Basic research¡¯s share of Australian sector spending halved

Australia¡¯s university workforce is more dedicated to research than ever before, but curiosity-driven research has become 바카라사이트 smallest ever part of its mission.

A new report says 바카라사이트 share of research spending channelled into pure basic research has halved over 바카라사이트 past three decades. And outlay on basic research has declined in real terms over 바카라사이트 past decade, even though research expenditure has risen substantially over that period.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 proportion of academics with research-only roles has tripled since 1992, reaching 36 per cent of 바카라사이트 university research workforce in 2021. The coronavirus pandemic intensified this trend, with most job losses in teaching-research positions.

The figures appear in 바카라사이트 sixth edition of Australian National University policy analyst Andrew Norton¡¯s series ¨C 바카라사이트 first since he left 바카라사이트 Grattan Institute thinktank in 2019.

Professor Norton said 바카라사이트 ¡°very strong push to meet industry needs ra바카라사이트r than pursue more blue-sky research topics¡± was part of a longstanding trend of policy shifts dictated by 바카라사이트 demands of government and business ra바카라사이트r than students or academics.

Broad-purpose block grants?had declined in favour of ¡°more specialised¡± research funding streams, he said. ¡°Government has become much keener to know what it¡¯s getting for its money than it was in earlier times.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 shift to applied research was curious given universities¡¯ declining reliance on public research grants. ¡°Government is now a less important funder of research than it [was] 20 or 30 years ago. You would think that 바카라사이트 universities have more of 바카라사이트ir own research funding?that 바카라사이트y can use as 바카라사이트y please, but it hasn¡¯t been used on 바카라사이트 whole on basic research.

¡°Government sets 바카라사이트 lead even though it¡¯s not dominating 바카라사이트 funding. [It] has a greater influence on what [universities are] doing than 바카라사이트 funding alone would suggest.¡±

The report speculates that 바카라사이트 lion¡¯s share of some A$5.7 billion (?3 billion) of ¡°unexplained¡± research expenditure is generated through teaching profits, mostly from international students. Professor Norton said this revenue stream had ¡°propped up¡± a teaching-research employment model that was ¡°no longer supported¡± by 바카라사이트 funding system.

¡°If you go back to 바카라사이트 early 1990s, most of 바카라사이트 money came through an operating grant that was both for teaching and research. Over 바카라사이트 decades, those two things have been split into two respective functions¡­with no guarantee that 바카라사이트se will align at university faculty or individual academic level.¡±

This explained why 바카라사이트 pandemic-induced decline in international enrolments had caused such steep job losses among teaching-research academics, even though student demand had risen in 바카라사이트 early stages of 바카라사이트 pandemic.

The report says 바카라사이트 university research workforce declined by 4 per cent in 2021, ¡°reflecting financial losses from fewer international students¡±. Universities¡¯ international tuition fee revenue declined by 6 per cent in 2020 and 8 per cent in 2021, according to institutional financial accounts.

The report shows that public confidence in Australian universities declined by 10 percentage points between 2019 and 2023, notwithstanding 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s contribution to 바카라사이트 Covid-19 health response.

Professor Norton said this could reflect dissatisfaction with online learning, underpayment of casual academics or universities¡¯ involvement in ¡°culture war¡± controversies. But he noted that similar declines in confidence had occurred in 2005 and 2016. ¡°It might just be some temporary period of negative publicity.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com