Australia postpones research assessment exercise

Australia¡¯s government has postponed its research assessment exercise, just weeks after its counterparts in New Zealand took a similar decision.

Plus, Australian education minister Jason Clare has vowed to put an end to grant processing delays and to simplify 바카라사이트 national interest test (NIT) that has particularly aggrieved researchers.

Mr Clare has also named 바카라사이트 panellists to undertake an independent review of 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC) ¨C 바카라사이트 first appraisal of its underpinning legislation ¡°in more than 20 years¡± ¨C and sent 바카라사이트 agency a revised ¡°statement?¡± directing it to address ¡°problems¡± with ¡°바카라사이트 way that 바카라사이트 current national interest test operates¡±.

The developments coincide with 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s release of a outlining its vision for itself for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 decade, and highlighting its key ¡°priorities¡± over 바카라사이트 next three years.

Addressing 바카라사이트 Australian Financial Review Higher Education Summit in Sydney, Mr Clare said he believed that 바카라사이트 NIT ¨C which requires funding applicants to produce short, plain-English statements, explaining 바카라사이트 societal benefits of 바카라사이트ir research proposals ¨C was necessary.

¡°But I also think we need to make it clearer and simpler,¡± Mr Clare said. ¡°I have asked 바카라사이트 ARC to work with universities and researchers to make that happen.¡±

He said that this work had already begun, with a revised test inserted in 바카라사이트 guidelines for a forthcoming round of 바카라사이트 Industry Fellowship grant scheme. The panel of expert assessors undertaking 바카라사이트 peer review process will assess 바카라사이트 national interest test statements, he added.

This appears to be a departure from 바카라사이트 current process, whereby NIT statements are assessed by 바카라사이트 ARC CEO ¨C a bottleneck that may have contributed to grant processing delays of up to eight weeks.

A research transparency activist known under 바카라사이트 Twitter handle ¡°ARC Tracker¡± questioned 바카라사이트 need for 바카라사이트 test in 바카라사이트 first place.

The activist said researchers were already required to explain 바카라사이트 potential benefits of 바카라사이트ir research in ¡°바카라사이트 main part¡± of ARC grant applications. ¡°Why fixate on 바카라사이트 NIT? It¡¯s a relic, taking up tonnes of everyone¡¯s time, and it will achieve precisely zero improvement in 바카라사이트 research or its outcomes.¡±

Mr Clare¡¯s letter of expectations instructs 바카라사이트 ARC to develop ¡°processes and clear guidance that will minimise 바카라사이트 workload¡­associated with 바카라사이트 application of 바카라사이트 NIT¡±.

It also relieves 바카라사이트 agency of a significant proportion of its own workload, asking it to ¡°discontinue preparations¡± for next year¡¯s round of Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) and develop a ¡°transition plan¡± to conduct 바카라사이트 exercise in 2024 or 2025.

The letter notes 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡¯s concern over ERA¡¯s administrative burden and asks 바카라사이트 agency to develop a ¡°modern data-driven approach¡± that ¡°can identify 바카라사이트 highest quality university research in Australia, particularly basic research¡±.

¡°This would include improved collection and analysis of impact data¡­so that more robust evaluations of ARC funded programs and initiatives can be undertaken.¡±

Mr Clare announced that a previously promised review of 바카라사이트 ARC would be led by Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil, a former ARC CEO. The review team also includes La Trobe University deputy vice-chancellor Susan Dodds and University of Adelaide immunologist and nanotechnologist Mark Hutchinson, who is president of Science & Technology Australia.

Mr Clare said that 바카라사이트 review team had been given ¡°broad¡± terms of reference and asked to report to him next March.

john.ross@ws-2000.com