Tim Ayres

I have heard very similar stories in Australian science, but also more broadly across the social sciences as well, where applications in competitive funding rounds inevitably lead to

to some projects being approved and some projects not being approved.

Those merit-based assessments, which aren't done by government ministers, but of course happen in a system that is designed to make sure that scientific merit is dealt with,

That doesn't obviate how difficult these processes are for research leaders and their staff who throw everything into an application for funding for the next round.

And of course, they're not just doing that in terms of their ARC or CRC funding program or competing within their university for doing it.

They're engaging with potential private sector partners and trying to find sources of funding.

I recognise this is very tough.

for Australian researchers.

A competitive system brings some advantages, but it does mean, particularly where there are successful programs that don't then get funded for the next round, I absolutely recognise that is a very challenging process for scientists and it's been a constant feature of Australian science, you know, ever since the system was devised.

Well, there's certainly workforce challenges there now, but also for the future.

Whether it's in our defence-related programs, medical research, we have to build the workforce of the future.

The meeting that I held just a few days ago with 60 of our research institutions and leading private sector players in this area, I made sure that

that these workforce issues were front and centre.

I'm not on your program offering a policy panacea for these questions.

I recognise that there are some real challenges there and everybody in the system who's engaged with young workers in particular are talking about these questions and I'm very interested in working through how we make Australian science the place that young people in Australia and from around the world want to come and work in.

I don't think it's the kind of set of challenges that invite a short-term answer.

It's palpable.

What I'd say is you wouldn't want to be anywhere else if you've got the capacity and aptitude for science and engineering and maths.

You wouldn't want to be anywhere else but the Australian university system or the Australian research institutions.

There are challenges there.