Australian Universities Engagement and Impact Performance Evaluation to be Remodelled: How?
By Frank Larkins
The Australian Government response to the Review of the Australian Research Council Act 2001 was released in August 2023 (1,2). The Minister for Education Jason Clare agreed with nine of the ten recommendation and agreed in principle with the tenth. The tenth recommendation related to the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) and Engagement and Impact (EI) exercises. The Government announcement stated that they ‘will not continue ERA and EI in their current form’ whereas the review team led by Professor Margaret Sheil recommended that the exercises ´be discontinued’. The Minister for Education has directed the Universities Accord Panel, led by Professor Mary O’Kane (3), to make by December 2023 recommendations on a new model for ‘measuring impact and engagement in university research’ BUT seemingly not for assessing excellence.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the ARC Review focussed on the legislated role and purpose of the ARC, while the Australian Universities Accord ToR are broad, including inter alia, a direction for the panel to consider current and future skills needs for research and innovation. Hence, the reviews are focussed principally on advice to government and have not given in-depth consideration to the benefits to universities, industry bodies or other community stakeholders.
Professor Emeritus Frank Larkins is an Honorary Professorial Fellow from the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education and School of Chemistry, at The University of Melbourne.