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Australia\u2019s researchers have answered the call to help with urgent pandemic clinical trials and other research needs, placing other work on hold. Experts across a broad range of disciplines are crucial to our health, mental health and economic well-being.<\/p>\n
And yet the COVID-19 pandemic has posed one of the most significant threats in history to Australia\u2019s national research sector, and well beyond the medical sciences.<\/p>\n
We were lead authors on a\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0for the government\u2019s\u00a0National COVID Coordination Commission<\/a>\u00a0through the Chief Scientist\u2019s Rapid Research Information Forum (RRIF<\/a>). We answered the question:<\/p>\n What impact is the pandemic having and likely to have on Australia\u2019s research workforce and its capability to support our recovery efforts?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Our report shows Australia\u2019s research workforce will be severely impacted by the pandemic, with the effects likely to be felt for years, if not decades.<\/p>\n The universities sector estimates its revenue will drop by at least A$3 billion in 2020 due to the pandemic, and the decline could be as high as A$4.6 billion. This drop is likely to be worst for research-intensive universities.<\/p>\n Early and mid career researchers and recent graduates will be disproportionately affected due to the highly casualised and fixed-term nature of the university research workforce. This may also be the case for women, who more commonly than men have additional childcare and other home commitments.<\/p>\n Journals are already seeing that since the COVID-19 crisis began, submissions from women are underrepresented, especially articles authored solely by women.<\/p>\n We canvassed and compiled evidence from across Australia\u2019s universities, publicly and privately funded research institutes and agencies, and the private sector.<\/p>\n The Australian government provides support for the research workforce through grant funding and tax transfers to industry, paying the salaries of researchers in government agencies and departments, and providing grant funding through research councils and block funding to universities.<\/p>\n In 2019\u201320 this was budgeted to be a total of A$9.6 billion. Of this<\/p>\n Australian spending on research (from all sources, including government and industry) has flatlined over the last few years, and declined overall.<\/p>\n Investment\u00a0increased<\/a>\u00a0from A$6,667 million in 2007-08 to A$10,072 in 2011-12. But it steadily declined from its peak of A$10,072 million 2011-12 to a low of A$9,396 million in 2018-19 (apart from a one-off A$10,285 million spike in 2017-18).<\/p>\n Government funding is steady at its budgeted A$9.6 billion this financial year. But given business spending on research and development dropped 3.1% during the global financial crisis, it is expected to drop precipitously due to the pandemic.<\/p>\n In Australia, industry is responsible for 86% of experimental development (where physical experiments are used to test a hypothesis). And small to medium enterprises (which comprise the vast majority of Australian businesses) are unlikely to have spare cash to invest in research and development.<\/p>\n Universities perform around 43% of all applied research (aimed at solving real-world problems) in Australia. This means industry sectors relying on universities and research institutions for research and development may be less able to collaborate, innovate and create new sources of employment.<\/p>\n Contributing author to the report, CEO of @ATSE_au<\/a> @Kylie_Walker1<\/a> said industry sectors may experience a reduced capacity to innovate given that universities perform approximately 43% of all applied research in Australia.<\/p>\n — Australian Academy of Science (@Science_Academy) May 11, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Australia\u2019s research spending<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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