Several different types of research are funded under the National Research and Evaluation Program.
Open grants program: The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER 
) manages an open grants research program. Under the program a mix of short-term projects and longer-term clusters of projects around research themes are funded.
Policy research partnerships: Policy makers and researchers together are actively involved in research projects. These are shorter term projects that focus on more immediate and specific policy issues and questions.
Knowledge brokerage: The results of research are communicated through a range of activities which include bringing together users and producers of research. A key knowledge brokerage tool is the VOCED database , managed by the NCVER. VOCED is an online research database containing information on more than 27,000 research papers and reports from around the world.
Pulse taking or market research: Regular market intelligence is provided by research that looks at the needs of students, industry and registered training organisations.
Evaluation: Evaluation activities include research projects that take stock of what has gone before. These may focus on reviews of policy, assess the benefit of specific initiatives, or trace the progress of certain interventions over time.
On 22 October 2004 the Prime Minister announced that ANTA would be abolished and its functions would be brought into the Department of Education, Science and Training from 1 July 2005. A Ministerial Council on Vocational Education will be established to ensure continued harmonisation of a national system of standards, assessment and accreditation with goals agreed in a Commonwealth-State Funding Agreement.
Other major research centres