When funding cuts lead to the closure of small labs around the globe, what鈥檚 a postdoctoral fellow to do? For an increasing number of postdocs the world over, the answer is simple: go to Australia.
That鈥檚 what found when she moved to Australia to be with her boyfriend. 鈥淚 really like working in smaller labs 鈥� you can take bigger risks and do lots of experiments,鈥� says Williams, who completed her PhD at Yale University. But such small facilities are usually the first to feel the effects of cuts as recession bites. 鈥淢y graduate school facility 鈥� one of the smaller ones 鈥� actually closed down,鈥� says Williams, who has since secured a position at in Canberra. 鈥淭he global financial crisis has had a significant effect on research funding and on postdoctoral positions all over the place.鈥�
Everywhere, that is, except Australia. The country鈥檚 publicly funded university system is less exposed to the damaging effects of a downturn than commercial or privately funded institutions. This has enabled the ANU to maintain its , the only one like it in the country, even as the federal government strives to create a budget surplus.
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Funding boost
The number of postdoctoral fellowships on offer looks to be holding strong, too. In the May budget, for example, 鈥� an Australian Research Council (ARC) programme that provides funding for 150 research positions 鈥� by an extra year, to 2014.
The scheme is one of many run by the ARC, which directs funding towards government research priorities. These currently include environmental sustainability and technological improvements to Australian industries, such as mining.
Australia鈥檚 other main grant funding body, , invests its A$700 million yearly budget in fields that cover the government鈥檚 health priorities, such as dementia, obesity and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people鈥檚 health.
In 2012, the , among many other projects.
Such research has enjoyed a significant funding boost in recent years. Since coming to power in 2007, . At the same time, research funding has soared: . But it has since slowed down.
That said, the Australian government鈥檚 drive to reduce national debt saw the imposition of an 鈥渆fficiency dividend鈥� on universities as part of the 2013 budget. Although research funding won鈥檛 be cut directly, research institutions will be encouraged to make savings where they can.
, chief executive of the national advocacy body Universities Australia, worries the dividend might 鈥渃hallenge the ability of universities to maintain the quality of education and research鈥� by forcing institutions to drop courses or reduce staff levels. Tertiary education minister disagrees, because university funding will continue to grow overall. Until university budgets are drawn up next year, it鈥檚 difficult to predict the outcome.
But the 2013 budget also contained some good news for a number of research fields. has been promised extra funding, totalling nearly A$31 million over the next four years. is also set to receive a cash injection to support research into food, soil and water challenges faced by Australia and the rest of the world.
Pay perks
In the meantime, postdocs in Australia are enjoying substantial salaries. 鈥淥ne of the benefits is that you do typically get better pay than, say, if you are in the US,鈥� says Williams. 鈥淚 would probably be living very much like a poor graduate if I was over there.鈥�
In Australia, postdoctoral fellowships pay between A$60,000 and A$85,000 at the early to mid-career stage, depending on the institution and the grant scheme. Most ARC grants, for example, . In addition, fellows receive a bonus worth 28 per cent of the grant, which is intended to cover travel and equipment, such as computers and any specific tools needed for a project.
Postdocs in the US, on the other hand, can expect much smaller awards. There, , with a possible increase to US$42,000 proposed in the federal budget. The exchange rate is about 1:1 at the moment. All in all, postdocs in Australia can expect to be paid around A$30,000 a year more than their counterparts in the US.
But tracking down these well-paid positions can be a challenge, says , dean of graduate research at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. The best way to discover your options is by seeking advice from your research supervisor, she says.
鈥淥ne of the things that drives success in the postdoctoral area is having a research supervisor who actually mentors you and really talks to you about the next steps, and puts you in touch with colleagues around the world,鈥� says Poole-Warren. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to get connected to a network.鈥�
For the postdocs that manage to do this, the future looks golden.
Case Study: How one postdoc funds his research
How does a wallaby grow? That鈥檚 the question occupying , postdoctoral fellow at the University of Melbourne in Victoria. Fortunately for him, the question of whether or not he can fund his research is less of a concern.
Menzies is funded by the University of Melbourne鈥檚 , awarded annually to one outstanding candidate. His two-year position provides him with a generous salary, much higher than he was offered for US-based positions.
鈥淚f you start off as a postdoc in the US you鈥檙e getting the equivalent of A$29,000 to A$30,000 after tax, whereas in Australia it鈥檚 around A$65,000,鈥� he says. As a result, the competition for Australia鈥檚 top-dollar postdoctoral fellowships is fierce.
Beat your rivals by indulging in a little self-promotion, recommends Menzies. 鈥淵ou need to get out and apply for grants, and push yourself. The more you can demonstrate you are driven and have original ideas, the better.鈥�
Those who don鈥檛 secure a fellowship should build up research experience abroad, says Menzies, who completed two placements in Germany before returning to Australia.
鈥淎 lot of people who want to continue in science [as postdocs] get their first start overseas,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you get overseas experience during your early research career, you will pick up some really nice skills that look good on your r茅sum茅.鈥�
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淕olden opportunities鈥