Media Statement  

Research infrastructure is not an indirect cost of national research

The Academy for Collaborative Research Infrastructure (ACRI) has a mission to accelerate research excellence and societal impact through championing the contributions and supporting the development of the national research infrastructure workforce. To that end, ACRI looks to be the voice of the research infrastructure workforce with advocacy reflected in national policy and systems embedded changes, where reward and recognition of the contributions translate to equitable and clear career paths.  

ACRI unequivocally supports the Australian research community in seeking a national R&D ecosystem that recognises and provisions for the full cost of contemporary research. However, we are concerned about the lack of consistency and clarity in defining what constitutes indirect research costs. ACRI is especially concerned about characterisation of research infrastructure capabilities, aka research core facilities, being classified as indirect cost of research, as done by the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes in its 2024 report. We acknowledge that it is not AAMRI’s intention to dismiss the genuine intellectual contributions and the vital role of technologists, scientists and engineers who make up their respective research core facilities. However, positioning the core facility staff as an indirect cost alongside corporate functions and utilities further marginalises a workforce that has been struggling for recognition and meaningful career paths for more than two decades.

ACRI requests AAMRI to reconsider its characterisation of core facilities; underpinned by the essential technologists, scientists and engineers; as an indirect cost of research. Moreover, we ask the national funding agencies provide greater clarity and harmonise the definitions of direct and indirect research costs. Whether it is hardware or the talented people involved, ACRI asks research infrastructure to be duly recognised as a critical element of the research endeavour - an essential direct cost of research to create an effective Australian innovation ecosystem. We welcome the opportunity to work with AAMRI and other relevant national research agencies to reposition the role of research infrastructure as an invaluable ‘direct’ contributor to national research excellence and impact.