Significant rises in research income and research publications for Charles Sturt University (CSU) are being hailed as extremely important wins for the 14 year old institution and its research expertise.

According to the latest figures from the NSW Auditor-General, research income into the University rose by 44.2 per cent last year to $5 845 375 and the number of research publications increased 37.4 per cent from 278 to 382.

“The significant increase in the University’s total research income and publications for 2002 will enable CSU to further its commitment to generating leading edge research in key areas of regional and international importance,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter. 

“The increased emphasis CSU has placed on developing a research culture over the past few years is really paying off,” added Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Paul Burnett. 

The main growth in research income came from the Federal Government through the Australian Competitive Research Grants, which almost doubled, rising from $1 909 675 in 2001 to $3 529 740 in 2002. 

Some of the larger competitive grants which CSU secured included more than $800 000 from Horticulture Australia Ltd and more than half a million dollars from the Grains Research and Development Corporation for grains research. 

Also up by 23.8 per cent on the previous year to $837 106 was funding to CSU for the University’s involvement in Co-operative Research Centres (CRC), including CRC for Sustainable Rice Production, Viticulture, Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity. 

The three areas where Charles Sturt University has focussed its research efforts are in wine science and viticulture, in applied philosophy and ethics and in rural landscapes and water management, particularly relating to the Murray Darling Basin.

Staff are encouraged to undertake projects through a research support scheme where every successful external research grant attracts $4 000 from CSU to support teaching release for the researcher.

Staff are also rewarded for their research publications by receiving funding support to spend on research-related activities. 

Partnerships between CSU and external agencies such as CSIRO and NSW Agriculture and affiliated research institutions like the Centre for Application of Molecular Biology to International Agriculture (CAMBIA) have also pushed up the research income for 2002.

The Department of Education Science and Training (DEST) uses the figures as a way of measuring the University’s performance in research. CSU can expect to be rewarded by DEST in 2004 through an increase in funds based on performance such as the Institutional Grant Scheme and the Research Training Scheme. 

“The rise in research income and publications at CSU is a terrific result, which is a credit to staff. The importance and value of a research culture and intellectual activity at the University, advancing knowledge for the good of humanity, must not be forgotten in the focus on research income and research publications,” said Professor Burnett.