Dan Tehan takes sting out of research fund refusals

Universities have welcomed Dan Tehan’s pledge that any future ministerial decision on grants will not be kept secret.

Universities have welcomed Education Minister Dan Tehan’s pledge that any future ministerial decision to knock back grants to academics recommended by the Australian Research Council will not be kept secret.

As exclusively reported by The Australian yesterday, Mr Tehan said he would be transparent in reporting any future research grant rejections, after an uproar caused by the revelation his predecessor, Simon Birmingham, secretly rejected 11 grants to humanities scholars.

Peak body Universities Australia said Mr Tehan’s promise of transparency was a step forward. “While it doesn’t abolish the ministerial veto power (over ARC ­recommendations), the public and researchers should know if a minister has rejected expert ­advice,” chief executive Catriona Jackson said.

The ARC expects to distribute $3 billion for research over the next four years and the Group of Eight universities, which win a majority of the grants, said Mr Tehan’s commitment to lack of secrecy was “constructive”.

“While the Go8’s strong position remains that government should never insert itself into the review process … transparency of any such government involvement is paramount,” said the Go8’s chief executive, Vicki Thomson.

Universities say they need more clarification from Mr Tehan on his intention to introduce a “national interest test” for ARC grants.

Existing ARC rules specify that grant applicants in other ­categories should show how their research will produce economic, commercial, environ­mental, social and/or cultural benefits.

Universities Australia also said it would discuss with the minister what he had in mind with a national interest test, given existing requirement to outline the ­expected benefits to the nation.

In response, Mr Tehan said “going forward, applicants will need to write a statement that explicitly addresses how their research is in the national interest”.