Priorities in research and innovation for the next Australian government

Recommendations

1. Policy initiatives in Backing Australia’s Ability need to be implemented at a much faster rate than under the current arrangements that see most of the funding becoming available after the federal election in 2004.
2. The next Australian Government must encourage a shared vision for Australian higher education, in which government, universities and the private sector work for the common good of Australia. This may be effectively achieved through the establishment of a Higher Education Funding Council.
3. The next Australian Government should restore the balance between private and public contributions to higher education, for example by restoring the “missing 7 per cent” in funding to universities and put in place indexation arrangements that adequately maintain an agreed level of government funding.
4. The next Australian Government should reassess the possibility of introducing a research assessment exercise to influence the allocation of researchrelated funding to universities.
5. HECS-exempt scholarships should be provided for students commencing science teacher education and a percentage of the HECS debt of science and mathematics teachers forgiven for each year of teaching service.
6. Any indicative trends of unwelcome outcomes in business investment in R&D must be spotted quickly and responded to promptly. The next Australian Government must state its preparedness to fine-tune taxation incentives in the light of experience.
7. The next Australian Government should consider implementing a formal offset program when giving assistance to major industrial developments.
8. The ad hoc nature of the Major National Research Facilities program must end by inclusion of a one-line budget item in the Science and Technology Budget each year, even if there are competitive rounds on a less frequent basis than annual.
9. There is an opportunity for the next Australian Government to review in 2002 the quantum of funding allocated to CSIRO for the next triennium, to capitalise on the multidisciplinary capacity of CSIRO to engage as a coherent partner with the rest of Australia’s innovation system.
10. The next Australian Government should work to maintain bipartisan support not only for the Cooperative Research Centre Program, but also for education, research and innovation more broadly.
11. The next Australian Government should retain the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) and the position of Chief Scientist. It should also upgrade the Commonwealth, States and Territories Advisory Council on Innovation.
12. The next Australian Government should set broad directions for government research agencies and funding agencies. It should urge that there be put in place robust internal prioritysetting mechanisms that include broad consultation with potential users of research.