Government should leave universities to make more of the decisions on what to research, according to the Innovative Research Universities group.

 “Funding for research has been increasing over time, but mostly in funding that is tied to specific projects, “ IRU executive director Conor King has told a hearing of the parliamentary inquiry into research administration.

The IRU claims that just 20 per cent of the $5.3bn allocated to pubic research funding in 2016 in was available to universities to allocate as the chose, down from 26 per cent in 2006. Some $3.77bn in research grants were tied to a specific research stream. The remaining $454 million was a mix of directed and non-directed funding.

The IRU categorises directed funding as generally competitive research grants allocated by the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council (category one funds) and the Cooperative Research Centre programme.

The IRU says to increase university decision-making over their own research programmes requires an increase in block grant funding. It warns the existing tied funding mode; “ constrains universities’ ability to implement a coordinated research strategy as well as limiting experimentation and risk-taking in research projects – essential elements of creativity and innovation.”