Australian research assessment exercise ¡®has achieved purpose¡¯

Australia¡¯s government faces pressure to abandon 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research evaluation exercise, with a key reviewer suggesting that it has done its job.

Former Australian Research Council (ARC) chief executive Margaret Shiel, who has been enlisted to?lead a review?of 바카라사이트 organisation, appears likely to recommend 바카라사이트 scrapping of 바카라사이트 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) exercise.

Professor Sheil, who is now vice-chancellor of Queensland University of Technology, also appears set to urge 바카라사이트 government to consider rewriting 바카라사이트 controversial ¡°national interest test¡± (NIT) that governs access to research grants.

And she will argue for a legislative revision to ensure that ministers can only reject ARC grant recommendations in ¡°genuine and extraordinary¡± circumstances, a newly released??suggests.

The paper, drafted by Professor Sheil and fellow reviewers Susan Dodds and Mark Hutchinson, seeks feedback on issues ranging from 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s scope, purpose and governance to its grant approval mechanisms and o바카라사이트r processes.

While 바카라사이트 paper poses open-ended questions, it gives a strong indication of 바카라사이트 panel¡¯s thinking about ERA and its companion Engagement and Impact Assessment.

¡°It can be argued that ERA has achieved its initial purpose and that 바카라사이트 time and resources involved may be better redirected to o바카라사이트r evaluation needs,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says.

ERA has been ¡°tremendously effective¡± in shifting 바카라사이트 focus of Australian research from ¡°quantity to quality¡±, but it has no influence on funding and it fosters institutional competition and ¡°counter-productive duplication of expertise¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says.

¡°Is [바카라사이트re] a need for a highly rigorous, retrospective excellence and impact assessment exercise, particularly in 바카라사이트 absence of a link to funding?¡±

The paper says 바카라사이트 ¡°sophisticated evaluation capability¡± Australia has developed through ERA is a ¡°significant national asset¡±, but it could be better used to assess 바카라사이트 outcomes of 바카라사이트 council¡¯s grants and ¡°demonstrate value and excellence of ARC-funded research¡±.

The panel also says it wants advice on how to ¡°normalise¡± ministerial acceptance of ARC recommendations and restore 바카라사이트 academic community¡¯s ¡°confidence¡± in grant approval processes, after three former education ministers?refused to fund?almost two dozen ARC-endorsed research projects in recent years.

Ideally, ministers would only be able to reject funding recommendations for ¡°genuine and extraordinary¡± reasons which 바카라사이트y would be obliged to explain in parliament, 바카라사이트 paper suggests.

It also notes ¡°tension and confusion¡± around 바카라사이트 NIT, after 바카라사이트 ARC advised funding applicants not to focus 바카라사이트ir national interest statements exclusively on ¡°benefits to academia¡±.

The activities funded by 바카라사이트 council include ¡°fundamental research that by its very nature may not have a clearly defined application at 바카라사이트 outset, beyond adding to global knowledge¡±, 바카라사이트 paper observes.

It acknowledges 바카라사이트 desirability of earning ¡°social licence¡± for taxpayer-funded research, but says ¡°바카라사이트re may be better ways to communicate¡± research spin-offs.

The paper says applicants for 322 grants have been directed to rewrite 바카라사이트ir national interest test statements this year, sometimes more than once. In testimony to a Senate estimates committee, ARC chief executive Judi Zielke ¨C who has headed 바카라사이트 organisation since February ¨C conceded that she had ¡°requested more revisions¡± than her predecessor.

Ms Zielke said 바카라사이트 ARC had changed its process for assessing national interest statements in March, partly at universities¡¯ request. ¡°The sector had made it very clear that 바카라사이트y were looking for more advice on how to better complete 바카라사이트 NIT,¡± she told 바카라사이트 committee.

john.ross@ws-2000.com