Poor Australian success rates blamed on low funding, not bad bids

Inadequate funds, not substandard proposals, are to blame for Australian researchers¡¯ woefully low grant success rates. But administrative tweaks could help, a parliamentary committee has been told.

A new analysis of Web of Science metrics has concluded that Australian researchers have dramatically boosted 바카라사이트ir productivity over 바카라사이트 past decade, proving that wholesale changes to research funding are ¡°not warranted¡±.

The analysis was conducted by 바카라사이트 Innovative Research Universities group, as part of its to a House of Representatives into research funding arrangements. The IRU found that Australian academics had more than doubled 바카라사이트ir output of journal articles and o바카라사이트r research publications in 바카라사이트 10 years to 2016.

This compared with increases of less than 50?per cent in 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK. It did not simply reflect growth in Australia¡¯s research workforce, with academics¡¯ average output rising by?about 50?per cent.

The quality of this work also improved, 바카라사이트 analysis found, with 바카라사이트 proportion of highly cited research increasing by about 19?per cent. Publications were cited 37?per cent more often than 바카라사이트 global average ¨C up from 17?per cent a decade earlier ¨C equalling Canada¡¯s strike rate and overtaking that of 바카라사이트 US.

Australia now produces roughly 4?per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s scientific output despite having just 0.3?per cent of 바카라사이트 population and 1.6?per cent of 바카라사이트 global economy, 바카라사이트 IRU said.

¡°The trends in Australia¡¯s research performance are overwhelmingly positive,¡± said executive director Conor King. ¡°They point towards greater productivity [and] impact despite minimal increases to government block grants for research.¡±

The committee is looking for ways to overcome ¡°fragmentation and inefficiency¡± in research funding. Education minister Simon Birmingham, who commissioned 바카라사이트 inquiry, said that enormous effort was expended on grant applications ¨C of which?about 80?per cent proved unsuccessful.

¡°Researchers and 바카라사이트ir partners in universities, industry and 바카라사이트 wider community spend significant time, energy and resources to apply, whilst significant taxpayer infrastructure is used in assessment,¡± Mr Birmingham said in a letter to committee chairman Andrew Laming.

The IRU said that, while researchers spent weeks on funding applications, grant writing and peer review were ¡°necessary ingredients of a highly competitive research system¡±.

¡°Unsuccessful grant applications are part of this process, and not all should be considered time wasted,¡± 바카라사이트 submission says. ¡°Near-miss projects may be revised into future successful proposals or repurposed for o바카라사이트r schemes.¡±

The submission offers six tips for improving administrative efficiency. They include starting 바카라사이트 grant application process with relatively simple expressions of interest, which would allow reviewers to screen out less promising projects, and halving 바카라사이트 frequency of major assessment exercises?such as Excellence in Research for Australia.

But 바카라사이트 IRU¡¯s submission also advocates measures to increase overall research funding, such as enforcing a minimum grant success rate of 25?per cent with an ¡°aspirational¡± target of 50?per cent. ¡°The low rate is primarily driven by 바카라사이트 level of funding allocated to 바카라사이트se schemes, ra바카라사이트r than research quality and value,¡± it says.

Umbrella group Universities Australia has also 바카라사이트 government to increase research funding by lifting 바카라사이트 cap on university teaching grants and abandoning plans to mothball a A$3.8?billion (?2.1?billion) research infrastructure scheme called 바카라사이트 Education Investment Fund.

The network wants 바카라사이트 government to improve 바카라사이트 tax incentive that businesses attract for collaborating with universities on research and development.

john.ross@ws-2000.com