Australia

Abstract

This discussion of the Australian research enterprise starts with a general overview of its structure and function. We then describe and analyze the national policy framework in which Australian academic research takes place. As can be seen, Australia has had its fair share of reviews and government policy initiatives. This section also discusses the issues as the research-industry interface, higher degree research education, compliance with ethical policies governing all research on either humans or animals, and other regulatory and quality assurance matters. We find that market discipline and the principles of concentration and selectivity have significantly shaped the Australian academic enterprise in recent decades. However, this by no means implies that burdensome bureaucratic regulation has disappeared from Australian higher education. Before providing concluding comments, we analyze in the penultimate section of the chapter some of the consequences of the various policies shaping academic research in Australian and suggest what may be major reform issues for the future.