Another part of a proposal to establish state oversight of research and development is revealed, with a new paper from Robyn Denholm and colleagues conducting a Strategic Examination of Research and Development (SERD) for the Federal Government.
It is not great for researchers who want to be left alone in the lab to see what they can find.
Certainly, the final paper in the SERD series setting out their thinking acknowledges the need to “protect and support curiosity-led research as a pillar of innovation,” including by reserving a share of Australian Research Council grants for five-year and plus projects.
But not everybody should be eligible for everything – SERD notes 37 of 41 universities research in 12 or more fields. “Similar research profiles across universities and limited alignment with national priorities leads to poor competition and limited impact,” they suggest.
To fix this the new Australian Tertiary Education Commission should have a dedicated R&D commissioner. Plus, research funding and performance measures should move from publication and citation volume to “better recognise translational impact, industry engagement and societal benefit.” And there should be a national planning and funding model for research infrastructure.
“It is an imperative for our reform agenda that we uphold and strengthen the quality of our research, while reorienting the system to engage with national priorities and increase our use of knowledge to achieve economic, social and cultural outcomes.”
The SERD team was commissioned by previous industry minister Ed Husic and successor Tim Ayres enthusiastically embraces its state-centric approach.
“It is not just about investing in research capabilities and the commercialisation of discoveries. It’s about providing the kind of leadership that helps to align the effort and ingenuity that’s already abundant in our research system,” he said last week.
And lest anyone missed the point, Mr Ayres added, “getting our innovation system right involves Australians and Australian institutions working together, with the Government providing strategic leadership.”