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This study examined the costs of supporting Australian university students from different socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds and whether there are economies of scale. The mixed-methods research in 2018 and 2019 found that substantially higher costs applied for supporting students from low SES backgrounds. These were explained by the costs inherent in: increasing aspiration and capital prior to university; academic, personal and financial support provided while studying; establishing, maintaining and appropriately staffing multiple university campuses, particularly in highly disadvantaged areas; and supporting highly complex student needs. It was found that there are significant economies of scale where there are between 517 and 2584 fulltime undergraduate students from low SES backgrounds at a university. It follows that the average cost of supporting these students can be reduced if enrolment numbers are within this range, subject to caveats around the costs identified. Potential policy implications include: a redistribution of funding based on need; shifting emphasis from activity-based to mission-directed costing; applying the principles of 'cost compensation'; and conceptualising funding support for students from low SES backgrounds as a transformational investment that can improve outcomes for individuals, communities and society, rather than as a cost.

Skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are promoted by the Australian government as pivotal for Australia's economic prosperity. Research on equity groups suggests that group membership is associated with several factors linked to 'leakage' from the STEM pipeline of school, university and transition to work. In this paper we draw on longitudinal Australian data to understand what factors influence the participation of equity group students in university STEM courses, and to explore how the STEM pathways of those groups differ from those of non-equity students. We identified several important factors which influence participation at two critical points of the STEM pipeline; transition from school into university, and transition from university into the STEM workforce. Our results indicated that higher levels of mathematics self-concept and instrumental valuing of mathematics in early adolescence predict continuation in the STEM pathway for all students and particularly those from low socioeconomic status backgrounds.

This paper presents findings from a research project which aimed to rank Australian higher education institutions on their 'equity performance'; that is, the extent to which they were accessible for, supportive of and benefiting students traditionally under-represented in higher education. The study comprised a conceptual consideration of how higher education equity might be defined and empirically measured, drawing on extant scholarly research as well as observations from key stakeholders, including equity practitioners, researchers, policymakers and higher education executives and institutional planners. Based on these findings, a theoretical framework for higher education equity performance was constructed, and performance indicators identified and subjected to systematic assessment for real-world application. The ensuing ranking system was populated with institutional data from the 37 public universities in Australia. The findings from this analysis indicate that a ranking system may not be the optimal method for assessing higher education equity performance and highlights the subjective nature of both higher education equity and higher education ranking systems.

Membrane-disrupting and pore-forming peptides (PFPs) play a substantial role in bionanotechnology and can determine the life and death of cells. The control of chemical and ion transport through cell membranes is essential to maintaining concentration gradients. Likewise, the delivery of drugs and intracellular proteins aided by pore-forming agents is of interest in treating malfunctioning cells. Known PFPs tend to be up to 50 residues in length, which is commensurate with the thickness of a lipid bilayer. Accordingly, few short PFPs are known. Here we show that the discovery of PFPs can be accelerated via an active machine learning approach. The approach identified 71 potential PFPs from the 25.6 billion octapeptide sequence space; 13 sequences were tested experimentally, and all were found to have the predicted membrane-disrupting ability, with 1 forming highly stable pores. Experimental verification of the predicted pore-forming ability demonstrated that a range of short peptides can form pores in membranes, while the positioning and characteristics of residues that favour pore-forming behaviour were identified. This approach identified more ultrashort (8-residues, unmodified, non-cyclic) PFPs than previously known. We anticipate our findings and methodology will be useful in discovering new pore-forming and membrane-disrupting peptides for a range of applications from nanoreactors to therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dams alter the flow of water thereby affecting water quality and macroinvertebrate communities. While much research has been done on the effects of large dams, the ubiquity of low-head dams in some regions means that their impacts on aquatic communities should also be examined. An understanding of the spatial extent of upstream and downstream effects on macroinvertebrate communities will allow a further accounting of the cumulative influence of dams on waterways. The alteration of macroinvertebrate communities upstream and downstream of low-head dams was studied to test for a change in the community composition and for the distance at which communities were affected. There were differences between upstream and downstream communities; specifically of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera. Downstream communities continued to differ from those upstream of the impoundment beyond the 51 m examined in this study. Keywords: aquatic, low-head dam, distance, spatial, water quality, macroinvertebrate community alteration, INTRODUCTION Small dams can alter communities of aquatic macroinvertebrates in streams (Tiemann et al. 2004; Santucci et al. 2005; Thomson et al. 2005; Ren et al 2014). Knowing the distance [...]

