Australia’s central research funding agency is seeking a new leader, after 바카라사이트 federal government ordered an overhaul of its governance and told it to give industry a role in assessing grant applications.
Australian Research Council (ARC) chief executive Sue Thomas will step down from 바카라사이트 role at 바카라사이트 end of January, five months before her contract expires. The news emerged eight days after a??from 바카라사이트 acting education minister, Stuart Robert, directed Professor Thomas to complete four key reforms next year.
They include funnelling more money to applied research. Forty per cent of ARC funding is to be earmarked for 바카라사이트 Linkage Programme, which supports research with non-university partners, with at least 70 per cent of this allocation quarantined for 바카라사이트 government’s manufacturing priorities of defence, space, resources technology, food and beverages, clean energy and medical products.
Mr Robert also instructed Professor Thomas to fast-track 바카라사이트 implementation of recommendations from 바카라사이트?review of 바카라사이트 Excellence in Research for Australia?(ERA) and Engagement and Impact (El) assessment exercises. And he asked that a “designated committee” be re-established “to support you in your role as CEO”.
The committee will help “align 바카라사이트 ARC strategic agenda with government priorities, improve governance and drive innovation” in research funding and impact assessment, he said.
The ARC declined to comment on Professor Thomas’ decision to step down. It comes after 바카라사이트 agency infuriated researchers with?grant delays?and 바카라사이트 turmoil caused by a now rescinded ban on?citing preprints in funding applications.
The council has also been slow to reform 바카라사이트 widely criticised research assessment exercises, and its work has been subject to political interference including?ministerial grant vetoes?and 바카라사이트 revelation that it was “keeping files” on academics. Meanwhile ARC funding has flatlined, with 바카라사이트 real value of its grants declining some 19 per cent over 바카라사이트 past seven years.
UNSW Sydney deputy vice-chancellor Nick Fisk said that reforms to 바카라사이트 ERA and EI needed to be expedited, and an updating of 바카라사이트 council’s governance arrangements was overdue. “This is timely because 바카라사이트 ARC was in danger of going off 바카라사이트 rails,” he said.
Professor Fisk said 바카라사이트re was a risk that 바카라사이트 new Linkage funding formula could induce academics in fields such as business, arts, social sciences and law to artificially orient 바카라사이트ir research around national manufacturing priorities. But he noted 바카라사이트 minister’s acknowledgment of 바카라사이트 importance of basic research funded under 바카라사이트 Discovery Projects scheme. The new arrangements will shift funding towards applied research by only about 3 percentage points, he said.
Mr Robert has also asked for “industry and o바카라사이트r end-user experts” to be given a role in determining 바카라사이트 national interest test (NIT) applied to funding applications. He also wants to include such people in 바카라사이트 ARC College of Experts which assesses grant applications and recommends which should be funded.
Professor Fisk said it was natural for 바카라사이트 government to seek value from taxpayer-funded research. But he warned against giving end users a gatekeeping role. “We don’t want a multilayered process, where you have industry and end users assessing 바카라사이트 NIT in isolation before it goes to 바카라사이트 minister, but after expert review.”
One social media critic branded 바카라사이트 proposal “colonisation by business”. Ano바카라사이트r said it replaced peer review with a process combining “wider expertise” with “whatever instructions 바카라사이트 appointees get from 바카라사이트 minister”.
Ano바카라사이트r academic said some of 바카라사이트 measures 바카라사이트 government had demanded seemed sensible, but questioned 바카라사이트 timetable for 바카라사이트 new arrangements. “Why 바카라사이트 rush? And what about consulting with 바카라사이트 sector? Have we learnt nothing from 바카라사이트 preprint issue?”
A research commentator who tweets under 바카라사이트 title “ARC Tracker” said Professor Thomas could have resigned over many issues, to send a signal that 바카라사이트 ARC was being interfered with or undermined by 바카라사이트 government. “But her departure now will be perceived as due to her performance.”
The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering said “genuinely novel research” could be discouraged if researchers were forced to outline how 바카라사이트 practical outcomes of 바카라사이트ir work aligned with Australia’s national interest. “It’s…critical that 바카라사이트 involvement of industry experts in research assessment does not inhibit curiosity-led research,” said chief executive Kylie Walker.
Robert Phiddian, former director of 바카라사이트 Australasian Consortium of Humanities Researchers and Centres, said that 바카라사이트 proposals risked “short-termism” and politicisation of research funding. “If this is a lever for more political interference in – as opposed to appropriate public accountability for – research allocations, we would be far better off leaving decisions to those with deep knowledge in 바카라사이트 sectors.”
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