The Australian federal government budget was announced tonight. There were very few surprises and excitements, particularly because many of the most important points have already been reported in a newspaper yesterday. I was however most interested in how medical research funding fared in the budget.
今晚澳洲聯邦政府公布財政預算案，其實箇中重點，昨日已有報紙詳細披露，我最關心的，倒是政府有沒有削減醫學研究開支。
Back in the end of March when the federal government was in the consultation phase for the budget, it was already rumoured that the government planned to cut A$400 million (US$430 million, 300 million euros, HK$3.4 billion) of medical research funding over 3 years. If it were to go ahead, it would be a severe blow since it would represent a nearly 20% decrease of the A$700 million available to medical research every year!
記得三月底政府開始蒐集預算案意見時已傳出政府要填補赤字，並考慮三年內削減醫學研究撥款4億澳元（約4.3億美元、3億歐元、34億港元），若落實的話，相對於每年7億澳元的經費，即是每年的研究經費會勁減差不多兩成！
Even without mentioning the benefit of medical research to the Australian economy and the society’s well-being, there are reasons why medical research funding deserves to be maintained. Research funding proposals typically have to be assessed in rounds by peers and other experts before formal approval by the health minister. It is arguably the most heavily scrutinised form of public funding, and there are further mechanisms to prevent wastage. The low funding success rate of 23% last year would also serve to remind researchers that their money is not easy to come by. The $400 million cut means a lot to the research community, but it is actually not terribly significant in the whole budget. Indeed the government does not need to think or work too hard to recuperate this amount from reducing other expenses and wastes, as shown in the various budget-saving measures that were eventually put forward in the budget. The government have probably thought that researchers were easy targets at the beginning!
且勿論醫學研究對澳洲社稷和經濟的貢獻，研究撥款經同儕和專家重重審批，最終還要得到衛生部長簽名批准，可算是各種政府撥款中最嚴格的，確保一分一毫都用得其所，事實上去年醫學研究撥款申請的成功率祇得23%，便可知研究經費得來不易。4億澳元對研究界是筆大數目，但對整個政府來說實在何足掛齒，祇要稍動腦筋，適度壓縮其他開支和減少浪費都不止此數，有大花筒不打反而針對老老實實的醫學研究界實在說不過去！
But we showed the government the contrary. My workplace in conjunction with other institutes set up a ‘Discoveries Needs Dollars. Protect Medical Research’ campaign, and organised rallies in Melbourne and other major cities around Australia to protest against funding cuts. The rally in Melbourne took place on 12th April in the square in front of the State Library of Victoria. The day started with heavy rain and strong winds, but thankfully we were spared during the rally with 2 hours of sunshine. It was a nice gesture by the heavens who would know that we went on the protest for a good purpose. It was a rare scene to see scientists marching from their workplaces to the rally and congregating in one place in a sea of white laboratory coats, but we indeed hope that the scene will never have to be repeated.
敝研究所上個月聯同其他研究所，在墨爾本和澳洲其他城市發動集會，呼籲政府手下留情。墨爾本的集會在4月12日於州立圖書館廣場舉行，當日早上還有狂風暴雨，但到中午集會時放晴兩小時，算是上天眷顧我們這些有心人了。一眾穿著實驗白袍的研究員，浩浩蕩蕩從工作場所走到集會地點，後還站滿整個廣場，這個景象難得一見——當然我們也希望以後不會重演。
Even the laboratory mouse has joined in!
連實驗白老鼠也加入行動！
Apart from the rally, many colleagues have written to the local members of parliament while prominent scientists have talked directly to the senior ministers. Our efforts are fortunately not wasted, as the budget has left medical funding alone although some other types of research funding has been trimmed back slightly. Our worst fear has not happened for now, but a new problem is looming ahead. There is funding uncertainty for the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne, a facility that specialises in producing various types of radiation for a multitude of research uses. The Victorian state government funded its construction itself and underwritten 5 years of its operational funding together with the federal government. The funding is due to expire in June 2012, but in the state budget announced last week (applicable from July 2011 to June 2012) there was no mention of how the operational funding of the Australian Synchrotron would continue after the current funding runs out. Researchers are quite rightly worried, as one year is not necessarily a long time when it is marred with political wrangling, dealing and lobbying. The fight for government funding for research is hardly over yet.
除了集會，不少同儕也去函自己選區的議員，各研究所高層亦積極向政府聯邦高層遊說，可幸功夫並無白費，財政預算案並無向醫學研究撥款開刀，惟有些其他的研究撥款就減了一點，我們的最壞打算並無降臨。一波剛平，科研界又要有新的煩惱，由維多利亞州政府斥資興建的同步輻射設施（Australian Synchrotron，專門製造適合不同研究的多種輻射射線），07年落成後州政府聯同聯邦政府為其撥出5年的營運經費直至明年6月，但州政府有上週公布的本州預算案對該設施的未來撥款隻字不提，令人擔心明年州政府不會繼續支持其營運經費。一年時間看似很長，但政治游說或談判往往持曠日久，醫學研究撥款的抗爭剛落幕，難道科研界又要準備另一場抗爭？
今晚澳洲聯邦政府公布財政預算案，其實箇中重點，昨日已有報紙詳細披露，我最關心的，倒是政府有沒有削減醫學研究開支。
Back in the end of March when the federal government was in the consultation phase for the budget, it was already rumoured that the government planned to cut A$400 million (US$430 million, 300 million euros, HK$3.4 billion) of medical research funding over 3 years. If it were to go ahead, it would be a severe blow since it would represent a nearly 20% decrease of the A$700 million available to medical research every year!
