The Australian Government's Innovation Report

Improving research quality and accessibility
Research Quality Framework
The Research Quality Framework (RQF) initiative was first announced by the Prime Minister in May 2004 as part
of Backing Australia’s Ability – Building our Future through Science and Innovation.
The Australian Government is committed to developing and introducing a RQF to measure, by expert peer review,
the quality and impact of research in universities.
The aim of the RQF is to develop the basis for an improved assessment of the quality and impact of publicly
funded research. It will be transparent to government and taxpayers so that they are better informed about the
results of the public investment in research and ensure that all publicly funded research agencies and research
providers are encouraged to focus on the quality and relevance of their research.
In 2005-06, the Research Quality Assessment Framework team provided high-level secretariat and administrative
support to the RQF Expert Advisory Group including the establishment of, and administration for, four technical
working groups in the areas of eligibility and quality criteria, assessment panels, research impact, and RQF
funding issues.
Support was also provided to the Expert Advisory Group on the release of Research Quality Framework – the
preferred model and Research Quality Framework – fi nal advice.
The team has provided high-level secretariat and administrative support to the RQF Development Advisory
Group (announced 28 March 2006) which held four meetings between June and September 2006, and to the
four technical working groups (Quality Metrics, Research Impact, Information Technology, and Exploratory
Modelling) established by the Development Advisory Group.
In December 2006 the Minister for Education, Science and Training announced financial support for the
implementation of the first cycle of the Research Quality Framework which will be provided over three years,
commencing in 2007-08, and includes:
• $16.4 million – Implementation Assistance Programme – to assist universities in meeting the costs of
implementing the new requirements for data gathering; and
• $25.5 million – Australian Scheme for Higher Education Repositories programme – to assist with the
establishment of university digital data storage systems that will allow research outputs to be submitted
for RQF assessment. This programme builds on the Australian Government’s $35 million investment
in the research and development of data repository technology, funded as part of Backing Australia’s
Ability, and will support the Research Accessibility Framework.
An additional $3 million in Australian Government funding was also secured for 2006-07 for continued
development of the RQF.
More information about the RQF can be found at: www.dest.gov.au/research/rqf
54 Backing Australia’s Ability