policy drivers in australian higher education research nscf september 7, 2015 dr tim cahill research...
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Policy drivers in Australian higher education researchNSCF September 7, 2015Dr Tim CahillResearch Strategies Australiawww.researchstrategies.com.au
Introduction of the Research Quantum – Composite Research Index
Click icon to add picture
Linda Butler, “Explaining Australia’s increased share of ISI publications—the effects of a funding formula based on publication counts”. Research Policy 32 (2003) 143–155.
Introduction of the Research Quantum – Composite Research Index
Click icon to add picture
Linda Butler, “Explaining Australia’s increased share of ISI publications—the effects of a funding formula based on publication counts”. Research Policy 32 (2003) 143–155.
• Australia’s share of publications in the Science Citation Index (SCI) increased 25% 1988-1997
• Share of citations increased 33%
• Relative Citation Impact (RCI) remained steady
• In other words, while the number of publications and number of citations increased, the citation rate did not
Introduction of the Research Quantum – Composite Research Index
Click icon to add picture
Linda Butler, “Explaining Australia’s increased share of ISI publications—the effects of a funding formula based on publication counts”. Research Policy 32 (2003) 143–155.
Introduction of the Research Quantum – Composite Research Index
Click icon to add picture
Linda Butler, “Explaining Australia’s increased share of ISI publications—the effects of a funding formula based on publication counts”. Research Policy 32 (2003) 143–155.
• The Actual/Expected citation rate remained more or less around 1.0 throughout the period
• The Relative Journal Impact decreased
• “Even though […] Australia’s publications were attracting at or above the expected citation rate for its journals, Australia’s relative citation performance continued to slide because the journals which carried its articles were of lower impact”
THE IMPORTANCE OF ERA IN INFLUENCING RESEARCH QUALITY
Acil Allen Consulting “Benefits Realisation Review of Excellence in Research for Australia.” 2013
Very important
Important
Somewhat important
Minor importance
Not important
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Per cent
THE IMPORTANCE OF ERA IN INFLUENCING RESEARCH QUALITY
Acil Allen Consulting “Benefits Realisation Review of Excellence in Research for Australia.” 2013
“ERA has resulted in researchers focusing on quality in contrast to the longstanding quantity driver that metrics based funding had encouraged.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF ERA IN INFLUENCING RESEARCH QUALITY
Acil Allen Consulting “Benefits Realisation Review of Excellence in Research for Australia.” 2013
“Academic staff are now more selective about journals in which they publish - targeting specific, higher quality journals.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF ERA IN INFLUENCING RESEARCH QUALITY
Acil Allen Consulting “Benefits Realisation Review of Excellence in Research for Australia.” 2013
“ERA has enhanced the recognition of quality outputs as opposed to quantity.”
What are the drivers?
What’s next…?• In 2010 HERD, ‘Applied
Research’ overtook ‘Pure Basic’ and ‘Strategic Basic’ research for the first time (ABS)
2013 RBG income profile• ‘Applied income’
sources are larger than ‘basic income’ sources:
• Category 1 – ACGR income
• Category 2 – Other public sector income
• Category 3 – Industry income
• Category 4 – CRC income
(https://education.gov.au/data-used-research-block-grant-rbg-funding-formulae)
Funding inputs• The policy settings in
Australian universities are still living in the paradigm of Category 1 peer reviewed grants even though the actual research paradigm has shifted.
(Chart extracted from ‘Review of Research Policy and Funding Arrangements for Higher Education Issues Paper’ https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/issues_paper_-_review_of_funding_policy.pdf)
Contribution of data types to RIBG, SRE and JRE• ‘Applied income’
accounts for 53% of income, but only drives 27% of research funding (not including training)
• ‘Category 1’ income accounts for 47% of income and drives 55% of research funding (not including training)
• Dual funding system, so grants are also counted twice
Category 1; $432,700,000 Cat-
egory 2-4;
$214,320,000
Pub-lica-
tions;
$35,720,00
0
Stu-dent load; $107,160,000
Some options for addressing the issue
Click icon to add pictureGovernment funded HERD, 2011 (OECD)
DN
K
ISR
NZ
L
AU
T
DE
U
NLD
CH
E
NO
R
CZ
E
CA
N
PO
L
AU
S
IRL
BE
L
KO
R
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Government funded, institution-based Government funded, project-based
Some options for addressing the issue
Click icon to add picture
KO
RJP
NA
UT
CH
ND
NK
SW
EC
AN
IRL
FR
AD
EU
FIN
LU
XSV
NN
LD
HU
NR
US
NO
RB
EL
CZE
TU
RC
HE
MEX
ISL
ITA
ESP
EST
GB
RN
ZL
ZA
FA
US
CH
LP
RT
PO
LSV
K
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Business enterprise GovernmentHigher education Private non-profit
Rese
arc
hers
by s
ect
or
(per
cen
t)
Researchers employed by sector, 2011 (OECD)
Some options for addressing the issue
Click icon to add pictureDirect Government funding of business R&D, 2011 (OECD)
RUSSV
NHU
NZA
FPOL
AUTNO
RGBR
FRA
NLD EST
KORIT
AIS
RCHN
CANFI
NAUS
ISL
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2011 2001
Dir
ect
Gov't
fundin
g o
f busin
ess R
&D
(per
cent)
Some options for addressing the issue
Click icon to add pictureDirect Government funding of business R&D vs tax incentives, 2011 (OECD)
RU
SSV
NU
SA
KO
RIS
RC
ZE
SW
EESP
FR
AH
UN
EST
BR
AA
UT
DEU
GB
RB
EL
FIN
NO
RN
ZL
CH
ND
NK
IRL
LU
XIT
AZA
FN
LD
CA
NP
OL
CH
ESV
KTU
RJP
NP
RT
CH
LA
US
MEX
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45
Direct government funding of BERDIndirect government support through R&D tax incentives
Dir
ect
fu
nd
ing
of
bu
sin
ess
R&
D t
ax i
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nti
ves
(as
per
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t o
f G
DP
)
The challenge “What we still need is a way of changing the institutions in a democratic direction – a long-term
vision for public universities, and a practical agenda for the near future. I think the discussion
has to deal with three sets of problems. First, what will a more democratic university look like
as an organization? […] Second, considering the university as a knowledge institution, what
kinds of knowledge will be created and taught? […] Third, what are better ways of linking
Australian universities to the wider society?”
- Raewyn Connell (FASS), University of Sydney
(http://
www.southernperspectives.net/field/education/the-neoliberal-takeover-in-australian-universitie
s
)
How will the sector react? “The actions of ‘street-level’ public servants actually help create policy in their
specific areas, whether those people recognise it or not. So there is a choice.
Academics grudgingly ticking boxes will have some influence on policy, but
probably not the desired one. We can do better than that. By acknowledging that
higher education policy is something we help to create, rather than something that
is wholly done to us, we can start to make a difference.”
- John Turpenny, University of East Anglia (
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2015/07/29/doing-thing-differently-em
bracing-the-politics-of-higher-education/
)
www.researchstrategies.com.au / blog.researchstrategies.com.au
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Thank you