The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency asked providers what they think of proposed research measurement thresholds (CMM April 15)

Submissions closed last night, and the Innovative Research Universities got in early with a positive response. The IRU supports using existing metrics reported to government, notably Excellence for Research in Australia and Engagement and Impact, for universities to demonstrate research performance. For other institutions that want to become unis and existing ones with a marginal case, IRU suggests adding citations held in the big global research data bases.

IRU queries the clarity of some of TEQSA’s terms – ““relationship” and “engagement” between individual researchers and the regulated entity,” but overall accepts the proposal.

This is good news for HE providers who want to become universities – a peak lobby is reconciled to the possibility of new unis. Now aspirants just have to meet the thresholds.