Outgoing NHMRC CEO Professor Warwick Anderson has used his final statement in the job to outline some of his concerns over the future of health and medical research in Australia, particularly the reliance of some institutions on NHMRC funding.
Professor Anderson has left the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) after eight years following his appointment as Secretary-General of the Strassbourg-based Human Frontier Science Program.
He will be succeeded by distinguished medical researcher, Professor Anne Kelso AO.
Professor Anderson paid tribute to successive governments for doubling annual support for health and medical research during his tenure.
"Around 10,000 researchers are currently supported by NHMRC and I am astounded when I read of the achievements," he said.
In terms of future improvements, Professor Anderson said ensuring the highest standards in the conduct of research would always remain a priority.
"Research misconduct will never be completely eliminated (scientists are human!) but it’s in everyone’s interest to be as vigilant as possible against misconduct," he said. "It’s also in everyone’s interest to ensure that the best scientific methodology is rigorously applied, to reduce the concerning reports of lack of reproducibility in some medical research."
Professor Anderson also said that institutions should be taking more responsibility for the early careers of young researchers.
"It is heart breaking to me to see postdocs made entirely dependent on gaining NHMRC funding for their ongoing employment at some of our research institutions.
"Come on, this is not responsible behaviour, leaders!" Professor Anderson said.
"Recruiting staff without any assurance of ongoing support is in my mind indefensible, as is inadequate support for women having children."
He advised young researchers to ask for contracts that provide "some guarantee of support beyond a competitive fellowship."
"You might also ask what opportunities your institution could give you to learn other skills that might help prepare you for other careers in science such as in biotech, education and teaching, pharma, policy and government, the NGO sector, the media and more," he said.
Professor Anderson also expressed "ongoing concern" that some small institutions are too dependent on NHMRC competitive funding, which he said undermined their ability to deal with the "flat Forward Estimates for NHMRC funding."
"Research institutes in the USA have folded in the face of flat NIH funding; it would be serious if the same happened here," he said.