canberra

The Australian government has failed to give higher priority to funding research, despite heightened lobbying by scientists and reforms of policy advisory mechanisms — including moving the science portfolio into the cabinet.

Budget details released this week reveal that public funding for the category of ‘general research’ will remain virtually flat over the next three years at A$1,255 million (US$797 million) in 1998-99, falling to $1,247 million in 2001-02.

The third and final budget of the Coalition government delivers increases for medical research and marine science, and promises funding for a controversial new research reactor. But these have been offset by cuts elsewhere, in particular to the Australian Research Council, which provides support primarily for university research, and whose budget will fall from A$445 million in 1998-99 to A$390 million three years later.

Treasurer Peter Costello promised “wonderful opportunities” ahead as a result of the government's economic policies, which have moved the budget from deficit into surplus. But he gave no indication of any change of heart towards the funding of research as part of such prosperity, and his speech did not mention universities, science or technology.

Research gained one mention — an increase for medical research. Following intense lobbying by the biomedical research community, the National Health and Medical Research Council will receive A$194 million in the coming year. Although its funding will fall to A$179.5 million in 1999-2000, health minister Michael Wooldridge says this will be A$50 million more than last year's forward estimates.

In his first year fully responsible for science, John Moore, Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism, secured some modest increases. The START programme of grants through the Industrial Research and Development Board spent A$82 million in the financial year that is just finishing, A$49 million less than its budgetary allocation. But a spokesman for Moore says the government's commitment to spending $1 billion over four years on START will be “maintained”.

The Australian Institute of Marine Science, based in Townsville, Queensland, will benefit from an extra A$11.3 million over four years to replace one ageing research vessel, refurbish another and upgrade laboratory and other facilities. The institute's director, Russell Reichelt, greeted the funding as a “welcome boost to marine science”.

But universities have received no relief for the cuts made to operational funds during the past two years.