The university attendance habits of Australians, in a geographic sense, are different from those in the United States, the United Kingdom and many other western countries. Australian university students are less likely to move between major cities to study. This paper finds that in addition to this, within a large metropolitan area, university campuses attract a substantial share of the university-attending population who completed their schooling nearby. Essentially, Australian university students like to "keep it local". The findings discussed here also illustrate that the location of academically accessible university campuses in outer suburban areas can help to improve opportunities for university entrance. This paper highlights the need for universities to develop networks with schools in their local areas in order to ensure that course provision is tailored to the needs of local communities and also to educate local students about the opportunities that a university education can provide. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)

The "Review of Higher Education in Australia" (the Bradley Review) has recommended a massive expansion in the level of domestic training in Australian universities. This article examines the Report's rationale for rejecting the previous orthodoxy that there is no need for such expansion and, to the extent that there is, it would be better focussed on the vocational sector. It examines the scale of the enrolment expansion envisaged and critically examines the Review's policy recommendations to achieve this increase. It concludes that there will have to be a major expansion in university campus construction in the outer suburban regions of all Australian metropolises. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

This article describes a simple exercise using a free, easy-to-use, established online program. The exercise helps to reinforce protein purification concepts and introduces undergraduates to pH as a parameter that affects anion-exchange chromatography. The exercise was tested with biochemistry majors at California State University-Chico. Given the versatility of the program, this work is also a model for instructors that wish to develop their own exercise to help teach other protein purification techniques.

Curriculum delivery in higher education is changing rapidly, notably in the area of online delivery. Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Australia is no exception to this, and this article explores this growth with a particular focus on its implications for workforce planning for teachers. In this planning in Australia, ITE students are usually considered part of the 'supply pipeline' for the state in which their university is located. However, with online delivery, students could potentially be enrolled on the other side of the country (or the world) from the physical location of their institution. The data presented here show that of the growing cohort of external ITE graduates, a small but significant group resides outside of the state in which their institution of enrolment is located. This exploration of data highlights some new evidence which has consequences for teacher supply planning and offers insight to inform future teacher workforce projections.

Over the past 30 years, mixed methods research has become an increasingly popular tool in the social sciences. Mixed methods research can capture a diverse range of perspectives and levels of complexities not always possible with the use of a single methodological approach. It has been effectively implemented in a range of contexts to explore program outcomes and investigate research questions. This paper explores the application of a mixed methods approach in the evaluation of large-scale, long running international development scholarship programs. The particular focus is on a project implemented to consolidate evidence relating to the long-term outcomes of alumni who completed higher education in Australia as part of an Australian development scholarship. In reflecting on five years of implementation, the paper describes the benefits, complexities and challenges of this approach, with the aim of informing others embarking on large-scale, long-term program evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian higher education is currently entering a new phase of growth. Within the remit of this expansion is an express commitment to widen participation in higher education among under-represented groups--in particular those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This paper argues that one key mechanism for achieving this goal should be the re-evaluation of university selection processes. The paper explores outcomes of an aptitude test pilot study, focusing on issues of access and equity in selection to university. The results show that, in general, those who gain access to university on the basis of results in the aptitude test have different characteristics than are found in the general university population--in particular, they are more likely to come from a low socioeconomic background. The outcomes of the pilot are important in demonstrating how equity in access to higher education can be improved through the use of supplementary selection metrics. (Contains 3 tables and 9 figures.)

