Early career newSletters
Life outside academia: exploring alternative careers in science
Feature Article: Call that a career?
Alternative careers resources
Interview: A career at Questacon
2011 Theo Murphy (Australia) High Flyers Think Tank
Early career researchers at the Science Exchange in Adelaide
The transition from postdoctoral to independent researcher
News bulletin
Follow the Academy on Twitter
Life outside academia: exploring alternative careers in science
It is generally expected that PhD graduates will pursue a career in academia, following in the footsteps of their supervisors and mentors. The reality is that achieving success in an academic career is intensely competitive and there will simply not be enough senior research positions in academia for the current number of PhD graduates in Australia. There are about 2000 science PhDs awarded each year in Australia, most of them in pure or applied science. Even if many of these people go to industry, teaching or abroad, there are still many qualified applicants for every academic post.
Those who do land academic positions often do not stay in them; a recent report from the University of Melbourne revealed that 40% of university academics under the age of 30 plan to leave academia within the next five to ten years typically due to dissatisfaction with their job security, workload or income.
So what alternative occupations are available to graduates with a PhD in science or ECRs seeking a career change?
The good news, according to a 2010 report, is that employer demand for researchers is high and is anticipated to grow by 50% by 2020.
Many PhD graduates attain non-academic research positions within government or industry. Employers report that PhD graduates are highly technically competent and have the skills necessary to be productive. However, researchers most frequently need to improve their "soft skills" such as communication, teamwork and organisation. There are also many career possibilities outside research for those with PhDs, including science journalism and communication, writing and editing, policy or intelligence analysis, consulting, intellectual property or entrepreneurship. See below for more information and ideas.
Since completing his PhD in palaeontology, Dr Paul Willis, Director of the Royal Institution of Australia, has followed an unusual career path. He shares his experiences below.
Feature Article
Call that a career?
Dr Paul Willis
Director, Royal Institution of Australia
http://riaus.org.au/
I regularly get requests to talk about my career, but I must confess that there has been little "planning" to my "career". All the useful advice I can impart from my experiences can be boiled down to a single statement: "Follow your interests and everything else will fall into place."
My passion for palaeontology started when I found my first fossil at the age of six. I followed that passion by doing an undergraduate degree majoring in geology and zoology, then a PhD in vertebrate palaeontology on Australia's extinct crocodiles. If you had asked me where it was leading, I had a vague notion of getting a position in a museum or university to allow me to continue digging up wonders from the past and introducing them to the modern world. However, at that time I was too entranced by what I was doing to give much thought to what the future might hold.
It came as a bit of a shock at the conclusion of my PhD that no one wanted to employ someone simply because they know a lot about dead crocodiles. After some freelance years writing books, articles for magazines and school programs, I was lucky enough to land a traineeship at the ABC for Science Broadcasters in TV, radio and online. That led to a 14 year career as a science reporter, mostly on the TV science program Catalyst. It meant learning a whole new skill set of story-telling and communicating ideas in various media and it was a fabulous opportunity to travel Australia and the world to meet interesting scientists and tell their stories.
When I signed on at the ABC I had a clear idea that I would move up the ranks as a reporter and work on longer format stories, and eventually on documentaries. But by the late 2000s that career path no longer existed within the ABC. I'd gone about as far as I could go without going into a managerial role. Then along came the Directorship of the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus).
RiAus is a relatively new organisation and it's all about getting stories of science out into the Australian population. As Director I have been given a free hand to chase that goal in whatever creative ways I like. It's a logical extension to my passion, acquired during my ABC years, for telling science stories to the world.
As a six year old kid sitting on a beach in the south of England looking at my first fossil, did I think that I'd follow an erratic career path that lead to where I am today? Of course not! I've simply followed my passions and had a ball of a time doing interesting things. What more could you ask of a career?
Alternative careers resources
What do Australian postgraduates do? Graduate Careers Australian publishes an annual report on the destinations of Australian citizens who have completed a Masters or PhD in Australia.
Globally, many countries are developing strategies to attract and retain highly skilled employees, particularly those with qualifications in science and technology. The OECD explains more in its report.
Vitae UK provides a database documenting the diverse career experiences of PhD graduates
This blog post collates a number of articles on alternative career paths for PhD graduates
Interview: A career at Questacon
Tegan Dolstra
PhD student
Research School of Biology, Australian National University
Tegan spoke to Dr Stuart Kohlhagen, Research and Development Manager at Questacon.
