Members' Bulletin   18 March 2009

In this bulletin:

The Rudd Government's targets for education and research

The Council for the Humanities Arts and Social Sciences welcomes the Rudd government's commitment to long term investment in higher education and research. We agree with the Deputy Prime Minister's statement: "To be a stronger and fairer nation, the Australian people must be amongst the most highly educated and skilled on earth". The Council also supports the Minister for Innovation, Industry Science and Research, Senator the Hon Kim Carr when he commits to "a country where individuals, communities and industries all benefit from the fruits of research and innovation".

The CHASS President Linda Rosenman says that 2008 was a year of major policy review and debate in education and research, while 2009 will be the year of reform and policy making. "The Council will be working to ensure that member organisations can contribute to making the changes successful. CHASS believes the extra commitment to cover infrastructure and indirect costs of research can make a major contribution to Australian innovation in both public and private sector enterprises."

The Government's announcements were made in a series of speeches to higher education conferences over the past fortnight. The key commitments were:

  • to increase the level of education across Australian society so that 40 per cent of 25-34 year olds have an undergraduate qualification by the year 2025;
  • to boost participation from remote and regional areas, indigenous students and from lower socio-economic income groups from 15 per 20 per cent by 2020; and
  • to fund the full cost of research.

However both Ministers have warned that resources for implementation are dependent on Budget constraints at a time of global financial crisis.

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CHASS working agenda for 2009

The Council's Board met in February for final discussion on the business plan for 2009 and finalised the goals and scope of work.

The Council will work on the following projects, in addition to its continuing promotional and advocacy work:

Membership
The Board will prepare options for a new membership structure for comment and debate by member organisations. Board members Meredith Edwards AM and Stuart Hamilton AO will be members of a working party working on the options.
The Board's decision was based on the discussion at the 2008 HASS in the Capital meeting. The Board noted that CHASS needs to clarify service levels for the membership levels, and also define more clearly which organisations CHASS could effectively support. It noted that the current membership levels are loosely based on capacity to pay, so that CHASS can both work with the larger higher education and discipline based groups, and offer service to smaller non-profit arts peak groups and humanities and social science research associations. However the Council could also base membership on services provided in promotion and advocacy to specific groups and/or it could enter into new partnerships with business and non-profit sector groups.
If you have any comments or contributions please contact the membership officer, at membership [at] chass.org.au CHASS will aim at consulting members about options for change before subscription renewals.
Creating Capable Students
CHASS is coordinating researchers and writing for a Creating Capable Students programs. CHASS Vice President Ross Homel AO, Professor of Criminology at Griffith University will work with the Council's Research and Policy Officer to coordinate and collect research findings on how to boost higher education participation and aspirations in lower socio economic areas and groups.
Board members noted that social scientists across Australian universities have well established research and programs on how to help families support their children and enable individuals to participate in higher education. Use of this knowledge would boost work to achieve the Rudd Government's goals of 20 per cent participation by those in lower socio economic groups by 2025.
The Council is contacting some social research centres directly. If you have comments, please contact the Research and Policy Officer at policy [at] chass.org.au We will have a scoping paper ready soon.
Full Cost of Research
CHASS will investigate the implications for the humanities, arts and social sciences in implementing policies for funding the full cost of research. It will ask whether the infrastructure needs of social scientists in ICT support, and the full costs of creative arts support are reflected in the formulas for allocating grants. It will also look at support for research training, particularly given that the HASS workforce is rapidly ageing.
A draft paper will go to members seeking comment and contributions by the end of April. The initial Government commitment to extending research funding will be announced in the Budget on May 12 although work on how to implement the commitment is already underway.
CHASS is also working with the learned academies and other organisations to brief the research community on the emerging impacts of the Excellence in Research Australia trials and introduction.
Creative Arts
CHASS will support coordination of discussion about establishment and structure of an Academy for Creative Arts, based on enhancement of research and scholarship in creative arts practice and encouragement of excellence. The Council notes that the steering committee developing the proposal will be consulting with the Academy of Humanities.
The steering committee has representatives of higher education groups across arts, craft and design, screen studies, dance, drama and music. It is led by Professor Su Baker of the Victorian College of the Arts.
The Council last year released an Occasional Paper calling for a national body to look at design issues, and will continue to work for recognition of the role of creative industries in developing a creative imaginative Australia.
International Science Linkages and Cooperative Research Centres
CHASS will distribute information to members about the new provisions for humanities and arts researchers and social scientists to access grant programs for international science linkages. The Australian Academy for the Humanities and the Academy for Social Sciences in Australia are currently working with the Australian Government to finalise details of the programs.
CHASS will also work with member organisation the Cooperative Research Centres Association to prepare HASS researchers and HASS based industry to lead proposals for new centres, now that the program is open to humanities arts and social science led research.

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New staff members at CHASS

Heidi Hutchison is the new Research and Policy Officer. Heidi is working on the Creating Capable Students projects and drafting the discussion paper on the full cost of research. Heidi is also on the verge of completing her PhD in International Relations at the Australian National University. Her research examines the cultural warfare employed by the neo-conservative women in order to shape an American culture that is willing to support an activist global role for the United States. While completing her PhD, Heidi has tutored in International Relations and Security Studies in the School of Social Sciences at the ANU.

