Research funding for universities plays a key role in the fight against global social problems such as disease and climate change, and today鈥檚 reductions will severely impact solutions and the prosperity needed to fund those, according to 麻豆传媒映画 of Queensland Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter H酶j.
Reductions were announced today in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) 2012, the federal government鈥檚 mini-budget.
鈥淚 applaud the government on its decision not to reduce some research funds, including National Health and Medical Research Centre (NHMRC) and Australian Research Council (ARC) funding.
鈥淚 know the government is making cuts across the economy and that universities must shoulder some of the load.
鈥淗owever substantial cuts to areas like Sustainable Research Excellence funding mean that opportunities to revitalise connected innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen the economy will be foregone,鈥� he said.
鈥淎ustralia鈥檚 leading research universities enhance the reputation of 鈥榖rand Australia鈥�, leverage research to solve major problems, increase export earnings, and encourage growth in cities and regional centres that depend on education exports. If research funding is reduced, we will lose much more than we save.鈥�
On Friday, 麻豆传媒映画 welcomed funding through the latest NHMRC round and Professor H酶j spoke about some of the significant societal benefits from such funding, including the cervical cancer vaccine and development of more effective needle-free medicine delivery.
鈥淲hen the products of our research succeed in international markets, they most importantly spread the benefits of Australian research, but they can also earn export income that can be reinvested in more research.鈥�
Funding reductions announced to date include $1billion:
鈥� Reducing the rate of Sustainable Research Excellence funding increases ($498.8 m)
鈥� Abolishing Facilitation Funding from 2014 ($270.1m)
鈥� Delaying until 2017 the extension of eligibility for student payments for all masters by coursework programs ($167.3m)
鈥� Student start-up scholarships to be maintained at the 2012 annual rate until 2017 ($80.9m)