How did you come to be working for Questacon?
At 16 I started volunteering on the project that would later become Questacon. During my undergraduate degree I'd cycle over in my spare afternoons to fix an exhibit or do a slime show. In term breaks we'd tour with the Science Circus to Dubbo or Wagga.
I finished my PhD [researching drug resistance in sheep parasites] on a Friday and started as Questacon's Exhibit Designer on the following Monday. I've been here for 30 years and I'm not planning on going anywhere.
What drew you to science communication over academia?
It was never completely clear-cut one way or the other. For me, science communication and research were running in parallel all through high school and uni. Finishing my PhD was the crunch point and one of the main reasons I accepted the job at Questacon was tenure - not having to move overseas to do a postdoc.
I like change, challenge and exploring new topics, and you can certainly do that through research, but [science communication] really suited my broad interest in all aspects of science.
How has your time as a PhD student influenced your current job?
I think it is critically important [as a science communicator] to have a deep understanding of the process of science rather than how it might be caricatured. If you've actually done it, you understand – in a very personal, direct and often painful way – the nature of acquiring knowledge.
Science communication skills are just as critical for researchers; there's a great benefit from sharing in both directions. These days the combination of research and science communication skills is eminently employable. At Questacon, if we're not offering science communication students jobs before they graduate, they'll be working for someone else.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
One of the most rewarding aspects is the almost immediate connection between the work you're doing and witnessing its effect on the audience. There's also a new topic to explore every day.
Are there parts of your job you find less enjoyable?
There aren't many downers, but there are some processes, like some meetings, that can suck the excitement out of a great idea. That's probably the part of the job I need to be paid for; I'd do the rest for free.
2011 Theo Murphy (Australia) High Flyers Think Tank
Stressed ecosystems: better decisions for Australia's future
Dr Katherine Daniell
Research Fellow
Centre for Policy Innovation, Australian National University
The Academy holds an annual Think Tank for early-mid career researchers to discuss a topic of national importance. This year, the Think Tank was held on 29-30 September in Brisbane to discuss the utility of scientific modelling for supporting decision-making linked to the management of Australian ecosystems.
Four case studies—the Queensland Bowen and Surat Basins, the Murray-Darling Basin, Ningaloo Marine Park and Melbourne's peri-urban grasslands—provided focus and substance for comparative and broader reflection and discussion on the topic.
A highlight of the Think Tank included the highly interactive breakout sessions on case studies, where participants were able to each contribute their own ideas and expertise, to learn from others and to collectively develop new ideas along with the session chairs and experts.
Time set aside for further social interaction over lunches and at the Think Tank dinner was also invaluable for building networks between ECRs from different scientific disciplines and interest areas, and with Fellows of the Academy.
Participants drew further inspiration for leading scientific work on key challenges for Australia's future from Queensland Chief Scientist Dr Geoff Garrett's dinner address.
From the final day of presentations of recommendations from the four case-studies and collective discussion, it was particularly interesting to see a number of common themes clearly emerging. These included the need for science to support the "process" of decision-making for Australia's stressed ecosystems, as well as contributing knowledge to the content of the discussion though ecosystem models, experimentation, monitoring and analyses.
In particular, a greater focus on "participatory research" involving communities, decision-makers and scientists is required, supported by knowledge and expertise from the decision and management sciences. Such research needs to support the clear articulation of values and objectives for decisions and the collective development of actions for the future management of ecosystems, which can also be collectively implemented, monitored and learnt from to inform the ongoing cycles of research and decisions for ecosystem management.
The full outcomes and recommendations of the Think Tank will soon be published and presented to government, where they may be used to guide future policy development and research prioritisation.
Early career researchers at the Science Exchange in Adelaide
Dr Paul Willis
Director, Royal Institution of Australia
http://riaus.org.au/
On 7 September, the inaugural gathering of Adelaide's ECRs was held at the Science Exchange Auditorium, hosted by the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus). The event was organised in response to a call from the Chief Scientist for South Australia, Professor Don Bursill to do more to support local ECRs. We were thrilled that the SA Minister for Education and Science (and soon to be Premier) the Hon. Jay Weatherill not only attended but fronted the podium and led a two way discussion with attendees about problems they faced and how the State Government, the Chief Scientist's office and the RiAus might be able to help. Questions and discussions ranged from career structures and employment security through problems with the existing granting regimes, involvement of indigenous people in research and local issues for Adelaide ECRs, including the perceived brain drain to Sydney and Melbourne. The formal discussion was recorded for later broadcast on our website.
