my-server
← Wiki

Research Quality Framework

Research Quality Framework (RQF) was a component of Backing Australia's Ability, an initiative of the Australian Government to formulate a best practice framework for assessing research quality and the impact of research, and ensure that public funding was being invested in research which would deliver real benefits to the wider community. RQF was to bring public funding of research in line with government policy for funding to be determined by outcomes achieved.

It was an assessment framework and a funding model, similar to the Research Assessment Exercise in the United Kingdom and the Performance Based Research Fund in New Zealand.

On 21 December 2007, the new Australian Government announced that it would not be proceeding with the RQF project, which was an initiative of the former Government, and began developing the Excellence in Research for Australia initiative.

Assessment framework

Focuses on quality and impact.

The quality of research includes its intrinsic merit and academic impact – that is recognition of the originality of research by peers and its impact on the development of the same or related disciple areas.

The broader impact is an assessment of value through use, i.e. the extent to which research is successfully applied – that is recognition by qualified end-users that quality research has been successfully applied.

Ratings

  • Simple ratings scale
  • Quality : 5 points
  • Impact : 3 points
  • Sensitive to discipline differences
  • Informs funding at institutional level, with institutions distributing funds according to their own priorities
  • The implementation will be assessing the five-year period prior to its commencement, e.g. 2001–2006.

Assessors

  • Decided on the recommendation of the EAG

Oversight Committee

  • Chairs of assessment panels and other significant Australian and international experts
  • Sets eligibility, assessment and assessor guidelines as well as guidelines relating to early career research and other emerging areas of research priority
  • Approves moderation (across panels) and validation (or measures) mechanisms

Funding model

Will replace the RTS block funding model, and will be at least 50% of the determinations of funding. Nelson says : all of the Institutional Grants Scheme (IGS) and at least 50% of the Research Training Scheme (RTS).

Committees

Expert Advisory Group

UK's Professor Sir Gareth Roberts was appointed as the Chair of the Expert Advisory Group, having been commissioned in June 2002 to review the future of research assessment in the UK.

Members

The list of members was announced 21 December 2004 as:

Development Advisory Group

Minister Julie Bishop received the Research Quality Framework: Assessing the quality and impact of research in Australia – Final Advice on the Preferred RQF Model paper from Sir Gareth Roberts, approved its release, and announced the establishment of the RQF Development Advisory Group (RQFDAG), to be chaired by Australia's chief scientist, Dr Jim Peacock AC. https://web.archive.org/web/20070203094246/http://www.dest.gov.au/Ministers/Media/Bishop/2006/03/B001280306.asphttps://web.archive.org/web/20060917201118/http://www.avcc.edu.au/content.asp?page=%2Fnews%2Fmedia_releases%2F2006%2Favcc_media_06_06.htm

Members

The following members of the Expert Advisory Group continued on to the DAG:

  • Dr Michael Barber
  • Phil Clark
  • Dr Ian O Smith

The other DAG members are:

Timeline

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

References