It will be tough to attract international research talent if prestigious Australian Research Council fellowships are axed under proposed changes, researchers say, with lack of funding making the nation not “match fit” to take on Trump-led uncertainty.
The overhaul proposed axing most standalone positions in favour of shorter fellowships that are “embedded” into projects.
It would reduce the number of competitive grant programs from 15 to six, ending prestigious three-year fellowships for early career researchers and four-year future fellowships for mid-career researchers.
According to an ARC discussion paper, “Traditional four-year fellowships concentrate a significant amount of funds on a small number of individual researchers.” The proposed replacement of two-year “embedded fellowships” would distribute funding “to more people and projects”, it suggests.
The decision has been criticised by academics amid global research uncertainty brought by the Trump administration’s attacks on science and education in the US.
The changes would “harm international recruitment and retention”, said Prof David Schlosberg, director of the Sydney Environment Institute at the University of Sydney.
“Two years is not going to attract people. What they are proposing for a replacement is inadequate,” he said.
“For a young person, that’s not really enough time to get into a project and make progress, produce results and really build a career,” said Aidan Sims, a distinguished professor of mathematics at the University of Wollongong.
“Three years is really a minimum for that.”
Unlike in North America or Europe, most early-career researchers in Australia are not directly funded by the universities where they work. “The only source of postdoctoral positions in the Australian system is via the research grants,” Sims said.
“The new model will very substantially reduce the opportunities not only for us to attract excellent researchers from abroad … but also to provide opportunities for our emerging superstars to kick off their careers.”
The proposed overhaul comes amid drastic US government cuts to research funding, including to Australian projects, which is driving American researchers to move internationally.
In Europe, the European Research Council has doubled its relocation allowance for researchers outside the EU, while universities there are also actively recruiting US academics.
An Australian researcher who runs social media accounts under the moniker ARC Tracker said: “It’s going to be very hard to convince any new talent to come – even Australians overseas to come back – to a two-year research position where the longer term prospects are really not very clear at all.”
“We’re not match fit to fight this uncertainty that is now global in research. We don’t have our own research house in order, and can’t take opportunities because of that,” they said.
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“The Europeans have their house in order, and they’re taking an opportunity that they see because they’re ready to.”
Australia’s investment in research and development – the current subject of a separate review – is 1.7% of GDP, lagging behind the OECD average of 2.7%.
Schlosberg, who was recruited to Australia from the US 15 years ago, said Australia took for granted its current high level of research impact.
“Australia really does well in the international rankings but that’s because of past investment,” he said. “If we don’t continue to invest, those rankings are going to plummet.”
Prof Sharath Sriram, president of Science and Technology Australia, said the peak body welcomed the “overdue” ARC review to simplify its grants programs, but said: “We are concerned about the unintended consequences.
“By the time you’re into the meat of your project you already looking for your next job or your next grant.”
Sriram called for more clarity around employment lengths, as the ARC’s new schemes will allow early career researchers to draw a salary “for the full duration of the project” from any grant they are awarded. “I think that’s not clearly articulated,” he said.
Schlosberg praised the introduction of a “really well-designed” scheme for early career researchers, which will fund “high-risk, innovative work where people without track records can apply”.
Public consultation on the proposed changes will close on 13 April. The ARC, which will deliver its final report to the government in mid-2025, was contacted for comment.