The Australian today is running a story claiming that Innovation Minister, Kim Carr favors a regime whereby recipients of grants will be required to make their research findings publicly available. This represents a revolution in the Australian research space and something that has been sorely needed for a long time.
In the address, to be given to the Open Access and Research Conference in Brisbane, Minister Carr will apparently announce:
“Australia may want to consider making its own competitive research grants conditional on recipients sharing their research results through open-access repositories.”
Not fait accompli by any means, but certainly a strong push and much different to the existing regime.
Minister Carr’s announcement echoes the findings of the Cutler Review of the National Innovation System, Venturous Australia – building strength in innovation, that states in Recommendation 7.6:
“Open access requirements are increasingly being introduced by research funding organisations and research institutions worldwide. To date progress in Australia has been patchy and lacking the comprehensiveness and boldness of leading countries such as the UK.”
I personally consider this to be an exciting and groundbreaking move and hope that Minister Carr and the Rudd Government carry through on the promise. It augurs well for the future of innovative research in this country as well as providing obvious cultural, social and knowledge benefits to the country at large.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Saw this – I think it’s great, and interesting that we’re, yet again (as with research, public money for connectivity…etc) behind other developed countries. Shame we can’t extend the same concept to education
It really does seem in all the conversations I’ve had, that open access and the ability of information to flow is critical for innovation.
Wow
Just the *idea* of this, coming from the minister, is going to make a difference. Current practice in Oz Cooperative Research Centres (e.g. the ACID CRC (no relation) that funds me a bit) is to patent everything that moves, and grants are made with the assumption that secrecy=patents=results. To say out loud that the real goal is *innovation* and that open access serves that goal will change how proposals for new and renewed CRCs will be written from this moment on.