The Australian Technology Network, with its Uni Newcastle pal, wants its MO built into the research threshold standards to be set by TEQSA

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency proposes ways of measuring research outputs from institutions, that want to achieve or keep “university” in their title (CMM April 15).

In its response to the TEQSA draft standards, ATN acknowledges that most of the metrics proposed are already out there. But the always-on-message network wants more measurement of research that leads to commercial outcomes.

And ATN reminds TEQSA that the Australian Research Council’s research quality and impact measures are under review.

“Perhaps instead TEQSA’s focus should be on the university’s strategy for research outputs, including their focus on encouraging, measuring and assessing their own output (e.g. citations, publications, patents, licences, commercial activity, partnerships, social impact),” ATN suggests.

ATN also shares the Innovative Research Universities concern with ambiguities in the threshold standards’ text, including what “researcher” and “engaged in the research community” mean, (CMM April 29).

This is a big issue for ATN members that work with industry R&D.