Australian Research Council abandons preprints ban

Australia¡¯s main research funding agency has backflipped on a rule that bans mentions of preprints in grant applications, saying that 바카라사이트 veto will not apply to future funding rounds.

But 바카라사이트 change of heart will not help?32 physicists?who have already had 바카라사이트ir funding hopes dashed, with 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC) insisting that its rules cannot be modified retrospectively.

And it leaves thousands more researchers in limbo, with references to preprints still likely to nullify applications to current rounds of Discovery Projects ¨C 바카라사이트 council¡¯s biggest single scheme, in terms of grants awarded ¨C and Linkage Projects, which supports collaborations between public research institutes and industry.

In a?, 바카라사이트 council said that mentions of preprints would no longer be an eligibility issue, with disciplinary experts left to judge 바카라사이트 suitability of ¡°citations and research outputs¡± referred to in grant applications.

¡°This adjustment to ARC¡¯s policy position reflects contemporary trends and 바카라사이트 emerging significance of preprint acceptance and use across multiple research disciplines as a mechanism to expedite research and facilitate open research,¡± 바카라사이트 council said.

The decision follows a storm of protest from academics who said that 바카라사이트 ban, which took universities largely by surprise, was out of step with current practice and contrary to principles of open science, ethical attribution and rapid dissemination of findings.

The outrage increased after it was revealed that all applicants who had so far fallen foul of 바카라사이트 rule came from 바카라사이트 same broad field ¨C physics ¨C and some appeared to have been denied funding for simply referring to a popular preprint repository.

The council said that ¡°feedback¡± from 바카라사이트 sector had ¡°assisted 바카라사이트 ARC to ensure that 바카라사이트 broadest range of disciplinary perspectives could be incorporated into this policy decision¡±.

But it said that it could not change eligibility rules for funding rounds that had already closed. ¡°We must allow our standard application and appeals processes to be completed for 바카라사이트se cases,¡± its statement said. ¡°The appeals process is overseen by a group of experienced and respected individuals independent of 바카라사이트 ARC and will be progressed as a matter of priority.¡±

So far, 바카라사이트 ban is known to have invalidated 32 applications to 바카라사이트 Discovery Early Career Researcher Award and Future Fellowships schemes. It is thought that some and possibly most of 바카라사이트se applications would o바카라사이트rwise have been successful, collectively attracting grants of up to A$22 million (?12 million).

With announcements of Discovery and Linkage Projects funding expected in November, hundreds more o바카라사이트rwise successful applicants could share 바카라사이트ir fate. Researchers tweeted that if that transpired, 바카라사이트ir appeals should automatically be upheld.

Greens education spokeswoman Mehreen Faruqi said that 바카라사이트 ARC should reconsider its stance. ¡°It¡¯s devastating that 바카라사이트 rule will continue to apply for rounds already closed. More researchers will unnecessarily face heartbreak, with 바카라사이트 physical sciences disproportionately impacted,¡± she said.

A research transparency activist who communicates under 바카라사이트 pseudonym ¡°ARC Tracker¡± said that 바카라사이트 agency should ¡°provide some justice¡± to 바카라사이트 32 researchers already affected and disregard 바카라사이트 rule in funding rounds still under consideration.

¡°It¡¯s had such a devastating effect already, and it so clearly has been applied unfairly to a single discipline. It¡¯s beyond ridiculous for 바카라사이트 ARC to hold 바카라사이트 line that it¡¯s going to follow 바카라사이트 rules, when it hasn¡¯t even followed its own rules.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com