8111.0 - Research and Experimental Development, Higher Education Organisations, Australia, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/05/2004   
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MEDIA RELEASE

May 03, 2004
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
65/2004

Australia's higher education R&D continues to increase - ABS

Higher Education Expenditure on Research and Development (HERD) increased by 23% over the previous two years to 2002, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. An estimated $3,430 million (m) was spent in 2002.

Higher Education Expenditure on Research and Development has steadily increased since 1994 with an average annual rate of growth over this period of 8% in current price terms and 5% in volume terms (i.e. with the effect of changes in prices and wages and salaries removed).

As a percentage of Gross Domestic Product, HERD has increased in current dollar terms from 0.42% in 2000 to 0.45% in 2002.

The proportion of Research & Development (R&D) expenditure directed towards pure basic research and strategic basic research has decreased since 2000 (down from 30% to 28% and 24% to 23% respectively), while applied research has increased from 38% to 41%.

The major fields of research were:
    • medical and health sciences ($864m)
    • biological sciences ($410m)
    • engineering and technology ($375m)
    • agricultural, veterinary and environmental sciences ($235m).

The states with the highest level of R&D expenditure were New South Wales with $992m and Victoria with $863m, accounting for 29% and 25% of total R&D expenditure respectively. Queensland followed with $574m (17%), then the Australian Capital Territory $351m (10%), Western Australia $296m (9)%, South Australia $258m (8%) and then Tasmania $68m (2%) and Northern Territory $27m (1%).

Further information is in Research and Experimental Development, Higher Education Organisations, Australia, 2002 (cat. no. 8111.0).