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ACADEMY GIVES YOUNG RESEARCHERS KEYS TO SUCCESS
11 February 2008

Top younger scientists will get a unique opportunity to access expert advice and enhance their careers at a workshop organised by the Australian Academy of Science.

The country's peak science body has invited over 60 high flying post-doc researchers to attend a workshop on Enhancing the quality of the experience of early career researchers.

Senator the Honourable Kim Carr will open the workshop as one of his early official engagements as Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

The workshop will run from 14-15 February 2008 in Canberra, and is designed to boost the skills of talented researchers in several key career areas. Researchers will also have the opportunity to tell the Academy what skills and mentoring they feel will be needed by our best Australian scientists entering careers in our Universities, research institutes, industry and government agencies.

It will cover grants-writing, international collaboration and networking, media and public speaking, finance, and negotiation, and how to mentor and be mentored on issues such as life balance and maintaining a dynamic profile at a time when many researchers will have to retrain several times during their career.

Key speakers at the workshop include:

• Professor Margaret Sheil, CEO of the Australian Research Council (ARC)
• Warwick Anderson, CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
• Professor Bob Williamson, Chair of the National Committee for Medicine, Australian Academy of Science

The Academy has long recognised the need to support scientists at the early stages of their careers to make sure the best Australian researchers will be attracted back from overseas, attract new researchers to Australia, and ensure that our scientists have the skills to adapt to and seize new opportunities.

Over many years the Academy has provided support for early- and mid-career researchers through events and programs such as the annual researcher think tanks, the Australian Frontiers of Science symposium, and many Science at the Shine Dome activities. This workshop is another initiative of the Academy to support new Australian researchers, funded by the Australian Research Council.

The Academy supports the commitment of the new Government to offer 1000 Future Fellowships to mid-career researchers by 2012.

The workshop program is available at www.science.org.au/events/14-15february08.htm.