Australian research policy

Amendments bring offshore campuses under Foreign Arrangements Scheme, while reframing it around ‘national interest’

Association all but assured, insiders say, as government concludes treaty negotiations

Richard Scolyer dies aged 59 after undergoing world-first treatment for his brain tumour

Transnational deals and informal researcher links could fall under purview of Foreign Arrangements Scheme

Changes fall short of comprehensive overhaul prescribed in landmark innovation report but are welcomed anyway

Dedicated stream from Medical Research Future Fund will ‘begin’ to solve problem, independent research institutes say

Requirement that universities produce ‘world standard’ research in at least half of fields taught encouraged too many ‘broad-based’ institutions, critics say, but its demise could end up hurting some

Serd panellist says measures should be taken as a whole, stressing that R&D-fuelled economic development does not work without fundamental research

Fears country is going ‘back to the old days’ as minister declines to explain why projects blocked, and researchers wait months longer for funding decisions

Intervention comes two years after law change to prevent political interference, amid resurgent delays in grant processing

This week’s budget confirmed the government’s unwillingness to improve PhD students’ dismal pay, say Jesse Gardner-Russell and Maxim Jon-Buckley

Treasury also implements A$11 million levy to fund National Student Ombudsman, and ‘enhanced security’ of student visa applications

Research Australia’s pre-budget submission is the latest move to ensure women finally receive equity in health and careers, says Jessica Borger

‘We are all in this together’, science minister insists, amid questions over his ‘trust me’ approach

Associating before 2027 would put country in the ‘box seat’ to access and influence massive research scheme’s next iteration

With the 35 recommendations of the Strategic Examination of Research and Development made public this week, we discuss how many of these long-hoped-for reforms are likely to become a reality

Broad support for Serd proposals to reorganise A$4.6bn tax break scheme as current iteration struggles to ignite business investment

Government urged to accept proposed reforms after panel recommends measures to protect work across broad range of disciplines

Increase in PhD stipends, efforts to estimate true cost of research and reforms to key grant schemes included in long-awaited recommendations from review panel

Mandatory edits of research findings a ‘blind spot’ in integrity debate, says scholar who experienced government agency ‘interference’

Epilepsy pioneer vows to target ‘negative view’ of discovery science and ‘mindset’ of expecting the outcomes in advance

Last month, the Australian Academy of Science condemned the country’s ongoing review of research for ignoring a long-term funding decline that has left basic research at ‘breaking point’. Was that a rhetorical overstatement or a sober statement of fact? Five researchers offer their own perspectives

The global collaboration enabled by associating to the world’s largest research funding programme is critical to national impact, says Cecilia Hewlett

‘Profound sustainability challenge’ forces Csiro to ‘deprioritise’ research fields to focus on key areas

As European nations thrash out ideas to ‘safeguard’ knowledge, Australian progress has stalled, expert warns

‘Transformative’ change will not happen unless panel outlines ‘coherent’ vision for R&D, representative bodies warn

Even as the US shrinks and narrows trials, the need for this research continues. Other countries can and must step in, says Stephen Jane

The panel’s overriding concern is to ensure that research is used productively. But observers worry that pushing universities to specialise in centrally determined ‘focus areas’ risks inadvertently turning them, in effect, into government agencies. John Ross reports

Registration requirements and compact negotiations would be reformed to funnel universities into ‘focus areas’, under panel’s draft proposals

Association would have ‘a multiplier effect on research resources and scientific effort’, advocates say

Country will lack the expertise to achieve next-generation priorities if funding left at mercy of undergraduate enrolments, Academy of Science analysis finds

Excluding academia from the main discussions at recent national productivity summit is short-sighted and complacent, says Shamit Saggar

Amid claims outcomes of long-anticipated talkfest have been orchestrated in advance, expert says precursor events promise ‘substance’

Submissions to Australian Strategic Examination insist A$11 billion scheme is ‘not as effective as it could be’

Economic reform begins with injecting order into the hotchpotch of research programmes, and enticing more locals into higher study, according to Australian body