Supporting university research for a prosperous future

There is immense potential for university research to be a catalyst for industry innovation, economic growth and social cohesion.

Professor John Bell Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), University of Southern Queensland. Picture: Celeste Humphrey

In the search for answers to an unpredictable climate, urban population demands and the need to meet net-zero carbon emissions commitments, regional institutions, communities and industries are delivering solutions to the issues that affect us all. A steadily growing skills shortage poses a looming threat to our ability to embrace the challenges and opportunities that abound in the resource-rich areas of Australia.

As a leading educational and research institution, the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) has a long track record of building workforce capacity and delivering the technological innovation our nation needs for future prosperity.

Proof that great research doesn’t just happen in metropolitan universities is our No. 1 ranking for the proportion of top 1 per cent of publications in Physical Sciences and Engineering in the 2023 CWTS Leiden Rankings.

At the core of UniSQ’s targeted approach to education and research excellence are our four flagships: space and defence; health, agriculture and the environment; and regional development. These enable the university to clearly identify areas of strength and differentiate ourselves from other institutions. Although the communities that we are immersed in are diverse, our research activities are clearly focused and have been built on the foundation of longstanding partnerships.

These partnerships have been fostered by our capacity to address critical social and economic needs and by working directly with our local communities. However, this capacity is also identifiable and accessible to national and international partners.

UniSQ’s health flagship is underpinned by our strong expertise in delivering evidence-based interventions for community wellbeing. UniSQ is a founding member of the Manna Institute, a collaborative initiative supported by the Department of Education, based on a three-year strategy to improve mental health and wellbeing in rural, remote and regional Australia.

A dedicated team of university researchers, industry, and community partners actively collaborate with service providers and agencies, First Nations people and those with lived experience of mental illness.

A key focus of the institute is the expansion of mental health workforces to fill the critical shortage of care providers in regional communities. From clinical health professionals and peer workers to community advocates and regional researchers, the institute is building workforce capacity, diversity, and sustainability through promising new collaborations.

Our world-renowned expertise in climate science and drought mitigation has been refined through direct engagement with our farming communities.

UniSQ leads the Southern Queensland and Northern NSW Innovation Hub, one of eight national Drought Resilience and Adoption and Innovation Hubs established through the federal government’s Future Drought Fund.

The success of the hub is supported by UniSQ’s agriculture and environment and regional development flagships, which combine to deliver applied climate science and drought-resilience research through a co-design approach, enabling communities to be resilient, adaptive, liveable and prosperous in the face of change.

If universities are to continue to meet the current and future needs of our nation, it is essential that the higher-education sector receives the support it needs to maintain momentum, and to deliver even more value to our economy.

For the research sector, this means transforming current funding models that are steadily reducing our capacity to support agile and responsive research.

There is a clear and urgent need to increase Australia’s PhD-qualified workforce to build capacity in industry and produce the next generation of skilled research leaders. Yet the funding model for PhD candidates via the Research Training Program block grants is eroding the stipend and number of scholarships available.

Current commonwealth-funded PhD stipends are too low to attract enough domestic students and are increasing the risk that our workforce will not meet the future demands of the economy.

The potential for university research to be a catalyst for industry innovation, economic growth and social cohesion is immense. We need to focus on unique strengths and ensure that universities are supported adequately to be engines of social and industrial development and growth. Universities should be positioned as one of the first ports of call for research and development endeavours, enabling them to focus on strategic priorities and be responsive to industry needs.

UniSQ’s vision for the future is ambitious, but it is reinforced by our focused flagships that have shaped our institution to be a dynamic research ecosystem, achieving industry engagement and community impact on a local, national and global scale.

Professor John Bell is deputy vice-chancellor (research and innovation) at the University of Southern Queensland.