Preliminary Pages
Foreword
When
the Committee embarked upon an inquiry into research training and research
workforce issues in Australian universities, it quickly became apparent that
the challenges we face in boosting Australia’s research training capacity are
not simply confined to academia.
Equally compelling in the
submissions received by the Committee in response to this inquiry, was the
broadly shared recognition that many of the challenges we currently face in
boosting our research capacity are in large part the result of years of neglect
for research training in Australia, making the task of addressing these
challenges all the more urgent.
The value of research and
innovation in today’s ‘knowledge economy’ cannot be overestimated. Australia’s research reputation was once well-recognised and admired around the world.
Unfortunately, instead of investing further in research training, we have
rested on our laurels while the international research landscape has continued
to change and develop. Australia’s research climate has been allowed to lag
behind world standards such that we now face severe challenges in bolstering
our capacity for research and innovation.
Three key issues surfaced
time and again during the course of the inquiry, especially as the Committee
conducted public hearings around Australia.
First, there was unanimous
agreement that the path to research begins not at university but at school, as
early as the primary or secondary years. The challenges of recruiting and
training researchers cannot be addressed fully at the tertiary level. To be
timely and effective, Australia’s strategy to improve research competitiveness
must address fundamental factors that prepare potential researchers, such as a
comprehensive curriculum, high-quality teaching and adequate infrastructure in
Australian schools.
The current declining
interest in, and standard of foundational subjects like maths, sciences,
history and languages, is leading to both a shortage of teachers who are
suitably-qualified in those areas to teach future generations of
schoolchildren, and a decrease in the standard of tertiary-ready students. If
students enter university without an adequate educational grounding, skills and
knowledge, the task of inspiring and attracting them to consider further higher
education is made even more difficult.
Second, there needs to be
greater collaboration between universities and research institutes, schools and
industry more broadly. Research training is not the sole purview of academia,
nor is academia the sole beneficiary of research training. Research is of value
to society as a whole, be it in academia, government, or small and large
businesses.
In Australia, we still do not
hold research and researchers in high esteem, despite the significant contribution
they make to the nation. The low status of research careers is evidenced by
continuing low levels of national investment, social recognition and relative
remuneration.
Third, and perhaps most
important, inadequate funding for research training and research careers
remains the fundamental obstacle to building Australia’s full research
capacity. Under-funding of research across the spectrum is reducing Australia’s international competitiveness in the areas of research and innovation.
The full cost of research
training, whether it is provided by a university or a research institute, needs
to be funded if Australia is to have healthy and dynamic research programs.
Universities and institutes cannot provide a high standard of resources or
outcomes with over-stretched budgets. Yet proper research training requires
high-quality supervision, adequate infrastructure or the ability to access
adequate infrastructure, and national and international collaborative research
opportunities.
Moreover, just as in primary
and secondary schools, Australian universities must retain their research and
teaching staff to train Australia’s next generation of researchers. Chronic
under-funding has led to increased casualisation in the academic workforce, an
over-reliance on short-term grants, and low salary scales relative to industry.
The challenges in attracting and retaining academic staff at universities are
exacerbated by the looming retirement of a significant section of the current
academic workforce.
The cost to researchers-in-training
also needs to be funded properly to mitigate the disincentives and difficulties
associated with pursuing research study. Put simply, the current value of the
PhD stipend for research students is nowhere near adequate. The supply of
potential researchers is shrinking at the same time that international demand
is growing, and Australia needs to invest heavily in attracting, training and
retaining high-quality students.
This report conveys the
inadequacy of current research training schemes to maintain Australia’s research and innovation capacity. The recommendations contained herein, if
implemented, will help ensure that Australia is building its national research
capacity to the level required to support future growth.
Maria Vamvakinou MP
Chair
Membership of the Committee
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Chair
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Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP
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Deputy
Chair
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Hon Fran Bailey MP
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Members
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Mr James Bidgood MP
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Mr Michael Johnson MP
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Mr Nick Champion MP
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Mr Rowan Ramsey MP
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Mr Darren Cheeseman MP
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Ms Amanda Rishworth MP
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Dr Dennis Jensen MP
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Mr Mike Symon MP
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Committee Secretariat
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Secretary
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Mr Russell Chafer
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Inquiry
Secretary
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Mr Anthony Overs
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Research
Officer
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Ms Natalya Wells
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Administrative
Officers
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Ms Naomi Swann
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Mr Angus Hogg
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Terms of reference
The Inquiry will examine:
1. The
contribution that Australian universities make to research training in Australia, including:
a) The
contribution of research training programs to Australia’s competitiveness in
the areas of science, research and innovation;
b) The
effectiveness of current Commonwealth research training schemes; and
c) The
adequacy of current research training schemes to support Australia’s anticipated future requirements for tertiary-qualified professionals in a wide
range of disciplines.
