ACDS calls on government to take bold steps to reshape and strengthen the research development landscape

The ACDS has made a submission to the Government’s strategic examination of research and development (SERD) review, providing a unique national perspective on behalf of Australian University Science.

In its submission the ACDS calls on the government to take bold steps to reshape and strengthen the national research and development landscape.  The ACDS highlights that a sustainable innovation future requires coordinated policies to overcome barriers to R&D and address challenges to international collaborative research that have become more pronounced with recent geopolitical developments.

The ACDS submission emphasizes that university science research is an essential part of a more complex economy and drives productivity, sustainability, and jobs. Universities deliver breakthroughs, technologies, and talent, yet Australia’s R&D sector struggles with underinvestment, inadequate industry involvement, and fragmented policies.

Any reforms must recognise the critical importance of fostering greater diversity – in all its forms – in the pipeline of STEM professionals, uplifting the capability of First Nations researchers and embedding First Nations knowledges across the entire R&D spectrum.

The ACDS submission also urges the government to incentivise industry to engage with research partners from other sectors, increase the amount they invest in research, improve coordination, and enhance the translation of research into national impact, while recognising the enduring importance of supporting foundational research. By funding national research priorities – potentially as coordinated national research missions – reforming research infrastructure support, fostering PFRA-university-industry co-location, and encouraging industry engagement with university researchers and STEM graduates, our suggestions will ensure a robust, innovative, and inclusive research ecosystem that benefits all Australians.

Priority areas that arose through consultation with the ACDS member universities focused on the need to address the following broad areas:

• Re-imagine Research Infrastructure investment and access – Supporting business access to national research infrastructure, Publicly Funded Research Agencies (PFRAs), and university-hosted research facilities will stimulate greater business investment in research and enable stronger, more effective collaborations between industry and researchers.
• Fund and Prioritise National Research – Research missions aligned with Australia’s five National Science and Research Priorities are critical to driving innovation and addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. The ACDS advocates for the establishment and dedicated funding of at least five research missions—one for each priority. These missions should be coordinated across sectors and designed to incentivise and increase industry engagement, including investment, in research. Importantly, they must support the full research and development pipeline—from foundational research, which underpins future breakthroughs, to translational research that accelerates real-world innovation.
• Develop a Skilled R&D Workforce – Improving researcher mobility, expanding Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), industry placements and internships for EMCRs is required to ensure a strong STEM pipeline.
• Strengthen Industry-University Collaboration – Co-locating industry and national laboratories with universities as occurs in other advanced economies, simplifying IP agreements, and creating a ‘front door’ for industry engagement to facilitate and encourage business investment in R&D.