Government ‘must not use funds to control postgrad research’

The federal government should not try to “micro-manage” research through its proposed reallocation, or capping, of funding support for postgraduate students, a group of seven Australian universities has said.

The Innovative Research Universities network says reallocation should focus on the overall numbers of university places that receive federal support and not “look to control” the types of courses that receive funding.

In a submission to the Department of Education and Training, the IRU says universities are best placed to determine which postgraduate research courses would benefit from federally funded student places.