Funding research should be made easy and with no strings attached

Abstract

<p>To remain relevant, a society must do everything to make available transformative practice in the educational landscape. Following the Pragmatic theories of truth that are usually associated either with C.S. Pierce proposal that true beliefs will be accepted as 'at the end of inquiry' or with William James' proposal that truth be defined in terms of utility. More broadly, however, pragmatic theories truth focus on the connection between truth and epistemic practices. Across the board research should be funded in all sectors within the educational spectrum. This refers to the areas of early childhood, the lower primary school, the middle school, the upper secondary school, the tertiary sector including the university and the VET sector. Different demographics have different requirements. Such needs should be investigated and actioned upon. This paper makes a case for considerations that involve social, political and economic imbalances that inhibit funding for important transformative educational programs. Specifically, we look at the national funding body known as the Australian Research Council (ARC) and pay attention to the rejection rates in the last ten years.</p> <p>To appreciate how funding takes place within the ARC this paper looks at the funding models used by the Spencer Foundation in the United States of America and the Ian Potter Foundation in Australia. A close look at the data related to funding guidelines and factors related to who makes the final decision about what project gets funded. We look at documented appeals for change in the funding decision-making processes. We make recommendations on the best way forward. This research has the potential to increase transparency in grant decision-making processes within the Australian Research Council. This may lead to carefully managed and transparent decisions. The research has the potential to lead to carefully managed and nuanced grant decision-making outcomes.</p>