Research infrastructure funding: where the big money goes

Just in time for Christmas there are Research Block Grants gift-wrapped under the HE tree. Some packages are much bigger than others and none as large as they might have been

There is $910m for the Research Support Programme and $1047m for Research Training.

What the minister says: “We are supporting world-class research and the training of Australia’s next generation of innovators.  We want to see our investment in research turned into new ideas and knowledge that will support our economy, help create employment opportunities and deliver improvements in areas like health and the environment,” Education Minister Dan Tehan said this week.

What isn’t mentioned: This year’s block funding is based on $328m in reductions in the rate of funding growth over four years, announced in 2018 MYEFO.  This kept funding for 2019 at 2018 levels, reducing the base for indexation through to 2021 (CMM December 18 2018)

Who gets what: As ever the Group of Eight collects the cash. Total funding for both programmes (rounded to the nearest $1m) is: Uni Melbourne, $211m. Uni Queensland, $183m. UNSW $178m. Uni Sydney, $178m. Monash U, $177m.  ANU, $126m. UWA, $89m. Uni Adelaide, $86m.

All up the Go8 research intensive unis score $1.228bn, 62 per cent of funding – in line with last year. Money is allocated on the basis of research income and higher degree completions.


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