What impact will the research quality framework have on knowledge production and diffusion in Australia's new generation universities?

Abstract

The current research funding model for Australian universities is based on performance (Kemp 1999). In 2005, the Commonwealth government proposed a new model based on research quality ranking, to increase the accountability and accessibility of publicly funded research. The proposed Research Quality Framework will, for the first time, take into consideration the impact as well as the quantity and quality of research. Many academics and smaller universities are concerned that they might be disadvantaged. This paper looks at how the new model is likely to impact knowledge production and transfer in Australia’s New Generation Universities, especially with regards to business research.