Will the impact framework fix the problems the research audit found

Abstract

The results from the latest university research audit indicate that research in Australia is improving. This suggests that the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) exercise is working: ERA has achieved its main aim of boosting the quality of Australian research. However, this headline statement masks a plethora of concerns. Under the government’s latest reform of research funding, academics will be assessed not only on their quality of research through the ERA, but also on the economic, social and environmental impacts of their research through a new impact framework The impact and engagement measures herald a new era that rewards researchers for collaborating beyond their institutions. It is timely, then, to reassess ERA’s utility. Is it fit for purpose? Will these two assessment systems complement or contradict one another?