Greater investment needed to halt brain drain

CAPA supports the twenty-first recommendation of the Senate Committee Report, Universities in Crisis, that the number of research fellowships available to Australian researchers be doubled.

"It is crucial that we retain our most talented researchers", said CAPA President, Mr John Byron.

"We have heard a lot of lip service being paid to the importance of fostering Australian research in this election year, however this political rhetoric must be supported by significant public investment in Australian research for it to have any effect in halting the current erosion of our research capabilities.

"For many Australian researchers, seeking employment overseas is a necessity rather than a voluntary choice. In the absence of adequate funding for research in Australia they are compelled to leave the country simply to get a job", he added.

The Committee's recommendation to double the number of research fellowships is made with specific reference to early and mid career researchers.

Currently, Australian researchers are largely reliant on winning funding through competitive grants schemes. However, the vast majority of applications for ARC grants fail, and senior researchers are likely to have more success than their younger colleagues.

"It is vital that we rectify the current lack of support for early career researchers, or we will suffer the consequences over the next two decades, when our senior researchers retire," commented Mr Byron.

The Committee also recommends creating a program of elite fellowships to attract leading researchers.

"Increasing the number of fellowships is an important initial step, however our success in retaining researchers is also dependent on adequate funding for research infrastructure," said Mr Byron.

"Australia will not be an attractive employment destination for researchers if we continue to deprive our universities of adequate funding for laboratories, libraries and equipment.

"Some university departments have been so starved of funding under the Coalition government, that if they could attract an additional researcher via a fellowship, they would not have the office space to house that person, or sufficient equipment and resources for that person to conduct their research."

"Only with considerable public investment in university research will we begin to redress the stagnation of Australia's research potential that has occurred under the current government", he concluded.