Fran Bailey (McEwen, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Innovation, I present the committee’s interim and final reports of its inquiry into research training and research workforce issues in Australian universities entitled Building Australia’s research capacity, together with the minutes of proceedings.

Ordered that the reports be made parliamentary papers.

I am pleased to present this report, Building Australia’s research capacity, on behalf of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Innovation and in particular on behalf of the committee chair, the member for Calwell, who is currently absent from parliament due to illness.

This report addresses several fundamental issues relating to research training in Australia. First and foremost was the recognition that the path to research begins not at university but at primary and secondary school. Australia’s strategy to improve research competitiveness must address fundamental factors that prepare students for research career pathways. The current declining interest in, and standard of, foundational subjects like maths, sciences, history and languages are leading to both a shortage of teachers who are suitably qualified in those areas to teach the future generations of schoolchildren and a decrease in the standard of tertiary-ready students.

The committee recognises that there needs to be greater collaboration between universities and research institutes and the wider world, including schools and industry. The committee emphasises that research training is not the sole responsibility of academia, nor is academia the sole beneficiary of research training. Research is of value to our society as a whole, be it in academia and government or industry and business.

Perhaps the most important issue for this inquiry is that the fundamental obstacle to building Australia’s full research capacity is the lack of adequate funding to underpin research training and research careers. Underfunding of research across the spectrum is reducing Australia’s international competitiveness in the areas of research and innovation. The full cost of research training, whether it is provided by a university or a research institute, needs to be funded if Australia is to have healthy and dynamic research programs. Universities and institutes cannot provide a high standard of resources or outcomes with overstretched budgets. Yet proper research training requires high-quality supervision, adequate infrastructure and national and international collaborative research opportunities.

Chronic underfunding has led to increased casualisation in the academic workforce, overreliance on short-term grants and low salary scales relative to industry. Additionally, Australian culture does not generally hold research and researchers in high esteem, despite the significant contribution they make to the nation. The low status of research careers is evidenced by their low levels of national investment, social recognition and relative remuneration. The challenges in attracting and retaining academic staff at universities are exacerbated by the looming retirement of a significant section of the current workforce. A significant boost in funding will assist in making research careers attractive and help Australian universities retain their research and teaching staff to train the next generations of researchers.

Another key issue for the inquiry was the recognition that researchers in training need to be funded properly to mitigate—

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allotted for statements on this report has expired. Does the member for McEwen wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a future occasion?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House take note of the report.

In accordance with standing order 39, the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting. Does the member for McEwen wish to move a motion to refer the matter to the Main Committee?