The Application of Architectural Research to Practice, 1972

SESSION EIGHT Organisation and Finance: Chairman Ross King.

The chairman introduced the discussion by referring to the absence in Australia of any research units similar to those in the United Kingdom. There is a "research" University called the Australian National University. It has a large staff of 600 to 700 and a good budget. The staff have no teaching responsibilities but the University has a reputation of being unproductive.

An example of another type of research unit is the Applied Economic Unit at Melbourne University. In architecture in the whole of the last year only 12,000 dollars was given for research. At Sydney the Fell Research Unit was established through the generosity of a benefactor.

There is a lesson to be learned from the example of the Australian National University that security of tenure of research workers does not necessarily promote productivity. Results can (Mr. Thunhurst) often be stimulated by being insecure.

In the United Kingdom although there are many organisations sponsoring research, architectural research often falls between the responsibilities of individual organisations. For example, a recent application was made to 25 separate research bodies, none of which would accept they had responsibility for supporting the application. There is a need for a central register of the functions and terms of responsibility of all grant giving research organisations.

(Professor Robertson) There are advantages in having a multiplicity of research grant resources. In Australia there is only one central fund source and in times of economic pressure this tends to be cut back.

(Mr. King) The major research bodies are structured on out-dated notions. Present day activities do not relate to the structure of these research bodies. The SRC have tried recently to put more money into architecture from civil engineering. Most applications for support the SRC receive usually ask for inadequate funds. In making awards the Council is influenced by the experience of research workers. This tends to hinder new organisations from breaking into the field. Before money is awarded for research it is necessary to prove you can do it. In many cases you need (Professor Hardy) to do the research before you can be awarded the money.

Each committee of SRC has a budget for its annual awards. The committee can decide how they allocate their funds within their field. Applications are based on the subject and not on a formal University department structure. The secretariat keeps the committee informed on the distri(Professor Hardy) bution of their expenditure in relation to subject.

The medical profession have a better organised research structure. The MRC sponsors units attached to University departments. The Centre for Environmental Studies was established to support planning research. Instead of distributing funds to existing research organisations they chose to establish their own research organisation, which in the Social Sciences is now one (Professor Johnson-Marshall) of the largest in the United Kingdom.

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