Flawed postgraduate research scheme set to remain

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations reacted with disappointment to the release of an evaluation report on research funding by Education Minister Brendan Nelson today. The report, Evaluation of Knowledge and Innovation Reforms Consultation Report looks at sector response to the 1999 research reforms undertaken by then Minister for Education, David Kemp.

"Knowledge and Innovation set in place an allocation scheme, the Research Training Scheme (RTS), which discourages innovation in postgraduate research and is biased against members of equity groups, by setting a generic and unrealistic timeframe for all postgraduate research degree completions," said CAPA President Stephen Horton today.

"This evaluation represented a fantastic opportunity to get rid of the RTS--a scheme which is despised throughout the sector. We are amazed that the report supports retaining the scheme," said Mr Horton.

"The report also shows that the RTS favours postgraduate researchers aged under thirty, despite the fact that two thirds of postgraduates are over thirty. This is a real worry as we've been saying for some time that the 4 year limitation on candidature places a lot of pressure on the average postgrad--someone over thirty with family, work and other responsibilities. The 4 year RTS time-frame is directed at young people living with their parents. It's just not realistic," Mr Horton concluded.