Policy Submissions

April 13, 2026

Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse JRG and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill – IRU Response, April 2026

The Innovative Research Universities (IRU) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on this Bill and the important issue of reforming the Job-Ready Graduates (JRG) policy package. We agree that there is an urgent need to reduce the most expensive student fees for higher education, end $50,000 Arts degrees and reverse the negative impacts of the JRG. However this Bill does not provide for comprehensive JRG reform and would make current problems worse.

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January 19, 2026

IRU Submission on the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025

The Innovative Research Universities (IRU) strongly supports the reforms from the Universities Accord designed to achieve a more balanced and innovative higher education system with increased student participation and equity to meet Australia’s future needs.

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March 16, 2026

IRU response to proposed changes to the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021

The Innovative Research Universities (IRU) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on proposed changes to the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021. The Threshold Standards play a critical role in maintaining the high quality of Australia’s higher education system and providing the basis for regulation and registration by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).

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October 13, 2025

SERD Issues Paper 5: IRU response

The Innovative Research Universities (IRU) welcomes the opportunity to offer feedback on the Strategic Examination of Research and Development (SERD) Issues Paper 5. Foundational research: Creating knowledge. The IRU strongly supports the intention of Issues Paper 5, as contained in its title – creating knowledge – and outlined in the opening statement

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October 3, 2025

SERD Issues Papers 1-4: IRU response

The IRU welcomes the opportunity to offer feedback on the first four Strategic Examination of Research and Development (SERD) issues papers. The IRU submission to the SERD recommended a systematic approach to R&D through a national coordination agency. Therefore, we focus our feedback on the National Coordination for RD&I Impactpaper and the proposed approach outlined by the SERD panel.

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UNIVERSITIES FOR STUDENTS, COMMUNITIES, AND THE FUTURE

We are nine universities building the higher education system that students, communities and Australia will need by 2050.

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