Australian science has an excellent reputation for innovation. From ultrasound to quantum computer chips, buffalo fly traps and Wi-Fi, Australians have long been at the forefront of technology in medicine, agriculture and science.
We need stable national research funding programs to continue this tradition. Competitive grant programs from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) provide much of this funding and are the main mechanism for junior researchers like us to evolve into a world class company fields.
Now the government is threatening to clear an important springboard for mid-career researchers: the ARC Future Fellowships. With the end of other five-year funding programs, such as the ARC Australian Research Fellowship (ARF) and the ARC Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship (QEII), the Future Fellowships are the only remaining special funding program for career researchers.
Sprouts in a high ladder
Forging a career in science is not glamorous. It takes more than seven years of training to emerge at the end of the academic pyramid. And only ~ 0.5% of doctoral students make it to the level of a professor. But we do our work because we believe that our work will help others in the long term.
In the early stages of a research career, it is particularly important to have a clear funding path, as researchers are expected to support their own salary and research budgets through competitive grant programs. Future fellowships are a crucial step on this ladder.
They typically take three to five years, providing the salary and a modest research budget to many of our brightest mid-career researchers so that they can develop the skills and experience needed to achieve significantly higher ARC later in their careers and NHRMC scholarships.
Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne stated last year:
It is crucial that we support the highly qualified middle-level researchers in the country. We need to make sure that the best minds in Australia stay in this great country to do their research, which in turn strengthens our ability to innovate.
The elimination of future scholarships would have a significant impact on the Australian research community, with detrimental effects on innovation, the economy and society as a whole.
Short-term cuts, long-term damage
Future Fellowships have proven to be a great way for Australia to attract and retain outstanding researchers who are moving up in their field. This is particularly valuable because we know that young scientists are more innovative than their older colleagues. Your support is therefore a great way to promote new ideas.
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Although foreigners and Australians returning from abroad make up part of the funded population, the vast majority of funding has benefited the careers of Australia-based Australians.
The danger of dumping Future Fellowships is a direct problem for mid-career researchers, but it also affects early-stage researchers like us, as it creates a threatening image for our career paths. As immigrants (Michael comes from Scotland and Maggie from the US), we know that siren singing from home is getting louder with diminishing career opportunities.
It also affects Australian researchers working abroad. One current example is an Australian scientist currently working in the US who recently rejected an ARC scholarship for early career researchers because there is no clear plan for career advancement in Australia. We can be successful with a scholarship, but what about our future in three, ten or fifteen years?
Missing sprouts
There have never been a large number of Future Fellowships - only 150 to 200 nationally - but they have been designed for outstanding mid-sized researchers who completed their PhDs five to fifteen years ago and worked in areas of national importance such as basic science and engineering.
These are not abstract aberrations, but real, relevant and valuable projects that help us to achieve Australia's strategic research focus. Moreover, this is the funding that we see as a critical career move as we rise as researchers.
As a junior researcher we observe how a number of career steps are removed and we ask ourselves the question: If there is a gap in the career ladder, why should we keep trying to climb? Maybe another leader or country will appreciate us more.
It is also demotivating to see how they fight over you. The cut in funding this year means that a large number of unfunded researchers will be arguing for a sinking pot of money next year. We know that in 2014 the success rate of subsidy applications will be even lower, 18% in the future.
How do we fix this?
We want a positive community of Australian researchers to work with them, learn from them, and drive more amazing discoveries. As a junior researcher, we want to be part of the work that "leads to the development of new ideas, job creation, economic growth and quality of life in Australia". But how can we do that without a clear strategic plan for building the best researchers in Australia?
It is time for the government to work on a plan for research and researcher development in all disciplines. Australia's Chief Scientist office also supports a National Strategic Plan for Science. We need to know that we are not on a career path that ends abruptly. Then we can work on the next Gardasil, Wi-Fi or - let's say - Vegemite.
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