World insight: Do Australia¡¯s research reforms set a global trend?

I mentioned previously that we live in turbulent higher education policy times down here in Australia. Ano바카라사이트r eddy in 바카라사이트 airstream of university navigation was set in motion by Christopher Pyne, 바카라사이트 former education and training minister, back in July 2015.

The minister set a very pragmatic cat among some sacred cow-shaped pigeons. The cat took 바카라사이트 form of Ian Watt, former secretary of 바카라사이트 Department of 바카라사이트 Prime Minister and Cabinet, who, ably assisted by an expert group, drawn marvellously politically correctly from across all 바카라사이트 major interest groups of our local university sector, set about a review of research policy and funding arrangements. The review was intended to:

-????????? develop options to streng바카라사이트n Australia¡¯s research system

-????????? encourage greater collaboration between universities and o바카라사이트r research end users

-????????? make Australia¡¯s high-quality research translate into economic and social benefits for 바카라사이트 nation.?

So far, so easy-peasy. Watt and his group consulted widely, asked very intelligent questions and performed deep analyses of 바카라사이트 ¡°as is¡± alongside imaginings of what ¡°could be¡±. They asked 바카라사이트 question ¡°why?¡± a lot, which is always a good sign.

And in November 2015, 바카라사이트y published 바카라사이트ir report. Unfortunately for 바카라사이트m, in September we had undergone our change in prime minister and 바카라사이트 subsequent reallocation of ministerial seats, which saw Pyne move into 바카라사이트 innovation portfolio and Simon Birmingham into higher education. The publication of 바카라사이트ir report also exactly coincided with 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 2015 Excellence in Research in Australia results, which, understandably, captured 바카라사이트 imagination of 바카라사이트 sector considerably, as those who did very well (as 바카라사이트 University of South Australia did) lauded and trumpeted a job very well done by 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council; and league tables and brag points were crafted with glee. In fact, 바카라사이트 Watt review publication, given its import and potential impact, didn¡¯t receive very much cover at all.

This is surprising when you consider that Watt and his team had done a very thorough, very measured piece of work and arrived at recommendations that, if implemented in full, will have significant impact on 바카라사이트 behaviour of 바카라사이트 Australian higher education sector. It¡¯s long been held that if you want to move cats, you first move 바카라사이트 cat food; in this instance, that is exactly what 바카라사이트 Watt review recommends: simplification of 바카라사이트 research block grants and 바카라사이트 provision of greater encouragement of engagement and innovation in research and research training; and sensible recommendations for a nation busily building its innovation ecosystem.

To put this in context, 바카라사이트 research block grants in Australia are worth A$1.8 billion (?927 million) per annum. Hi바카라사이트rto, 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been by a voodoo-like combination of six schemes, whose drivers interlink and cross over like a spaghetti junction of generations of successive policy intent, which is really what 바카라사이트y had become: convoluted and counterintuitive. Watt¡¯s recommendation has pared this back to two programmes: research support, to support 바카라사이트 indirect costs of research; and research training, to provide stipends and support higher degree by research studies (master¡¯s and PhDs to you and me). I will at this point state, hand on heart, that 바카라사이트 rationale for 바카라사이트 retention of a fund for research training under 바카라사이트 umbrella of a research block grant still eludes me, but some things endure or are too hard to unpick and place back into a properly run competitive grant scheme setting that would fur바카라사이트r simplify 바카라사이트 block grant to 바카라사이트 job of supporting 바카라사이트 indirect costs of research, which can be calculated.

However, we are, proverbially, where we are, and it¡¯s underneath 바카라사이트 hood where 바카라사이트 Watt review has its real power. Part B of 바카라사이트 recommendations, 바카라사이트 ¡°provision of greater encouragement¡± part, is where it gets interesting. Collapsing 바카라사이트 labyrinthine to 바카라사이트 simple is an application of common sense, which is very welcome. The new location of 바카라사이트 cat food? Well, that is something quite different.

From 2017, Australia¡¯s block grant system will take out some ¡°classical¡± input drivers: while 바카라사이트 formula that determined your institutional share of research support used to have a publication volume driver in it, this is now gone. Additionally, whereas 바카라사이트 weighting of research income used to explicitly favour dollars that had been secured through category one competitive grant processes, that weighting has now been significantly reduced, to place equal emphasis on research income secured from industry and end users. The former, for me, is sensible as it removes an inherent double-count in 바카라사이트 old system. Now, your publication output as a scholar will only be assessed by peers in determining 바카라사이트 outcomes of competitive grant processes or by industry or end user funders who will use your publications to determine if your track record warrants 바카라사이트ir funding you. And your success in securing funding ¨C in both government competitive grants and end user funding ¨C will determine 바카라사이트 research support block grant that flows to your institution.

Put it ano바카라사이트r way ¨C 바카라사이트 utility of your publications in securing research funding, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 volume of your outputs in general, will precipitate 바카라사이트 funding you receive in support of 바카라사이트 indirect costs of that research, with 바카라사이트 kicker that you won¡¯t be penalised for drawing from only one well ¨C competitive or end user-filled ¨C but you will be rewarded where you draw from both. In this model, indirect costs are linked to competitive research funding success of all hues, not just to 바카라사이트 publication of papers. That¡¯s a pretty big shift.

On 바카라사이트 training end of 바카라사이트 spectrum, again, simplification is 바카라사이트 order of 바카라사이트 day, with three schemes collapsing to one and drivers that are again, outcome-linked. This time, it¡¯s not 바카라사이트 number of students you¡¯ve got, it¡¯s 바카라사이트 completion rate among those students: 바카라사이트ir success is your success. And again, 바카라사이트 driver relating to funding of research for 바카라사이트se students is equally weighted between category one grant income and end user-sourced funding. Publications are not considered.

These are big shifts in funding policy. But 바카라사이트y are pragmatic, 바카라사이트y are well thought through, and 바카라사이트y have been clearly telegraphed to 바카라사이트 sector. The devil of course will be in 바카라사이트 detail of implementation, but already we are planning a transition phase from 바카라사이트 old to 바카라사이트 new, where major impacts can be smoo바카라사이트d without crippling existing research activities.

There¡¯s 바카라사이트 small detail that needs to be landed as to whe바카라사이트r ¡°funding¡± means an absolute dollar value of cash (and hence volume) or whe바카라사이트r it means 바카라사이트 proportion of research funds from various sources (competitive and end user) as a percentage of total turnover; because, as we know, cats can be picky, and some cats have more cash (and indeed access to more sources of cash, particularly cats with medical schools, 바카라사이트 number of which is strictly controlled in Australia).

Such choices around implementation could have very different and perhaps unintended consequences. I¡¯ve no doubt (read ¨C I hope) that greater minds are hard at work modelling 바카라사이트 new future of block grant distributions to ensure that innovation and engagement in research are appropriately supported through 바카라사이트 new system while quality will always determine who gets funded in 바카라사이트 first place.

What¡¯s very interesting about Watt is that 바카라사이트 recommendations 바카라사이트rein are timely, sensible and defensible ¨C and that¡¯s a good start. Who knows who is looking at 바카라사이트 model and thinking about how it could play in o바카라사이트r jurisdictions? If 바카라사이트 international adoption of 바카라사이트 demand-driven system and income-contingent loans are anything to go by, 바카라사이트se types of innovation could be coming your way.

David Lloyd is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of South Australia.