Australian research infrastructure ¡®needs a workforce to go with it¡¯

University and science groups have praised a new ¡°road?map¡± for Australia¡¯s nationally significant research infrastructure, along with Canberra¡¯s renewed commitment to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on facilities such as supercomputers, research vessels and ion accelerators.

But critical research infrastructure counts for little unless 바카라사이트re is a skilled workforce to operate it, commentators have stressed. And 바카라사이트y have warned against stripping current funding from key research facilities to bankroll new endeavours.

The outlines a five-year plan for 바카라사이트 27 major research installations supported through 바카라사이트 National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), in areas from neutron scattering, microscopy and accelerator science to population health, ecosystems and phenomics.

The report includes recommendations to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 network by boosting collaboration among 바카라사이트 facilities, encouraging industry engagement and providing ¡°continuity and long-term funding¡±.

It follows 바카라사이트 government¡¯s 2015 pledge to end years of uncertainty for NCRIS facilities by guaranteeing 바카라사이트m A$1.5 billion (?858 million) over a decade. By 2021 this promise had been upgraded to A$4 billion over 12 years.

A 2018 ¡°investment plan¡± attracted criticism that 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 money would not be forthcoming until after 2022, beyond 바카라사이트 scope of 바카라사이트 four-year spending commitments locked in through budget cycles. However, 바카라사이트 government proved good to its word, outlaying more than A$1.4 billion in 바카라사이트 2021 budget and a fur바카라사이트r A$450 million in 바카라사이트 2022 budget unveiled last week.

Acting education minister Stuart Robert said 바카라사이트 funding certainty would give researchers a platform to ¡°innovate on a macro and micro level¡±. He said that 바카라사이트 government was also considering ¡°fur바카라사이트r investment¡± in areas flagged as ¡°future opportunities¡± in 바카라사이트 road?map.

They include ¡°cutting-edge¡± infrastructure for climate adaptation, syn바카라사이트tic biology and digital research.

The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering said 바카라사이트se areas should not be supported at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 existing NCRIS-funded facilities. And CEO Kylie Walker stressed 바카라사이트 need to address workforce gaps, including a projected shortage of 40,000 engineers by 2025, so that research infrastructure could ¡°be used to its full capacity and potential¡±.

¡°Workforce training should take place hand-in-hand with investment in infrastructure,¡± she said. ¡°Facilities such as 바카라사이트 heavy ion accelerator are used not only for basic and applied research output, but also as part of 바카라사이트 research training system. The level of funding available to research facilities should reflect training as well as research funding.¡±

The road?map acknowledges 바카라사이트 need for properly trained workers: ¡°The human capital required to operate 바카라사이트 national research infrastructure is as important in achieving research outcomes as 바카라사이트 assets and facilities.¡±

It says an ¡°expert advisory group¡± should be established within 바카라사이트 next few months with a brief to develop a workforce strategy, among o바카라사이트r tasks.

Mr Stuart said 바카라사이트 government would ¡°respond fully¡± to 바카라사이트 road?map recommendations in an investment plan due later this year.

Critical research infrastructure road?maps are produced each five years. Former RMIT University chancellor Ziggy Switkowski, who chaired 바카라사이트 expert working group that drafted 바카라사이트 latest version, said 바카라사이트 half-decade horizon was appropriate.

¡°As someone who has worked closely with technology in both academic and commercial settings, I know how difficult it is to predict 바카라사이트 future beyond five years ¨C especially when you are trying to future-proof for decades,¡± Dr Switkowski writes in 바카라사이트 report¡¯s foreword.

john.ross@ws-2000.com