記得三月底政府開始蒐集預算案意見時已傳出政府要填補赤字，並考慮三年內削減醫學研究撥款4億澳元（約4.3億美元、3億歐元、34億港元），若落實的話，相對於每年7億澳元的經費，即是每年的研究經費會勁減差不多兩成！
Even without mentioning the benefit of medical research to the Australian economy and the society’s well-being, there are reasons why medical research funding deserves to be maintained. Research funding proposals typically have to be assessed in rounds by peers and other experts before formal approval by the health minister. It is arguably the most heavily scrutinised form of public funding, and there are further mechanisms to prevent wastage. The low funding success rate of 23% last year would also serve to remind researchers that their money is not easy to come by. The $400 million cut means a lot to the research community, but it is actually not terribly significant in the whole budget. Indeed the government does not need to think or work too hard to recuperate this amount from reducing other expenses and wastes, as shown in the various budget-saving measures that were eventually put forward in the budget. The government have probably thought that researchers were easy targets at the beginning!
且勿論醫學研究對澳洲社稷和經濟的貢獻，研究撥款經同儕和專家重重審批，最終還要得到衛生部長簽名批准，可算是各種政府撥款中最嚴格的，確保一分一毫都用得其所，事實上去年醫學研究撥款申請的成功率祇得23%，便可知研究經費得來不易。4億澳元對研究界是筆大數目，但對整個政府來說實在何足掛齒，祇要稍動腦筋，適度壓縮其他開支和減少浪費都不止此數，有大花筒不打反而針對老老實實的醫學研究界實在說不過去！
But we showed the government the contrary. My workplace in conjunction with other institutes set up a ‘Discoveries Needs Dollars. Protect Medical Research’ campaign, and organised rallies in Melbourne and other major cities around Australia to protest against funding cuts. The rally in Melbourne took place on 12th April in the square in front of the State Library of Victoria. The day started with heavy rain and strong winds, but thankfully we were spared during the rally with 2 hours of sunshine. It was a nice gesture by the heavens who would know that we went on the protest for a good purpose. It was a rare scene to see scientists marching from their workplaces to the rally and congregating in one place in a sea of white laboratory coats, but we indeed hope that the scene will never have to be repeated.
敝研究所上個月聯同其他研究所，在墨爾本和澳洲其他城市發動集會，呼籲政府手下留情。墨爾本的集會在4月12日於州立圖書館廣場舉行，當日早上還有狂風暴雨，但到中午集會時放晴兩小時，算是上天眷顧我們這些有心人了。一眾穿著實驗白袍的研究員，浩浩蕩蕩從工作場所走到集會地點，後還站滿整個廣場，這個景象難得一見——當然我們也希望以後不會重演。
Even the laboratory mouse has joined in!
連實驗白老鼠也加入行動！
Apart from the rally, many colleagues have written to the local members of parliament while prominent scientists have talked directly to the senior ministers. Our efforts are fortunately not wasted, as the budget has left medical funding alone although some other types of research funding has been trimmed back slightly. Our worst fear has not happened for now, but a new problem is looming ahead. There is funding uncertainty for the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne, a facility that specialises in producing various types of radiation for a multitude of research uses. The Victorian state government funded its construction itself and underwritten 5 years of its operational funding together with the federal government. The funding is due to expire in June 2012, but in the state budget announced last week (applicable from July 2011 to June 2012) there was no mention of how the operational funding of the Australian Synchrotron would continue after the current funding runs out. Researchers are quite rightly worried, as one year is not necessarily a long time when it is marred with political wrangling, dealing and lobbying. The fight for government funding for research is hardly over yet.
除了集會，不少同儕也去函自己選區的議員，各研究所高層亦積極向政府聯邦高層遊說，可幸功夫並無白費，財政預算案並無向醫學研究撥款開刀，惟有些其他的研究撥款就減了一點，我們的最壞打算並無降臨。一波剛平，科研界又要有新的煩惱，由維多利亞州政府斥資興建的同步輻射設施（Australian Synchrotron，專門製造適合不同研究的多種輻射射線），07年落成後州政府聯同聯邦政府為其撥出5年的營運經費直至明年6月，但州政府有上週公布的本州預算案對該設施的未來撥款隻字不提，令人擔心明年州政府不會繼續支持其營運經費。一年時間看似很長，但政治游說或談判往往持曠日久，醫學研究撥款的抗爭剛落幕，難道科研界又要準備另一場抗爭？
Comments
NSF is currently standing at 5% anad EPSRC is at 8% with a penalty imposed of researchers who have submitted 3 failed proposals in 2 years.
The weather seems good downunder man.
Another point I would like to ask is why medical research deserves more than other research that allows its budgets to stay the same? Ha!
In Australia, there is the National Health and Medical Research Council to look after medical research (much like NIH in the US or MRC in the UK) and the Australian Research Council (ARC) for everything else. I guess the competition for ARC funding is much more fierce.
Australia hasn't had much of a recession like the US and the UK, so that's partly why it can afford to maintain research funding.
It's not only the Australian government, but also many others, who is more willing to fund medical research as seen by funding bodies dedicated to it. I guess it's because its impact is more direct and its purpose can be better understood/appreciated by the public. That certainly helped our campaigning. Engineers can do an equally good job too, I'm sure. :)