Speaking internationally, Australian universities tend to punch above their weight when it comes to research outputs: they consistently rank highly in OECD per capita outputs, above even other strongly performing systems across Europe and North America.

Despite their aim of offering easy comparison to prospective students, rankings are heavily weighted towards measuring research reputation rather than student experience or teaching quality.

ResearchMaster was the very first corporate organisation to enter into a formal partnership with ACGR, and we’re proud to have been supporting leadership in graduate research ever since.

We at ResearchMaster certainly use technology to help streamline the processes that are at the core of the competitive grants process, like smart costing and pricing tools and automatically filling e-forms. But the role of technology in knowledge work remains contested. Criticisms range from fears that AI will allow lazy shirkers to offload their work onto technology with nobody the wiser, to the evergreen anxiety that we will all soon be replaced by robots.

The recent release of the Australian Universities Accord Final Report has created a mix of consternation and cautious optimism among industry commentators. While the very welcome refrain of ‘more funding!’ echoes through the report like a drum beat, other elements, like the proposed Higher Education Futures Fund, have attracted criticism from universities.

The world moves forward, understanding improves, and research needs become ever more sophisticated. As research administrators and researchers alike have pointed out for years, the needs of the sector evolve as research sophistication increases. Bluntly put, more sophistication demands more funds. But it’s not just the rising costs of facilities, staff and materials, or the…