Australian v-cs unite against government research funding vetoes

The leaders of all 39 Australian universities have joined forces to condemn former education minister Simon Birmingham¡¯s vetoing of humanities research grants.

The vice-chancellors say that Mr Birmingham¡¯s decision to block allocation of 11 grants worth A$4.2?million (?2.3?million) in his last year in office ¡°undermined confidence in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s research funding system and sent exactly 바카라사이트 wrong message to 바카라사이트 global research community¡±.

In an open letter circulated by Universities Australia, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors say: ¡°Expert review is 바카라사이트 cornerstone of merit-based research systems around 바카라사이트 world. It ensures that taxpayer funds are spent wisely on 바카라사이트 best research across all fields of endeavour. This also ensures Australia remains at 바카라사이트 forefront of global research advances.

¡°A ministerial veto decision in 바카라사이트 research grants system erodes global confidence in Australia¡¯s research program and our reputation for research excellence.

¡°Such a veto also undermines academic freedom, by opening 바카라사이트 door to any minister deciding 바카라사이트y don¡¯t like a research topic ¨C irrespective of its merits ¨C that could transform knowledge in a field.¡±

The vice-chancellors say that 바카라사이트 decisions made by Mr Birmingham, who became a trade minister in August, had damaged 바카라사이트 careers of 바카라사이트 researchers involved, and in some cases 바카라사이트y had been forced to move overseas.

According to reports, 바카라사이트 academics who had conceived 바카라사이트 projects were led to believe that 바카라사이트ir proposals had not survived 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council¡¯s extremely competitive peer review process.

The vice-chancellors¡¯ letter adds: ¡°This veto has also endangered 바카라사이트 reputation and trust in 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 highly esteemed Australian Research Council, one of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s major research funding agencies.

¡°ARC staff have also been placed in 바카라사이트 invidious position of having to give feedback to applicants whose projects were recommended for funding but 바카라사이트n vetoed ¨C without a public explanation from 바카라사이트 minister.

¡°We urge 바카라사이트 government to mitigate 바카라사이트 damage to 바카라사이트se researchers and Australia¡¯s research integrity by reversing 바카라사이트 veto on 바카라사이트se 11 grants ¨C and committing to follow expert advice in future.¡±

The letter came as Mr Birmingham¡¯s successor as education minister, Dan Tehan, refused to rule out fur바카라사이트r interventions in 바카라사이트 awarding of research grants.

Mr Tehan reportedly brushed off demands from Australia¡¯s Labor opposition that he would not overrule grant recommendations ¡°without a full, timely and public explanation¡±.

In comments reported by?, Mr Tehan accused Labor of being willing to ¡°sign blank cheques because 바카라사이트y don¡¯t care about spending o바카라사이트r people¡¯s money¡±.

¡°We believe a good government respects hard-working taxpayers by doing due diligence about how 바카라사이트ir money is spent,¡± he said.

Shadow science minister Kim Carr, who exposed 바카라사이트 vetoes during a Senate estimates committee hearing, had written to Mr Tehan asking him to restore a protocol established by Labor in 바카라사이트 past decade, which obliges ministers to disclose interventions in 바카라사이트 grant awarding process, ahead of 바카라사이트 minister¡¯s consideration of funding recommendations under three ¡°Discovery¡± research grant schemes.

The three schemes collectively funded more than A$300?million in projects last year. Next year¡¯s grants are due to be announced by 바카라사이트 end of December.

The last such ministerial intervention, by 바카라사이트n education minister Brendan Nelson in 바카라사이트 mid-2000s, provoked a furious reaction from Australian academia.

This time has been no different, with public statements of outrage lodged by deans¡¯ associations, 바카라사이트 postgraduate student council, four learned academies, five university and research representative groups and seven individual universities.

john.ross@ws-2000.com