ERA highlights ATN as ‘Market Challengers’

The ATN has applauded the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2010 exercise for highlighting the success of our most research‐intensive universities, as well as drawing attention to how many of Australia’s younger universities are performing at or well above world class levels in a range of key discipline areas. ERA outcomes can give Australia confidence that there is a cohort of next-generation research intensive universities that will build and nurture capacity in the national research and innovation system.

Whilst the ERA exercise has been criticised for its retrospective view, the ATN considers that its snapshot of research occurring during an early phase in each of its members’ research trajectory signals the growing volume and quality of ATN research.

ATN Executive Director, Vicki Thomson said that the ERA initiative has illustrated the extent of excellent research taking place in Australia.

“We are very pleased with the way that ERA has illustrated the strong research performance of many of the younger universities across Australia,” Ms Thomson said. “Across the ATN, for example, despite all of our members being less than 30 years old, we have produced world class research in 137 research areas.

“Looking at the outcomes of the exercise, it would be more appropriate to consider institutional performance in bands of performance related to the number of 4 digit FORs in which performance was at or above world standard, rather than defaulting to ERA ‘ranking tables’.

“We have a strong group of well-established, research-intensive institutions performing above world-class level across a broad range of fields. Below that first band, there is clearly a strong second band of up and coming universities with equal intensity, albeit in fewer areas, that continue to expand their research scope. Indeed in their areas of strength these institutions may be the highest rated in Australia. These ‘Market Challengers’ are already demonstrating a significant potential to build the country’s world class research capabilities going forward, and includes ATN universities.”

Speaking at the 2011 ATN Symposium, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation) for UniSA, Professor Caroline McMillen, reinforced this view and commented that, “A key message that can be taken away from the ERA exercise is that many Australian universities are hitting well above their weight in relation to research performance when referenced to institutional age.”

“With the median age of Australian universities only 24 years, still in their growth trajectories, this is an encouraging sign for the future. Nobody expects these young universities to have the same breadth and depth of research as the old, established institutions. With the top-banded universities between 62 and 160 years old, they are clearly well past the developmental stage.”

Professor McMillen’s presentation particularly highlighted ATN universities as examples of strong research performance for age, performing above the curve in a number of measures, including ERA performance.

Professor McMillen’s presentation may be accessed here.

Professor Caroline McMillen, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation),
University of South Australia