Media releases

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT - 23 January 1996

The President of the Australian Academy of Science, Sir Gustav Nossal, today released the Academy's advice to all political parties. The advice defines priorities for action by the next government.

'Here are a few key matters on which Australians can reasonably expect that any government that accepts its responsibility to invest in our future will take action in the course of the next Parliament. We urge all Parties to commit themselves to this program, or, better still, to improve on it. The Academy's chief concern is the quality of Australia's basic and strategic research in science. It is a resource on which our community must draw for a number of purposes that are crucial for our future: to support innovating enterprises, to help us maintain the quality of our environment, and to support the intellectual development of the population and its capacity to function as a democracy in a world of growing complexity. Like most countries, Australia produces only a small fraction of the science that it needs and must build links to overseas laboratories to have access to the latest knowledge and skills. There is some evidence, which the Academy is currently testing, that Australia's standing in global science has been diminishing over the last decade. We must therefore work harder to maintain our position. Only the best science will serve the needs of Australian users of science, and maintain our position in the global "club" or leading researchers. Many scientists feel threatened and undervalued at a time when their commitment is more important than ever. The Academy proposes to involve scientists more closely in preparing advice to government through a re-structured ASTEC.'

 

The Academy's recommended initiatives include the following.

There are now more universities, and many more students enrolled for research degrees. The Government's Board for Employment, Education and Training (NBEET) has documented just how inadequate universities' research infrastructure (equipment, libraries, special computer equipment, etc) has become. NBEET described what needed to be done. What is needed from government is a commitment to repair the deficiencies in infrastructure.

Competitive research funding is needed to support basic research and to nurture young talent. At present only 23% of applicants to the Australian Research Council are successful. Inevitably, much research talent is being wasted. Funding should be increased so that at least 33% of qualified proposals are funded.

Government should give CSIRO, and the other government research agencies, broad directions for their work. It should also express confidence in their capacity to manage their central role of providing strategic research for the community, and allow them to decide the balance between their strategic and their short term, contract research.

Research and development (R&D) in the private sector are critical to innovation. To foster it, the 150% tax deduction for R&D spending should be maintained. The rules governing research syndication, through which investors fund R&D projects, should be changed to allow public and private tax-exempt organisations, such as universities, to participate. Appropriate syndication would establish better linkages between public sector research and industry, and enhance the prospects that valuable research results from the public sector are commercialised. Further efforts are also needed to encourage our technology start-up companies.

As a nation, we fail to take science education seriously. Only a small fraction of primary schools have science programs. Our goal should be 50% of primary schools by 1999, and 100% by 2002. This is achievable with support by all governments, at a small cost.

Other priorities for science education are support for science teachers in secondary schools, to help them develop their subject knowledge, and support for schemes to help involve scientists and technologists in school education.

Australia's pre-eminent science advisory body, the Prime Ministers' Science and Engineering Council and the position of Chief Scientist reporting to the Prime Minister, should be retained. The Australian Science and Technology Council, which conducts enquiries on science policy issues, should be re-structured to allow greater involvement of scientists and technologists in its deliberations.

The Australia Prize should be re-focussed to recognise major scientific achievements by Australians, and to encourage the ablest of our junior researchers.

The full text of the Academy's advice is available on request from the Academy or at www.science.org.au/reports/govt96.htm.