A flagship academy established by The University of Western Australia is expected to strengthen research capability across all career stages and boost WA's future workforce and economy.
UWA's new Researcher Development Academy (RDA) – launched by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Science and Innovation, Yaz Muburakai MLA – is a university-wide initiative that brings together researcher training, leadership development, supervision, mentoring, industry engagement and career development under one coordinated framework.
Designed to strengthen research excellence, innovation and societal impact, the academy provides integrated training and support for higher degree by research (HDR) students, early-to-mid-career researchers, senior researchers and supervisors.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Training), Professor Hélène de Burgh-Woodman, said the academy represented a significant investment in the researchers who would help address Western Australia's future challenges and opportunities.
"The extension of the PVC (Research Training) portfolio from Master's and PhD students right through to early-to-mid-career researchers means we now have oversight and remit for that entire early career into mid-career researcher transition," Professor de Burgh-Woodman said.
"We really become the custodians of that talent pipeline."
She said the academy, which supports more than 3,000 researchers across UWA, reflected a broader shift in how universities prepared researchers for a rapidly changing world.
"What we are seeing more and more, particularly from the external environment, is this question of whether we are training our researchers appropriately.
"We can no longer cling to this idea that the PhD is a launching pad for an academic career – the RDA recognises that many of today's PhD and post-doctoral researchers want more than that. They may be pursuing diverse careers across industry, government, healthcare, education, entrepreneurship and the community sector, alongside traditional academic pathways.
"This is really the key focus of the academy – facilitating career paths in all their diverse forms."
Central to the academy is an integrated framework that supports research capability, leadership, communication, industry engagement and career development.
Programs and events include Research Ready, Future Forward, HDR Supervisor Training, industry engagement initiatives, guest speakers from industry and other universities, and the flagship Bold Ideas, Better Futures series.
Professor de Burgh-Woodman said a key focus was helping researchers develop the capabilities needed to translate knowledge into real-world outcomes.
"We're moving away from the idea of doing research because it's a really interesting question, to doing research because it has material impact in the world," she said.
"In order to land that material impact, what skills over and above just being a really good researcher do you need?
"Through the academy we're focusing on training into the entrepreneurial mindset, commercialisation and engagement pipeline – how to project manage, how to work collaboratively in a team, how to communicate research to diverse audiences.
"It's really thinking about the trajectory of the research and your career in the context of broader global challenges."
The academy has already delivered its first Bold Ideas, Better Futures theme – Research Futures in the Age of AI – examining how artificial intelligence is transforming research and higher education.
Activities included workshops, events and discussions for HDR candidates, ECRs and supervisors, culminating in an international keynote by Professor James Zou from Stanford University on AI agents and scientific discovery.
Professor de Burgh-Woodman said the academy aligned strongly with the State's priorities in innovation, workforce development and economic diversification.
"As Western Australia continues to invest in research, innovation and technology-driven growth, the Researcher Development Academy positions UWA researchers to help deliver the knowledge, leadership and impact needed to shape the State's future," she said.
Image above: (Left to right) Ms Patricia Cardoso, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anna Nowak, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Training) Professor Hélène de Burgh-Woodman, Dr. Samuel Mendez, Assistant Minister Yaz Mubarakai MLA, Vice-Chancellor Professor Amit Chakma, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Training) Professor Sarah Collins, Ms Sheryl Goh, Dr. Saule Bekova, Dr. Jo Edmondston, and Mr. Tobias Diamond.
