Research agencies face funding shake-up

CSIRO, the Australian Institute for Marine Science, and other publicly funded research agencies (PRFAs) may be in for a funding shake-up, following the release of the Research Collaboration Review by Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training Brendan Nelson last week.

The report on the review chaired by former National Farmer's Federation chief Don McGauchie was one of three reports on publicly funded research and research training released by Nelson, as the government prepares to launch a follow-up program to the AUD$3 billion, five-year Backing Australia's Ability initiative.

Speaking at the National Press Club, Nelson said that the reports -- which also included the Evaluation of the Knowledge and Innovation Reforms, chaired by Professor Chris Fell; the National Research Infrastructure Taskforce, chaired by Dr Mike Sargent; -- would provide an important contribution to planning for future policy development.

According to recommendations in McGauchie's report, CSIRO and other publicly funded research agencies (PFRAs) could be heading towards a major change in funding arrangements, which currently rely on block funding via triennium funding agreements. The report proposes a competitive $500 million collaborative fund over ten years aimed at increasing partnerships between the PFRAs, universities and industry to supplant at least part of the block funding provided to the PFRAs.

"Over time there should be less reliance on block funding for research activities undertaken by PFRAs moving towards a higher proportion of total funding, and any additional funding, being delivered by open competitive processes," the report says.

The McGauchie report also recommended that a performance measurement framework be developed and introduced to measure quality and relevance.

Other key recommendations in the three reports include the establishment of a Commonwealth Strategic Research Council to develop and manage coordinated national research strategies, and a National Research Infrastructure Council to identify and advise on priorities for research infrastructure funds.

Fell's report, which provided an assessment of funding mechanisms to universities and public research agencies in Australia, including the Research Training Scheme (RTS), the Institutional Grants Scheme (IGS), and the Research Infrastructure Block Grants Scheme (RIBG), recommended that the balance between block funding and competitive funding of research be retained. Among the 18 recommendations, the report suggested that funding levels be increased, the RTS simplified and capping removed from the RTS and IGS.