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Archived PublicationsFact Sheet (for latest Fact Sheets please go to Fact Sheets 2004)9. Strengthening Research Capability
There have been significant changes to Australia’s research landscape in recent years. As a result of the Knowledge and Innovation statement (1999), research funding to the sector underwent considerable reform. The new system involves a performance based system for block funding of university research and research training activities administered by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), and peer-reviewed competitive grants administered by research granting agencies, including the Australian Research Council (ARC). This approach was designed to encourage institutions to be more flexible and responsive in developing a strategic portfolio of research activities and research training programmes, and to secure the benefits of the achievements of individual researchers and teams. This statement was followed in 2001 by Backing Australia’s Ability, which provided $3 billion over five years for national innovation. The package included a significant funding boost for the higher education sector, with an additional $585 million in research infrastructure funding and an additional $740 million available from the ARC in competitive research grants. In December 2002, the Government announced four national research priorities to set a clear direction for Australian research. These priorities will build on our national research strengths while seeking new opportunities and emerging areas, and will apply to Commonwealth research and research funding bodies and competitive research programmes for public sector research. They are currently in the implementation phase. Given the recent implementation of these initiatives and the size of funding boosts under Backing Australia’s Ability (BAA), this package of reforms focuses on evaluating and streamlining current arrangements in research and research training. In 2003-04 the Government will begin work on evaluating BAA programmes which run until 2005-06. A major science and innovation mapping exercise is also underway, encompassing Commonwealth, State and Territory government agencies, universities and private sector research. In light of this evaluation activity and the science and innovation mapping exercise, more detailed consideration of the BAA initiatives beyond 2005-06 will be undertaken in the 2004-05 Budget. In the interim, funding has been provided in 2006-07 for several BAA initiatives which involve multi-year competitive grants and that require future funding certainty to ensure their continued efficient administration in 2003-04. Development of national strategy on research infrastructureResearchers need access to high quality infrastructure in order to carry out high quality research. Increasingly all forms of research involve access to very large data sets and cooperative work with colleagues around the world. Research instruments and high end computation and communications facilities are very expensive. Given its modest resource base, Australia cannot afford to continue with an uncoordinated approach to infrastructure provision. We need a strategic approach to provide:
The Government will establish a taskforce to develop a nationally integrated research infrastructure strategy, which will apply to public higher education institutions and all publicly funded research agencies. The taskforce will be chaired by DEST and will involve the universities, the ARC, CSIRO, other Government funded research agencies and the States and Territories. Greater collaboration between universities and Publicly Funded Research AgenciesA high level taskforce will be established to examine scope for greater collaboration between universities and major Publicly Funded Research Agencies (PFRAs) including the extent to which such developments can improve research outcomes, achieve more efficient and effective use of resources and strengthen institutional performance. The review will involve all Australian public universities and three major PFRAs – the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). It will consider the potential for greater synergies between universities and PFRAs, possible models for closer collaboration, scope to promote a greater focus on commercialisation of research through collaboration and possible alternative funding models to promote excellence across the national research effort. Affiliation of the Australian Institute of Marine Science with James Cook UniversityIt is proposed that the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) will undertake a formal affiliation with James Cook University (JCU) creating a world class centre for marine science, teaching and research. AIMS and JCU currently collaborate closely through a number of avenues including the Cooperative Research Centre for Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, the spin-off company ToxiTech Pty Ltd and other joint ventures. Such an affiliation will strengthen this centre of research excellence. It is envisaged that the new Institute will be established under a contract with JCU stipulating the funding contributions of the Commonwealth and JCU to the Institute, and ensuring that the reputation of AIMS for world class research is enhanced and that it retains a clear identity as a research body. An additional $5 million will be provided to AIMS in the 2003-04 Budget to facilitate this process. ARC to fund Chief Investigator SalariesDuring the Review, concerns were expressed by institutions successful at winning ARC grants that grant sizes are not sufficient to cover the costs of research, and that operating grants are being used to cross-subsidise this research. The ARC will be directed by the Minister for Education, Science and Training to use some of the increase in funds received under Backing Australia’s Ability to cover some of the costs of Chief Investigator salaries in some research grants. Evaluation of Knowledge and Innovation reformsA comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the Knowledge and Innovation reforms will be undertaken to ensure that the policy framework for Australia’s competitive research funding is effective. This evaluation will focus on the operation of the Institutional Grants Scheme, Research Infrastructure Block Grants and the Research Training Scheme. In particular, it will assess the validity of current research performance indicators, their weightings in the performance formula, their effect on particular disciplines, universities and student groups, and the effectiveness and impact of the current transition arrangements. The evaluation will enable the Government to monitor progress to date, make adjustments where necessary and ensure that any future changes to Government research policy are informed by an analysis of recent findings. The reforms outlined in this fact sheet are subject to the passage of Commonwealth legislation. Full implementation details for the reforms will be provided over the coming months. Contact DetailsMedia inquiries:
Other inquiries:
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Any comments or
queries should be sent to:
highered@dest.gov.au
Department of Education, Science and Training
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