The Group of Eight’s Post

The ACDS urges Federal Parliament to pass the Australian Research Council Amendment Bill but calls for further clarity on important provisions. Our submission is at https://lnkd.in/gYdfuBvv . Key points include: ✅ Clarifying the ARC's Research Advisory Role: Emphasizing clear guidance on the ARC's advisory role among diverse government agencies with research interests. ✅ Legislating Peer Review: Legislating peer review as the key mechanism in grant allocation, aligning with the Haldane Principle. ✅ Coordination Across Agencies: Stressing the importance of a legislated mechanism to drive agency coordination in research policy and programs. ✅ Enhancing Governance and Transparency: Supporting governance improvements through the ARC Board's establishment while seeking clarity in its operations and membership. #ResearchPolicy #ResearchExcellence #CollaborativeResearch #ACDS Melissa Brown, Mark Buntine FRACI CChem, GAICD Birgit LochAdam Trevitt Katrina Falkner FTSE Shaun Collin, Marcel Dinger, John Bartlett, Susan Howitt Australian Government Department of Education Department of Industry, Science and Resources Science & Technology Australia Australian Research Council Ed Husic MP Jason Clare MP Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Cathy Foley

The Group of Eight believes the passing of the Australian Research Council Amendment (Review Response) Bill 2023 will strengthen Australia’s research capability and help ensure the sustainability of our world class research. The Go8, as the recipient of 70 per cent of ARC funding, has driven the substantial governance reform of the ARC, in particular the establishment of an independent ARC Board to approve research grants within the National Competitive Grants Program. “The importance of an independent Board cannot be overstated. Depoliticising ARC funding through an independent board strengthens the integrity of decision-making processes and minimises political interference, which has impacted the capacity of our universities to attract and retain world leading researchers,” said Go8 CE Vicki Thomson. The Go8 looks forward to working with the ARC on implementing the reforms as well as the important upcoming review of the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program. Read the Go8's media release on the passing of the Bill here: https://lnkd.in/gEEXWfYU https://lnkd.in/grMU-nid Ed Husic MP Department of Industry, Science and Resources Jason Clare MP Sarah Henderson Paul Fletcher MP Cathy Foley The Australian Tim Dodd University of Adelaide The Australian National University University of Melbourne Monash University UNSW The University of Queensland University of Sydney The University of Western Australia #research #funding

In a challenging fiscal context, government's protection of the R&D budget, and core research funding in particular, is a welcome sign of its intention to place research at the heart of its missions and Industrial Strategy aims. Some key stats from this Budget: - £20.4bn committed for 25/26, a real-terms increase - £6.1bn protected budget for core research funding - £25m R&D missions programme - £40m proof-of-concept fund to help universities commercialise research,

Join Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University, and James Cook University in a collaborative event as part of National Reconciliation Week 2024. This important event, themed "Post-Referendum: What's Next for Universities," offers a cross-university discussion exploring the ongoing relevance of reconciliation in the wake of recent national changes. The event will feature a panel of respected First Nations leaders and offer both in-person and online participation options. You can either attend online to listen to the panel conversation or attend the breakfast event in person, which has limited seating. The event includes a breakfast and networking session, followed by a panel discussion and a reflective activity that explores the ongoing significance of reconciliation in light of recent national changes and various university sectors. Your participation is crucial as we continue our collective journey toward reconciliation. This event not only fosters reflection but also reaffirms our commitment to equality, justice, and institutional integrity. • Date: 27th May 2024 • In-Person Time: (5 AVAILABLE)  Time: 9:00 AM to 11:45 AM
   Venue: Murdoch University - The Rosemary van den Berg Room (360.4.003) • Online: (TICKETS AVAILABLE) 1. Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM AWST (Teams) 2. Platform: Teams 3. Link to join:https://lnkd.in/gJV4aEzi  4. Additional Information:
We encourage you to fill out the following form as a reflective activity: https://lnkd.in/gKbRn5Xn. Your responses are anonymous and will be collected to provide a report after the event, supporting your work in reconciliation at your universities/organisations. • Questions for the Panel: Do you have questions for our panellists? We welcome you to submit them in advance when you register, ensuring a more tailored and engaging discussion. https://lnkd.in/gNQs4z8n

Media release: ARC reform will strengthen Australia’s research capability. The passing of the Australian Research Council Amendment (Review Response) Bill 2023 will strengthen Australia’s research capability and help ensure the sustainability of our world class research. “The Group of Eight, as the recipient of 70 per cent of ARC funding has driven the substantial governance reform of the ARC, in particular the establishment of an independent ARC Board to approve research grants within the National Competitive Grants Program,” said Go8 CE Vicki Thomson. “The importance of an independent Board cannot be overstated. Depoliticising ARC funding through an independent board strengthens the integrity of decision-making processes and minimises political interference, which has impacted the capacity of our universities to attract and retain world leading researchers.” The Go8 looks forward to working with the ARC on implementing the reforms as well as the important upcoming review of the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program. Read the full realease here: https://lnkd.in/gEEXWfYU Ed Husic MP Department of Industry, Science and Resources Jason Clare MP Sarah Henderson Paul Fletcher MP Cathy Foley Julie Hare Tim Dodd Ben Packham Anna Henderson Jonathan Webb University of Adelaide The Australian National University University of Melbourne Monash University UNSW The University of Queensland University of Sydney The University of Western Australia #research #funding

