Sector leaders have combined to try to coax world-class research leaders from the universities under siege offshore.
The Australian Academy of Science has launched a Global Talent Attraction Program, directly targeting US institutions where the Trump administration has shut down key research areas in renewables development, diversity and climate change, while also slashing budgets of key institutions.
“We must act swiftly to capitalise on this opportunity,” the Academy’s President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said.
“The Academy has designed a competitive relocation package sufficient to attract leading scientists and technologists to Australia to work in any research organisation or industry.”
The Academy is seeking funding to attract sector leaders, such as Michelle Simmons and Lidia Morawska, who were lured to Australia and have anchored areas of blossoming research excellence in quantum computing and airborne disease transmission respectively.
The catch is that the Academy requires philanthropic support to build the campaign, and needs to navigate the anti-immigration posturing from multiple parties in the Federal Election campaign – while acknowledging that other countries are already on the hunt for talent.
Griffith University Vice-Chancellor Carolyn Evans has spoken in support of a campaign to attract talent.
With challenging working environments, Government opposition and funding cuts in key disciplines overseas, now would be a great time to recruit elite researchers to Australia, Professor Evans said.
“We could have an amazing opportunity to accelerate a small, focused visa class for top tier academic talent at all levels of the talent tree to come in and absolutely game-change some of these areas,” Professor Evans said.
“People need to feel like the environment that they’re in is a conducive one to serious academic debate and where they don’t risk being shut down by government.
With huge cuts to university funding in the US and elsewhere, as well as action to shut down programs in areas such as climate change and renewable energy research, Australia offers a safe and attractive destination for world-class researchers, Professor Evans said.
