Chair of the Group of Eight Addresses the National Press Club. (April 2, 2008)

A fortnight after the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Kim Carr addressed a joint luncheon for the National Press Club (NPC) and the "Science Meets Parliament" initiative of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) it was the turn of Professor Alan Robson, Chair of the Group of Eight and vice-chancellor of the University of Western Australia to speak to the NPC.

In his allotted thirty minutes he cogently developed his view of what was needed to rejuvenate the university sector and its place in a 21^st century innovative Australia. He said a major rethink of innovation policy is necessary particularly because of the dramatic decline in the proportion of Australian university Research and Development directed to basic research and the failure of public funding to cover the full costs of sponsored research.

The proportion of Australian university R&D spending directed at basic research has fallen from two thirds in 1990-91 to less than half in 2004-05. The main source of the problem is that in the arrangements for funding university research, success leads to loss; winners are losers. As best we can estimate, the Government contributes less than 40% of the full costs of research. The difference is made up through cross-subsidies from international student fees and from deferred capital maintenance.

He pointed out that just within the Group of Eight, university infrastructure is seriously run down and it is estimated building and services maintenance in excess of 1.5 billion dollars is required.

Professor Robson said that Australia is "vulnerable to being by-passed, cut off and left behind in the advancement of knowledge. And if we allow that to happen we can kiss goodbye to an innovative Australia."

He urged the Review of the National Innovation System established by Senator Carr to seek to shift national thinking beyond the orthodox "turning ideas into money" view of research and innovation to focus more on "building relationships and better communication between universities and the communities they serve, so that there is better understanding of needs and capabilities."

The Chair of the Group of Eight also told his audience: "I personally think that we make a mistake in Australia in that whenever we have a surplus, we have a tax cut. My position (is) we should be re-investing in building the (education) infrastructure for the future with that money, rather than passing it on (to consumers and fuelling) inflation, and undermining other aspects of our society.

    "In the biosciences, one of our strongest areas, we are struggling to keep pace [and] in some fields, there are not enough local students commencing PhD studies to replace the retiring academic workforce and the attrition of mid-career researchers. [What is required is] greater investment in the development of intellectual talent, deeper immersion into international research networks, full funding of research and flexible block funding for research infrastructure.
    "Very importantly, we need to do more to extend the engagement of universities with users of knowledge in business and the public and community sectors."

In answer to a question about how research funding should be apportioned he replied that it should be awarded to individuals who are doing the outstanding research regardless of their institutional affiliation.

Below is a full transcript of Professor Robson's address. It deserves careful and critical reading.

Click here for the PDF version.