The evening was a great success and we are busily planning the next event for ECRs, probably focussed around media engagement. It is our intention to hold these meetings every second month. ECRs from interstate who happen to be visiting Adelaide are welcome to attend.
The transition from postdoctoral to independent researcher
Dr Jason WH Wong
Research Fellow
Lowy Cancer Research Centre & Prince of Wales Clinical School,
University of New South Wales
One of the biggest challenges facing postdoctoral researchers is "how do I start my own research group?". In most cases, this question becomes increasingly pertinent as researchers approach five years post-PhD and beyond. So what defines research independence? In general, independence is achieved when a researcher is bringing in his own salary and research funds, usually through employment at a university/research institute or through a research fellowship. Research activities should be directly supported by research grants.
One of the first steps in achieving independence is to decide on a niche area of investigation. This may come naturally, but finding the right laboratory and mentor to work with during the postdoctoral period is the key. On a more practical level, peer recognition is equally important. In many fields of science, this is achieved by building a strong publication record, obtaining patents, through invitations to deliver conference talks and involvement in research societies. Ultimately it is the track record that largely determines success in lectureship/fellowship and grant applications. Once such independence is achieved, laboratory management, administration and supervision of staff and students become major considerations.
While the number of PhD graduates is increasing without significant increase in public research funding, the Australian Research Council and the National Health & Medical Research Council are increasingly trying to help ECRs seeking independence through early-career specific research programs. Similar funding opportunities are provided by other federal/state government agencies and independent non-profit organisations. Postdoctoral researchers successful in obtaining funding in these programs can certainly expect to be one step closer to achieving research independence.
Further reading:
Yewdell (2008) How to succeed in science: a concise guide for young biomedical scientists. Part I: taking the plunge. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 9, 413-416. Available
Levine (2007) Making the leap to independence. Science Careers.
More information.
News bulletin
Academy President's address to National Press Club
On 28 September Professor Suzanne Cory addressed the National Press Club in Canberra. Professor Cory spoke on a range of subjects including government investment in science, sustaining Australia's international science success and the state of school science education. A full transcript of the address is available here
Australia's biodiversity in a changing climate
In August the Academy made a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Australia's biodiversity in a changing climate, recommending changes to management and policy to protect, preserve and restore Australia's rich biodiversity. The Academy's submission is available here
Showcasing Excellence in Biomedical Research: Australia-France Symposium
This exciting seminar exploring the latest in medical research across two hemispheres is to be held at the Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra on 23-24 November. Further information here
ACOLA Research Careers Survey
Australian researchers face a number of difficulties in developing a research career. The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) has been asked to develop best practice guidelines, which would improve career development for researchers in all fields. The first step is to undertake a wide-ranging survey of researchers in all disciplines and at all stages in their careers. Background to the project is available here
The survey itself is located here
Academy public lecture series: Fenner's science today and tomorrow
The Academy's public lectures, held at the Shine Dome in Canberra, are also livestreamed from 6pm www.science.org.au/livestream/
Upcoming lectures:
Tuesday 1 November 2011: Pandemics, Health and Climate Change, Professor Tony McMichael.
Tuesday 6 December 2011: Myxomatosis and rabbits: biological control and evolution, Dr Peter Kerr.
2012 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
If you are 18-35, this is your chance to apply for up to $22,000 to fund your project on an innovative or emerging science issue to benefit Australia's primary industries.
Applications close on Friday 18 November. More information www.abares.gov.au/scienceawards
The Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit essay competition
Undergraduate and graduate science students are invited to submit an 800 word essay before 1 November on the following topic: Responsible conduct in the life sciences, the importance of safety and security as well as the role for international collaboration. The winner will receive a glass microbe sculpture and a trip to Geneva to read their essay to the Seventh Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention on 5 December.
More information
Follow the Academy on Twitter
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Follow us to find out about Academy news, views, events, and opportunities to get involved in seminars, travel overseas, win awards and more.
