Replace our broken funding system and commit to Australian research

The Australian Academy of Science says the Australian Universities Accord must include an unambiguous commitment to research in the Australian university system and provide it with fit-for-purpose base funding complemented by, not substituted with, research project funding.

The proposal is part of the Academy’s submission to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report.

It also says the Accord must maintain and enhance regulatory and legislative protections and obligations for Australian universities to maintain the quality of research within the system.

The submission recommends that the Australian Government:

• declares an unambiguous commitment to research in the Australian university system, with fit-for-purpose base funding supplemented by project funding
• commissions an independent science and research system review without delay
• makes a commitment to lifting investment in R&D expenditure and to working with the higher education and industry sectors to execute a 10-year plan designed to reach overall R&D investment at least to the OECD investment average.

The Academy commends the work of the panel in producing the interim report and their acknowledgement that further work is needed to reflect the role of research in the higher education system appropriately.

Read the Academy’s submission.