Australian Research Council grant success for Professor Sandra Milligan and team
Professor Sandra Milligan and a team of University of Melbourne academics and honorary researchers have been awarded a prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects grant to redesign university admissions in Australia.
The project aims to develop a new national model for selecting school leavers into tertiary courses, one that better reflects individual learners’ strengths and capabilities, and especially supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Building on the innovative work of Melbourne Metrics and the team’s research into learner profiling and alternative assessment models, the project brings together school and tertiary sector partners to design a validated, inclusive approach to student selection.
Professor Milligan received $880,522 in ARC Linkage funding for the project, which is expected to improve alignment between student capabilities and course requirements, helping university selectors gain a richer understanding of applicants, and students gain confidence in their capacity to thrive.
The project brings together a wide network of partners, including the Department for Education, Children and Young People; Big Picture Education Australia; the Universities Admissions Centre (NSW & ACT); the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre; the SACE Board of South Australia; the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre; Education Services Australia; and Koshland Education Innovation.
In addition to Professor Milligan, the research team includes Dr Toshiko Kamei, Professor James Tognolini, Ms Virginia Steele, Ms Rebecca Miller, Ms Nerida Bewick, Ms Vivienne White, Ms Teresa Tjia, Professor Pasi Sahlberg, Ms Ellen Koshland, and Mr Matt Deeble.
"This project is ambitious," said Professor Milligan "When it has done its work, any school leaver who applies for entry into a Uni or TAFE will not be represented just by a number or a rank They will be able to match their particular strengths to where they will succeed best. And tertiary education selectors will have the information they need to better understand the young person and make sure they can succeed."