Labor research spokesman Kim Carr is keeping the pressure on the government over cancellation of research grants, foreshadowing a motion for the Senate today.

In Senator Estimates last month Senator Carr uncovered information that former education minister Simon Birmingham had over-turned Australian Research Council experts’ recommendation to fund eleven projects.

Senator Carr’s motion; calls on the government to explain why the grants were vetoed and for parliament and political parties to, “commit to the Haldane principle that politicians should not make decisions on funding of individual research projects.”

He also urges the ARC, “to actively encourage the scholars whose grants were rejected to submit them again.”

Education Minister Dan Tehan will not have to respond as he sits in the House of Reps, but Simon Birmingham is a senator.