Wells Advisory Report on The Evaluation of ARC support for Indigenous researchers and Indigenous research
The Australian Research Council (ARC) commissioned Wells Advisory to conduct an evaluation of its support for Indigenous research and Indigenous researchers. The ARC has released its response today to the recommendations of the report.
Mr Michael Wells, Director and Founder of Wells Advisory, said “This important review demonstrates the ARC’s significant commitment to Indigenous research and Indigenous researchers over an extended period. The recommendations seek to build on this track record.”
On the basis of quantitative data analysis and qualitative interviews of Indigenous researchers, we made three major findings.
- Relative to the size of the Indigenous academic workforce and the population parity targets, the level of Australian Research Council (ARC) support for Indigenous researchers and research has, in the past five years, been strong and growing.
- Indigenous researchers have appreciated the level of ARC support but have indicated, as the quantitative data analysis also suggests, that redirecting some of that support towards Indigenous higher degree by research students and postdoctoral and early-career researchers would be highly desirable in order to broaden the entry base for ARC-funded Indigenous researchers.
- That a range of small technical and larger structural reforms should be considered by the ARC to substantially enhance its investment in this area.