Investigating the Investigators: 2020 Edition
Each year the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council award a set of Fellowships to outstanding scientists. As an Early-Career Researcher, you might say I have a vested interest in understanding the picture these outcomes paint for my ability to pursue a research career in Australia. I’ve written extensively about how the outcomes reflect trends of the scheme as a whole (you can find a detailed description of the 2019 scheme restructure here, and a brief roundup of the 2020 outcomes here). But this still begs the question: just what does a successful Investigator look like in my field and at my career stage in 2020? And perhaps even more importantly for you, what did a successful application look like amongst your peers? So, this year I’ve decided to put the data in your hands!
Introducing the Investigators2020 portal
Meet Investigators2020: a collection of interactive datasets underlying the NHMRC outcomes across four key metrics – Research area, Geography, Seniority and Gender. You can now explore how the Fellowship scheme has evolved with time, how the most successful research hubs are distributed, and what characteristics are typical of successful applications within each funding tier. The landing page includes everything you need to know to get started, as well as some resources for the extra curious among you.
A few words on why…
These Fellowships are the life-blood of many Australian researchers, and are always hotly-contested tickets for emerging and established researchers alike. Astoundingly, given the absolute reliance on data when it comes to everyday science, very little is done with the outcome data beyond cursory summaries of gender and career stage equity. Researchers deserve to know what the overarching trends are and how the scheme has evolved. Now, the interactive and wholistic nature of the datasets means that you no longer have to take my word for it (or anyone else’s for that matter!). In addition, my hope is that the Investigators2020 portal will be a step toward maximizing access to actionable insights for researchers looking to develop their future funding strategy.
Final thoughts
Researchers are already busy preparing applications for the next round of Investigator Grants which close in just a few short weeks, and this year the stakes are perhaps higher than ever before. As crisis looms for the entire Australian university sector, external funding sources will be paramount. For ECRs especially, the next few years look bleak as we are at risk of loosing a generation of researchers without dedicated support.
With outcome data directly in the hands of researchers, everyone has the opportunity to make data-driven decisions about where their energies are best spent next application season. Most importantly, these data offer us as a community the opportunity to evaluate how well the scheme outcomes are aligned with our priorities for supporting innovative and emerging researchers as the future of Australian science.
So, without any further ado…. If you haven’t already, head on over to Investigators2020. Happy exploring!
Are you thinking of applying in the next round of Investigator Grants? Did any of the datasets surprise you, or were they helpful in your decision of whether or not to apply? Head over to the contact page, or let me know on Twitter!
Image credits: inspecting gears with magnifying glass | @ pluyer via unsplash
