News & Views item - October 2005

 

 

FASTS Holds Forum on RQF Third-Stream Funding Considerations. (October 17, 2005)

 

On Wednesday October 12 the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) hosted a forum on Third Stream funding. For those not familiar with the term it may be defined as  monies given to higher education institutions to assist them in usefully reaching out to business and the community.

 

FASTS has released a preliminary assessment of the value of the forum.

Speakers included David Murray (Business Council of Australia), Peter Høj (Australian Research Council), Alan Pettigrew (National Health and Medical Research Council) and Ian Chubb (Australian National University).

 

The audience included about 14 pro vice-chancellors (research), a large contingent from Government including the Departments of Education, Science and Training, Industry, Treasury and  Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, as well as various deputy vice-chancellors, deans, heads of schools, and representatives from Cooperative Research Centres.

 

There were divergences of views around some of the issues ­ e.g. some advocated a strong focus on commercialisation others argued for a broader "social good" approach.

 

The key messages that emerged from the day where there appeared to be substantial or unanimous agreement were:

With regard to the participation of Treasury, FASTS had asked them to outline the conceptual framework that they use in their analysis of budget proposals and to specify the key questions they ask of such proposals.

 

They listed the following:

It appears that Treasury hasn't taken to heart Don Watson's Death Sentence.

 

Additional material in the form of PowerPoint documents and speakers' notes are available at http://www.fasts.org/.

 

 

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