Federal education ministers will be unable to veto research grants for reasons outside national security under a landmark change announced by Education minister Jason Clare on Tuesday.
Mr Clare announced the new approach as a part of a governance overhaul at the Australian Research Council (ARC), which will now be overseen by an independent board that will have final say on around $800 million of annual competitive research grants.
It follows several Coalition government education ministers intervening to stop grants that had been recommended for funding by the agency through a rigorous peer review process.
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