Melbourne Uni is the latest in a string of sector representatives flying policy kites in the hope of catching the eye of those invited to the PM’s productivity fest at the end of August, proposing new pathways for cash to flow into their coffers while also releasing a research strategy into the world.
The UoM strategy is released at the same time as the new Adelaide University’s strategy appears – with Go8 stakeholders recognising the need to urgently lift research impact and funding out from the shadows, following the Government’s almost overwhelming attention on regulating, subsidising and increasing control over all things student-facing.
There remains a question for policy pundits as to whether these strategies miss the main question – how to build research income or recover from cuts to research income at a time when there has been so little national support – through government funding, industry contribution or social licence.
In a separate move, Melbourne made a pitch for extra research cash this week, either via a mandated lift in R&D expenditure from 1.7% to 3%, or a $1b venture capital fund backed by funding pools such as the $15b National Reconstruction Fund (or no doubt both would also be welcomed). Other universities have echoed the R&D sentiment, but also want a bigger slice of the pie than they currently receive, with Go8s currently hoovering up almost 70% of small change that slips from Albo’s wallet and is allowed to go to research.
Given the Government has shown little interest in even measuring research performance (the last ERA was 2018), let alone loosening the purse strings for research, with a dogged commitment to bringing almost all conversations about tertiary education back to regulation and access, cynics may suggest that the Melbourne pitch for cash will go straight to the circular file alongside those of the rest of the sector. At best, the research funding envelope appears to be a Rumsfeldian known unknown, but strategies must still be made, whether they end up at the scale of billions or millions.
UoM DVC R Mark Cassidy said that a level of uncertainty over category 1 (Australian competitive grant) funding had existed when he started to formulate the research strategy last year, but global events and in particular the Trump Administration’s cuts to research funding had created a much greater level of uncertainty.
“We can’t know the scale of category 1 funding, but the principles of the strategy are right for the times. Diversification of funding sources is really important for universities,” he told FC.
The UoM strategy identifies a framework to achieve impact through:
- Products and enterprises
- Processes and practices
- Media and culture
- Policy, politics and the law
In practice, this means that appearance of UoM experts racking up media mentions is a key impact metric, alongside commercial spinoffs and policy change.
The strategy identifies five areas for the university to accelerate and presumably hang its hat on as areas of differentiated strength:
- Climate sustainability and ecosystem health (a research passion of VC Emma Johnstone)
- Democracy civil society and inclusion
- Health futures
- Indigenous knowledges and research
- Transformative technologies
The University of Melbourne currently spends $1.6b on research, in contrast with the new Adelaide University, which has a $500 million budget paired with a $200m Research Fund from the SA Government.
The Adelaide strategy focuses on five research themes and like Melbourne, promises accelerated growth through funding and institutional focus, with the South Australians leveraging their UniSA heritage in seeking to become number one in Australia for industry research income and engagement.
Adelaide’s research themes are wide enough to fit pretty much anything – perhaps fitting for an institution finding its feet and seeking to please staff from two very different institutional cultures (as well as a State Government with lofty and diverse expectations). The themes are: Creative & Cultural, Defence & National Security; Food Agriculture and Wine: Person & Societal health and Sustainable Green Transition.
In line with its focus on pitching the new University to students across the country, attempting to reverse decades of stubborn refusal to countenance moving to Adelaide, the Unviersity has also retooled its HDR program to fast track diverse candidates into (and presumably also out of) PhDs.
No doubt a candlelight vigil commences in the Adelaide DVC R’s office each time the future of AUKUS is called into question, but even if a submarine never darkens the docks at Adelaide, there are a few other priorities to focus on – or at the very least an expectation that wine research will generate a few decent reds to drown the sorrows.
Both strategies are sufficiently broad brush to provide plenty of room to move – so we pinned down Professor Cassidy on a few of the specifics (below).