2. The
challenges Australian universities face in training, recruiting and retaining
high quality research graduates and staff, including, but not limited to:
a) Adequacy
of training and support (including income support) available to research
graduate students in Australia;
b) Factors
for graduates that determine pursuit of a career in research;
c) Opportunities
for career advancement for research graduates and staff;
d) Factors
determining pursuit of research opportunities overseas;
e) Australia’s ability to compete internationally for high quality researchers; and
f) Whether
Australia’s academic workforce is ageing, and the impact this may have on Australia’s research capacity.
List of abbreviations and acronyms
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AAH
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Australian Academy of the
Humanities
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AARE
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Australian Association of Research
in Education
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AAS
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Australian Academy of Science
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AATSE
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Australian Academy of
Technological Sciences and Engineering
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ACDA
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Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture
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ACDE
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Australian Council of Deans of Education
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ACDS
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Australian Council of Deans of Science
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ACED
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Australian Council of Engineering
Deans
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ACU
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Australian Catholic University
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ADBED
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Australian Deans of Built
Environment and Design
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Adelaide
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Adelaide University
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AEU
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Australian Education Union
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AINSE
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Australian Institute of Nuclear
Science and Engineering
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ANSTO
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Australian Nuclear Science and
Technology Organisation
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APA
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Australian Postgraduate Award
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APAI
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Australian Postgraduate Award
(Industry)
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ARC
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Australian Research Council
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ARCCE
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Australian Research Council College of Experts
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ASM
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Australian Society for
Microbiology
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ATN
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Australian Technology Network
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ATSE
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Australian Academy of
Technological Sciences and Engineering
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AUQA
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Australian Universities Quality
Agency
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Batchelor
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The Batchelor Institute of
Indigenous Tertiary Education
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CAPA
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Council of Australian
Postgraduate Associations
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CDNM
(ANZ)
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Council of Deans of Nursing and
Midwifery (Australia and New Zealand)
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CHASS
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Council for Humanities, Arts and
Social Sciences
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COAG
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Council of Australian Governments
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CPI
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Consumer Price Index
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CRC
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Cooperative Research Centre
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CRCA
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Cooperative Research Centres
Association
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CSIRO
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Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organisation
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CSU
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Charles Sturt University
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CTS
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Commercialisation Training Scheme
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CUT
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Curtin University of Technology
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DDoGS
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Council of Deans and Directors of
Graduate Studies
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Deakin
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Deakin University
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DIISR
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Department of Innovation,
Industry, Science and Research
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ECU
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Edith Cowan University
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EIF
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Education Investment Fund
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EU
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European Union
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FASTS
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Federation of Australian
Scientific and Technological Societies
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Flinders
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Flinders University
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FBT
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Fringe Benefits Tax
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GDP
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Gross Domestic Product
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GERD
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Gross Expenditure on Research and
Development
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Griffith
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Griffith University
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HASS
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Humanities, Arts and Social
Sciences
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HDR
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Higher Degree by Research
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HECS-HELP
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Higher Education Contribution
Scheme- Higher Education Loans Programme
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HEP
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Higher Education Provider
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IPRA-TICHR
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Institute Postdoctoral
Researchers’ Association at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
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IGS
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Institutional Grants Scheme
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IPRS
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International Postgraduate
Research Scholarship
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IRUA
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Innovative Research Universities Australia
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JCU
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James Cook University
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KTP
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Knowledge Transfer Partnership
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La Trobe
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La Trobe University
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LOTE
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Language Other Than English
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MDANZ
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Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand
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Monash
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Monash University
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MUPRA
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Macquarie University Postgraduate
Representative Association
