Commonwealth of Australia
Higher Education Support Act 2003
OTHER GRANTS GUIDELINES 2006
Amendments to Guidelines made under section 238-10 of the
Higher Education Support Act 2003
I, Julia Gillard, Minister for Education, pursuant to section 238‑10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (‘the Act’), make the attached amendments to the Other Grants Guidelines 2006, which provide for matters under Part 2-3 of the Act.
Dated this 28 day of March 2008.
JULIA GILLARD
Minister for Education
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Higher Education Support Act 2003
Other Grants Guidelines 2006
Amendment No. 9
(i) CITATION
These guidelines may be cited as Amendment No. 9 to the Other Grants Guidelines 2006.
(ii) AUTHORITY
These guidelines are made under section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.
(iii) DATE OF EFFECT
These guidelines come into effect on the day after the day on which they are registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.
(iv) AMENDMENT
These Guidelines amend the Other Grants Guidelines 2006 registered on 22 November 2006 (see F2006L03785) and which commenced on 23 November 2006.
PURPOSE
· The purpose of these guidelines is to amend the Other Grants Guidelines 2006 registered on 22 November 2006.
· The Other Grants Guidelines 2006 are amended as follows:
Item 1
Amend “Chapter i Introduction”, by inserting the two following definitions in their respective alphabetical positions in the list at paragraph i.ii Interpretation:
AMC institute has the same meaning as in the Maritime Legislation Amendment Act 2007
ISP Indigenous Support Programme
Item 2
Amend “Chapter 4 Grants to Support National Institutes Specified in the Other Grants Guidelines for the Purposes of this Item” by replacing section 4.5.1 with the following:
4.5.1 The following national institutes are specified under item 4 of the table in subsection 41-10(1) of the Act (the Other Grants):
(a) The Australian National University;
(b) the AMC institute at the University of Tasmania; and
(c) Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.
Item 3
Amend “Chapter 1 Grants to Promote Equality of Opportunity in Higher Education” by replacing section 1.20.1 with the following:
1.20.1 To be eligible to receive Indigenous Support Programme grants in any one year, Table A providers must satisfy DEEWR that they meet all of the following criteria:
· the provider has implemented strategies for improving access, participation, retention and success of Indigenous Australian students;
· the provider has demonstrated increased participation of Indigenous people in the provider’s decision-making processes; and
· the provider has an Indigenous employment strategy.
Item 4
Amend “Chapter 1 Grants to Promote Equality of Opportunity in Higher Education” by replacing section 1.35.5 a) with the following:
(a) details of expenditure of ISP funds, including:
I. the proportion of ISP funding provided to the Indigenous Education Support Centre; and
II. the proportion of ISP funding provided to individual faculties within the university; and
III. the proportion of ISP funding allocated to staff salaries, on-costs and operating costs; and
Item 5
Amend “Chapter 1 Grants to Promote Equality of Opportunity in Higher Education” by replacing section 1.35.5 b) with the following:
(b) Providers must make a written request of the Department for carrying forward unspent ISP funds, specifying the project or programme to which the funds will be applied, and demonstrate consistency with the provisions in section 1.15 of these guidelines; and
Item 6
Amend “Chapter 1 Grants to Promote Equality of Opportunity in Higher Education” by inserting the following section 1.35.5 c) immediately after section 1.35.5b):
(c) details of all additional funding provided to the recipient to support the recipient’s Indigenous activities (for example, in kind support; financial support), including funding provided by the higher education provider and all additional funding provided by sources other than the higher education provider. This report must exclude funding received under any other DEEWR Indigenous specific funding programmes already reported on separately (for example the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme or the Away-From-Base Programme).
Item 7
Amend “Chapter 1 Grants to Promote Equality of Opportunity in Higher Education” by replacing section 1.35.10 with the following:
1.35.10 For the convenience of providers, the expenditure report provided under subparagraph 1.35.5, above, must be included in the Indigenous Education Statement in the format specified by DEEWR, lodged as part of the Institutional Assessment Framework information collection.
Item 8
After “Chapter 9 - Grants to Foster Collaboration and Reform in Higher Education” insert the following:
Chapter 9A – Grants to Support Diversity and Structural Reform
9.1 Purpose
9.1.1 The purpose of this chapter is to specify the Diversity and Structural Adjustment Fund [the "Diversity Fund”] as a program, beginning in 2008, from which grants to support diversity and structural reform in higher education may be paid, in accordance with subsection 41-15(1) of the Act, and to specify some of the matters listed in paragraphs 41-15(2)(a) to (f) of the Act.
9.5 Program Objective
9.5.1 The objective of the Diversity Fund is to promote structural reform by eligible higher education providers that supports greater specialisation among providers, more diversity in the higher education sector and better responsiveness to labour markets operating in the local or national interest.
9.10 Total Program Funds and Allocation
9.10.1 In this chapter, the total amount of funds available for allocation under the Diversity Fund in any particular year is referred to as the “Allocation”, calculated in accordance with paragraph 9.10.5.
9.10.5 The Allocation will be $49,991,000 in each of the calendar years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, plus:
(a) some or all of the Allocation for the immediately preceding year that was not used in that year, subject to the Act and any relevant approvals of the Minister and the Prime Minister; and
(b) indexation calculated in accordance with the method set out in Part 5-6 of the Act.
9.15 Allocation of Grants
9.15.1 In each year the Allocation will be available for:
(a) meeting existing funding commitments made under the Diversity Fund for the year;
(b) meeting existing funding commitments made under the Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund;
(c) grants in response to proposals invited by DEEWR; and
(d) grants in response to proposals outside the submission-based rounds referred to in subparagraph 9.15.1(c) that address specific priorities set by the Minister from time to time and identified at http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/dsa.
9.15.5 Grants will be made only in response to proposals that are consistent with the objectives of the program and address the programme’s priorities.
9.15.10 Grants may be made in respect of a project or in respect of a year.
9.15.15 Grants will be subject to the Minister’s approval (under section 41-20 of the Act), and the Minister’s determination in writing of:
(a) the amount of the grant (under paragraph 41-30(b) of the Act); and
(b) any conditions on which the grant is made (under subparagraph 41-25(b)(i) of the Act), in addition to the condition specified in subparagraph 41-25(b)(ii) of the Act.
9.20 Organisations that are eligible for grants under the Diversity Fund
9.20.1 Table A providers, and Table B providers that are universities.
9.20.2 The following bodies corporate are eligible only for the purposes of meeting existing commitments made to them under the Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund:
(i) The General Sir John Monash Foundation;
(ii) Australian Power Institute Ltd;
(iii) International Water Centre Pty Ltd; and
(iv) the Australian Association of Graduate Employers Ltd.
9.30 Application Process
9.30.1 Applications must be submitted on the application form for the Diversity Fund, available through DEEWR’s website at: www.dest.gov.au/highered/dsa.
