Marguerite E. • My letter to the PM:

Australia has a vibrant and passionate scientific base. Many young researchers start their careers with the goal of independent research in mind. Unfortunately, many leave research for various reasons, each warranting a letter of their own, but the main reasons cited are (1) the pressures associated with a lack of job security and (2) a need for higher remuneration (e.g. move to industry).

In 2009, the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia funded 23% of grant applications (www.nhmrc.gov.au). Surprisingly, over half of all applications received - 58% - were scored as fundable projects, but were unsuccessful due to a lack of funding. Highly qualified individuals are often (regrettably) made redundant when competitive funding is not received. Laboratories that lose these highly skilled individuals must later re-hire and re-train new personnel - again dependent on funding – all of which makes a huge dent in potential outcome. Much less ‘bang for the buck’!

FUNDING FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IS IN CRISIS. In the past six months alone, I personally know over ten highly talented, well-trained individuals who have lost their jobs – against everyone’s will - due to lack of funding. Worst of all, students entering science today look at their supervisors and the pressures they face and say “No way, that’s not for me”. Each day another bright and creative mind is lost to research – the very individuals we need to continue this pursuit!

It is vital that our Government not only recognizes the need for increased medical research funding but moves reticently toward a solution. We must ensure the positive contributions made by our scientists to the health of all in Australia, and around the world, continues!

It is important for us to remember that the treatments our doctors administer to us, our friends and our families, were first developed in the laboratory, by a scientist.

Sue C. • What an excellent letter, Marguerite! Full of good points. I enjoy interviewing young science and medical researchers, and I'm always sad when they leave the country because there are better opportunities to pursue their research elsewhere. We can't afford to lose all these creative people, and the discoveries they will make.

Linda M. • Excellent points Marguerite! I would like to echo the point that bright young people are turning away from research because there is no viable career structure and they see the despair of their passionate hard working scientific elders and think this is too hard. They are our future. We spend such a small percentage of our GDP on research compared to other equivalent OECD countries - we need to increase, not decrease what we spend!

Marguerite E. • Thanks! Some of these important issues are already known to the Dept of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. I highlight one section of the Research Workforce Strategy case study report available at http://www.innovation.gov.au/Research/ResearchWorkforceIssues/Pages/default.aspx

Research career issues
Expert group members reported a number of barriers to successful research careers in
health.
First, the low success rate for research grants, in common with other disciplines,
creates a number of problems. Fewer than half of all eligible grant applications are
successful, which leads to a significant degree of frustration among researchers and
job insecurity for research scientists, post-doctorates, research assistants and
technicians.
Second, research institutes often find it difficult to offer continuous career paths due
to the nature of their funding. While several of these institutes have reasonably
consistent base funding from endowments and charitable donations, their research
programs are often funded purely through competitive grants. For a clinician
employed in an institute, loss of a grant generally means returning to a lucrative
clinical career, but for the research scientists, technicians and research assistants it can result in unemployment.
Third, problems in combining a research career with family or other responsibilities is
an issue across the research workforce, impacting particularly on women. This is
exacerbated where there is a lack of flexible financial support or employment or
where workplace culture favours long hours. Finally, the expert group members felt
that there is considerable confusion among graduates and early career researchers
both about the range of career options available and about the best way to develop and
pursue a coherent career path.

Funding cuts would only compound the situation.

Akinola A. • Thanks Marguerite for your contribution.
Let me tell you my story. Against my will, I left the research world in 2009 to join the public service/regulatory science for obvious reasons - better remuneration, job security and predictable work-life balance (need I say that I am a father of two young children with an average mortgage). I consider myself a classical example of someone who is passionate about research but had to leave because the odds are stacked against me.
While most researcher studied with scholarships and fellowships, my case id radically different. I am one of those people who arrived in Australia for the sole purpose of acquring a PhD degree and becoming a career researcher. Prior to commencing my PhD, I sold all that I had and used the money (together with ALL my savings) as the initial deposit to pay my tuition fee. It was a personal sacrifice for knowledge which is of immense proportion. Ultimately, I was had about 10 yrs setback financially just to get a PhD and then be a postdoc. In the end I had to leave what I enjoy most in order to cut my losses largely because of the bleak career path. I don't think it gets any worse than this in terms of personal loss and waste of talent.

Please let us stop this blatant waste of talent and resources. Make your voice heard. I am for DiscoveriesneedDollars!