The Australian Academy of Science recognised the challenges faced by Australia's emerging researchers and in 2011, established the Early- and Mid-Career Researcher Forum (EMCR Forum). The EMCR Forum's creation was championed by then Secretary of Science Policy for the Academy, Professor Robert Williamson, and a group of passionate EMCRs. The Forum was established to serve as a unified voice for EMCRs.
The Forum was structured to have an executive of 10 members, with Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea (then at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute) serving as the Founding Chair. The Forum Executive annually replaces a third of its membership, and has evolved to represent diversity in gender, discipline, sectors, and geography. You can find details of past and current Forum Executive members in our Executive members page.
The Forum has actively and successful advocated on behalf of EMCRs, with particular emphasis on diversity and career structures. This has been driven by interacting with decision makers in government and funding agencies, policy and consultation submissions, and best practise guides. We also organise Science Pathways as a professional development conference series. You can find out more about the Forum's vision and objectives in the strategic plan.
In 2017 the EMCR Forum began establishing a Representative Network at organisations which employed EMCRs. They aim to have two representatives at each organisation which represent and communicate the interests of EMCRs at that organisation to the EMCR Forum Executive. In addition, the Representative Network functions to disperse information from the Executive and the Academy to EMCRs at organisations around Australia.
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