Australian research will be powerfully boosted, and researchers strongly supported by the appointment of the inaugural Board of the Australian Research Council (ARC), announced today by Minister for Education, Jason Clare MP.
The establishment of this Board is a great outcome, and one Science & Technology Australia strongly advocated for as part of the Review of the ARC Act 2001.
The new and highly experienced Board includes Professor Peter Shergold AC as Chair, and Professor Susan Dodds as Deputy Chair, with other Board members drawn from across the research sector: Mark Stickells AM, Distinguished Professor Maggie Walter, Professor Cindy Shannon AM, Professor Paul Wellings CBE, Emeritus Professor Margaret Harding, and Sally-Ann Williams.
The Board was created on the recommendation of the independent review of the Australian Research Council Act. That review – led by Professor Margaret Shiel, Professor Susan Dodds and former STA President Professor Mark Hutchinson – recommended 10 changes to the ARC’s governance and independent decision-making processes.
The Board will be responsible for determining priorities, strategies and policies for the ARC and advising the Education Minister, and approving research grants for many ARC funding schemes.
STA CEO Ryan Winn praised the make-up of the new ARC Board and said its creation was a victory for the nation’s researchers.
“This is a highly experienced board of some of the nation’s stellar research leaders, collectively drawing experience across government, academia, research and research infrastructure,” he said.
“We are delighted to see such a wealth of talent represented, including many board members with deep and broad expertise of the STEM sector.”
“The new Board have a big job ahead of them in determining and implementing priorities for the ARC, and we look forward to working with them to help them swiftly progress through an important period of crucial modernisation of the organisation.”
“The creation of the Board and the function it will perform means clarity and certainty in research grant funding decisions.”
“That means greater confidence for the sector and that decisions on research funding are being made by those with significant experience in and understanding of research grant applications.”
“We congratulate the new Board members on their appointment, and thank Minister for Education Jason Clare MP for implementing the recommendations of the Review of the ARC Act.”
