GOVERNMENT REFORMS FOR RESEARCH MAY LEAVE REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES OUT IN THE COLD
25 March 2003
The National Tertiary Education Union fears that regional and rural universities’ innovation capacity will be depleted when the Government announces the final outcomes of its higher education review.
Speaking in the Australian Financial Review last week, Education Minister Brendan Nelson said the Government will make research funding more specialised. NTEU is concerned that this will lead to the concentration of research funding in fewer institutions and research being skewed towards only that which has commercially exploitable outcomes.
“This is overspecialisation, not specialisation”, said Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President. “While all Australian universities carry out important research, the Government has the responsibility of getting the balance right in research funding.”
“Regional and rural universities excel in doing innovative and strategic research which is driven by the needs of their immediate communities. They are cultural and economic centres of their regions, playing an important role in local community-building”, continued Dr Allport.
“The higher education sector is already concerned that research funding policy may leave some kinds of research, as well as certain universities, out in the cold. Government support for basic research in enabling Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, which underpins many developments in innovation and commercialisation, has remained static for a number of years.”
“Even the Minister had to admit he was concerned about these disciplines not receiving adequate funding because they find it difficult to commercialise their work and gain industry and business support”, said Dr Allport. “If research funding is ‘reformed’ so that much of it goes to select institutions and towards applied research only, then we have cause for concern.”
“Australia’s research capacity is at the crossroads”, concluded Dr Allport. “Regional universities are often leaders in innovation and strategic research much of which depends on having a vibrant foundation in basic research.”
NTEU briefing paper ‘Australia’s Research Capacity at the Crossroads’ is available at http://www.nteu.org.au//policy/submissions/discpapers2003
Media inquiries: Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU National President, 0419 349 064
For background information: Ms Jasmina Brankovich, National Policy & Research Officer, (03) 9254 1910 or 0410 348 974