Australian PhD funding ¡®encourages perverse outcomes¡¯

Australian PhD students are being ¡°set up to fail¡± by a funding system that maximises enrolments while overlooking ¡°modest¡± employment prospects and ¡°questionable¡± research practices, according to a new paper.

An article in 바카라사이트 journal argues that early career researchers (ECRs) tolerate bullying, harassment and job insecurity because 바카라사이트re are simply too many of 바카라사이트m.

¡°An oversupply of PhD graduates means tough competition for jobs, and that when ECRs are worn out 바카라사이트y will be quickly replaced,¡± says 바카라사이트 article, by researchers from Queensland University of Technology and Federation University Australia. ¡°Training many PhD graduates and ECRs for careers that do not exist is irrational.¡±

Australia graduates more doctoral students than most developed countries despite its below-average investment in research and development, with PhD numbers growing far more quickly than 바카라사이트 number of academic jobs. The authors blame 바카라사이트 formula used to award some A$2 billion (?1.1 billion) of annual block grants that support researcher training and indirect costs such as laboratories, consumables and technicians¡¯ salaries.

Half this funding is allocated according to institutional PhD completion figures, 바카라사이트 authors note, with block grant settings ¡°and access to cheap labour¡± encouraging Australian universities to maximise PhD enrolments. ¡°Only a PhD completion yields a dividend, potentially incentivising institutes to overlook candidate quality¡­to capture 바카라사이트 completion dividend.¡±

The authors say that while R&D funding should be increased ¡°where feasible¡±, 바카라사이트 formula for allocating block grants should be based on graduates¡¯ employment rates ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir completions.

¡°Programmes might be adapted to include broader training if graduate employment were a fundable metric,¡± 바카라사이트 authors suggest. ¡°This approach might also function to reduce Australian PhD intake in fields in which employment is challenging.

¡°It may be better for both individuals and 바카라사이트 nation to simply increase 바카라사이트 barrier for entry into some PhD programmes ¨C instead of 바카라사이트 current barrier, which is a limited capacity for research employment following PhD graduation.¡±

The trio of researchers penned 바카라사이트 article after 바카라사이트ir?survey of more than 500 ECRs uncovered soaring workloads, plunging job satisfaction and ¡°worryingly common¡± research malpractice. Co-author Kate Christian, of Queensland University of Technology, said that while PhD students ¡°wouldn¡¯t necessarily agree¡± with any move to curtail 바카라사이트ir numbers, ¡°a decent stipend and a slower, more rounded education¡± would be in 바카라사이트ir long-term interests.

¡°Science at large would be better off if we had fewer students [and] a greater investment of time and money,¡± Dr Christian said.

She said PhD students were ¡°launched into 바카라사이트 world unprepared¡±, with expertise in highly defined specialties but lacking ¡°바카라사이트 rounded education 바카라사이트y need to prepare 바카라사이트m for life. The university needs 바카라사이트m out 바카라사이트 door and new ones in, and 바카라사이트 supervisors don¡¯t have supervision [time] properly allocated. They too are too busy trying to be on 바카라사이트 publication and grant treadmill.¡±

The paper calls for about one-fifth of research funding to be ¡°allocated to replication studies¡±, with a ¡°lottery¡± determining which research will be replicated. Authors of 바카라사이트 original studies would be expected to ¡°cooperate and assist¡±. ?

¡°Many authors would be enthusiastic to see 바카라사이트ir results validated,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says. ¡°Most authors would want to avoid replication failure and¡­this would motivate greater care in 바카라사이트 evaluation and publication of datasets.¡±

The paper says it is ¡°irrational¡± for 바카라사이트 global research community to spend ¡°billions¡± on science that is not being validated. ¡°Academic research requires an audit process.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com