Government's Response to Recommendations of The Three Research Related Reviews

The Government is providing $542 million over 2004-05 to 2010-11 for a National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy to continue to provide researchers with access to major infrastructure, link infrastructure funding more directly to Australia’s National Research Priorities and to foster greater research collaboration and the collaborative use of infrastructure.

The Government is also providing an additional $305 million over the next seven years to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to enable the development of large-scale collaborative research partnerships which reflect the National Research Priorities.

The Government is strengthening the commercial focus on the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Programme and through Backing Australia’s Ability – Building our Future through Science and Innovation will provide a total of $127.5 million for the Programme including an additional $65 million available from 2005-06.

The Government accepts that strengthening the coordination of the research effort will benefit its investment in research and will pursue this through existing fora including the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council.

The Government recognises that inflexible leveraging arrangements – such as those in the former Major National Research Facilities Programme - may inhibit universities’ capacity to develop new research strengths and respond to regional research priorities. Where appropriate, for example in the new National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, the Government will in future avoid inflexible leveraging requirements.

The Government is also providing an additional $554.5 million between 2006-07 and 2010-2011 to maintain Research Infrastructure Block Grants (RIBG) support at 20 cents for each dollar of Australian competitive research grant income.

The Government recognises that inflexible leveraging arrangements – such as those in the former Major National Research Facilities Programme - may inhibit universities’ capacity to develop new research strengths and respond to regional research priorities. Where appropriate, for example in the new National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, the Government will in future avoid inflexible leveraging requirements.

In respect of the NHMRC, the Government is providing $200 million over the next seven years for overhead infrastructure costs for independent medical research institutes.

The Government will also consider whether to retain the capping arrangements that apply to the RTS and IGS in consultation with stakeholders.

The Government is, however, considering whether to retain the capping arrangements that apply to the RTS and IGS. The Government will consult with stakeholders regarding this over the next two months.

The Government will consider this further in consultation with stakeholders with a view to finalising arrangements for the 2005 allocations.

The Government will continue to require that universities provide RRTMRs pending the development of the Research Quality Framework.

The Government will also seek inclusion of a commitment to pursue co-location opportunities where cost-effective in Triennium Funding Agreements for portfolio research agencies.

The Government is also providing an additional $305 million over the next seven years to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to enable the development of large-scale collaborative research partnerships which reflect the National Research Priorities. Some of the funding will support university researchers working in CSIRO National Flagships.

• That a regular national process, under the auspices of a Strategic Research Council, be established to enhance coordination and to integrate into a national strategic plan the disparate research strategies and priorities of the Australian Government, regions, institutions and thematic groups and, where relevant, bilateral and multilateral strategies and priorities.

• That a National Research Infrastructure Council (NRIC) be established to further develop, implement, review and monitor the National Infrastructure Strategic Framework and, in particular, to develop and implement a national process to identify and prioritise research infrastructure needs.

• That NRIC advise Government on priorities for research infrastructure funding programmes and any other new research infrastructure funding programmes that may be introduced.

• That NRIC be representative of the research community and should include representatives of universities, publicly funded research agencies, research funding agencies, governments and industry, and may be advised by international peer review.

• That NRIC map Australia’s research infrastructure strengths, gaps and needs in the context of the proposed national strategic research plan.

• That the NRIC initiate discussion and a review of the opportunities to upgrade basic infrastructure across the research sector.

• That the NRIC develop a process to integrate existing research infrastructure within the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework.

• That the NRIC give further consideration to the opportunities for collaboration and co-investment with industry. The Taskforce also echoes its earlier recommendation that Council’s membership include industry representation.

• That a uniform catalogue of research infrastructure be established to promote access to infrastructure across the whole of the research platform, to inform investment decisions, and to provide transparent and accessible information on access and charging regimes.

The Backing Australia’s Ability – Building our Future through Science and Innovation package includes a number of initiatives that will strengthen coordination of the research effort.

In particular, the Government is providing $542 million over 2004-05 to 2010-11 for a National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy to strengthen the coordination of the Government’s investment in research infrastructure. The Strategy will continue to provide researchers with access to major infrastructure, link infrastructure funding more directly to Australia’s National Research Priorities and foster greater research collaboration and the collaborative use of infrastructure.

In developing the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, the Government will take into account the Taskforce’s recommendations regarding upgrading basic infrastructure, integrating existing infrastructure into the Strategy, and consider how to foster opportunities for collaboration and co-investment with industry and state and territory governments.

The Government will take into account the need for a catalogue of research infrastructure facilities in developing the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.

• That Australian Government investment in research infrastructure be developed around the Funding Principles set out in this Framework, and that these principles be adopted by all universities, publicly funded research agencies and research funding agencies.

• That all research infrastructure investments with a Government funding component in excess of $5M be consistent with the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework and its acquisition, governance, access and charging models.

• That the Australian Government provide ongoing research infrastructure funding for four categories of infrastructure defined in the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework: Australian Foundation Facilities, Australian Landmark Facilities, Australian Major Research Facilities and Australian Research Sector Facilities, as an integrated suite of research infrastructure funding programmes.

