KEY ISSUES
- The Sustainable Research Excellence (SRE) provides block grants on a calendar year basis to eligible Higher Education Providers (HEPs) to ensure that there is a suitable environment in the university sector to conduct innovative research and to train the research essential to a globally competitive Australian innovation system.
- The specific objectives of the SRE are to:
- o enhance the development and maintenance of research infrastructure in HEPs for the support of world class innovative research;
- o enhance support for indirect costs associated with Australian competitive grants;
- o increase transparency and accountability for research funding; and
- o ensure that areas of recognised research potential, in which HEPs have taken steps to initiate high quality research activity, have access to support necessary for development.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Legislation
Higher Education Support Act 2003
Purpose
The objectives of the SRE are to:
- enhance the development and maintenance of research infrastructure in HEPs for the support of world class innovative research;
- enhance support for indirect costs associate with Australian competitive grants;
- increase transparency and accountability for research funding;
- ensure that areas of recognised research potential, in which HEPs have taken steps to initiate high quality research activity, have access to support necessary for development.
Length of program and proposed annual budget over the program’s life
SRE is an ongoing program.
|
Estimated Actual
2008 – 2009*
-
|
Estimate
2009-2010*
$’000
30,000 |
Estimate
2010-2011*
$’000
120,000 |
Estimate
2011-2012*
$’000
160,000 |
*Paid on a calendar year basis
The SRE is a new initiative released in the 2009-10 Budget. All universities will receive a formula-based allocation, using 20 per cent of the additional funding. Access to the remaining 80 per cent of the additional funding will be contingent on universities undertaking activity based or transparent costing as well as meeting specified performance targets.
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.