2021-22 Pre-Budget Submission 

On 29 February 2021 the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia made a Pre-Budget submission calling for measures to:

  1. Establish an independent income support commission to set the rate for JobSeeker and other income support payments, before the Coronavirus Supplement is phased out.
  2. Extend essential financial support to Australian universities to ensure they can maintain world-class teaching, learning and research capacity until the international student market recovers, or there is time for other substantial adjustments to be made.
  3. Secure Australia’s future research capabilities with initiatives that support and retain early to mid-career researchers, while the pandemic response severely reduces university income.
  4. Partner with Australia’s Learned Academies to strengthen the Rapid Research Information Forum and ensure the sustainability of this model of independent expert advice to government into the future.
  5. Introduce revenue-contingent loans to help small businesses and households affected by COVID-19 and to incentivise start-ups and SMEs to collaborate with university researchers.
  6. Provide $250,000 over two years to support expansion and a national schools program for Social Sciences Week.