Australian universities report ‘squibs a once-in-a-generation chance’ on research, science leader says

Australian universities are destined to be ‘out-muscled’ in the global race for jobs and industries without more research funding, Misha Schubert has said. Photograph: Daniel Pockett/AAP

A key government report on the university and higher education sector has “disastrously missed an historic moment” to ramp up investment in research, and consigns Australia to be “out-muscled” in the global race for new jobs and industries, the country’s peak science and technology body says.

Misha Schubert, the chief executive of Science and Technology Australia, said the Australian Universities Accord interim report’s failure to include research funding as one of its priorities was an “epic fail”.