Release of ERA EI review outcomes 

The ARC is pleased to advise that the ERA EI Review Final Report, was released on 16 June 2021. 

The review was conducted with the support of an Advisory Committee of leaders and experts from the university, industry, government and community sectors, with the aim of streamlining and strengthening the programs. The Committee found that ERA and EI continue to reflect best practice in national research evaluation and identified key opportunities to streamline and improve the programs.  

The ARC CEO, Professor Sue Thomas, has accepted all 22 of the Committee’s recommendations and issued the ERA and EI Action Plan, which details the ARC’s plan to implement changes to future rounds of ERA and EI.   

Key changes include:  

• adopting a new single, aligned vision and objectives for ERA and EI   
• streamlining ERA and EI to reduce the reporting burden for universities, through smarter use of technology and existing data collections  
• assessing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Indigenous research as a discipline in its own right  
• improving ERA and EI methodology to make the programs more robust and transparent
• promoting greater insights from ERA and EI data to improve the value of the programs to a wider range of stakeholders. 

The changes will ensure that our national university research assessments inform and promote universities’ pursuit of research that is excellent, engaged with community, industry and government and delivers social, economic, environmental and cultural impact. They will enable ERA and EI to continue to be robust assessments that reflect the current contexts of university research in Australia and produce useful and insightful data on the Australian research environment. The streamlining measures will also make it easier for universities to participate in future rounds.  

The ARC will work with universities to implement the Committee’s recommendations, monitor the effectiveness of streamlining measures, and continuously improve the programs based on the principles set out in the review.  

There was significant engagement from the research community and other stakeholders throughout the review process, including a public consultation August to October 2020 that received 112 submissions. The Committee was also supported by targeted consultations with key stakeholder groups including Indigenous researchers, research end-users, and previous ERA and EI assessment panel chairs. This has ensured that the review process was informed by expert technical advice and that the outcomes address the needs of stakeholders.  

The ARC would like to acknowledge and thank all contributors for sharing their expertise throughout the review.  

The ERA EI Review Final Report and the ERA and EI Action Plan are available on the ARC website.

For more information about the review outcomes, please contact ERAEIReview@arc.gov.au or the ERA Helpdesk: 02 6287 6755.