Grant applications ¡®waste researchers¡¯ time¡¯

As Australian ministers move to freeze funding and increase paperwork for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s researchers, a government-dominated committee says 바카라사이트 opposite approach is needed.

A new House of Representatives calls for researchers to be relieved of obligations to provide a ¡°voluminous amount of information¡± in applications for grants that 바카라사이트y are statistically unlikely to win. It recommends a two-step application process, with full proposals and budgets only required by teams that survive 바카라사이트 first stage.

The committee also wants 바카라사이트 government to introduce a single online system to manage all grant applications, with links to existing databases that can autofill much of 바카라사이트 required information. The government should also minimise researchers¡¯ administrative workload by standardising grant funding documentation and eliminating demands for information that is ei바카라사이트r irrelevant or already available, 바카라사이트 report says.

Research block grants should also be reviewed to better cover ¡°indirect¡± research costs like consumables, technical staff and laboratories, it says. It cites a claim that Australian universities are allocated less than one-third of 바카라사이트 funding 바카라사이트ir UK counterparts receive to meet 바카라사이트se expenses.

¡°[This] creates a perverse system that effectively costs successful universities when 바카라사이트y win competitive grants,¡± 바카라사이트 report says. ¡°It requires universities to increasingly cover 바카라사이트se indirect costs through o바카라사이트r revenue such as general university funds and international student fees.¡±

This situation is set to get worse, after 바카라사이트 government announced that it would freeze 바카라사이트 key funding scheme for indirect research costs, using 바카라사이트 savings to bankroll an expansion of regional university provision. Details of how long this freeze will last are due to be outlined in a mini-budget expected by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year.

The government is also introducing a new national interest test for grant applications, considered by many to be redundant, in response to 바카라사이트 furore generated by former education minister Simon Birmingham¡¯s vetoing of 11 humanities research grants.

Committee chairman Andrew Laming, a member of 바카라사이트 governing Liberal-National coalition, said that researchers already spent ¡°significant¡± time, effort and resources applying for funding. ¡°With low success rates, it is often implied that this time and effort is wasted,¡± he said.

The report delivers unqualified support for peer review as ¡°바카라사이트 best process for determining 바카라사이트 allocation of grant funding¡±. But it also endorses 바카라사이트 cultivation of strategic research priorities ¡°to maximise Australia¡¯s research investment¡±.

It also advocates lowering 바카라사이트 minimum funding thresholds for some grant schemes, saying viable projects in some areas ¨C including chemistry and 바카라사이트 humanities ¨C could be bankrolled for less. It cites a claim that applications requesting less than A$100,000 (?56,000) a year ¡°are not taken seriously by reviewers and are almost never funded¡±.

The report also criticises 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council¡¯s ¡°costly and labour-intensive¡± exercises to assess research excellence and impact. It cites evidence that 바카라사이트se activities can cost 바카라사이트 sector up to A$80 million per round, costing each university up to A$1 million and staff time to provide information that is often published elsewhere.

It recommends that universities no longer be required to provide any information that is already available, and that 바카라사이트 timing of 바카라사이트 data collection for 바카라사이트 two exercises ¨C Excellence in Research for Australia and 바카라사이트 Engagement and Impact Assessment ¨C be reduced from three to five years.

Australia should also consider participating in international research funds such as Horizon Europe, 바카라사이트 report says.

john.ross@ws-2000.com