The Department of Health and Aged Care is undertaking the survey to understand the demographic features, work environment, challenges, and motivations of health and medical researchers across Australia.
The Department is conducting a national audit of the Health and Medical Research Workforce (the Audit) to help inform the development of the National Health and Medical Research Strategy (National Strategy), and support future policy planning on matters that impact health and medical researchers in Australia.
As part of this Audit, the Department is conducting a national survey to understand the demographic features, work environment, challenges, movements and motivations of health and medical researchers across Australia.
Views are being sought from individuals who have worked in Australia's health and medical research space at some point. Individuals may be in:
- a direct research role (performing research as a primary or secondary activity, in paid or unpaid roles including research students, and in university, medical research institutes, industry, health services or other settings), or
- a supportive role (not directly performing research yourself but supporting those who do, e.g. clinical trial coordinator, research nurses, biostatistician, laboratory technician, medical product research and development, research support officer, etc), or
- a non-research role currently, but have had one or more of the roles above in the past.
The Department will use the survey to form an accurate and broad picture of the health and medical research workforce to inform the Strategy.
In May 2024, the Department announced it will be developing the National Strategy to build on our national strengths and fill any gaps, while attracting researchers and investors to Australia. The need for a National Strategy has been one of the consistent messages the Government has heard from across the health and medical research sector.
The Government consulted with the sector throughout 2023 on ideas to better align the work of the NHMRC and MRFF, of which AusBiotech submitted an industry-led response to. The outcomes of that consultation are currently under consideration by the Government. The National Strategy will cover the entire sector and include all levels of government, industry, philanthropy, academia and consumers.
The survey can be accessed here and will be open until Friday 9 August.
It should take approximately 15 – 25 minutes to complete the survey, with the ability come back to the survey and complete it prior to submission.
