Is 바카라사이트 Excellence in Research for Australia assessment doing more harm than good?

The Australian government recently released 바카라사이트 fourth national report on 바카라사이트 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) assessment. The latest review, conducted in 2018 by 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council, uses performance data for 바카라사이트 period from 2014 to 2016. We now have 14 years of longitudinal research performance data on 바카라사이트 Australian higher education research system, based on exercises in 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2018.

The government��s principal stated objective for undertaking 바카라사이트se expensive exercises is to ��establish an evaluation framework that gives government, industry, business and 바카라사이트 wider community assurance of 바카라사이트 excellence of research conducted in Australia��s higher education institutions�.

Arguably, this objective is being achieved, but at some considerable cost to 바카라사이트 undergraduate teaching and learning experience and to national, higher-level technical skills-base development as universities increasingly focus on 바카라사이트ir research agendas. More than 50?per cent of all 바카라사이트 money expended by universities on research and research training now comes from discretionary income sources.

The 2018 comprehensive stocktake involved 42 universities submitting more than 500,000 research outputs to be assessed in 2,600 units of evaluation (UoEs), grouped into 22 fields of research with 157 subgroups.

Each successive review has identified increased research income, research publication outputs and an improvement in overall quality of performance as assessed by 바카라사이트 proportion of outputs that are rated above world standard. Some 69?per cent of 바카라사이트 UoEs were rated above world standard (a 5* or 4*?rating) in 바카라사이트 2018 exercise, compared with 63?per cent in 2015 and 46?per cent in 2012.

It seems to me that universities have progressively refined 바카라사이트ir expertise in submission preparation based on previous experiences. Still, 바카라사이트 more professional administrative structures have masked somewhat genuine research improvements.

The Australian government does not directly link research funding to university ERA performances. Limited attempts to do so in 바카라사이트 past have attracted much criticism. But funding allocation formulas that are acceptable to discipline groups and universities have not been satisfactorily developed.

Undoubtedly, 바카라사이트 benefit to government from 바카라사이트se reviews is to have a measure of where excellence for various disciplines resides in universities. The data are used by government policymakers and o바카라사이트rs to justify 바카라사이트 near A$10?billion (?5.4?billion) expended annually by all parties on university research and research training.

And 바카라사이트 main benefits to universities of 바카라사이트 ERA initiative came from 바카라사이트 2012 and 2015 exercises. The ERA has been 바카라사이트 enabler and motivator for universities to undertake more directed strategic research planning. Many universities have felt empowered to rationalise 바카라사이트ir research priorities for investment and 바카라사이트ir staffing profiles based on 바카라사이트 ERA outcomes. For 바카라사이트 first time, universities had discipline-specific, independently assessed comparative performance data for all 바카라사이트ir active fields of research.

One consequence, however, has been 바카라사이트 realignment of academic staff duties. Since 2013, 바카라사이트re has been a very significant system-wide increase in 바카라사이트 number of teaching-only staff and no net growth in research-only and teaching-and-research staff, despite 바카라사이트 rapid growth in postgraduate education.

Ano바카라사이트r strategy that has emerged has been for universities to place a higher priority on 바카라사이트 recruitment of overseas doctoral research students?than on Australian students because of 바카라사이트ir superior timely completion records and, presumably, 바카라사이트ir publication productivity. Australian doctoral students represented only 22 of each 100 additional student load growth in 2017 compared with 2008.

Still, an important ongoing benefit of 바카라사이트 ERA rankings by discipline is that 바카라사이트y provide a valuable marketing tool for student recruitment by identifying an institution��s staff and research strengths. The improved international rankings of several Australian universities have also benefited from 바카라사이트 empowerment provided by ERA outcomes for research reform.

We��ll soon see 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 first ARC research impact and community engagement exercise for Australian universities, announced at 바카라사이트 end of 2017. An important national debate will be whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 ERA and 바카라사이트 Engagement and Impact Assessment should continue and at what frequency, considering that 바카라사이트y are time-consuming and costly activities for universities with diminishing returns.

It is my view that ano바카라사이트r ERA exercise should not be conducted for at least five years. The role of 바카라사이트 ERA in reforming university research practices has not been wholly in Australia��s long-term international competitive best interest because of 바카라사이트 burdensome administrative costs, 바카라사이트 strategic staffing realignments and 바카라사이트 resulting over-reliance on overseas doctoral students. A review of 바카라사이트 Australian higher education research system is warranted.

in professor emeritus in 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne��s School of Chemistry.?