The Global Talent Attraction Program is a strategically coordinated, national program connecting exceptional scientists and technologists with organisations and research institutions to create long-term, impactful partnerships. Scientists relocating to Australia will find a welcoming, stable and supportive research environment, comprising well-established institutions with robust governance structures. Selection and support for research in Australia is based on demonstrated excellence, leadership and impact and backed by policies committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. The program’s long-term contracts and placement processes will provide successful candidates with professional and personal stability and assurance.
The program will provide successful candidates with unprecedented opportunities to launch or extend their careers internationally. The Academy’s extensive global network of connections and partnerships will offer direct access to leading research initiatives and actors around the world, while the multicultural nature of the Australian science sector facilitates cross-border interaction. The long-term contracts afforded by the program will enable selected scientists to settle into far-reaching global projects without disruption.
The state-of-the-art research ecosystem in Australia spans universities, medical research institutes, government agencies and private sector laboratories, some offering specialised facilities for advanced manufacturing, food and agriculture, space and digital technologies. Investment in research infrastructure is steady and committed, and opportunities to work alongside industry and government ensure research outcomes are translatable to practical and commercial impact. The Global Talent Attraction Program will provide successful candidates with funding for engaging research staff and accessing Australian research infrastructure.
Australians enjoy relative peace, safety and stability in a liberal democracy with extremely low levels of unrest and disruption. Political power is shared across national, state and local governments, with high degrees of transparency and accountability, and our judiciary is independent. Government policies promoting multiculturalism, inclusion and anti-discrimination help to ensure Australian residents and visitors can thrive.
Australia is a secular nation that embraces religious freedom and diversity, with no official state religion. While many people are nominally or actively Christian, all major faiths are practiced here alongside a spectrum of other secular and spiritual beliefs, while many other people report no religious affiliation at all. Australian society and government is based on principles of inclusion and respect for all faith beliefs. Same-sex marriage was legalised in 2017, and women are free to work, study, travel and move around.
Australia is a diverse, vibrant and inclusive place to live and work, with more than 200 different cultural communities enriching national life. With more than 50% of the population born overseas or having a parent born overseas, Australians embrace and enjoy multiculturalism and its social and cultural contributions. Cultural festivals and events are popular, and languages other than English feature in school curricula. Laws and policies promote anti-discrimination, equal opportunity, inclusion and human rights protections.
Science has always lived in Australia, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures dating back at least 65,000 years. Their traditional knowledge and practices reflect holistic and complex scientific systems that integrate ecology, astronomy, land and sea management, medicine, botany and sustainability. Increasingly, collaborative social and scientific projects combine traditional ecological knowledge with western scientific methods to tackle issues such as biodiversity conservation, climate change and land rehabilitation.
With a total area of around 7.7 million square kilometres (about 2.9 million square miles) spanning multiple geographical zones, Australia experiences varied climates and extraordinary natural beauty. Our spectacular landscapes – from red deserts to snowy mountains, tropical rainforests to golden beaches – provide rich natural environments for exploration, inspiration and rejuvenation. The envied Australian climate, with its abundance of sunshine, allows a relaxed, outdoors lifestyle much of the year.
Our cities – comfortably small in comparison to many of the world’s larger centres – are generally well planned, clean, safe and attractive, with plentiful natural spaces, popular recreational facilities and efficient transport systems. Australians enjoy excellent health care and education systems, quality housing options and an enviable lifestyle in which families can thrive. Safe, well-resourced schools follow an academically rigorous national curriculum taught by highly qualified teachers and complemented by equity access programs that support all students to achieve their best.
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