[csaa-forum] CHASS newsletter December 2005

[Toss Gascoigne]

Dear csaa-forum

Here is the CHASS newsletter for December.  There are now 802 subscribers.

Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Newsletter 12.  December 2005


1.  PMSEIC REPORT RELEASED
'Imagine Australia', the report into Creativity in the Innovation Economy
was considered by the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation
Council on December 2, and made available this week.

The Working Group was chaired by Iain McCalman, the first person from the
humanities to be appointed to PMSEIC.

In summary, the recommendations are:

a.  Realise the competitive potential of the Australian nation by adopting
new innovation policies that recognise the central role of creativity and
the creative industries within a rapidly changing environment

b.  Realise Australia's full creative and innovation potential by
undertaking measures to promote broader cross-disciplinary and
cross-sectoral teaching and research.

c.  Introduce a Creative Innovation Fund to provide new competitive programs
and support initiatives for commercial innovation and collaboration between
HASS and SET sectors.

PMSEIC is chaired by the Prime Minister.  Members include nine Cabinet
Ministers; the Chief Scientist; 14 people appointed in an ex officio
capacity (mostly from science); and six people personal appointments.  Iain
is a personal appointment.

The full report is at:

http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/science_innovation/science_agencies_committee
s/prime_ministers_science_engineering_innovation_council/meetings/fourteenth
.htm


2.  OZCO's CREATIVE INNOVATION STRATEGY
The Australia Council is releasing a new strategy:  "supporting creativity
as one of Australia's most valuable assets, of increasingly strategic
importance to Australia's future as an innovative, progressive and
prosperous nation."

The four key components are:
 
1. Creative Schools: Promoting arts education in schools
2. Synapse Research: A Cross-Disciplinary Research Framework
3. Creative Leadership: Developing creative leaders and international
exchange 
4. Create + Accelerate: Support for creative enterprise and innovation"

The 8 page strategy will shortly be posted on the OzCo website.


3.  FROM THE UK: CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS
The Cox Review of Creativity in Business has been published.
"The success of the creative industries notwithstanding, there is evidence
that UK business is not realising the full potential of applying creativity
more widely. The Cox review was commissioned to look at how best to enhance
UK business productivity by drawing on our world-leading creative
capabilitiesŠ
"The review sets out the steps that the Government and the business,
broadcasting and education sectors should take to ensure that UK businesses
harness the world-class creative talents that the UK possesses."

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/cox_review/coxreview_index
.cfm


4.  "MEASURES OF QUALITY AND IMPACT" STUDY
CHASS recently launched its report into new ways of measuring and evaluating
research in the HASS sector, at Parliament House in Canberra.

A hard copy is about to be posted to all Members.  It is also available as a
pdf file from the CHASS web site: www.chass.org.au


5.  CROSS-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH: NEW PROJECT
The project to examine cross-disciplinary research and education has begun.
Consultants have been appointed, planning meetings held, and a reference
committee is being established.

In the New Year we will be asking all our Members for case studies, examples
the consultants can analyse to find out what makes a successful
collaboration and why sometimes they fail.

The final product will be a report setting out a 'best-practice' manual for
collaborative activities, and a list of recommendations for changes in
industry, government and research organizations.


6.  ARC GRANTS #1
CHASS has written to the Minister about the ARC grants for 2005.  We
congratulated the Government over the significant increase in the size and
success rate of the grants, and the increase in the total amount available
for distribution. 

We also asked him to clarify media reports that he had vetoed 'more than a
handful of proposals the ARC had recommended for funding'.

We asked: "Is the Financial Review report accurate?  Were recommended
proposals vetoed in your office, and, if so, how many?  Are you able to give
some guidance on the grounds for rejection?"

No response has been received to date.


7.  ARC GRANTS #2
Peter Hoj, head of the ARC, has suggested that humanities researchers should
communicate their ideas to the public more effectively if they want public
money for their projects.

Reading between the lines, his message is a plea for researchers to write
their proposals in clear language and to include an explanation of its value
- or risk Ministerial intervention.

As a CHASS Board member remarked this time last year:

"Memo to humanities researchers:  read Don Watson before submitting ARC
grant proposals.  Seriously, rather than just rail against [unfair media],
we could reflect on the arcane, pretentious, indeed pajero-like language we
fail to communicate with in the sector, which lays us open to not entirely
unmerited ridicule."

(Peter Hoj said that Discovery grants in the creative arts and humanities
had risen from 14.5% in 2002, to 17.8% in 2006.  Linkage grants had risen
from 7.2% to 11.9% over the same period.)


8.  NATIONAL RESEARCH PRIORITIES
CHASS wrote to the Minister recently to request a review of the NRPs: 'Our
sector feels excluded from priority research areas, partly because they do
not mention key issues of importance for HASS (eg Asia), and partly because
the wording of the priorities is seen as sciencentric in nature.'

The Minister's response indicates that a review of the priorities will begin
in 2006, a little earlier than was expected.  CHASS welcomes any moves to
rectify this distortion in the planning of national research.

(And a view expressed in Government circles is that the HASS sector has yet
to take full advantage of opportunities existing within current NRPs.  These
circles suggest a more positive approach.)


9.  AND SEASONS GREETINGS TO ALL!
This year has been momentous for all in the HASS sector, and the pace will
not slow in 2006. Thanks to all our Members and supporters, and have a good
holiday break.

The CHASS office will be closed from Wednesday 21 December to Tuesday 3
January.


Regards

Linda Rosenman
Vice-President, CHASS

(Malcolm Gillies is on leave)

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Toss Gascoigne
Executive Director
Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS)
28 Balmain Cres, ANU, ACT

Postal address
PO Box 8157, ANU, ACT AUSTRALIA 2601

Ph: 02 6249 1995 OR 02 6230 7179
0408 704 442
Fax: 02 6247 4335
Email: director at chass.org.au
Web:  www.chass.org.au
ABN:  75 017 337 844
*********