Later this month Avi Amesbury begins as Manager, Program Development and Communications. Avi will be managing Council events and workshops and leading up the HASS on the Hill. Avi comes to CHASS from Craft Australia where she was Communications Manager. She will also review our communications strategies for member organisations and external stakeholders.

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At CHASS

The Author of CHASS' Occasional Paper 6, Professor Graeme Hugo, spoke at a number of conferences over February and March about his work on the ageing profile of the academic workforce. CHASs Executive Director Helen O'Neil also spoke to a conference on higher education recruitment about the need to support HASS PhDs. The paper has also had coverage in national media.

Other CHASS member organisations and HASS researcher have also used Professor Hugo's research as a basis for debate on how to renew and expand the academic workforce. The NTEU and the Council of Australia Postgraduate Associations have both called for immediate action to help PhD students develop a career in academic research and teaching.

CHASS has also released a paper by Professor Brad Haseman and Dr Luke Jaaniste, "The arts and Australia's national innovation system 1994-2008", published as the CHASS Occasional Paper 7. The authors call for national leadership to bring Australia's skill and talent in the arts into Australian innovations. Professor Haseman says it is critical that the Australia Council plays a central facilitating role. Hard copies of both papers are available from the office.

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Cooperative Research Centres

The Cooperative Research centres Association (a member of CHASS) welcomes queries about preparing an applications for the CRC program. Further rounds of applications provide opportunities for development of HASS led projects.

The objective of the Program is: "To deliver significant economic, environmental and social benefits to Australia by supporting end-user driven research partnerships between publicly funded researchers and end-users to address clearly articulated, major challenges that require medium to long term collaborative efforts."

Since the commencement of the CRC Program, all parties have committed more than $12.3 billion (cash and in-kind) to CRCs. This includes almost $3 billion from the CRC Program, $3.1 billion from universities, $2.5 billion from industry and $1.2 billion from CSIRO.

A CRC is a company formed through a collaboration of businesses and researchers. This includes private sector organisations (both large and small enterprises), industry associations, universities and government research agencies such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and other end users.

Policy changes to the rules surrounding funding for Cooperative Research Centres mean that researchers in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences can now apply for funding in their own right. CHASS is also interested in hearing from members about either HASS-led or interdisciplinary proposals being prepared for upcoming CRC funding rounds, as well as their current involvement in CRCs. Please forward information about your proposal to CHASS's Research and Policy Officer at policy [at] chass.org.au, or phone on 02 6201 2559.

We will be sending further information to you about the upcoming CRCA conference in May.

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Australian Copyright Council training sessions

The Copyright Council is holding sessions around the country on new developments in copyright and training sessions in clearances and new technologies.

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Centre for Sustainability Leadership

The Centre for Sustainability Leadership has contacted CHASS encouraging applications for its Leadership program. The Leadership Fellowship Program provides training and mentoring to inspire and cultivate responsible leaders of tomorrow.

The CSL welcomes people in any field to apply. It says successful applicants will be joining an esteemed network, dedicated to making a difference, which includes everyone from artists to engineers, lawyers to graphic designers, academics to accountants. You just need to be passionate about sustainability and committed to make our future a better place to live and work.

Applications are now open until March 30. A significant number of full scholarships are available.

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CHASS web site - Events page

CHASS has an events calendar which you are welcome to use to reach other HASS researchers and professionals. Membership Officer Gemma Black will be contacting all members over the next days to update details and to expand our mailing list for members' bulletins. Please let her know whether you have conferences, seminars and lectures which should be on the Events pages.

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Social Science role in policy making and research

The Chairman of the Productivity Commission, Mr Gary Banks recently spoke about the need for more evidence based policy making - and the role of research and researchers in exploring the social and economic impact of policy changes.

With a number of Academy Fellows and researchers contributing to policy development through contracts and work with parliamentary committees on issues from preventive health to the social impact of the financial crisis, The Council will encourage further links between policy makers and researchers across the HASS sector.

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Science meets Parliament

This week the Federation of Australian Science and Technological Societies brings science to MPs in its annual Science meets Parliament event in Canberra. This year FASTS is holding a series of seminars on issues from nano-technology to Australia's marine resources.

CHASS congratulates FASTS on this successful event which lifts awareness of the depth and richness of Australian research knowledge and skills among Members of Parliament.

In his speech to the National Press Club to mark Science Meets Parliament, Minister Carr focused on the need to focus on innovation and use of new knowledge as a tool in helping Australia recover from the global financial crisis. He said: "It gave me particular pleasure to create a stream for the humanities, arts and social sciences in the International Science Linkages Program last year - and to leave the name of the program just as it was.

It was a joy to reinstate a much older and more inclusive sense of the word "science", which once referred to knowledge in all its forms. Perhaps this is the definition we should be using when we talk about rallying science to the cause of recovery. It will be a long campaign, and we will need all the reinforcements we can get."

Helen O'Neil
Executive Director
Council of the Humanties, Arts and Social Sciences
18 March 2009

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