18 November 2009

In the recent report Powering Ideas: an Innovation Strategy for the 21st Century, the Australian Government outlined its intention to develop a research workforce strategy to address concerns raised surrounding research skills development and the research workforce at large. In September, 2009 CHASS participated as a member of the Research Workforce Strategy Reference Group for the policy development process to represent the network of members.

A second round of meetings are now underway to track progress on developing the strategy.

Background

Australia 's commitment to boosting its education and research capacity to develop a creative economy depends on brilliant, rigorous, and supported research across the many academic disciplines that contribute to knowledge. We will need researchers in the humanities, the creative arts and social sciences to drive innovation across the economy and broader society.

Recently CHASS attended the first meeting of the reference group advising on the development of a strategy for Australia's research workforce.

The Australian Government has asked the reference group to provide advice and guidance on studies and data, issues and stakeholder consultation.

The Research Workforce Strategy was foreshadowed in the Government's innovation White Paper Powering Ideas. In Powering Ideas the Government said the strategy would look ahead to 2020 to ensure Australia was able to meet expected shortfalls in the supply of research qualified people. It said the strategy would address concerns regarding the lack of clear career paths for research students and the adequacy of the research training system to effectively prepare them for varied career outcomes.

The development of the strategy supports the Government's goal to "significantly increase the number of students completing higher degrees by research over the next decade." (Powering Ideas, 2009, p.5). It also follows the Government's decisions to double the number of Australian Postgraduate Awards (APAs) by 2012, increase the APA stipend and provide new fellowship opportunities in priority areas.

The strategy will cover the research workforce in universities and extend to provision of researchers for wider industry and the public sector. It may consider the demand of higher degree researchers for careers and positions beyond formal roles in research and the skills they bring to the Australian workforce.

The reference group has been asked to identify key research (completed and underway) relevant to the strategy. The Government is also looking at the problems in identifying trends and detailed information on the current workforce.

CHASS was pleased to hear that a crucial element of the strategy will be a focus on specific disciplines, and the unique career pathways and issues which characterise them. There is also work underway to improve the data collection in higher education.

In the past much of the focus in research development has been based on research about science, technology and mathematics. Since the publication of Professor Graeme Hugo's CHASS Occasional Paper 6: The demographic outlook for Australian universities' academic staff, it has been clear that HASS areas face a challenge in maintaining and enhancing the quality of their research, from visual arts to human welfare studies. The strategy will recognise this diversity.

Heidi Hutchison
Policy and Research Officer
Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Heidi Hutchison
18 November 2009

 

 

For more information, please contact:

Executive Director

Council of the Humanties, Arts and Social Sciences

Phone: +61 2 6201 2740

director@chass.org.au