Commissioned by the Minister for Education, Science and Training
(Research Collaboration Review)
The Government's response to the Review of Closer Collaboration Between Universities and Major Publicly Funded Research Agencies Report was released on Friday, 7 May 2004.
The final report of the Review of Closer Collaboration Between Universities and Major Publicly Funded Research Agencies was released by the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson, the Minister for Education, Science and Training at the National Press Club on Wednesday, 24 March 2004.
| Review of Closer Collaboration Between Universities and Major Publicly Funded Research Agencies
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The Review of Closer Collaboration Between Universities and Major Publicly Funded Research Agencies received submissions from key stakeholders as well as other government and non-government agencies, individuals and academic societies.
The Review found that the current level of collaboration is extensive between PFRAs and universities, particularly at the individual researcher level. As such, there is an opportunity to enhance the level of collaboration at the organisational and higher strategic level. The Review established that no one body exists to provide comprehensive advice to Government with overarching strategic policy assessment, direction, coordination and advice, and that a new body building on the roles of existing advisory bodies and councils could provide this function.
Overwhelming support was found through submissions, for maintaining differentiation in the NIS via existing block funding arrangements and maintaining the plurality of funding approaches currently within the innovation system. From this, the Committee concludes that using a common core set of measures, could provide a means for comparing the research of different organisations and funding programmes more easily and rigorously.
PFRAs and universities need to work collaboratively in a cooperative as well as a competitive way. A new externally managed contestable fund could therefore be established, drawing on the benefits of existing funding models, but not duplicating them. In so doing, an expert group could reconsider the National Principles of Intellectual Property Management for Publicly Funded Research to remove any prescriptions which are not in the long term interests of the research sector.
The top level recommendations are:
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Prior to any major capital expenditure by a PFRA or university, co-location with an appropriate research provider will be the default position. Any exception to this position must be justified through reporting instruments to Government.
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The Australian Government establish a Strategic Research Council to enhance collaboration and coordination across the research system.
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A performance measurement framework be introduced as a priority for PFRAs, universities and other science-based organisations and funding programmes. An expert group be convened to develop core performance measures relevant to all sectors.
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A contestable Collaboration Fund be established to finance world class Centres of Excellence. The Fund would be open to joint applications from PFRA-university-industry or other non-public sector research organisations as partners.
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An expert group reconsider the National Principles of IP Management for Publicly Funded Research, including ways to publicise the Principles more widely to encourage greater utilisation.
Background
An independent Committee was established by the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson, on 26 May 2003 . The Research Collaboration Review covered the four major Publicly Funded Research Agencies, CSIRO, DSTO, ANSTO and AIMS and all the publicly funded universities who undertake research and postgraduate research training.
The key objectives of the Review, in considering models for closer collaboration, commercialisation and funding, were to improve research outcomes from more efficient use of resources through enhanced critical mass and strengthened institutional performance.
Terms of Reference
Issues Paper PDF 
(301.01 KB)
Submissions - Received
Media Releases