Future fellowships for outstanding researchers

Media Release from Senator the Hon Kim Carr

The Rudd Labor Government today delivered on its election commitment of funding of $326 million over four years to create a Future Fellowships scheme for top mid-career researchers.

The scheme will offer 1,000 talented Australian and international mid-career researchers four-year fellowships of up to $140,000 a year.

Host organisations will receive up to an additional $50,000 a year to support related infrastructure and equipment for research projects.

The outstanding work conducted by our best and brightest is the foundation stone upon which Australia is building a first-class, internationally competitive national innovation system.

The Australian Government values the important contribution made by researchers to our community’s short- and long-term prosperity, and is committed to fostering research talent at all levels.

It is essential that we encourage, support and nurture future generations of exceptional Australian and international researchers and make available real opportunities to build a career here in Australia.

The Future Fellowships scheme will act as an additional incentive to attract high calibre researchers in all disciplines across the spectrum of pure basic, strategic basic and applied research to undertake their work in Australia.

The Australian Research Council is responsible for developing the Future Fellowships scheme and will collaborate with the National Health and Medical Research Council and other public research organisations on the scheme’s assessment processes.

Stakeholders will be invited to participate in the scheme's development, with the first round of Fellowships scheduled to commence in 2009.

Source: Office of Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science & Research