- The ARC has introduced legislation to put an end to years of political meddling in the organization.
- The purpose of the bill is to strengthen the ARC’s autonomy and governance.
- Six of the ten recommendations from the August review are implemented by the bill.
The Australian Research Council (ARC), which has been under fire for its contentious grant decisions made by former Coalition ministers, has introduced legislation. This legislation aims to put an end to years of political meddling in the organization.
The purpose of the bill is to strengthen the ARC’s autonomy and governance. The ARC has come under fire for making it more difficult for colleges to hire and retain faculty members. It has also been criticized for harming its standing abroad.
Australian Research Council
The review, headed by Prof. Margaret Sheil, the former ARC chief executive, discovered that at least six projects had been unjustly obstructed by former ministers. These projects included those of Simon Birmingham, Brendon Nelson, Stuart Robert, and Dan Tehan.
Six of the ten recommendations from the August review are implemented by the bill. The biggest change is that an independent ARC board will now be in charge of approving grants under the national competition program. Previously, this program was overseen by the education minister.
The minister would appoint the board members. These members would need to include at least one from the First Nations community and a regional representative. Board members would also need appropriate credentials in one or more research areas. Furthermore, the board would select the chief executive officer of the ARC and grant appointments to board committees.
Subject to parliamentary review, the minister would be in charge of approving the funding guidelines. The minister would still have the authority to approve “nationally significant investments.” These investments include initiatives that support infrastructure, collaboration, training, research, and education.
Approximately 5,900 new and ongoing grants were supported by $895 million in research grants awarded by the ARC this fiscal year. According to Catriona Jackson, chief executive of Universities Australia, the reforms represent “game-changing” steps towards improving the environment for researchers.
The historical veto of research was dubbed “McCarthyism” by former Labor senator and research minister Kim Carr. It caused a significant backlash in the education sector. This backlash led to the reforms. In December 2021, the former Coalition faced accusations of politicizing research funding. This was under the guise of Christmas. Acting education minister Robert denied funding for six recommended projects, including studies on China and climate activism.
