Public Support for Science a Winner

Date: 02 November 2006

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) supports the central findings of the Productivity Commission's draft report into Public Support for Science and Innovation, particularly the recognition of clear and significant social, economic and environmental benefits from the Government's investment in science and innovation.

"While the Union will need to examine the Commission's finding that the overall level of Government funding directed to science and innovation is adequate, we agree with its central recommendation that this investment generates substantial benefits to the nation," said Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President.

"We believe that the Commission's findings that there is a need for the Government to rethink several aspects of its science and innovation policy are also sound."

These include:
∑ While Government has a major role in supporting the maintenance of strong basic research at universities, it should not encourage them to focus purely on narrow commercialisation objectives.
∑ The significant benefit that flow from Cooperative Research Centres and the need to realign this program to support research that encompasses broad economic, social and environmental goals rather than purely commercial ones.
∑ The erosion and fragmentation of block grant research funding for universities in favour of a multitude of smaller, contestable funding pools poses the danger of reducing the ability of institutions to make strategic choices about their research strengths and direction.

"Particularly welcome is the recognition that while substantial benefits could flow from a mechanism to assess the quality and impact of research, the proposed Research Quality Framework will impose considerable costs on the sector."

"We strongly support the suggestion that the Research Quality Framework be postponed pending the examination of other options, and we would encourage the Commission to explore a fine tuning of the existing block funding formulae as an alternative."

"One significant weakness in the report is the lack of attention paid in the draft findings on the importance of assisting universities to create an environment where pursuing a research dedicated career is a more attractive proposition than is currently the case."

"The provision of genuine research career paths within universities is critical to Australia's future research effort, especially given the demographic challenges facing the academic workforce, which is older than almost any other group of workers."

"NTEU made a number of recommendations in this area in its submission to the Commission and we will be following these up in our subsequent response to the draft report," said Dr Allport.

For further information

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