Another Nail in the Public Universities' Coffin

CAPA has slammed Minister Kemp's proposals to transfer up to $474 million in research funds from public universities to private providers (in the Australian Research Council (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2000 due to be introduced into parliament this sitting.)

CAPA President, Bradley Smith, said "the Bill gives the Minister the power to give public funds to commercial and political organisations such as the extreme deregulationist Centre For Independent Studies at the expense of public universities."

"The Chief Scientist's and Innovation Summit Implementation Group reports both highlight the significance of public universities in Australia's research and innovation capability. This Act undermines the spirit of these significant reports and represents another nail in the coffin of public universities."

Currently only public universities listed under schedule A of the Higher Education Funding Act can receive public funding. This bill strips $474 million from university block grants and allocates the funds to a 'special research assistance' fund.

The White Paper foreshadowed that any organisation that is on the register of the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) and can provide an 'approved' Research and Research Training Management Plan to apply for these funds.

"This legislation's privatisation agenda goes much further, as it explicitly permits the Minister to allocate funds to bodies that are not on the AQF register. This means that institutions or bodies that do not meet State accreditation requirements can appeal directly to the Minister."

Under the proposed act, the Minister will decide on whether any applicant's Research and Research Training Management Plan is 'approved'.

Mr Smith said, "what is particularly galling to research students is that the department has acknowledged to CAPA and other peak bodies that it does not have the expertise to analyse these plans. Yet the Minister can decide whether they will be approved or not."

"Far from enhancing a quality research environment, this Act will dilute research capability and give the Minister unacceptable powers."