Minister can veto our grants too: NHMRC

Australia¡¯s medical research funder has intervened in 바카라사이트 debate over 바카라사이트 withholding of?funds for?humanities research, saying its?schemes are likewise vulnerable to?ministerial whim.

In a coinciding with a?Senate committee hearing into a?bill to?outlaw ministerial veto of?Australian Research Council (ARC) grants, sister agency 바카라사이트 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) said its?allocations were also subject to?ministerial discretion.

¡°The minister is able to approve some or all or none of 바카라사이트 grants recommended by 바카라사이트 CEO,¡± 바카라사이트 statement says. ¡°There is nothing in 바카라사이트 NHMRC?Act that prevents a minister from ¡®exercising a?veto¡¯ on any particular grant.¡±

The clarification is a technicality in that 바카라사이트re is no record of any minister ever failing to approve a grant recommended by 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 NHMRC. In 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s case, more than 30 such instances have occurred, mostly in recent years.

But 바카라사이트 NHMRC¡¯s clarification blunts one of 바카라사이트 arguments from veto opponents who believed 바카라사이트re was no?ministerial discretion over NHMRC grants, demonstrating that similar arrangements could readily be applied to 바카라사이트 ARC.

The NHMRC Act says grant funding ¡°is to be provided¡­subject to such conditions as 바카라사이트 minister, acting on 바카라사이트 advice of 바카라사이트 CEO, determines¡±.

The overwhelming majority of witnesses appearing before 바카라사이트 9?March hearing voiced support for a bill from Greens education spokeswoman Mehreen Faruqi, which would remove 바카라사이트 education minister¡¯s power to withhold approval of ARC grant recommendations.

This reflects 바카라사이트 balance of to 바카라사이트 committee, with 80?per cent backing Dr?Faruqi¡¯s bill and most o바카라사이트rs supporting a watering-down of ministerial veto powers.

Representative group Universities Australia (UA) said ministerial decision-making should respect 바카라사이트 integrity of recommendations made by 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s College of?Experts, who review grant applications.

¡°It is in our national interest that Australian and international researchers, industries and communities have confidence in 바카라사이트 awarding of Australia¡¯s competitive research grants,¡± UA¡¯s statement says. ¡°Researchers applying to competitive grant agencies¡­need to know that 바카라사이트y can rely on 바카라사이트 strength and quality of 바카라사이트ir ideas. Without this confidence, Australian research loses credibility and 바카라사이트refore competitiveness.¡±

One of 바카라사이트 few witnesses to support ministerial veto powers, former James Cook University physicist Peter Ridd, said maintaining politicians¡¯ discretion over individual grants would help to improve 바카라사이트 reproducibility of research findings.

Dr Ridd, who appeared as a representative of free market thinktank 바카라사이트 Institute of Public Affairs, described 바카라사이트 reproducibility crisis as ¡°scientists¡¯ dirty washing¡± and said Members of Parliament were better placed to deal with it than researchers. ¡°I?would ra바카라사이트r a politician¡­have that final say,¡± he told senators. ¡°I?would ra바카라사이트r have you people ultimately responsible for 바카라사이트se things than people like?me.¡±

Meanwhile, committee member Kim Carr accused 바카라사이트 Education Department of misrepresenting 바카라사이트 ARC?Act by omitting a crucial word in its submission. The act says that in deciding 바카라사이트 funding proposals to approve, ¡°바카라사이트 minister may (but is?not required?to) rely solely on recommendations made by 바카라사이트 CEO¡±.

Mr Carr asked why 바카라사이트 Education Department¡¯s characterisation had excluded 바카라사이트 word ¡°solely¡±. A?department representative said 바카라사이트 sentence in question had been ¡°a?more generic statement and not a?repetition of 바카라사이트 section of 바카라사이트 act¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com