The Australian Research Council releases draft guidelines for next year’s Excellence in Research for Australia

The council states changes for submissions flow from recommendations in the review of ERA and its companion, Engagement and Impact.

Acting Education Minister Stuart Robert also has some ideas. In his December “letter of expectation”  to the ARC, Mr Robert called for a new ERA scale, “that sets the ‘world standard’ benchmark against those nations and universities that are at the forefront of research.”

While the new guidelines don’t define “world standard,” the ARC is probably on to this. The last ERA/EI review recommended an “expert working party” to address what “world” must mean, by first half ’22. So that should help university submissions meet the minister’s request for, “a benchmarking structure that is clear in its ambition and provides granular and meaningful reporting of the level of achievement across different universities.”