On Monday Prof Brian Schmidt said he was “dismayed” that the education minister had interfered in the awarding of Australian Research Council grants before Christmas, and took aim at both major parties for backing the power to override independent recommendations. On Christmas Eve the acting minister, Stuart Robert, revealed that the government had nixed six grants for proposed research relating to climate activism and China, prompting a widespread backlash from academics. Academics condemn government’s ‘shortsighted’ decision to veto research grants
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