National research policy crucial to Australia’s success, researchers say

Australia’s research and science community has joined together to urge Australia’s political leaders to back a strategic national research policy to build a stronger, smarter nation.

For the first time, Australian research bodies have come together to call for non-partisan support for science and all forms of research. The research alliance has a broad base, including researchers from business, industry, universities and medical research institutes.

“What we can achieve through research science and innovation will decide whether Australia is a success in the 21st century,” the alliance said in a media release. “We cannot succeed if we persist with a stop-start, badly coordinated approach to research.

“We call on government to work with the sector to build a long-term, strategic vision that makes the most of our natural talent and helps the nation flourish economically and socially.

“Research helps us ride out storms of economic uncertainty and tackle the big challenges facing the nation and the world. Without a committed, strategic approach to supporting the nation’s research system, we risk wasting our great national talent and our precious capacity-building investments and resources, and falling behind our region and the world.”

The alliance called for politicians to take action on six key points:

• Investing strategically and sustainably
• Building our research workforce - getting and keeping the best
• Building a productive system and getting the most out of it
• Being among and working with the world’s best
• Bringing industry and academia together
• Expanding industry research

The call was made by a number of prominent scientists and business people, including: Professor Brian Schmidt, Australian Nobel Laureate; Professor Robert Williamson from the Australian Academy of Science; Catriona Jackson, CEO of Science and Technology Australia; and Peter Laver from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.