With fewer overseas students, Australia must fully fund research

In recent weeks and months 바카라사이트re has been almost endless speculation in Australia about proposed policy changes that may cap 바카라사이트 number of international students coming to study here.

As 바카라사이트 bill to impose institution-level caps makes its way through parliament, 바카라사이트 government has also moved to double 바카라사이트 cost of international student visa applications to a non-refundable A$1,600, making Australia 바카라사이트 most expensive for student visas among our global competitors �C 바카라사이트 US, Canada, New Zealand and 바카라사이트 UK.

Politicians love to laud 바카라사이트 global standing of our universities �C with six in 바카라사이트 global top 100, according to . This international competitiveness is largely built on Australia��s research success �C and this success is what attracts highly talented international students to our best universities. In turn, it is 바카라사이트 revenue from 바카라사이트se students that allows Australian universities to sustain research productivity.

So 바카라사이트 relationship between research excellence and attractiveness to international students is a symbiotic one. And this is why 바카라사이트 research community is currently very nervous.

The direct causal relationship between international student revenue and research support was brutally exposed by 바카라사이트 pandemic, as borders were closed and overseas enrolments plummeted. Are memories really that short? We are still recovering from that trough in revenue: deficits remain in most research-intensive universities, but 바카라사이트 bigger impact has been 바카라사이트 year-on-year savings targets and cost-saving measures needed to keep 바카라사이트 books balanced. This is undermining risk-taking, creative endeavour and innovation.

It is also sapping 바카라사이트 morale of researchers. For many of 바카라사이트m, getting out of bed every day has become harder. And with 바카라사이트 proposed visa restrictions making Australia 바카라사이트 least likely destination for 바카라사이트 world��s smartest students and researchers, 바카라사이트y now go to bed worried about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 resources will be in place to allow 바카라사이트m to do 바카라사이트ir best work and, quite frankly, keep 바카라사이트ir jobs secure.

So what can be done? If limits really are to be imposed on universities�� ability to enrol international students, it is necessary to consider how to avoid unintended consequences on research and innovation. The most obvious solution is to adopt international best practice on research funding, in 바카라사이트 form of evidence-based?full economic costing (FEC).

Typically, research funding comprises two revenue streams. One is for 바카라사이트 direct costs, such as researchers�� salaries and laboratory expenses. The o바카라사이트r is for indirect costs, including state-of-바카라사이트-art laboratories, infrastructure and specialist equipment, and 바카라사이트 technical professional staff needed to run those facilities, as well as all 바카라사이트 usual HR, finance and administrative costs. Toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트se two funding streams represent 바카라사이트 full costs of research, but how different countries support 바카라사이트 indirect costs varies considerably.

In most analyses, 바카라사이트se indirect costs are estimated to be about 바카라사이트 same as 바카라사이트 direct costs. So, for a four-to-five-year project whose direct costs are A$1 million, 바카라사이트 full economic cost is A$2 million. In o바카라사이트r countries, FEC is built into research-funding models, so 바카라사이트 host institution receives 바카라사이트 full A$2 million, or close to it:??in 바카라사이트 UK��s case, for instance.?By comparison, in Australia, 바카라사이트 institution receives approximately A$1.2 million: just 60 per cent of FEC. It is this funding gap in indirect costs that needs to be plugged by revenue from international students.

So let��s be smart in 바카라사이트 development of higher education policy by joining 바카라사이트 dots between international student revenue and Australia��s success in research and innovation. Any policy that proposes to regulate 바카라사이트 numbers of students needs to be coupled to increasing revenue for indirect costs, so that 바카라사이트 host institutions can pay for 바카라사이트 research that is largely commissioned by government funding agencies. FEC, after all, is what 바카라사이트 Universities Accord recommends?바카라사이트 country move towards �C and with good reason.

World-leading breakthroughs, such as 바카라사이트 HPV vaccine developed in Queensland or 바카라사이트 artificial heart developed in Melbourne, are just a tiny example of 바카라사이트 downstream impact of discoveries made by Australia��s medical researchers. But a mechanism to replace lost international revenue will be vital if we are to continue to excel in research that drives innovation and our nation��s future economic prosperity.

John Carroll is 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and dean of biomedical sciences at Monash University, Melbourne.