House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Innovation

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Inquiry into research training and research workforce issues in Australian universities

Terms of Reference

The Committee will inquire into the contribution that Australian universities make to Australian research training, and the challenges Australian universities face in recruiting, training and retaining quality research staff in Australia.

The Inquiry will examine:

1. The contribution that Australian universities make to research in Australia, including:

• The contribution of research training programs to Australia's competitiveness in the areas of science, research and innovation;
• The effectiveness of current Commonwealth research training schemes; and
• The adequacy of current research training schemes to support Australia's anticipated future requirements for tertiary-qualified professionals in a wide range of disciplines.

2. The challenges Australian universities face in training, recruiting and retaining high quality research graduates and staff, including, but not limited to:

• Adequacy of training and support (including income support) available to research graduates in Australia;
• Factors for graduates that determine pursuit of a career in research;
• Opportunities for career advancement for research graduates and staff;
• Factors determining pursuit of research opportunities overseas;
• Australia’s ability to compete internationally for high quality researchers; and
• Whether Australia’s academic workforce is ageing, and the impact this may have on Australia’s research capacity.