Research news this week in The Conversation reported that

"The University of Melbourne and Australian National University will perform a "stocktake" of all scientific research projects at the two institutions from the electronic era in an effort to map their social and commercial returns"

A feasibility study will commence in 2013 examining research funding within the two universities and how it relates to publication numbers, influences policy and patents. Professor Paul Jensen, who will be overseeing the project, hopes that this initial study will help the science community to be able to quantify their returns on investment in science.