Before the election, the Coalition promised to RE-DIRECT $103 million of taxpayer funded research grants AWAY FROM studies into ‘humanities and social sciences’ INTO specific areas of research into; Diabetes, Dementia & Tropical Diseases.
Interestingly, Labor/Greens did NOT support this election commitment of the Coalition.
In a speech in Parliament in December some of the ‘projects’ previously funded by these grants - and suggested that it would be more beneficial for the nation if this taxpayer money was instead spent on medical research.
Following is a list of just a few of the projects that were prioritized under the Labor/Greens government - while research into Diabetes and Dementia went begging.
* $197,302 for a study titled, “Sending and responding to messages about climate change: the role of emotion and morality’.
* $578,792 for a study of “Credit instruments in Florentine economic, social and religious life from 1570 to 1790.”
*$314,000 for a study to determine “If Birds are shrinking because of Climate change”
* $85,000 for the study of “Renaissance garden statues”.
* $125,000 for a study titled, “What is the future of trade unions? How trade unions can contribute to an environmentally sustainable world?'”
* $185,000 to produce a “New autobiography of the Labor opposition leader HV Evatt considering how his life resonates with modern challenges in a time of global warming.”
* $65,000 for a study to “Examine who actually reads Thomas Keneally books.”
*$60,000 for a study of “Marxism and religion and the relationship between theology and political radicalism.”
* $180,000 for a study “Rethinking the history of Soviet Stalinism to provide a sophisticated understanding of the complexities of Stalin's Russia.” (perhaps Soviet Stalinism was really good if we ‘rethink it’ with a ‘sophisticated understanding’)
* $164,000 for a study of “Magical spells and rituals from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD to achieve success in personal relations.”
* $330,000 for a study to “Explore the music-cultural identity and related socioeconomic dilemmas of remote South Sea nomads vis-a-vis the Muslim Malays in the industrialising Riau Islands.”
And it perhaps shows the TRUE PRIORITIES of Labor and the Greens that they did NOT support the Coalition’s policy of re-prioritising money away from projects like the above into research into Diabetes, Dementia and Tropical Diseases.
Therefore, it’s fantastic to see that just prior to Xmas, the Coalition confirmed it was keeping its promise with;
* $28 million to be re-prioritized to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Clinical Research Network for research to help find a cure for type 1 juvenile diabetes.
* $75 million will be re-prioritized into dementia and tropical disease research.
As Minister Chris Pyne said;
"Diabetes and dementia in particular are among the biggest killers of Australians so we must continue to fight these looming public health challenges by bringing our brightest and best minds to bear ……… Medical research also has the power to significantly strengthen the economy and create thousands more jobs."
Hear, hear Minister !!
With Labor and the Greens NOT supporting the Coalition's election promise to re-prioritized research funding - thankfully for children suffering with the scourge of Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes - the Coalition won the election.
Discovery and Linkage grant money to be redirected to health projects
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/discovery-and-linkage-grant-money-to-be-redirected-...
THE Discovery and Linkage programs will have funding "redirected" as the government targets "ridiculous" research grants.
