<html>
<body>
<font size=2>
<a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/research-grants-board-to-go/2005/07/18/1121538917860.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/research-grants-board-to-go/2005/07/18/1121538917860.html</a>
#<br><br>
Research grants board to go<br><br>
By David Wroe<br><br>
Canberra<br><br>
July 19, 2005<br><br>
Universities have warned that research grants worth $500 million are at
risk of political interference under a Federal Government plan to abolish
the board of the Australian Research Council.<br><br>
The council, which administers competitive research grants in Australia,
will from next year be headed solely by its chief executive, who will
answer to Education and Science Minister Brendan Nelson.<br><br>
Leading researchers were already concerned about political interference
after Dr Nelson last year vetoed two humanities grants recommended by the
council. Dr Nelson has announced he will scrap the board by early 2006
but said the council would remain an independent statutory body and grant
applications would still be peer reviewed by other researchers.<br><br>
"This will provide greater certainty to researchers about the future
of their ARC funding and allow the ARC to respond quickly and flexibly to
emerging priorities," Dr Nelson said in a statement.<br><br>
But Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee chief John Mullarvey said the
board provided a layer of independence and transparency between the
council's peer review process and the minister. "No longer will
there be a board of community, industry and university representatives to
support the council's CEO in ensuring the integrity of the grants awards
process," he said.<br><br>
"The AVCC is concerned that the ARC grant awarding process will be
wide open to further political interference."<br><br>
Professor Ian Chubb, chairman of the Group of Eight major universities
said the abolition of the board would "further draw into question
the transparency of its decision-making processes".<br><br>
Snow Barlow, president of the Federation of Australian Scientific and
Technological Societies said the board had crucial powers to initiate
inquiries into research-related issues and to give the Government broad
advice on research funding. "Removal of the board will impact on the
capacity of the ARC to provide independent, high quality advice to
government on research and funding decisions," he said.<br><br>
The decision to abolish the board - which includes Nobel prize-winning
microbiologist Peter Doherty and businesswoman Janet Holmes a Court -
follows the advice of John Uhrig, who reviewed the governance of
statutory authorities in 2003 and concluded that they could be managed
either by a board or an executive. Dr Nelson said the "executive
management" model was best for the ARC.<br><br>
Labor education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said Dr Nelson's move was a
blatant attempt to seize control of the council.<br><br>
"The minister's increased control means that any research project
that is not in the Government's interests might not be funded," she
said.<br><br>
"The ARC board performs a vital function of independent and
autonomous oversight of the ARC's activities and of targeting research
funding. To get rid of the board altogether leaves no buffer between the
education minister's whim and critical research projects needed to
develop Australia."<br><br>
Currently, a panel of 75 industry experts and academics called the
College of Experts assesses grant applications and makes recommendations
to the board. The board then reviews the recommendations and presents
them to the minister.<br><br>
From next year, the College of Experts will report directly to council
CEO Peter Hoj, who in turn will report to the minister.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
</font></body>
</html>