• That the Australian Government note that there is a need to establish an ongoing funding programme for Australian Foundation Facilities to support continued work of initiatives such as Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing, Australian Research and Education Network and Australian Research Information Infrastructure Framework.

• That funds be provided within the Australian Foundation Facilities programmes to develop policies and mechanisms to underpin the growing number of data repositories and to develop policies and mechanisms for middleware.

• That the Australian Government note that there is a need to establish an ongoing funding programme for Australian Major Research Facilities.

• That a process be established, under the auspices of NRIC, for planning and prioritising Australian Landmark Facilities.

• That research infrastructure funding programmes be consistent with the Funding Principles set out in the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework and be subject to regular review and evaluation to ensure that they remain relevant and viable.

• That research infrastructure funding programmes be designed and funded to permit proposals from universities, publicly funded research agencies and medical research institutes to facilitate collaborative investment and use.

• That for major research infrastructure, research infrastructure funding programmes should ensure that capital costs and standing operating costs are funded to maintain viability of the facility and that infrastructure is funded for any specialised staff such as operators and, for very large or complex infrastructure, business managers, for an initial period, with further funding subject to a review of the ongoing viability and relevance of the infrastructure.

• That research infrastructure funding programmes should avoid inflexible leveraging requirements as this diverts funds from the purposes for which they were intended and often inhibits opportunities for participation.

• That the Australian Government establish a funding programme to support the development of business proposals that will inform this process, or make provision for funding of business proposals in another related programme.

• That the NRIC give further consideration to the merits of centralised research infrastructure facilities where appropriate.

• That funding programmes foster establishment of centralised facilities, where appropriate.

• That where co-investment requirements are desirable, they should encourage co-investment or provide other incentives such as a fixed share of infrastructure access, and ensure that requirements are equitable for small and regional research institutions.

• That existing infrastructure be eligible for Australian Government research infrastructure funding programmes, for example for standing operating, maintenance and refurbishment costs.

• That hosts or owners of significant research infrastructure facilities be eligible to apply to NRIC to have their facilities assessed for incorporation into the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework.

• That the NRIC consider how libraries and museums should be integrated into the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework and into any national approach to upgrading basic infrastructure.

• That research funding agencies, in making a decision to fund research, also fund access to any research infrastructure facility required to conduct that research.

The Government recognises that inflexible leveraging arrangements – such as those in the former Major National Research Facilities Programme – may inhibit universities’ capacity to develop new research strengths and respond to regional research priorities. Where appropriate, for example, in the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, the Government will in future avoid inflexible leveraging requirements.

In developing the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, the Government will take into account the Taskforce’s recommended Funding Principles and its recommendations regarding the design of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy’s funding programme, capital and standing operating costs, centralised research facilities, co-investment arrangements and existing infrastructure, including museums and libraries.

The Government will take into account funding access to research infrastructure as part of research funding in future policy development. Non-government funding bodies may wish to consider this recommendation.

• That all universities, publicly funded research agencies and research funding agencies follow one of five broad acquisition models defined in the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework to ensure consistency in the acquisition, governance, access and charging arrangements for research infrastructure.

• That business proposals confirm that the proposed investment is consistent with the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework and its acquisition, governance, access and charging models where significant investment in research infrastructure is considered in an institution or agency other than NRIC.

• That to inform effective investment decisions, the research infrastructure business proposal should address initial capital costs, provision for standing operating costs and (subject to review, continuing relevance and good governance) renewal and upgrade costs.

• That the NRIC integrate research infrastructure international access arrangements and opportunities into the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework.

• That as a basic principle, access to government funded research infrastructure facilities for researchers in universities, publicly funded research agencies and medical research institutes be based on a merit based allocation system.

• That, where publicly funded research agencies or universities have subscribed to or co-invested in a research infrastructure facility, that agency or university manage a merit-based allocation system for their researchers within the arrangements for access to the facility agreed at the time of co-investing or subscribing.

• That as a basic principle, charging for use of research infrastructure funded within the National Research Infrastructure Strategic Framework be on the basis that designated users will be charged only for marginal operating costs.

• That as a principle, access charges for use of publicly-funded research infrastructure facilities by research organisations outside the publicly funded research sector, be on a full cost recovery basis but should be flexible. This flexibility should, for example, take into account any co-investment made by the research organisation, or take advantage of emerging research collaboration opportunities.

• That access regimes enable and encourage developing researchers and novel research in emerging areas.

• That where possible and appropriate, marginal operating costs should be recovered from access charges.

• That infrastructure funding programmes have their scope and timetables defined well in advance of investment decisions to ensure that there is ample lead time to develop proposals and engage potential collaborators and co-investors.

• That Australian Government funding programmes for Australian Foundation Facilities, Australian Landmark Facilities and Australian Major Research Facilities include, where appropriate, staged application processes and funding for the development of business proposals.