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Murdoch
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Murdoch University
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NCGP
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National Competitive Grants
Program
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NCRIS
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National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy
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NHMRC
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National Health & Medical
Research Council
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NTEU
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National Tertiary Education Union
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NTEU-CQU
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National Tertiary Education Union (Central Queensland University Branch)
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NTEU-
UQ
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National Tertiary Education Union (University of Queensland Branch)
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OECD
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Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development
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PFRA
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Publicly Funded Research
Organisation
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PSP
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Personnel Support Package
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QUT
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Queensland University of
Technology
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R&D
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Research and Development
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RHD
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Research Higher Degree
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RIBG
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Research Infrastructure Block Grant Scheme
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RMIT
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RMIT University
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RPS
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Regional Protection Scheme
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RSPSE-ANU
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Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering at Australian National University
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RTS
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Research Training Scheme
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SCU
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Southern Cross University
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SORTI
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Members of the Centre for the
Study of Research Training & Impact
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STEM
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Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics
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SUPRA
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Sydney University Postgraduate
Representative Association
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SUT
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Swinburne University of
Technology
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UND
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University of Notre Dame
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UniMelb
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University of Melbourne
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UniSA
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University of South Australia
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UNSW
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University of New South Wales
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UOW
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University of Wollongong
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UQ
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University of Queensland
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USC
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University of the Sunshine Coast
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USQ
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University of Southern Queensland
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USyd
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University of Sydney
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UWA
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University of Western Australia
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UWS
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University of Western Sydney
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VET
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Vocational Education and Training
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VU
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Victoria University
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WEHIMR
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Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
of Medical Research
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List of recommendations
2 The
role of education in promoting Australia’s research capacity
Recommendation 1
The Committee recommends that the quality of teaching and
infrastructure at Australian primary and secondary schools be improved,
particularly in the fields of maths and sciences. The Committee further
recommends that the Australian Government and COAG investigate innovative
measures taken overseas to address this particular concern.
3 Research funding
Recommendation 2
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
increase funding for research and development by raising incrementally the
Gross Expenditure on Research and Development as a percentage of Gross Domestic
Product over a ten year period until it equals the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development average.
Recommendation 3
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
determine and fund the number of Research Training Scheme places that will be
required to meet current and future research training needs.
Recommendation 4
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government fund
the full cost of each higher degree by research program at Australian
universities through the Research Training Scheme and within all national
competitive grant funding programs. This funding should take into account:
n the removal of the
high-cost/low-cost funding differential that currently exists between research
disciplines, subject to interim arrangements to ensure that no discipline is
disadvantaged;
n the travel and
accommodation needs of students for research collaboration, regardless of
geographic location; and
n the provision and
maintenance of a minimum standard of supervision and resources.
Recommendation 5
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government amend
the current indexation measures for research training block grant schemes, to
reflect real costs.
Recommendation 6
The Committee recommends that research training funding be
disbursed, partially prospectively, to institutions according to a staggered
formula: 50 per cent on enrolment, 20 per cent at a specified benchmark during
the course of study, and 30 per cent at the point at which the student is
informed that they have been awarded their degree.
Recommendation 7
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government retain
the Commercialisation Training Scheme, currently in place until 2011, and
evaluate the effectiveness of the scheme during the latter part of that period,
with a view to extending the scheme.
Recommendation 8
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
develop and implement additional industry partnership programs, possibly
modelled on Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, that will further facilitate
connection between business and research institutions.
Recommendation 9
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government attach
additional funds to research training scheme places that are secured by
minority and under-represented students. This funding is for universities to
provide the additional necessary assistance for minority and under-represented
students throughout their candidature.
Recommendation 10
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
introduce a National Priority Postgraduate Research Scholarship Scheme that
provides competitive stipends to outstanding students in areas of national significance
and skills shortage.
Recommendation 11
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
increase the funding pool for Australian
Research Council and National Health and Medical Research Council grants to
enable a minimum success rate for applicants of 40 per cent.
Recommendation 12
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
specify that competitive grants, in particular all National Health and Medical
Research Council grants, fund the full cost of research in each program to which
a grant has been awarded.
4 Funding and support for research students
Recommendation 13
The Committee recommends that the Australian Research Training
Scheme PhD candidature period include the option of a six-month extension.
Recommendation 14
The Committee recommends that the duration of all federal
postgraduate awards with stipends for PhD students be increased to three and a
half years (full-time equivalent) with the option of two six-month extensions.
