Media releases

ACADEMY TAKES ACTION TO SUPPORT YOUNG RESEARCHERS
26 February 2008

Over 60 of Australia's brightest young researchers attended a career support workshop organised by the Australian Academy of Science on the 14th and 15th February at the Shine Dome, Canberra.

The Academy identified a gap in skills support for early-career researchers and responded with the workshop called Enhancing the experience of postdoctorate and early-career researchers.

The workshop was designed to boost the skills of talented researchers in key areas such as mentoring, grant-writing, and negotiation through presentations by experts in these areas.

An important component was also to gain feedback on the skills and mentoring the researchers felt were needed by scientists starting their careers.

The outcomes will be used to create best-practice guidelines for research management for young high flyers in Australian research, and assist in maintaining them in science research and in Australia.

Senator the Honourable Kim Carr opened the workshop as one of his early official engagements as Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. Minister Carr said:

'The Academy of Science is one of Australia's pre-eminent scholarly institutions. Your voice is heard, and respected. That is why I am pleased to see that you are holding a conference on research careers. You are taking a practical perspective on a very important topic – especially important in the Australian context and at this time.

'We need to nurture our young researchers in all disciplines, but nowhere more so than in the sciences. We need to continue to attract the brightest minds to science, and then to keep those people actively involved in the Australian research effort.

'Over the last ten years or so, Australia has been losing some of our brightest researchers, from disciplines right across the board. With our universities strapped for the kind of funding needed to support the best research, too many scholars and scientists have been lured abroad.

'And we have also seen bright youngsters turning away from the enabling disciplines (maths, physics and chemistry) and engineering – enticed by more lucrative careers in other fields, such as the finance sector.'

He went on to say: 'So, for all these and doubtless more reasons besides, it's good to see the Academy supporting the nurturing of early-career scholars and researchers in science and beyond.'

Professor Kurt Lambeck, the President of the Academy, also addressed the group. He highlighted the importance of making use of Australia's intellectual resources to create a strong science and technology base, and to ensure the nation is internationally competitive in how it uses and exploits knowledge.

'To achieve this, where better to start than to ensure that researchers have support systems during the early years of their careers, when they are often most productive yet faced with great challenges in other areas of their lives.

'Researchers today face a large array of challenges. Having been trained almost exclusively in research, they are suddenly expected to become expert teachers, PhD supervisors, to be accomplished in publishing, public speaking and in raising the public awareness of science, and in seeking financial support for and managing their laboratories and research teams. All this while keeping ahead in their respective fields, and all this at a time of juggling the balance between professional and personal lives.'

Many researchers commented on how refreshing it was to be consulted about this important issue, and how they hoped to become more involved over time with the Australian Academy of Science, the body composed of the most respected scientists in our country.

The Academy plans to hold similar workshops in other cities and to invite more early-career researchers to attend. The talks and proceedings of the workshop will be made available on the Academy's website as a permanent resource for young researchers.

The workshop was generously sponsored by the Australian Research Council.

The program is available at: www.science.org.au/events/14-15february08.htm

Senator the Honourable Kim Carr's full speech can be found at: http://minister.industry.gov.au/SenatortheHonKimCarr/Pages/AUSTRALIANACADEMYOFSCIENCECONFERENCE.aspx