Welcome to the Future Workforce Planning edition of INSPIRE

Having a robust and sustainable health and medical research workforce plan is crucial to ensure Australia plans for, attracts and supports our most valuable asset – our workforce of the future.

We must look forward and be brave, bold and aspirational when we are thinking about designing a future workforce. This health and medical research workforce plan should address the challenges faced by the health and medical research sector including staff shortages, talent retention, career progression, job security, and consider financial incentives for early and mid-career health and medical researchers.

It must also factor in the environment we are dealing with in areas of exponential technological growth, precision medicine and on the flip side, the demand for health and medical research due to the rising burden of diseases and an aging population.

At a time when there is ongoing discussion about reforming current research funding channels, we need to ensure there is sustainable funding and investment in all sections of the pipeline from discovery to commercialisation. We envisage a future health and medical research economy underpinned by thriving innovation and a modern manufacturing sector. We can only do this by developing and investing in Australian health and medical research innovation and capability. And one that can move between academia and industry – a high value circular mobility.

In this edition of INSPIRE we explore how you are facing these real-world challenges and finding innovative solutions to tackle them. Read about how the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand (MDANZ) are working to inspire and educate future clinical research leaders, and how fellow members like MCRI are working to foster Australian research talent through collaboration, innovation, and valuesbased employment. The team at The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation discuss the unique challenges for Lived-Experience Researchers. We also hear from Vaxxas about the challenges and opportunities of establishing medtech manufacturing in Australia, while GSK discuss how they are empowering their workforce of the future through artificial intelligence and machine learning. Health services also has its fair share of challenges – Calvary Hospital shares its strategy that is designed to support innovation among their workforce and for their patients.

Our goal is to share the amazing work that is being done throughout the entire Australian healthcare and health and medical research ecosystem. We hope that the articles inspire you to meet and conquer your workforce challenges!

Best wishes

Nadia and your Research Australia Team

Future-proofing today’s workforce for tomorrow’s children MURDOCH CHILDREN’S RESEARCH INSTITUTE

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Creating a level playing field

Redefining the future of work through health workforce optimisation

Publisher Research Australia Ltd

Art Direction

Matthew Ware p +61 403 844 763 e matt@objktive.com

For Advertising enquiries please contact the Research Australia office on p 02 9295 8546 or e admin@researchaustralia.org researchaustralia.org

INSPIRE ONLINE issuu.com/researchaustralia

INSPIRE is a publication of Research Australia Ltd ABN 28 095 324 379 384 Victoria Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Who can submit articles?

Any current member of Research Australia who would like to share a relevant story that affects their organisation including, philanthropic donations and their outcomes, research findings, and any other related health and medical research topic that affects the Australian population.

Submission guidelines & deadlines

For information regarding how to submit and publishing deadlines visit the Research Australia website

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in INSPIRE do not necessarily represent the views of Research Australia. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted by Research Australia for omissions, typographical or inaccuracies that may have taken place after publication. All rights reserved.

The editorial material published in INSPIRE is copyright. No part of the editorial contents may be reproduced or copied in any form without the prior permission from Research Australia. © Research Australia 2020.

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How to grow a productive research network for next generation leaders

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Gratitude and hope inspire a transformational gift to cancer research

The impact that philanthropic-based research funding

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