.
- Applicants are expected to have an established research career and demonstrate the research capability appropriate for a competitive ARC fellowship.
- The fellowship supports researchers who are undertaking high-quality research and are capable of making significant contributions to their research field.
Available Subjects
The ARC Future Fellowships scheme is not limited to one academic discipline.
Researchers can propose projects across eligible areas of research, provided their proposed research meets the relevant ARC requirements.
The scheme supports both basic and applied research and encourages research addressing significant problems or gaps in knowledge. The ARC also encourages applications from researchers working in areas of national priority.
Potential research areas can therefore span disciplines such as:
- Natural sciences
- Engineering and technology
- Environmental research
- Social sciences
- Humanities
- Economics and policy
- Health-related research where eligible under ARC rules
- Indigenous research
- Education
- Information and computing
- Other ARC-eligible research disciplines
Applicants should always check the relevant 2027 ARC Grant Guidelines before developing their proposal because ARC eligibility rules and discipline requirements apply.
Benefits
Successful ARC Future Fellows receive substantial financial support for their research appointment.
The ARC states that Future Fellowships provide:
- A four-year fellowship.
- A salary awarded at one of three salary levels.
- Up to AUD $60,000 per year in project funding.
- Funding that can support personnel, research, and assistants.
- Support for access to research facilities and infrastructure.
- Funding for essential field research.
- Equipment and consumables.
- Publication and research dissemination costs.
- Specialist computer equipment and software.
- Eligible research-related travel.
- Support for workshops, focus groups and conferences.
- Certain reasonable essential costs for researchers who are carers or require care.
The ARC describes the fellowship as a four-year funding arrangement. Project funding is intended for expenses directly related to the Future Fellow’s research.
It is therefore more accurate to describe the opportunity as a fully funded research fellowship rather than a fully funded university scholarship.
Eligible Nationalities
- The ARC Future Fellowships scheme is administered in Australia and supports researchers through eligible Australian administering organisations.
- It is not marketed as a general scholarship restricted to Australian citizens. Researchers from outside Australia may be considered where they satisfy the ARC’s eligibility requirements and are supported by an eligible Australian administering organisation.
- For applicants considering the University of Melbourne, the university’s own research-funding and internal application requirements must also be satisfied.
- Applicants should not assume that nationality alone determines eligibility. The official ARC Grant Guidelines for the 2027 round should be used to confirm the nationality, residency and employment requirements applicable to the specific application.
Eligibility Criteria
The ARC Future Fellowships are intended for outstanding mid-career researchers.
Applicants must satisfy the eligibility requirements established by the ARC for the relevant Future Fellowships round.
Important considerations include:
- Having the appropriate research qualifications and career profile for a Future Fellowship.
- Demonstrating a strong record of research achievement.
- Demonstrating capacity for high-quality research.
- Demonstrating research leadership, training and mentoring capacity.
- Proposing research that is eligible under the ARC scheme.
- Applying through an eligible Australian administering organisation.
- Meeting ARC requirements concerning project limits, researcher eligibility and other applicable rules.
The ARC emphasizes that Future Fellowships are designed to support outstanding mid-career researchers and research that provides national and international benefit.
Because the 2027 Grant Guidelines are the controlling document for the FT27 round, applicants should check the official ARC documentation when it is released rather than relying on eligibility information copied from previous years.
Application Procedure
The ARC Future Fellowship application process is competitive and is normally completed through Australia’s research grant administration system.
For the 2027 round, the ARC Scheme Calendar currently lists the following timeline:
- Applications open: 23 September 2026
- Applications close: 6 November 2026
- Assessment period: 9 November 2026 to 28 May 2027
- Expected announcement period: 26 October to 9 November 2027
The ARC states that these dates are indicative and may be subject to change. The closing time listed by the ARC is 5:00 PM Canberra time.
Applicants should generally:
- Review the official ARC Future Fellowships information.
- Check the 2027 Grant Guidelines and eligibility requirements.
- Identify an eligible Australian administering organisation.
- Discuss the proposed fellowship with the relevant university research office.
- Develop a high-quality research proposal.
- Prepare the required researcher and project information.
- Submit the application through the ARC’s Research Management System within the specified application period.
- Complete any university-level internal requirements before the ARC deadline.
Researchers applying through the University of Melbourne should also follow any internal University of Melbourne research-funding procedures and deadlines.
