The government has enabled rushed legislation that could put Australian researchers at a disadvantage to their US counterparts, says University of Sydney deputy vice-chancellor of research Jill Trewhella…
Researchers have invested hundreds of hours to enhance their applications, only to miss out.
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Last Friday, the results for this year’s round of applications for National Health and Medical Research (NHMRC) grants were released. Because headlines focus on success and rankings, universities and medical…
Researchers who have sometimes been waiting years for funding have been left in the lurch by government.
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The Australian Research Council’s confirmation that all funding awards and rounds are currently frozen has caused major concern, if not panic, in academic circles. The Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook…
The Square Kiometre Array is just one of many projects academics fear will be impacted by the proposed Defence Trade Controls Bill.
AAP
A controversial bill designed to free up defence trade with the US will leave Australian researchers vulnerable to criminal prosecution unless changes are made, says University of Sydney academic Michael…
Doctors are expected to be attuned to the latest developments in health care.
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Most doctors shudder at the sight of the growing mountain of unread medical journals gathering dust on their desks over months, if not years. They need not despair though, as there are less time-consuming…
Leave “wicked” to the witches and let’s get on with the job of policy research.
Witches image from www.shutterstock.com
Wicked problems, so we are told, are everywhere. Climate change, conflict, an ageing population, obesity… the list goes on. The debate over asylum seekers, difficult and important and politically charged…
The debate around teacher quality should be informed by research, not hunches and misinformation.
Teacher image from www.shutterstock.com
All we seem to hear about these days is failing teachers in failing schools. Those from business, government and the field of economics have all weighed in, criticising teachers, teacher educators and…
UNSW Vice-Chancellor Fred Hilmer at the National Press Club in Canberra.
AAP/Alan Porritt
Universities must adopt the campaign tactics of the mining industry if they are to have any chance against oppressive government regulation and fee structures, says the University of New South Wales Vice-Chancellor…
Overcrowded Australian universities must find a way to promote small-group learning if they are to revive education standards, says the incoming vice-chancellor at the University of Adelaide. In his inaugural…
Allocating research grants based on past projects and potential profits is immoral – it skews research and damages the academic psyche.
URBAN ARTefakte
WHAT IS AUSTRALIA FOR? Australia is no longer small, remote or isolated. It’s time to ask What Is Australia For?, and to acknowledge the wealth of resources we have beyond mining. Over the next two weeks…
Investing in research and innovation could pay handsome dividends for a cashed-up superannuation industry.
Flickr/Truthout
Superannuation funds typically invest in the market - ASX 200 companies, property, cash and bonds. These are attractive for several reasons. Management costs are relatively low, the assets are objectively…
Real impact is important when considering how to fund research.
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Vicki Thomson, Australian Technology Network of Universities
When it comes to engaging with industry, government and the broader community, there is one secret weapon that is often overlooked in the university sector – the humble story. The art of storytelling is…
Asking for only the primary carer’s views assumes that fathers have no major impact on their children’s health.
Grant Potter
If we want to survey families to discover how the children are going, we usually have to ask an adult. It seems common sense to ask the “primary carer”, usually the mother, who knows the child the best…
Nobel laureate and astronomer Brian Schmidt speaking after the announcement of the Thomson Reuters awards.
AAP/Alan Porritt
Twelve academics today received awards as the most prolific and most-cited researchers in fields deemed to be strong areas for Australian research, at a ceremony in Canberra. However, the prestigious Thomson…
There are concerns about the take-up of science subjects by students.
Ahd Photography
The Office of the Chief Scientist today releases the Health of Australian Science report and it’s an intriguing read. The report was compiled to help the office and the public understand the current state…
Is Australia’s standing among OECD countries of national value, or apples and oranges?
japi14
How well does Australia’s science, research and innovation system perform compared to other developed nations? The Office of Australia’s Chief Scientist has just released a report addressing this question…
The image of the bearded, grubby ecologist, out-dated spectacles askew and sporting an eccentric grin of geeky, scientific relish, is one that is shared by many, including novice ecologists themselves…
Congratulations class of 2011, you’ve been given the opportunity to have real-life professors – future classes might not.
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The University of Melbourne was founded in 1885 with five professors teaching 15 students. In 1952, at the start of the post-war tertiary boom, there were around 3,000 Australian academics teaching 30,000…
Some worms display an apparently limitless ability to regenerate aged or damaged tissue. Unlike human cells which show signs…
If Australia wants to be a leading force in the knowledge economy, strategic investment in university research and infrastructure will be essential.
Novartis AG
At a time when unprecedented levels of investment are being made in university infrastructure in nations such as China and India, it is worth reflecting on how Australia has built its notable areas of…
Previous Vice President of the Academy of Science of South Africa and DSI-NRF SARChI chair in Fungal Genomics, Professor in Genetics, University of Pretoria, University of Pretoria