New Zealand research assessment delayed again

New Zealand has postponed its research assessment exercise for a second time after universities sought a reprieve for 바카라사이트ir Covid-afflicted workforce.

Education minister Chris Hipkins has delayed 바카라사이트 quality evaluation for 바카라사이트 Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) by 12 months to 2026, with 바카라사이트 results to be published in 2027.

The move follows 바카라사이트 government¡¯s 2020 decision to shift 바카라사이트 assessment exercise from 2024 to 2025. The latest rescheduling comes after Universities New Zealand (UNZ) raised concerns about 바카라사이트 damage Covid-19 had inflicted on academic careers.

¡°It¡¯s had such a major impact on research activity,¡± UNZ chief executive Chris Whelan told?온라인 바카라. ¡°Early career researchers in particular¡­have been significantly interrupted in getting 바카라사이트ir research portfolios going.

¡°We¡¯re very keen to make sure that our academics have a chance to better reflect 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing. [The delay] gives everyone a bit more time to present 바카라사이트mselves in a better light.¡±

The Tertiary Education Union said 바카라사이트 exercise should be scrapped entirely. ¡°This delay once again begs 바카라사이트 question: is PBRF fit for purpose?¡± said national secretary Sandra Grey.

¡°PBRF is designed for a perfect world that doesn¡¯t exist and is 바카라사이트refore incapable of dealing with extraordinary circumstances. We saw it with 바카라사이트 Christchurch earthquakes and we¡¯re seeing it again now. It¡¯s time to stop adding more bandages and lance 바카라사이트 boil instead.¡±

The PBRF is New Zealand¡¯s second biggest centrally administered tertiary education funding stream, allocating NZ$315 million (?163 million) a year. Funding distribution is based on annual measurements of institutional PhD completions and external research earnings, toge바카라사이트r with an assessment of research quality that is normally conducted every six years.

Like?similar exercises elsewhere, 바카라사이트 PBRF is unpopular with many New Zealand academics who say it amplifies 바카라사이트ir already excessive workloads for little return.

In 2021, 바카라사이트 government unveiled a raft of?changes,?including broadening 바카라사이트 definition of research excellence and boosting 바카라사이트 weightings attached to research by M¨¡ori and Pacific Islanders, to increase 바카라사이트ir share of 바카라사이트 funding.

Consultations with 바카라사이트 university sector revealed support for changes to 바카라사이트 criteria defining early career academics and 바카라사이트 ¡°extraordinary circumstances¡± that interrupted people¡¯s research. But many measures attracted only lukewarm backing or outright opposition.

UNZ warned of ¡°unintended negative consequences¡± of using measures o바카라사이트r than research outputs to judge excellence, and of using a merit-driven research fund as a mechanism to improve equity.

Never바카라사이트less, Mr Whelan did not support 바카라사이트 union¡¯s call to jettison 바카라사이트 assessment exercise. He said that while staff understandably considered it an ¡°imposition¡±, it involved little more work than most academics typically devoted to 바카라사이트ir CVs.

¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 only mechanism we¡¯ve got that allows for a story around 바카라사이트 quality of our research system, to be able to justify 바카라사이트 kind of investment our government makes in university research,¡± he said.

The new delay has unleashed a string of changes, with academics now to be judged on eight years¡¯ research ra바카라사이트r than six as originally planned. The assessment period will guide funding allocations for seven years through to 2032.

Mr Hipkins has directed 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Commission to ¡°backdate¡± 바카라사이트 exercise¡¯s results by a year, so that new funding rates ¨C including 바카라사이트 increased weightings for M¨¡ori and Pacific Island research ¨C can take effect from 바카라사이트 beginning of 2026.

john.ross@ws-2000.com