MEDIA RELEASE

RESEARCH COLLABORATION REVIEW ANNOUNCED

May 26, 2003 MIN 358/03

I am pleased to announce that former farm industry leader and leading businessman Donald McGauchie has agreed to chair the ‘Review of Closer Collaboration between Universities and Major Publicly Funded Research Agencies’.

He will be heading one of the major reviews to emerge from the Government’s Higher Education reform package.

Mr McGauchie is a former President of the National Farmers’ Federation and Chairman of Woolstock Australia Ltd, and is currently a member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and a Director of Telstra Corporation.

As someone with vast public policy experience, Mr McGauchie will make a valuable contribution. He will be supported by a steering committee of leading figures in research and industry. The members of the committee are:

The Review will encompass all Australian public universities and four publicly funded research agencies – the CSIRO, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

It will examine the extent to which collaboration can enhance critical mass of research effort, improve research outcomes, achieve more effective use of resources, and strengthen institutional performance.

The Review will also investigate alternative funding models to develop excellence across the national research effort, including the merits of broadening access by the publicly funded research agencies to the competitive grant schemes operated by the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council.

The review is not about the structural break-up of public sector research agencies such as CSIRO. The Government remains committed to the CSIRO Flagships initiative, which builds on the breadth of scientific expertise across the whole of CSIRO to address many of Australia’s most pressing problems, and for which the Government provided an additional $20m in the 2003-04 budget.

Mr McGauchie has been asked to report to me by 30 November 2003 so that the review, along with the science and innovation mapping exercise, can serve as an input to the Government’s post-Backing Australia’s Ability science and innovation policy agenda.

The terms of reference are attached.

For further information:

Dr Nelson’s Office: Ross Hampton 0419 484 095

Dept of Education, Science & Training: Virginia Cook 0412 971 323

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR REVIEW OF CLOSER COLLABORATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES AND MAJOR PUBLICLY FUNDED RESEARCH AGENCIES

In the context of its overall innovation policy objectives, the Commonwealth Government has decided to examine the scope for greater collaboration between major Publicly Funded Research Agencies (PFRAs) and Universities, including the extent to which such developments can enhance critical mass, improve research outcomes, achieve more effective use of resources, and strengthen institutional performance. To that end a review will be undertaken which will encompass all Australian public universities and four major Publicly Funded Research Agencies (PFRAs) – the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). The review will also consider alternative funding models, including access by PFRAs to research funding provided through the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

The review will be undertaken by a high-level Steering Committee, chaired by an independent eminent person, Mr Donald McGauchie, and comprising senior experienced people with proven broad experience in the areas of science, university, financial and business issues, including in some cases from a regional perspective. The Steering Committee will be supported by a Secretariat comprised of Commonwealth officials.

The review will examine, consider and report on:

• the potential to exploit greater synergies and collaboration among PFRAs and Universities;

• possible models for closer collaboration between PFRAs and Universities;

• the scope to promote a greater focus on the commercialisation and application of research through collaboration;

• possible alternative funding models for PFRA research to promote excellence across the national research effort, including the merits of broadening access by PFRAs to competitive public research funding;

• the respective implications for PFRAs and Universities of the models and options above.

The Steering Committee will also take into account the following objectives:

• public funding for research should support the highest quality research and build strong research networks between universities, public research agencies and industry;

• public funding for research should balance the desirability or otherwise of making PFRA funding contestable with the need to maintain an appropriate infrastructure for public research; and

• PFRAs should only compete for funding that will underpin research conforming to their mission/strategic objectives.

In undertaking the review, the Steering Committee will consult closely with key stakeholders including, CSIRO, ANSTO, DSTO, AIMS, the ARC, the NHMRC, the AVCC and major industry representative bodies. The Steering Committee will publish an issues paper and call for public submissions as part of the consultative process.

The Steering Committee will report to the Minister for Education, Science and Training by 30 November 2003 and will consult with the Minister for Science as it progresses its work.

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