Struggling with the REF? If so, then you may be interested in learning how to navigate international #policy engagement and the #Research Excellence Framework (REF) in an interactive #masterclass. Date: 23 May 2024 Time: 15:00-17:00 (BST) Location: UCL's Haldane Room, Wilkins Building (North) [REF is a research impact #evaluation of British Higher Education Institutions; the REF outcomes are used to inform the allocation of around £2 billion per year of public #funding for #universities’ research. The REF objectives are to: - provide accountability for public #investment in research and produce evidence of the benefits of this investment; - provide benchmarking information and establish reputational yardsticks, for use in the higher education sector and for public information; and - inform the selective allocation of funding for research more info at: https://lnkd.in/ew9ShiKA] Overview: UCL research and expertise inform policymaking across the globe, and engaging with policymakers is one of our primary avenues for impact. This process, however, is not always straightforward, and setting up successful initiatives can be challenging.  With a particular focus on the challenges of international policy engagement, this masterclass will offer practical insights for the development process of REF #casestudies, from inception to panel evaluation, and allow you to reflect on your own experiences working with policy actors across the globe. The masterclass will include case studies from: Prof Michael Walls (case study): Strengthening institutions in the Global South to address urgent development challenges: co-production of research and policy in Somaliland and Sierra Leone. Prof Courtenay Norbury, Vice-Dean Research, Brain Sciences: Experience of serving as a REF Panel member. Learning outcomes: By the end of the session, you will be able to: - Understand the REF process, its rules and requirements. - Understand what makes an impactful policy engagement activity that combines research excellence and societal impact - Identify the key factors that contribute to a robust REF case study and what to consider early on in your project. - Conceptualise and develop a REF case study based on your past or planned policy engagement activities. Join UCL Global Engagement and the UCL Impact team for an in-person training session by signing up here: #researchfunding UCL UCL Faculty of Life Sciences UCL Centre for Integrative Anatomy

The Southern Gerontological Society is accepting abstracts for their 2025 Annual Conference. The deadline for submission is 11:59 PM Central Time on January 10, 2025. For more information on how to submit your abstract, visit here: https://ow.ly/iLu250TU7aG. A broad range of topics are open for consideration, encompassing presentations on cutting-edge research, collaborations between research and practice, visionary programs for the future, and dialogues on public policy. Students are especially encouraged to submit abstracts, as SGS conferences provide an excellent platform for them to showcase their work. The conference is open to all, and membership in SGS is not a prerequisite for presentation or attendance. The deadline for abstract submissions is January 10, 2025. #SGSRocks #abstracts #research

🔊 Science & Policy Exchange - Statement on the 2024 Federal Budget Science & Policy Exchange welcomes the path taken by the federal government through its 2024 budget to better support the next generation of researchers and the Canadian research system. 🎉 We are thrilled to see the value of federal graduate and postdoctoral awards finally increase after more than 20 years of stagnation. We hope that the new award values will drive other research funders across Canada to increase their support of the next generation of researchers. We also appreciate the increased funding for the budgets of the Tri-Agency over the next five years, which will hopefully increase the values of research grants and allow for professors to better support their graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. We would like to thank all stakeholders who have been strongly advocating for budget increases in these fields, especially Support Our Science, which has spearheaded these advocacy efforts at the federal level in recent years. 💡 While we believe these announcements are going in the right direction, we are disappointed that the value of the announced funds remain below what the Advisory Committee on the Federal Research Support System, Support Our Science, SPE, and other organizations have recommended. We note that a large proportion of the new investments are earmarked for later years, notably after the next federal elections. We hope that the government will maintain its commitment to support the next generation of researchers in the years to come. We are also concerned that international students and postdocs will see their – already limited – access to federal awards reduced by the streamlining of all award programs into one. As they bring valuable skills, knowledge, and networks to the Canadian research community, and actively contribute to Canadian research, they should be better supported. We look forward to further details on the implementation of the changes and funding announced, which we will be following closely. We will continue to advocate for better support for the next generation of researchers in Canada. #SupportOurScience #ScienceAdvocacy #Budget2024 #polcan #gradstudents #postdocs #scipol #researchers

What impact do you want your doctoral research to make outside of academia? 📣 Join us for PGR Workshop: Creating Impact in Policy and Practice: https://buff.ly/3RWX5cr on Wednesday 10th July!

Open science is imperative for healthy lives, but there is growing concern that academic freedom is under threat in the EU. Prof Peter Maassen, lead author of the European Parliament Academic Freedom Monitor 2023 report, comments on the topic in this article published in Research Information ➡️ https://fro.ntiers.in/ivnu Read the full commentary of Prof Peter Maassen in Frontiers Policy Labs ➡️ https://fro.ntiers.in/Ss8c Register for the Frontiers Policy Labs webinar 'Powering Academic Freedom - Essential Insights for Policy Makers' ➡️ https://fro.ntiers.in/1FEv #AcademicFreedom #OpenAccess #HealthyLives #SciencePolicy #SciPol