RIRDC wants knock-on effects from grant funding

A report by one of Australia’s biggest rural research funders has questioned the criteria used to assess the economic worth of grants, awards and scholarships that claim to invest in “capacity building”.

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation says that in many cases these investments benefit individuals by creating better career prospects and a network of policy, research and business contacts.

But they often do not support farm industries or rural communities by creating “a ripple effect” of beneficial changes beyond the funding recipient, the report says.