Research Collaboration Review              

Block funding for CSIRO, ANSTO & AIMS

On Wednesday 24 March 2004, the Government released the reports of three significant reviews into science and Education. We understand that these reviews will feed into decisions on science funding for the 2004 Federal Budget to be announced in May.

The review of most importance to us, is the Research Collaboration Review. It contains five recommendations impacting on CSIRO ANSTO and AIMS. The main recommendations include:

• co-locating laboratories with other research providers (read universities) as a default in any major infrastructure changes;
• phasing out triennial funding for CSIRO, ANSTO and AIMS;
• reducing (unspecified) their block appropriation funding to only cover core functions;
• setting up a Collaboration Fund to provide contestable funding for Centres of Excellence, which would be open to all comers.

In releasing the Reviews, Education Science and Training Minister Brendan Nelson, affirmed that the universities would not have their block funding reduced, however, this situation would not be extended to CSIRO ANSTO and AIMS.

The Staff Association Executive have put together a set of notes on this review to provide you with an understanding of the Review so that you can inform members and seek their views.

The report itself can be found on the Departmental web site at www.dest.gov.au

Before we proceed to lobbying Government and other political parties about this, we are developing a collective position of members. We encourage all members to read the Report and email your comments to:

pauline.gallagher@cpsu.org.au