The process for determining Research Training Scheme (RTS) grant amounts2016 Allocations
1.
Purpose
1.1
This document sets out the process by which the Department of Education and Training
(Education) determines grant amounts for eligible higher education providers (HEPs)
under the Research Training Scheme (RTS).
1.2
The RTS is a scheme under which grants can be paid for the purpose of supporting the
training of higher degree by research (HDR) students. The process for determining RTS
grant amounts is set out in paragraph 2 of this document.
1.3
The guidelines for the RTS are contained in Chapter 2 of the Other Grant Guidelines
(Research) 2012 and can be downloaded from the Federal Register of Legislative
Instruments at:
www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2012L02010
2.
Process for determining RTS grant amounts
2.1
Education determines each HEPs RTS grant amount using two steps. The first step is the
calculation of a pre-safety net grant amount using the formula at paragraph 2.2. For the
determination of pre-safety net grants a performance index is calculated for all HEPs as
explained at paragraph 2.3.
The second step is the application of a safety net to minimise adverse impacts. The
application of the safety net is described at paragraph 2.4.
2.2
For the grant year, the pre-safety net grant is determined by:
(a)
A = each HEPs grant amount from three years prior indexed to the grant year
prices
(b)
B = each HEPs grant amount from two years prior indexed to the grant year
prices
(c)
C = each HEPs grant amount from one year prior indexed to the grant year prices
(d)
D = Total RTS Pool for the grant year x 0.25
(e)
Each HEPs pre-safety net grant is determined by:
(A x 0.25) + (B – (0.75 x A)) + (C – (B – (0.75 x A)) – (0.5 x A)) + (D x HEPs specific
performance index)
2.3
Completions, research income and publications data make up the RTS performance index
where:
(a)
(b)
(c)
HDR student completions are weighted at 50 per cent;
Research income is weighted at 40 per cent; and
Research publications are weighted at 10 per cent.
Completions data includes international and domestic Commonwealth funded students
and international and domestic fee-paying students, who have completed a HDR and is
collected through the Higher Education Student Data Collection and weighted by course
level and field of study:
(a) Low cost: high cost completions are weighted at 1:2.35
(b) Doctorate degrees by research: Master degrees by research are weighted 2:1.
For a list of high cost fields of study see Appendix 1.
Research income and research publications are described in, and collected through, the
Higher Education Research Data Collection (HERDC).
Research income is collected in four categories under the HERDC:
(a) Category 1: Australian competitive grants income;
(b) Category 2: Other public sector research income;
(c) Category 3: Industry and other research income;
(d) Category 4: Cooperative Research Centres research income, and is unweighted.
Publications are collected in four categories under the HERDC:
(a) Books;
(b) Book chapters;
(c) Journal articles;
(d) Conference papers,
with books weighted by a factor of 5 and the other three categories weighted by a factor
of 1.
Data for all components of the RTS performance index are averaged over the most recent
two years for which data is available.
Where one or more HEPs are unable to provide or confirm data in the time available to
calculate grant amounts, Education may determine interim grant amounts and then
revised (final) grant amounts when Education has satisfactory datasets.
2.4
To minimise adverse impacts on HEPs, a safety net is applied to ensure that no HEPs
RTS grant will fall below 95 per cent of its previous year’s RTS grant amount indexed to
current prices.
The pre-safety net grant amount is used to determine whether a HEP has lost or gained
funds from their previous year’s indexed RTS grant. All gains are placed in a pool from
which funds are drawn to provide a safety net for HEPs that have realised a loss greater
than 5 per cent from their previous year’s RTS grant. The funds remaining in the pool are
then returned to HEPs that gained, based on their percentage contribution to the pool.
APPENDIX 1: HIGH-COST FIELDS OF STUDY FOR THE RTS
Pre-2001 HDR completions
Field of Study Code
010101-010499
030215
060101-060399
070201
070405
070408
070501
070502
090301-090399
090501-090599
100101
Field of Study Title
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry
Psychology
Engineering, Surveying
Dentistry
Medical Technology
Pharmacy
Medical Science
Medicine
Life, General Sciences
Physical Sciences
Veterinary Science
2001 onwards HDR completions and student load
ASCED Code
010300-010303
010500-010599
010700-010799
010900-010999
019900-019999
030101
030300-030399
030501
030701
030703
030900-030999
031100-031199
031300
031301
031303
031305
031307
031501
031503
031701
039901
039903
050000-059999
060100-060199
060501
060701
061101
069903
090701
ASCED Title
Physics and Astronomy
Chemical Sciences
Earth Sciences
Biological Sciences
Other Natural and Physical Sciences
Manufacturing Engineering
Process and Resources Engineering
Automotive Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Civil Engineering
Geomatic Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Technology
Electrical Engineering
Electronic Engineering
Computer Engineering
Communications Technologies
Aerospace Engineering
Aircraft Maintenance Engineering
Maritime Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies
Medical Studies
Pharmacy
Dentistry
Veterinary Studies
Human Movement
Psychology