The usual focus on research funding resumes

The Group of Eight was approving of the Budget Tuesday night, saying it, “focused on relieving cost-of-living pressure as it should.”

Which was wise – when the government is announcing help for ordinary Australians, demands for more money for universities was not a message that would sell.

But it was back to business yesterday from the Go8’s Vicki Thomson.

“The focus is now on the University Accord process and future budgets to deliver on reform that will address the current distorted research funding model and lift Australia’s expenditure on research and development.”

Cooperative Research Australia (the CRC Association as was) was also on about money, “The next big challenge for government will be to unlock greater investment in R&D for Australia through a combination of mechanisms … The Universities Accord process will be critical to growing our education and research capacity, the essential platform for Australia’s ability to create a more complex and competitive economy. “

Which is where the focus will stay until the minister releases the Accord, when it will switch, to why even newer money is needed.