‘Quality not quantity’ sought in NHMRC grant rules shake-up

Australia’s health research funder will assess top 10 papers from applicants, not entire publication history

Applicants to Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council grants are to be asked for a selected ‘top 10 papers’ instead of their entire publication history, in a shift to a ‘quality not quantity’ approach.

Anne Kelso, head of the NHMRC, said there was a clear desire in the academic community for this shift. “This change in policy aims to make assessments fairer and to reflect the NHMRC’s focus on research quality,” she said in a statement announcing the change on 12 January.