Public consultation opens for Engagement and Impact Assessment

2 May 2016

Public consultation opens for Engagement and Impact Assessment

Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council (ARC), Professor Aidan Byrne, has today released the Engagement and Impact Assessment Consultation Paper.

In December 2015, as part of its National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA), the Australian Government announced the development of a national engagement and impact assessment.

The assessment will examine how universities are translating their research into economic, social and other benefits and incentivise greater collaboration between universities, industry and other end-users of research.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) is working with the Department of Education and Training to develop and implement the assessment. The assessment will run as a companion to Australia’s national evaluation of university research quality—Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), with a pilot exercise in 2017 and first full exercise in 2018.

Professor Byrne said the consultation is designed to seek the views of stakeholders on the framework for developing the national assessment.

“The paper we have released today provides an overview of the Government’s policy rationale, parameters, and key issues regarding university research engagement and impact.

“We are keen to receive feedback from all stakeholders, including the higher education research sector, industry and other end-users or beneficiaries of university research.

“The ARC is also undertaking targeted consultation with key stakeholders.”

The engagement and impact assessment will include all 42 universities and all research disciplines, ensuring that it does not advantage one discipline over another. The assessment seeks to minimise the data collection burden on participating institutions and will make use of the existing ARC systems to the greatest possible extent.

Responses to the Consultation Paper are to be provided via email (ARC-EI_consultation@arc.gov.au) by 24 June 2016.

For more information about the Engagement and Impact Assessment please visit the NISA measures page on the ARC website.
 
Media contact:
ARC Stakeholder Relations
0412 623 056 or communications@arc.gov.au