Government Defers Implementation Of Research White Paper Until After Next Election

The Government has delayed introducing the two main changes to funding research and research education in Universities until 2002. Implementation will now occur after the next election.

CAPA President, Bradley Smith, has welcomed the delay. "The White Paper will do significant damage to Australia's research capability."

However, Mr. Smith warned "the removal of up to 3,500 'gap places' for research students will still go ahead in 2001, devastating the research programs of regional, technological and new universities".

Mr. Smith called on the government to reverse its decision to cut the number of research students and revisit the whole White Paper agenda.

"Regional, technological and new universities will be particularly hard hit by the forced removal of these places. This decision reduces opportunities for students and will exacerbate the "brain drain" from regional to metropolitan Australia".

Originally the Institutional Grants Scheme and the Research Training Scheme were due for implementation in 2001, however serious anomalies identified by the sector in the proposed implementation strategy has forced the government to delay implementation. (The sector was advised of this decision last week in a "Question and Answer" document agreed by the Minister.)

"It is not clear whether the decision to relay implementation has been made because the implementation strategy is deeply flawed of for political reasons as the implementation strategy will seriously damage regional universities in the longer term".

Mr. Smith said, "the government's refusal to increase its investment in research and a flawed implementation strategy has reduced the whole White Paper exercise to the level of farce."

The other main proposal in the White Paper, the establishment of the Australian Research Council (ARC) as an independent body, which is broadly supported, will proceed with legislation due to be introduced into the next sitting of parliament.