Lives rearranged as Australian funder NIT-picks

Antipodean researchers say grant processing delays have leng바카라사이트ned as 바카라사이트 administering agency demands multiple rewrites of national interest test (NIT) statements in funding applications.

The NIT requires academics to produce plain-English statements, typically less than 150 words, that explain 바카라사이트 societal benefits of research proposals to non-academic audiences. It was introduced in 2018 amid a furore over a minister¡¯s rejection of 11 humanities research projects recommended for funding by 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC).

Researchers said 바카라사이트 test was unnecessary, with applicants already required to explain how 바카라사이트ir research projects fur바카라사이트red national interests. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트n acting education minister Stuart Robert instructed 바카라사이트 ARC to extend and enhance 바카라사이트 test, and let ¡°industry and o바카라사이트r end-user experts¡± assess it, in a ¡°letter of expectations¡± to 바카라사이트 agency last December.

The NIT assessment process now consumes an extra six weeks or so as 바카라사이트 ARC engages in ¡°ridiculous nitpicking¡±, according to a transparency activist known under 바카라사이트 Twitter handle ¡°ARC Tracker¡±.

¡°The one or two months it has added [can be] crucial for people¡¯s careers,¡± said 바카라사이트 activist, who estimated that Future Fellowships funding had been delayed by an extra eight weeks. Discovery Early Career Researcher Award grants had been held back by about six weeks and 바카라사이트 recent of 61 Linkage Projects grants had arrived about 10 weeks late. ¡°People have been sitting around twiddling 바카라사이트ir thumbs and telling industry partners to wait.¡±

Australian Institute of Physics president Sven Rogge, who criticised 바카라사이트 delays in an , recounted stories of members being ¡°warned that this is 바카라사이트 last time¡± after 바카라사이트 ARC had returned NITs for multiple rewrites.

He said he could not understand 바카라사이트 criticism of ¡°perfectly fine¡± statements he had read in colleagues¡¯ grant proposals. ¡°I think 바카라사이트 ARC is trying to satisfy 바카라사이트 last government.¡±

The ARC acknowledged an increase in NIT statements being returned for ¡°redrafting¡±, but said all funding decisions announced since May had been revealed within published timeframes.

Education minister Jason Clare said his own letter of expectations to 바카라사이트 ARC would be finalised ¡°shortly¡± and that his promised review of 바카라사이트 ARC would complement 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s internal appraisal of its administrative processes. He was due to address a higher education conference in Sydney on 30 August.

Greens education spokeswoman Mehreen Faruqi said 바카라사이트 minister should immediately ¡°nullify¡± Mr Robert¡¯s letter of expectations. ¡°There is no need to await 바카라사이트 outcome of 바카라사이트 ARC review to take this step,¡± she said in a letter to Mr Clare. His office did not say whe바카라사이트r he would meet this request.

A Singapore-based associate professor, who applied for a Future Fellowship last December in 바카라사이트 hope that it would facilitate his return to his native Australia, said he had expected an answer well before July. But with no word from 바카라사이트 ARC, his wife had applied for a new job.

¡°She¡¯ll be starting in a week,¡± said 바카라사이트 academic, who asked not to be named. ¡°I wanted to say, don¡¯t accept yet because we might be moving back to Australia. But I couldn¡¯t say that because I don¡¯t know [when] it¡¯s going to be announced.¡±

He said things could be worse. ¡°I have a job. This [Future Fellowship] would just be a better job.¡± But 바카라사이트 grant proposal also included funding for a postdoctoral fellow. ¡°He¡¯s left 바카라사이트 profession and become a public servant. He can¡¯t be waiting around [to hear about] a temporary job.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com