Australian Scheme for Higher Education Repositories (ASHER) Fact Sheet 

KEY POINTS

• The Australian Scheme for Higher Education Repositories (ASHER) assists with establishing university digital data storage systems.
• The Australian Government is providing $25.5 million through ASHER over three calendar years (2007-09) to assist eligible higher education providers (HEPs) with the establishment of digital repositories.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Relevant Legislation - Higher Education Support Act 2003

Funding for ASHER was provided to assist eligible HEPs to develop their data systems to prepare for the Research Quality Framework (RQF) which has been replaced by the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative.

The Australian Government is providing $25.5 million through ASHER over three calendar years to assist eligible HEPs to establish and maintain digital repositories.  This will allow institutions to place their research outputs, including journal articles and less traditional outputs such as digitised artworks or x-ray crystallography images in an accessible digital store for a variety of purposes, including assessment of research.  It will also allow HEPs to make their research outputs more widely available to other researchers, business and the community.

The scheme builds on previous Government investment for research and development of data repository technology, the management of user authentication and access, and related copyright issues to improve the discoverability and accessibility of publicly funded research.

ASHER is yet another way that the Australian Government continues to show its commitment to making publicly funded research more readily available.

Length of Program and Proposed Annual Budget

ASHER will provide grants over three calendar years (2007-09) to eligible HEPs.

These amounts are to be indexed from time to time in accordance with the method set out in Part 5-6 of the Act.

Funding is allocated to each of the 41 eligible institutions according to the formula set out in the Administrative Information.

ASHER funding terminates at the end of the 2009 calendar year.

Eligibility

Table A providers are eligible under item 10 of the table in subsection 41-10(1) of the Act, for grants to support the development of systemic infrastructure used by HEPs.

In accordance with item 10 of the table in subsection 41-10(1) of the Act, the following bodies corporate are eligible for grants to support the development of systemic infrastructure used by HEPs:

(a) Bond University
(b) The University of Notre Dame Australia
(c)  Melbourne College of Divinity