Allocate 70% of ARC funding to basic research, scientists urge

Science and Technology Australia wants a 70:30 split between Discovery and Linkage grant programmes

The Australian government should allocate at least 70 per cent of Australian Research Council grant funding to basic research, Science and Technology Australia has said.

In its submission to a Senate inquiry, STA, which represents more than 100,000 scientists and technologists, said that the ARC’s grants programme should be set by law at 70 per cent for the Discovery programme, which supports basic research.