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AUSTRALIA'S YOUNG SCIENTISTS - ARE THEY BECOMING ISOLATED FROM GLOBAL SCIENCE?
27 April 1999

A study by the Australian Academy of Science has found disturbing evidence that Australian researchers are finding it difficult to establish and maintain vital connections to the global networks of cutting-edge research.

The study examined in detail the opportunities available to researchers to work with their colleagues in the leading labs overseas. It found

• there are too few schemes in Australia that provide adequate support for overseas experience

• the available awards generate intense competition in which junior scientists often lose out

• Australia's weak currency helps to deter overseas travel by researchers.

The study leader, Dr Keith Boardman, said that modern science has always been globalised, but it is now becoming much more competitive. Australian science produces 2% of world science output, and needs to work hard to win access to the overseas labs where the other 98% is done.

Other countries are working harder to build themselves into the science networks, and spending much more on international research collaboration and the exchange of young scientists. Australian researchers are still handicapped by the long distances that separate us from the leading labs, and by the constantly growing pressure on funding.

The Academy recommends that a national scheme be established to support our best young researchers. Its main features would be

• support for time in overseas labs, followed by

• a period of employment as researchers in Australian labs.

Dr Boardman said that it was important that the support for research experience applied to both public sector and industry laboratories. We need to recognise that competitive industry needs access to highly-skilled people who are plugged into the latest technologies and skills. Technological innovation and market competitiveness depend on access to the best scientific effort.

Copies of the report are available on the web at http://www.science.org.au/reports/intnet2.htm.

Recommendations of the report

1. That the policies and structures intended to support the internationalisation of Australian scientific effort and participation in international research activities be benchmarked against those of comparator countries and regional economies.

2. A national strategy be adopted for securing access to electronic versions of all major scientific journals and electronic databases.

3. A national overseas postdoctoral fellowship scheme should be established, with conditions similar to the CJ Martin Fellowships of the National Health and Medical Research Council, to significantly increase the opportunities for early career researchers to gain research experience overseas. The four-year fellowships should be tenable in both public and private sector laboratories, overseas and in Australia.

4. Universities ensure that all their overseas research funding opportunities are listed on SPIN-Australia or an equivalent database.

5. Greater attention needs to be directed to the systematic compilation of time series data on PhD graduate employment destination information both in terms of country of employment and sector of employment. The scientific manpower surveys undertaken by the US National Science Foundation and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology are instructive in this regard. This is an issue which needs to be discussed by the AVCC and the Graduate Careers Council of Australia.

6. Resources should be provided to enable PhD students to attend at least one international conference during the period of their training.