EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Guidelines issued under section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003
Other Grants Guidelines
Issued by the authority of the Minister for Education, Science and Training
Subject:- Higher Education Support Act 2003
Amendment No. 4 to the Other Grants Guidelines
Authority
Section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (the Act) provides that the Minister may make guidelines providing for matters required or permitted by the Act necessary or convenient to be provided in order to carry out or give effect to the Act. In particular section 238-10 specifies the Minister may make Other Grants Guidelines to give effect to matters set out in Part 2-3 of the Act.
Section 41-15 of the Act provides that the Other Grants Guidelines may specify one or more programmes under which grants for particular purposes specified in the table in subsection 41-10(1) are to be paid.
Purpose and operation
The first Other Grants Guidelines commenced on 13 August 2004. Amendment No. 1 was made on 6 and 8 December 2004 (gazetted on 9 December 2004). Amendment No. 2 was made on 21 December (gazetted on 22 December 2004). Amendment No. 3 was made on 3 September 2005 (registered on 23 September 2005). The Guidelines are comprised of eleven chapters which set out the programme requirements for grants specified in subsection 41-10(1) of the Act. As the programmes are required by the higher education sector at different dates, the corresponding components of the Guidelines are at varying stages of preparation. The Guidelines currently consist of ten chapters, specifically Chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11(a) and 11(b).
The purpose of the Guidelines in this instance is to revoke Chapters 7 and 8 of the Guidelines and replace them with a new version. The remaining chapters, Chapters 2 and 11(c) will be added at a later date.
References to the Regional Protection Fund have been removed from Chapter 7. The Regional Protection Fund, now to be known as the Regional Protection Scheme (RPS), is described in Chapter 8.
Chapter 7 – Grants to support research by, and the research capability of, Higher Education Providers (HEPs)
Item 7 of the table in subsection 41-10(1) of the Act specifies that Table A providers and Table B providers are eligible for grants to support research by, and the research capability of, HEPs.
The purpose of Chapter 7 is to specify:
(a) In accordance with subsection 41-15(1) of the Act:
(i) the Research Infrastructure Block Grants (RIBG) Scheme; and
(ii) the Institutional Grants Scheme (IGS)
as programmes under which grants can be paid for the purpose of supporting HEPs’ research and research training activities; and
(b) under subsection 41-15(2) of the Act, some other matters relevant to RIBG and IGS.
The RIBG Scheme provides block grants, on a calendar year basis, to eligible HEPs to enhance the development and maintenance of research infrastructure.
The IGS provides block grants, on a calendar year basis, to eligible HEPs to support research and research training activities.
Chapter 7 sets out the RIBG Scheme and IGS programme descriptions and objectives.
The processes by which grant amounts are determined for the RIBG Scheme and the IGS have been removed from Chapter 7. Grant amounts will be determined in writing by the Minister, or his delegate, under paragraph 41-30(b) of the Act. This has been done to provide for the possibility of determining interim, and then final, grant amounts, to ensure that funds continue to flow to HEPs should one or more HEPs be unable to provide or confirm data in the time available to calculate grant amounts. The processes for determining RIBG Scheme and IGS grant amounts have not changed. They are set out in The Process for Determining Research Infrastructure Block Grants (RIBG) Scheme and Institutional Grants Scheme (IGS) Grant Amounts which may be found at: http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/research_sector/programmes_funding/general_funding/rbgrants/.
The Department uses this document to calculate grant amounts before submitting them to the Minister or his delegate for determination of grant amounts under paragraph 41-30(b) of the Act.
Conditions on RIBG Scheme and IGS grants have been removed from the Guidelines and will be determined in writing by the Minister, or his delegate, under subparagraph 41-25(b)(i) of the Act. This has been done so that conditions can be varied from year to year without needing to revoke and remake the Guidelines.
Chapter 8 – Grants to support the training of research students
Item 8 of the table in subsection 41-10(1) of the Act specifies that Table A providers and Table B providers are eligible for grants to support the training of research students.
The purpose of Chapter 8 is to specify:
(a) In accordance with subsection 41-15(1) of the Act:
(i) the Research Training Scheme (RTS) as a programme under which grants can be paid for the purpose of supporting the training of higher degree by research (HDR) students; and
(ii) the RPS as a programme under which grants can be paid for the purpose of protecting designated regional HEPs from losses of income against their combined indexed 2001 RTS and IGS grants (which are described in Chapter 7 of the Guidelines); and
(b) under subsection 41-15(2) of the Act, some other matters relevant to the RTS and the RPS.
The processes by which grant amounts are determined for the RTS and the RPS have been removed from Chapter 8. Grant amounts will be determined in writing by the Minister, or his delegate, under paragraph 41-30(b) of the Act. This has been done to provide for the possibility of determining interim, and then final, grant amounts, to ensure that funds continue to flow to HEPs should one or more HEPs be unable to provide or confirm data in the time available to calculate grant amounts. The processes for determining RTS and RPS grant amounts have each had one change. The provision for designated small HEPs to bid for additional RTS funds has been removed. Additional funds provided to designated small HEPs in 2005 will be rolled into their 2006 RTS bases. For the RPS, a minimum grant threshold of $1000 has been set. Where the process for determining RPS grant amounts produces a result less than $1000, no payment will be made and amounts less than $1000 will be distributed to other eligible HEPs who incurred larger losses. The processes for determining grant amounts are set out in The Process for Determining Research Training Scheme(RTS) and Regional Protection Scheme (RPS) Grant Amounts which may be found at: http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/research_sector/programmes_funding/general_funding/rbgrants/.
The Department uses this document to calculate grant amounts before submitting them to the Minister or his delegate for determination of grant amounts under paragraph 41-30(b) of the Act.
Conditions on RTS and RPS grants have been removed from the Guidelines and will be determined in writing by the Minister, or his delegate, under subparagraph 41-25(b)(i) of the Act. This has been done so that conditions can be varied from year to year without needing to revoke and remake the Guidelines.
The RTS programme description has been expanded to make clear that coursework components of HDRs cannot exceed one third of the degree.
The RPS was previously known as the Regional Protection Fund.
Commencement
The Guidelines shall take effect the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.
Consultation
Table A and Table B HEPs, the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, the Group of Eight, the Australian Technology Network and the Innovative Research Universities were consulted.