Australian Research Council Act 2001

The Board may, in writing, approve the making of a grant of financial assistance to an organisation for a research project in relation to a research program.

If the Board does so, the Board must specify in the approval the total amount of financial assistance to be paid to the organisation in relation to the approval.

The terms and conditions on which a grant of financial assistance is to be made to an organisation are to be set out in a funding agreement: see section 49.

Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to a designated research program.

Section 48 deals with designated research programs.

The Board must not give an approval under subsection (1) unless:

approved funding rules, to which the application for the approval relates, are in force; and

the eligibility criteria set out in those rules are satisfied in relation to the application; and

the application satisfies the requirements set out in those rules; and

the assessment process set out in those rules has been complied with in relation to the application.

The Board may, in writing, vary an approval under subsection (1).

If the Board gives or varies an approval under this section, the Board must give the organisation that is the subject of the approval a copy of the approval or variation before the end of the period of 21 days beginning on the day the approval is given or the variation is made.

If the Board gives or varies an approval under this section, the Board must give the Minister:

for an approval—the following details:

the name of the organisation that is the subject of the approval;

a description of the research program the subject of the approval;

the total amount of financial assistance to be paid to the organisation in relation to the approval; or

for a variation—details of the variation.

If the Board gives or varies an approval under this section, the Board must give the CEO a copy of the approval or variation.

If the Minister considers that, for reasons relevant to the security, defence or international relations of Australia, the Board should not give an approval under subsection (1), the Minister must, by notice in writing given to the Board, inform the Board to this effect.

The Board must comply with the notice.

A notice under subsection (8) is not a legislative instrument.

The Minister must cause a statement setting out the following to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the day on which the Board gives the Minister details of an approval under this section:

the name of the organisation that is the subject of the approval;

a description of the research program the subject of the approval;

the total amount of financial assistance to be paid to the organisation in relation to the approval.