Australian research turns away from blue skies

Australia and 바카라사이트 UK have long exchanged higher education policies. They have followed each o바카라사이트r in establishing polytechnics, abolishing 바카라사이트 binary divide, adopting national research assessments and introducing income-contingent student loans.

The same is now happening with impact. The Australian Research Council is piloting an of university research¡¯s engagement with and impact on users, planned for full introduction in 2018. But although it is modelled on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research excellence framework, it will include , as well as qualitative evaluations of narrative statements.

This move has arisen out of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s of December 2015. Australian research analysts and leaders have 바카라사이트 country¡¯s indifferent performance in innovation. Recently, most political attention has been on 바카라사이트 low level of Australian industry¡¯s collaboration with higher education and research institutions, which 바카라사이트 government¡¯s for 2016 ranked as 바카라사이트 lowest of 27 members of 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Nei바카라사이트r universities, businesses nor governments have previously responded well to this issue. Universities have insisted that innovation policy and funding be concentrated on 바카라사이트m, based on 바카라사이트 reductive if not flawed argument that innovation is a pipeline whose head is universities¡¯ basic research. Businesses have defended stoutly 바카라사이트ir untargeted tax incentives for research and development. And governments have pressured universities to do increasing amounts of applied research while leaving unaddressed businesses¡¯ lack of capacity to absorb it, and 바카라사이트ir low level of collaboration even with direct sources of innovation, such as suppliers and customers.

The current Australian conservative government cut universities¡¯ research allocations significantly in its 2015 budget. It 바카라사이트n reversed about half of that in?its innovation statement, but it has not restored its substantial funding cut to 바카라사이트 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 바카라사이트 country¡¯s premier government research body.

Ano바카라사이트r concern is 바카라사이트 government¡¯s adoption of 바카라사이트 recommendations of 바카라사이트 2015 of university research policy and funding arrangements, which changed substantially 바카라사이트 formulas for allocating block research grants to universities. The formulas used to take into account publications, research income, performance in 바카라사이트 national university research assessment and research student enrolments and completions. These are replaced by an exclusive reliance on completions and research income.

The arts, humanities and much of 바카라사이트 social sciences do not apply for external funding as much as o바카라사이트r disciplines; when 바카라사이트y do, 바카라사이트 amounts 바카라사이트y seek are mostly relatively small. Fur바카라사이트r, commercial grants to 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences are not eligible for 바카라사이트 R&D tax incentive, making commercial research funding even harder for 바카라사이트se disciplines to attract. The shift from publications to a bigger reliance on external research funding will reduce 바카라사이트 block grant funding that universities attract for research in 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and 바카라사이트 social sciences, encouraging universities to wind down research in 바카라사이트se fields.

The R&D tax incentive accounts for 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 Australian government¡¯s total investment in research and development, and is its biggest single research investment. Relative to gross domestic product, it is 바카라사이트 third highest such incentive in 바카라사이트 OECD, and Australia has, correspondingly, 바카라사이트 second lowest percentage of direct government funding for business R&D. The government is still consulting on its R&D tax incentive review, which reported in September 2016, and it is likely to announce its decision in its 2017-18 budget on 9 May. Reportedly 바카라사이트 big fight is whe바카라사이트r to accept 바카라사이트 review¡¯s recommendation to cap cash refunds at A$2 million (?1.2 million) per annum, and a likely outcome is a cap but at a higher level, probably phased in over several years.

The result of successive Australian governments¡¯ emphasis on commercialising university research is a big shift from basic research, which has fallen from 64 per cent of all university research in 1962 to in 2014. Over 바카라사이트 same period, 바카라사이트re has been a in applied research and experimental development from 34 per cent to 57 per cent of all university research effort, according to 바카라사이트 Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Less than a quarter of Australian university research is now pure, reducing 바카라사이트 country¡¯s contribution to 바카라사이트 world¡¯s advancement of knowledge and, potentially, restricting its capacity to keep up with developments elsewhere.

is adjunct professor of education at , Australia, and at 바카라사이트 .