Research staff in Australian universities: is there a career path?

As universities in Australia have undergone transformation in the past two decades, the pressure on academics to gain external grant funding for research has increased. In the same time period, the number of research academic staff has increased substantially and they account for one-third of the ac...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Labour & industry (Brisbane, Qld.) Qld.), 2013-09, Vol.23 (3), p.276-295
Main Authors: Broadbent, Kaye, Troup, Carolyn, Strachan, Glenda
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Australia
Careers
Employment
Employment contracts
Fabric analysis
fixed term employment
Grants
insecure employment
Occupational Choice
R&D
Research & development
research careers
Research funding
research staff
Tenure
Universities
Workforce
Workloads
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Summary:As universities in Australia have undergone transformation in the past two decades, the pressure on academics to gain external grant funding for research has increased. In the same time period, the number of research academic staff has increased substantially and they account for one-third of the academic workforce. Despite this expansion, there is limited research on the employment characteristics or career aspirations of the research academic workforce. The Work and Careers in Australian Universities survey of 19 Australian universities revealed that the workforce needs to be differentiated on the basis of employment contract as the overwhelming majority of research staff are on fixed term contracts.  There appears to be limited means to transfer from this 'periphery' employment to the 'core' where a permanent appointment and career path are available.
ISSN:1030-1763
2325-5676
DOI:10.1080/10301763.2013.839082