This paper explores how admissions tests are used in different higher education systems around the world. This is a relatively new area of research, despite the fact that admissions processes are a key component of university practices and given the ever increasing globalisation of higher education. This paper shows that aptitude and achievement tests, for example, are used in many developed countries. In some of them, a specific test is nationally instituted and generalised; consequently, the function of the test is well embedded in the education landscape of the country. Elsewhere, tests exist but are administered in an ad hoc fashion with little consistency across the sector. This paper provides an important reference tool for national systems and individual institutions interested in examining their position within the realm of international practice in the utilisation of admissions testing for university selection.

An exploratory study of 473 academics in a metropolitan university investigated the attitudes of academic supervisors towards training for university teaching for doctoral students. The study investigated academic supervisors' levels of awareness and knowledge of teacher training opportunities, the relative importance of teaching--both lecturing and tutoring--compared with research in the academic selection process, and the academics' own entry into and attitudes about PhD students teaching during their candidature. Results indicate that academic supervisors are more aware of short courses and workshops than in-depth teaching certificates and diplomas. In terms of the relative value of aspects of academic work as selection criteria for new academics, the findings show that research output was considered the most important selection criteria above teaching experience or teaching qualifications and counter-intuitively, tutoring was reported as slightly more important than lecturing. Implications for university recruiters, university leaders and academic supervisors are discussed. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)

The development of a strong and vibrant knowledge economy is linked directly to successful learning outcomes among university graduates. Building evidence-based insights on graduate outcomes plays a particularly important role in shaping planning and practice. To this end, this paper analyses some key findings from the Graduate Pathways Survey, the first national study in Australia of bachelor degree graduates' outcomes five years after course completion. It focuses on the outcomes of graduates from disadvantaged groups, people of particular significance in an expanding and increasingly important higher education system. After advancing the rational for this analysis, the paper sketches the overall research approach. The paper continues with an analysis of education and employment outcomes for the target groups, and concludes by summarising implications for building further research insights. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)

The development of a strong and vibrant knowledge-based economy is linked in direct ways with successful graduate outcomes. Building evidence-based insights on such outcomes plays an important role in shaping planning and practice. With this broad objective in mind, this article analyses findings from the Graduate Pathways Survey, the first national study in Australia of bachelor degree graduate outcomes five years after course completion. It begins by discussing key rationales and research contexts to position the study internationally and in terms of research on graduate careers, quality assurance and planning. Focus is then turned to highlighting findings from the study, which involved a census of graduates from all Australian universities. It looks at graduates' perceptions of their degree and of its relevance to their work, their pathways into study and work and their salaries and satisfaction with their jobs. The article concludes by discussing the contribution of the findings for understanding graduates' work and development, and for enhancing higher education quality and planning. (Contains 1 note.)

Australia, like the rest of the developed world, is in the midst of dealing with notable issues related to the age structure of its academic workforce. These issues are widespread and have been articulated in the Australian context most comprehensively by Hugo (2008). This paper investigates issues with demographic change and other key factors related to the desirability of a science or mathematics academic career within Australian universities. It draws on the findings of a research project undertaken in 2008 for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The findings show that while demographic issues are not as dire for science academics compared to the entire sector, issues relating to tenure, workload and retaining young science academics in Australia are a threat to the long-term sustainability of science faculties in Australian universities.

As the developed world becomes more reliant on knowledge as a vital part of economic growth and development, the importance of highly skilled workers who can create, disseminate and use new knowledge becomes integral. Within Australia, recent policies relating to higher education and research have prompted new thinking about the extent to which the research training in Australia is able to facilitate growth, given the economy's current reliance on natural resources is unsustainable (Cutler, 2008). This paper draws on work undertaken for the Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research specified to examine issues relating to the research workforce. It focuses on estimating the extent of workforce demand for the PhD in Australia between now and 2020. The research presented here is intended to stimulate further thought and research about these issues and the extent to which policy can be created to facilitate the sustainable growth of Australia's knowledge economy. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)