Assessing the Wider Benefits Arising from University-Based Research

This submission responds to the Australian Government discussion paper on assessing the wider social, economic and environmental benefits arising from university-based research, which proposed a pilot assessment combining quantitative research engagement metrics with research benefit case studies. Research Australia supports the aim of measuring research benefit but notes that the field is immature and the methods untested, and therefore backs a small-scale, conservative pilot treated as an experiment. It maintains that, despite the Government’s stated intention of adding no reporting burden, preparing case studies will inevitably impose costs on universities, citing the RAND Europe evaluation of the 2012 Excellence in Innovation for Australia trial, which estimated five to ten days or $5,000 to $10,000 per case study. It points out that the proposed metrics, such as collaborations, patents and licensing income, only infer benefit from research engagement rather than measure it. Its key recommendations are that the Department acknowledge and offset or fund the burden on universities; that case studies, including some showing little or no benefit, be designed to validate the quantitative metrics; that only existing data be used in the pilot; that expert advice guide the joint design of qualitative and quantitative elements; and that a full evaluation determine whether the exercise should proceed at all before any expansion or use in funding decisions.