Can't do research without the scientists

The Science Engineering and Technology Skills Audit, which was released in July 2006, forecasts that Australia's supply in key science, education and technology areas will not be sufficient to meet future demand. Projected demand for science skills suggests we will need an additional 55,000 professionals by 2012 while our supply is likely to fall short by up to 35%. In other words, by 2012 there will be more than 19,000 unfillable science job vacancies.

The new leader of the Council of Deans of Science, UTS's Professor John Rice, claims that failure to inspire the current generation of school students with the possibilities of science and mathematics can only aggravate the scientist shortfall. Apparently about 8% of high school mathematics teachers in Australia did not study any mathematics at university! If the teachers themselves do not love their subject, how can we expect them to inspire and motivate the students? How can we expect the students will want to take up a career in the sciences? How will we develop the next generation of scientists?

To their credit, the Council of Deans is trying to resolve the divide between the education and science faculties to try and create a pool of inspiring science teachers. The Council is also trying to determine how science education should evolve to provide graduates suited to the world and the workforce.

However, what more can be done?

Encouraging and recognising those within the science industry is a good start. The Australian Institute of Policy and Science recognises the wealth of Australian scientific and intellectual excellence through its Tall Poppy Campaign. Rather presciently, the 1998 inaugural AIPS Florey Medallists, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, are now Nobel Prize winners for medicine.

The Tall Poppy Campaign is sponsored by many Australian universities and government bodies but only three companies - MBF, Johnson & Johnson and Agilent Technologies. Of these three companies only Agilent is intimately involved in the science industry. Agilent deserves a bouquet for (rather quietly) supporting the recognition of scientific excellence in the country but this leaves us to wonder what the rest of us can do to promote our industry to potential scientists.

As a community we need to acknowledge excellence. Achievers should be recognised in situ and not 'promoted' to managerial roles. Bill Gates keeps his best programmers programming and rewards them! He understands that because they are great programmers that doesn't mean they will be great administrators. It's time we recognised our scientists and valued them for their contribution to national prosperity.

The "contribution to national prosperity" is not an overstated claim. A recent study by the Allen Consulting Group measured the economic impact of the government's cooperative research centres and concluded that as a result of the CRC program the nation's GDP is cumulatively higher by at least $1.14 billion.

In truth, we can't just leave the promotion of science to the government and universities and blame them for the scientist shortage. It's time for the working scientists and all the companies both directly and indirectly involved in science to increase their media and community profiles to have science recognised for its value to Australian society and as an exciting field in which to work. Then we will get inspiring teachers and new scientists.