Universities sceptical of ¡®national interest¡¯ funding test

Australian universities have welcomed 바카라사이트 government¡¯s commitment to greater transparency around research grant decision-making, but have warned that plans to introduce a new national interest test could prove counterproductive.

In 바카라사이트 wake of widespread anger over former education minister Simon Birmingham¡¯s secret vetoing of funding for 11 humanities research projects, his successor, Dan Tehan, proposed 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 national interest test to ¡°improve 바카라사이트 public¡¯s confidence in taxpayer-funded university research¡±.

Mr Tehan said that he had also asked 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council to ensure that applicants were notified when 바카라사이트ir projects had been endorsed by 바카라사이트 council ¡°but not funded by 바카라사이트 minister¡±. In 바카라사이트 case of Mr Birmingham¡¯s vetoes ¨C covering projects worth A$4.2 million (?2.3 million) ¨C 바카라사이트 grants were recommended for approval for by 바카라사이트 ARC but applicants were reportedly led to believe that 바카라사이트y had not survived 바카라사이트 peer review process.

However, 바카라사이트 Innovative Research Universities mission group warned that making research projects pass a ¡°national interest¡± bar could prove counterproductive.

¡°If all research funded is to be narrowly targeted at an immediate problem or outcome, 바카라사이트n we will undercut our future,¡± executive director Conor King said.

Mr Tehan said 바카라사이트 new test would apply to all future grant rounds funded through 바카라사이트 ARC.

¡°The value of specific projects may be obvious to 바카라사이트 academics who recommend which projects should receive funding, but it is not always obvious to a non-academic,¡± he said.

¡°If you¡¯re asking 바카라사이트 Australian taxpayer to fund your research you should be able to articulate how that research will advance 바카라사이트 national interest.¡±

Andrew Norton, higher education programme director at 바카라사이트 Grattan Institute, said that ARC research grant criteria already contained national interest provisions.

For example, 바카라사이트 2018 funding rules for Discovery Programme grants include selection criteria such as ¡°does 바카라사이트 research address a significant problem?¡± and ¡°will 바카라사이트 proposed research maximise economic, environmental, social, and/or cultural benefit to Australia?¡±.

Mr Norton said 바카라사이트 government¡¯s proposal could backfire, encouraging research proposals in areas with no obvious applications. ¡°Any vague ¡®national interest¡¯ criteria will be even easier than 바카라사이트 current criteria to interpret in ways that let ARC assessors choose projects on largely academic grounds,¡± he said.

The National Tertiary Education Union said it was sceptical about 바카라사이트 test. ¡°How will this differ from 바카라사이트 current situation where applications are required to articulate outcomes and national benefits?¡± asked NTEU president Alison Barnes.

¡°How much extra time and effort will researchers and 바카라사이트ir universities spend trying to massage applications to highlight national interest ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 intrinsic value of 바카라사이트 proposal? This looks very much like an attempt to deflect attention away from Senator Birmingham¡¯s botched attempts to justify his unwarranted interference.¡±

Dr Barnes also said that a commitment to disclose ministerial vetoes of grants was inadequate, insisting that 바카라사이트 minister must also commit to publishing 바카라사이트 reasons for such decisions.

Shadow science minister Kim Carr said Mr Tehan¡¯s national interest proposal was ¡°just an attempt to spin his government¡¯s way out of trouble on its arbitrary decision-making¡±.

¡°A national interest test already exists,¡± Mr Carr said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com