Recommendation 15
The Committee recommends that the Australian Postgraduate
Award stipend value be increased by 50 per cent.
Recommendation 16
The Committee recommends that the APA stipend be fully indexed
with CPI.
Recommendation 17
The Committee recommends that the Australian PhD candidature
period be nominally extended beyond thesis submission until the time at which
the student is informed that they will be awarded their degree.
Recommendation 18
The Committee recommends that access to Youth Allowance,
Austudy or Abstudy be extended to all students enrolled in a higher degree by
research, noting that:
n access to those
schemes does not determine eligibility;
n candidates in receipt
of a scholarship or other source of income above a determined assessment
threshold would be ineligible; and
n access to those
schemes should be regarded as secondary to access to a scholarship or award
with an adequate living stipend.
Recommendation 19
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work
with State Governments to support postgraduate students through the reduction
of certain living expenses, in particular, through the provision of concessions
for public transport travel. Access to transport concessions should be made
available to all full-time tertiary students, regardless of type of enrolment
or the level of course in which they are enrolled.
5 Attracting students to research training
Recommendation 20
The Committee recommends that postgraduate research
scholarships be exempt from assessable income for taxation, including part-time
awards.
Recommendation 21
The Committee recommends a full remission of the HECS-HELP
debt for successful research PhD graduates and a partial (50 per cent)
remission for successful research Masters graduates, awarded upon conferral,
and a tax deduction for successful research graduates who have already paid
their HECS-HELP fees.
Recommendation 22
The Committee recommends that the Research Training Scheme
guidelines be amended to enable higher degree by research students to enrol
jointly at two institutions, with student load and completion credited to both
institutions.
Recommendation 23
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Scholarship
Guidelines be amended to give award recipients greater flexibility in
undertaking all or part of a higher degree by research on a part-time basis.
Recommendation 24
The Committee recommends a review of the ranking criteria for
Research Training Scheme places and Australian Postgraduate Awards for greater
consistency and to account for diverse backgrounds and entry points.
Recommendation 25
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
introduce a scheme to fund relocation costs for students who choose to
undertake research training in regional universities.
Recommendation 26
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
develop and implement appropriate measures to encourage the recruitment of
Indigenous, regional and rural Australians to higher degrees by research.
Recommendation 27
The Committee recommends a doubling in the annual number of
IPRS awards to accommodate a greater number of international students.
Recommendation 28
The Committee further recommends that the value of the IPRS be
increased to fully fund the tuition fees for each course of study.
Recommendation 29
The Committee recommends that Endeavour international
postgraduate scholarships be rationalised and simplified for greater
accessibility and competitiveness.
Recommendation 30
The Committee recommends that international student visa
policies relating to higher degree by research programs be amended to allow
greater flexibility for further research and employment.
Recommendation 31
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work
with the States to ensure that the dependents of all international higher
degree by research students enrolled at Australian universities are subject to
the same fee levels as local students at government primary and secondary
schools.
6 Research Careers
Recommendation 32
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government waive
Fringe Benefits Tax incurred by businesses or institutions that employ staff
undertaking higher degrees by research.
Recommendation 33
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in
conjunction with universities and research institutes, follow the example of
successful advocacy programs overseas and implement a national research career
campaign to market the value of research training to schools, communities and
industry, and raise the profile of research careers in Australia.
Recommendation 34
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
implement a postdoctoral fellowship scheme targeted at early-career researchers
who are up to five years out from PhD completion.
Recommendation 35
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
implement a quota of 10 per cent of ARC and NHMRC successful grants to be
allocated to early-career researchers who are first-time awardees.
Recommendation 36
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government
implement a scheme that funds 25 per cent of the first two years of salary of
postdoctoral researchers in industry areas of national skills priorities in
order to promote the value of research graduates to industry.
Recommendation 37
The Committee recommends that research Centres of Excellence
schemes, such as the ARC Centres of Excellence, and other research networks be
expanded to continue stimulating research and industry links in areas of
national importance across Australia.
Recommendation 38
The Committee recommends an expansion of fellowship schemes
targeted specifically at expatriate and international researchers that offer
competitive salaries and sufficient start-up support to establish research
projects prior to competing for national competitive grants.