Supply, demand and approaches to employment by people with postgraduate research qualifications in science and mathematics: final report

This is the final report of the Science and Maths Postgraduate Project conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). The purpose of the project was to build knowledge and understanding of issues related to the supply, demand and employment outcomes for people with higher degree research (HDR) qualifications in science and mathematics. A number of key findings are highlighted: Australia has a growing supply of people with HDR science and mathematics qualifications, however, the rise in Australian university completions in the science and mathematics fields is below that in non-scientific disciplines; universities are finding it increasingly hard to attract high quality PhD candidates in the mathematics and science disciplines due to a strong graduate employment market, the lack of emphasis on higher degrees in industry (due to a perceived decline in emphasis on research and development), very low stipends for PhD candidates and declining numbers of students in school and at the undergraduate level studying in most of these fields; in comparison with other countries, Australian growth and per capita completion numbers in HDR qualifications in science and mathematics appear strong; employment demand for people with HDR qualifications in science and mathematics is difficult to monitor and quantify using available data; and consultations and case studies suggest that within private industry in Australia the perceived need for HDR qualifications in the science and mathematics fields is very low. Show less