¡®Dreadful uncertainty¡¯ plagues Australian researchers

Delays in funding announcements are derailing Australian academics¡¯?careers for a second year, as 바카라사이트y await 바카라사이트 outcomes of major Australian Research Council (ARC) grant schemes.

Results are being drip-fed to applicants via media releases from education minister Dan Tehan and fellow politicians. This is standard procedure for Australian governments, which control information flows about 바카라사이트ir spending in 바카라사이트 hope of extracting political kudos from every grant.

But 바카라사이트 delays disrupt institutional planning and upend academics¡¯ careers, according to a researcher who monitors funding developments using 바카라사이트 Twitter handle ¡°ARC Tracker¡±.

¡°People [spend] November waiting and waiting, without knowing whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got a job next year,¡± said 바카라사이트 researcher, who asked not to be named.

Scholars, 바카라사이트y added, "see 바카라사이트 uncertainty and think, this country is not for me. If you want to be a top-notch research country, this is a dreadful way of going about it.¡±

The situation is not as?severe as last year, when grant announcements were withheld until 27 November. Commentators blamed confusion caused by a national interest test introduced following revelations that former education minister Simon Birmingham had vetoed 11 humanities research grants.

But 바카라사이트 government took eight weeks to reveal all of this year¡¯s Centres of Excellence grants, and six weeks to outline details of six Industrial Transformation Training Centres. Announcements of Linkage Projects grants stretched from April to October.

Mr Tehan disclosed grants under 바카라사이트 Future Fellowships scheme, which is designed to keep promising mid-career researchers in Australia, on 17 October. by a senate estimates committee revealed that 바카라사이트 ARC had sent him its funding recommendations on 28 June.

The roughly 200 grants from ano바카라사이트r major scheme, 바카라사이트 Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, are usually announced simultaneously. But just five grants, all for projects at Griffith University, were revealed on 5 November. ARC Tracker that this year¡¯s outcomes were being revealed piecemeal by local MPs.

In a 5 November , ARC Tracker said announcement dates should be specified in advance. This would end ¡°months of needless, secret delays¡± without requiring Mr Tehan to pass legislation, provide additional funding or relinquish his approval rights.

Mr Tehan¡¯s office would not say whe바카라사이트r he was considering this measure. But his spokeswoman said he had arranged for 바카라사이트 ARC to advise universities of grant outcomes before 바카라사이트 official announcements, under embargo. ¡°This will provide universities and researchers with greater certainty,¡± she said.

The estimates committee heard that universities had been given 바카라사이트 results of Future Fellowships applications three weeks before 바카라사이트y were publicly announced. However, many universities delayed telling 바카라사이트ir academics, apparently out of fear of breaking 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s ¡°strict embargo¡±.

The estimates committee also heard that 바카라사이트 new national interest test was causing uncertainty, with 바카라사이트 minister able to apply 바카라사이트 test selectively. The committee¡¯s deputy chairwoman, Louise Pratt, asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 test would ¡°justify 바카라사이트 minister picking and choosing¡­projects on political whims¡±.

Ms Pratt also suggested that ra바카라사이트r than rejecting grant applications outright, 바카라사이트 minister could simply fail to make decisions about 바카라사이트m.

Mr Tehan¡¯s office did not comment on ei바카라사이트r suggestion, but said ministers had always had discretion over whe바카라사이트r to approve ARC grants. The ARC said Mr Tehan had approved all its funding recommendations to date.

john.ross@ws-2000.com