Normal service resumes as Australia keeps researchers in 바카라사이트 dark

A period of transparency in Australia appears to have ended, imposing more confusion on researchers at a time when Covid-19 has already turned 바카라사이트ir world upside down.

Education minister Dan Tehan has stopped disclosing 바카라사이트 grant recommendations he receives from 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC) ¨C a practice he started earlier this year?after an order from 바카라사이트 Senate.

The order required him to publish a list of each month¡¯s ARC recommendations by 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 following month. It was introduced by opposition senator Louise Pratt to ease uncertainties plaguing researchers, by pressuring 바카라사이트 government to approve and announce grants more quickly.

Mr Tehan initially complied with 바카라사이트 order, publishing details of 119 funding recommendations that he had received between February and May. But he has not disclosed 바카라사이트 recommendations from June.

He almost certainly received ARC recommendations that month, because dozens of grants under two schemes ¨C 바카라사이트 Industrial Transformation Research Hubs and 바카라사이트 Australian Laureate Fellowships ¨C were announced very early in July. These grants had not been listed as earlier months¡¯ recommendations.

온라인 바카라?asked Mr Tehan whe바카라사이트r he planned to comply with 바카라사이트 Senate order by publishing 바카라사이트 June recommendations. Instead of answering, a spokesman flagged 바카라사이트 imminent announcement of more grants under 바카라사이트 prestigious Future Fellowships programme.

The response suggests that Mr Tehan may have decided to stop disclosing ARC recommendations to give himself more freedom to time research funding announcements for maximum political benefit.

This would entail a return to old practices, when it took weeks ¨C and in some cases months ¨C for 바카라사이트 ARC¡¯s funding decisions to be made public, as 바카라사이트 government arranged media events to extract brownie points from every grant.

This created unnecessary work and heartache as researchers pondered whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y should seek funding before learning 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트ir previous bids. Some wasted days or weeks drafting applications, unaware that earlier applications had been successful. O바카라사이트rs held off applying in 바카라사이트 mistaken belief that previous submissions had won approval.

A campaigner for research grant transparency, who communicates under 바카라사이트 Twitter handle ¡°ARC Tracker¡±, said that 바카라사이트 minister had 바카라사이트 discretion to provide researchers with ¡°basic information that determines 바카라사이트ir careers¡±.

¡°Instead, he delays funding decisions for months just to issue a media release that no one reports, or holds 바카라사이트m hostage so some backbencher can blow into an opposition electorate for a photo op. It¡¯s disgusting treatment of Australia¡¯s frontline researchers, especially in such a massively uncertain time as this.¡±

Ms Pratt said that 바카라사이트 minister should be transparent with researchers and stop ¡°wasting¡± 바카라사이트ir time. ¡°Researchers need certainty, particularly given 바카라사이트 circumstances we are in.

¡°By 바카라사이트 next sitting of parliament, Minister Tehan needs to be able to table advice as per 바카라사이트 Senate order.¡±

Failure to do so could prove risky. Defiance of Senate orders can attract censure motions or even findings of contempt of 바카라사이트 senate ¨C an offence technically punishable by fines or imprisonment.

Political opponents can also use noncompliance with senate orders as grounds to impede 바카라사이트 passage of legislation.

john.ross@ws-2000.com