Research Training Scheme

Changes to Australian government HDR funding policy from 2004

In December 2004 the Australian Government announced a change to its RTS funding procedures. The controversial 'separations pool' which distorted institutional funding allocations has been abolished. From 2005 onwards the total amount of RTS funding will be broken up into four equal amounts of 25%.

Each year one of the 25% amounts will be withdrawn by the government to be reallocated to institutions in accordance with their relative performance in the three RTS formula components: completions, research income and publications. The new reallocation of that quarter of the fund will then apply for the next four years. Hence over a four year cycle, each quarter of the total funding is reallocated by the RTS formula. This will mean that at the end of the transition period, each university will be funded close to its RTS performance index by the fourth year.

Additionally, a 5% funding floor has replaced the earlier 5% capping. This means that no institution's RTS grant will fall below 95% of its previous year’s RTS grant indexed to current prices.