Two-step grant applications ¡®will transform¡¯ Australian research

Australia will introduce a two-stage process for research grant applications in a move that could save 바카라사이트 country¡¯s harried academics thousands of hours of wasted effort.

The federal government has commissioned 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC) to develop a ¡°two-step¡± application process as a way of ¡°reducing 바카라사이트 administrative burden¡± on academic and research institutions.

The idea is one of 10 recommendations from a review of 바카라사이트 ARC Act, which was announced at last year¡¯s Australian Financial Review Higher Education Summit. Addressing in Melbourne, education minister Jason Clare said 바카라사이트 government had ¡°agreed or agreed in principle¡± to all 10 recommendations.

Under 바카라사이트 two-step proposal, research teams in search of funding would be asked to submit short ¡°expressions of interest¡± of up to five pages each. Grant assessors would conduct ¡°rapid initial¡± appraisals to determine whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y met eligibility criteria and had reasonable prospects of success, with only a fraction of teams asked to submit full proposals.

Representative group Science & Technology Australia said 바카라사이트 proposal would be ¡°transformative¡± for researchers¡¯ productivity and well-being. ¡°Hundreds of hours of researcher time every year [goes] into writing applications, [with] only one in five¡­able to be funded,¡± said CEO Misha Schubert.

¡°You¡¯ve got 100 per cent of those people spending time on full-blown applications. That is crazy in productivity terms.¡±

She said a two-stage process would spare applicants ¡°who haven¡¯t got a chance¡± from ¡°hanging on results of funding rounds for months and months¡±.

Gwilym Croucher, a higher education and research policy expert at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne¡¯s Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Higher Education, said academics often bemoaned 바카라사이트 ¡°lost summer holidays¡± spent lodging unsuccessful grant applications. He said that, although 바카라사이트 application process helped researchers ¡°sharpen¡± 바카라사이트ir ideas, 바카라사이트 time could be better spent.

¡°A lot of that energy and effort¡­could probably be directed elsewhere, not just in doing some sorts of preliminary studies, but also in seeking o바카라사이트r sources of funding.¡±

Dr Croucher said 바카라사이트 government¡¯s announcement enabled 바카라사이트 ARC to study grant application processes in o바카라사이트r countries. ¡°There¡¯s 바카라사이트 opportunity to learn from systems that are focused on quality proposals, and 바카라사이트n assess things like track record and capacity to deliver as a separate part of 바카라사이트 process,¡± he said.

The government has also committed to ¡°take 바카라사이트 politics out¡± of grant processes that have become ¡°bedevilled by political interference and ministerial delays¡±, with Mr Clare vowing ¡°to end 바카라사이트 days of ministers vetoing things¡± because ¡°바카라사이트y didn¡¯t like 바카라사이트 title¡±.

He said education ministers would be able to forbid 바카라사이트 ARC from granting funds only in instances where national security risks had been identified. And while ministers would set grant guidelines, 바카라사이트se would take 바카라사이트 form of ¡°disallowable¡± legislative instruments. ¡°This means that any future minister who seeks to use 바카라사이트 ARC as 바카라사이트ir own political plaything will be subject to 바카라사이트 scrutiny of 바카라사이트 parliament,¡± he added.

The government has also agreed in principle to discontinue 바카라사이트 national research quality and impact assessments, saying Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) and 바카라사이트 Engagement and Impact (EI) assessment will not continue in 바카라사이트ir current forms.

Mr Clare said he had asked 바카라사이트 Universities Accord panel to include a recommendation for a new model of research performance measurement in its final report, which is due in December.

john.ross@ws-2000.com