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Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA)
The ARC is responsible for administering Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), which aims to identify and promote excellence across the full spectrum of research activity in Australia’s higher education institutions.
ERA evaluates the quality of the research undertaken in Australian universities against national and international benchmarks. The ratings are determined and moderated by committees of distinguished researchers, drawn from Australia and overseas. The unit of evaluation is broadly defined as the Field of Research (FoR) within an institution based on the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification (ANZSRC).
The indicators used in ERA include a range of metrics such as citation profiles which are common to disciplines in the natural sciences, and peer review of a sample of research outputs which is more broadly common in the humanities and social sciences. ERA is a comprehensive collection. The data submitted by universities covers all eligible researchers and their research outputs. The precise set of indicators used has been developed in close consultation with the research community. This approach ensures that the indicators used are both appropriate and necessary, which minimises the resourcing burden of ERA for Government and universities and ensures that ERA results are both robust and broadly accepted.
The first full round of ERA occurred in 2010 and the results were published in early 2011. This was the first time a nationwide stocktake of discipline strengths and areas for development had ever been conducted in Australia. The second round of ERA was completed with the publication of the ERA 2012 National Report on 6 December 2012. The next ERA round is scheduled for 2015 and preparations are currently under way.
You will find more information about ERA by clicking on these links:
