research management, and for Government to use to inform research policy. Both programs demonstrate the value of investment in research to the Australian community. While the first three rounds of ERA were tied to a modest proportion of Research Block Grant funding to universities, ERA and EI have been primarily reputational, not financial, drivers of university behaviour (see Sections 3 and 4 for overviews of ERA and EI). 3 Feedback is being sought about whether the current objectives and methodologies of ERA and EI will meet the future needs of stakeholders. In addition, stakeholder views are also requested on how ERA and EI may need to be modified in light of the following current and recent reviews: • The Research Sustainability working group (2020) which is a working group of university Vice-Chancellors established to provide advice to the Minister for Education about sustainable approaches to research funding for universities during COVID-19 and beyond. While the linking of ERA and EI to funding is beyond the scope of the ERA EI review, the review aims to continually improve the robustness and suitability of ERA and EI as a measure of the quality of Australia’s research and its impact beyond academia. • The House of Representatives review of Australian Government Funding Arrangements for non-NHMRC Research (2018), which recommended that the frequency of ERA and EI be altered and their processes streamlined to reduce burden on universities. 4 • The Coaldrake Review of Higher Education Provider Category Standards (2018-2019) which recommended changes to the benchmarking of research quality in the Higher Education Provider Category Standards. The Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) is responsible for processes and policies related to university provider category standards. The Coaldrake Review recommendations and Government’s response have not specified a methodology for determining the benchmarking of research quality for TEQSA purposes, nor have they indicated that ERA will be used. The ERA EI review will consider the implications for universities of any changes to the ERA methodology. • The Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC) Review (2020) which updated the Fields of Research codes that are used to define disciplines in ERA and EI. The ERA and EI review will consider the implications for universities and research disciplines of the new changes.
3 In 2016, ERA outcomes were tied to approximately 4.8% ($10.1 million) of Sustainable Research Excellence (SRE) funding which equated to 0.6% ($10.1 million) of the total Research Block Grant allocation. 4 House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training, Australian Government Funding Arrangements for non-NHMRC Research, (Canberra: Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, 2018).
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