Sustainable Research Excellence (SRE) Fact Sheet 

KEY ISSUES

• From 2010, Sustainable Research Excellence will provide block grants on a calendar year basis to eligible Higher Education Providers (HEPs) to ensure that these institutions are better placed to meet the indirect cost of research activities that are not entirely met by the various competitive grant programs.
• SRE aims to:
• Address an identified shortfall in the funding available to meet the indirect costs associated with Australian competitive grant research
• Support universities to build and maintain research excellence through the implementation of best practice financial management, performance and reporting frameworks.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Legislation

Higher Education Support Act 2003

Purpose

SRE will augment the Research Infrastructure Block Grants Scheme (RIBG). $510.0 million has been committed by the Australian Government between 2009-10 and 2012-13 for this initiative.

This additional funding, when combined with existing RIBG funding, will ensure that HEPs are better placed to meet the cost of research activities that are not entirely met by the various competitive grants programs, either in terms of human capital or the ongoing costs associated with maintaining infrastructure and facilities. In addition, it will contribute to the sustainability of current research strategies within HEPs over the longer term.

Length of program and proposed annual budget over the program’s life

SRE is an ongoing program.

*Paid on a calendar year basis

SRE was announced in the 2009-10 Budget. The first 20 per cent of SRE funding will be available to all HEPs, with access to the remaining 80 per cent contingent on them participating in Transparent Costing (TC) and Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA). All HEPs have agreed to participate in TC and ERA in 2010. The Department is working with the sector, including through a newly established Higher Education Data Advisory Committee to support the implementation of the trial of TC method in the first half of 2010.

Eligibility and target audience

To be eligible for funding, HEPs must be listed in sections 16-15 and 16-20 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.