The university is part of the united front on Australian Research Council deciding grants  – and it recognises a way bigger risk

where this comes from: The university’s submission to the Senate committee considering a bill to prevent ministers vetoing ARC recommended research funding is in-line with the general view that peer-review should prevail over politics.

but the uni sees another threat:  In December Acting Education Minister Stuart Robert did way more than veto six ARC recommended Discovery Grants – he called for increasing non-academic decision makers in research funding selection and for a new ARC advisory committee “with substantial research end-user and governance representation.”

Some 150 members of the ARC’s College of Experts are on the record opposing diluting academic peer review (CMM February 17).  But this might not be enough to convince a new minister after the election that one way or another more industry involvement in the ARC is a bad idea.

Uni Melbourne’s proposal: Given, “the significant changes proposed for the ARC programmes and governance in recent months, it is timely to commission an independent review of the Australian Research Council and its governance to refresh its operations to navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead in supporting a world class research ecosystem in Australia,” Uni Melbourne’s submission states.

why now: There is as much no chance that the present bill will become law – even if it passes the upper house the government is unlikely to bring it on in the Reps before the election. But a review of the ARC commissioned by the next government would give the research community a way bigger chance to argue against Mr Robert’s proposals for industry oversight.