I watched as his essential analysis centre spent increasingly time having to scramble and apply for grants whereas much less and fewer was accessible over the science analysis sector, as a substitute of having the ability to spend time on worthwhile analysis.
My son was the final of his group of associates, all honours college students after which PhDs, to depart science that had as soon as been their dream, with the others selecting completely different paths through the years.
I grieve as a result of he used to take pleasure in his work – researching, mentoring medical specialists and different college students, and collaborating with abroad scientists and so on. He nonetheless is not sure of what new path he’ll take.
Judy Eastwood, Muckleford
Australia loses once we mistreat our scientists
Your article is a mirrored image of a conservative authorities’s priorities over the previous years. The best way we deal with our scientific group is a shame, particularly in not rising funding for the very important initiatives as outlined. The themes, when profitable, would save the federal government thousands and thousands of {dollars} on the well being finances.
Why would scientists must reapply for funding on a one-year time-frame? Even sporting contracts have longer time frames.
I hope the brand new authorities will change the state of affairs, inject extra funding and improve the time to reapply, and hopefully the scientists won’t must work important unpaid additional time now outlined and will likely be extra revered.
Shirley Videion, Hampton
‘Feudal system’ of making use of for some analysis grants
Your article on the tenuous lives of our brightest scientists shines a light-weight on the college gig financial system. An extra inequality lies with the antiquated Australian Analysis Council grants, which place excessive worth on the “monitor file” of chief investigators (learn those that have beforehand obtained ARC grants).
Not like the Nationwide Well being and Medical Analysis Council grants, ARC chief investigators can’t draw their wage and should depend on being in persevering with positions at their college.
Given the college gig financial system the place few researchers are in persevering with positions, it implies that social scientists can by no means “get forward” to steer their very own grants and should depend on the minority of privileged, senior lecturers in persevering with positions. It’s a feudal system, which the ARC must urgently tackle.
Cathy Humphreys, professor of social work, College of Melbourne
THE FORUM
Larger training in disaster
The college system is like an previous Sixties automobile, hanging in there as a result of it was as soon as well-built, cobbled along with rubber bands and tape, labored on continually by the mechanics (lecturers and researchers) however well past its use-by date.
As somebody who passionately works at a serious college, my expertise is that universities are obsessive about property acquisition over individuals, wage and time theft is rampant, tutorial boards are ignored, and college councils are stacked with too many individuals who’ve by no means labored in larger training.
Victoria’s Larger Training Minister Gayle Tierney is lacking in motion, and there’s too huge a disconnect and disrespect between these on the high within the extremely paid chancellery and the employees who maintain them going. COVID-19 and its challenges added new stress.
The general public is detached but the worldwide college sector underpins our civilised lives and whether or not we now have a future on this planet.
Conservative governments wage ideological wars in opposition to us and Labor governments by no means get round to long-term reform. I hope it’s completely different this time and that federal Training Minister Jason Clare makes significant reforms. They’re too essential to fail.
Dr Judith Glover, Collingwood
Footballers matter extra
I’ve a digestive dysfunction exacerbated by stress (nerves?). I’m appalled that eminent scientists from the laudable Florey Institute (together with one who’s researching the position of the nervous system in digestive problems), and the Baker Coronary heart and Diabetes Institute must beg for his or her supper and are left dangling. It might not occur in the event that they performed soccer.
Jane Ross, San Remo
Homicide of an amazing man
Myanmar has executed 4 democracy activists. I had the privilege to work with one in every of them, Jimmy (Kyaw Min Yu), after his launch from jail in Myanmar a decade in the past.
I’ll keep in mind Jimmy as a person dedicated to democracy who sacrificed every thing for Myanmar, and his loss of life ought to be recorded as a homicide for which the junta will someday must reply. One other unhappy day for democracy in that stunning nation.
James O’Keefe, East Melbourne
Fears have proved true
I observe the hand-wringing from the music impresarios over the dampening of the Splendour within the Grass pageant. However I stay unmoved, being painfully conscious of the pageant’s genesis and the injury triggered.
The unique entrepreneurs bought the land within the face of sturdy environmental and social opposition. Not solely was the ridge chosen the final wildlife hall remaining between the excessive nation and the coast, it’s also flood-prone and, as has been confirmed, extremely disruptive to the social amenity of locals.
After all these impediments had been rapidly obliterated by the standard mixture of “useful consultants”, state authorities lobbying and fellow travellers on the Byron Shire Council. How do I do know this? I used to be an opposing councillor on the time and, sadly, most of our fears have been realised.
Tom Tabart, Drysdale
Clear up our metropolis
The City of Melbourne has introduced plans to remodel the town’s “desolate areas” and “city blight” into “stylish hotspots” (The Age, 25/7). However the council doesn’t must look underneath railway traces and motorways to seek out appropriate places for these transformations.
Elements of Metropolis Street’s footpaths appear like they could possibly be in a Third World nation. And the council’s plans to enhance them have languished for years gathering mud in some cellar within the City Corridor whereas funds have been diverted to different stylish hotspots comparable to a doggy park.
Peter Value, Southbank
Our insurance coverage coverage
Your editorial calling to close down the new quarantine facility (Sunday Age, 24/7) may nicely have been written by a short-sighted politician seeking to minimize spending.
A lot commentary about our nationwide COVID response has lamented the shortage of planning and foresight for an eventual pandemic, leading to our jumbled, knee-jerk response when it did arrive.
Certainly if we now have learnt something throughout this previous 2 years, it’s that we have to spend money on amenities and applications which will be rapidly stood up within the occasion of one other disaster.
We hope we won’t want the quarantine facility but when we do, we will likely be significantly better off for its existence. Certain, discover another non permanent use for it however maintain it available, simply in case. How good would it not have been if we nonetheless had an infectious illnesses hospital?
Margaret Ludowyk, Brunswick
Proudly owning as much as our position
Robert Scheffer (Letters, 25/7) is appropriate. In our on a regular basis lives, all of us contribute to habitat destruction and lack of species biodiversity.
The hysterical spraying of pesticides each time a lone spider seems in our houses, our obsession with paved surfaces and minuscule, manicured backyard plots, our aversion to a couple leaves on our paths, all result in the lack of very important insect species which play a vital position, and with out whom our personal species wouldn’t survive. Endangered species rely upon our backyards for his or her survival.
Rosenna Hossack, Edithvale
Name for calm compromise
Re “Greens vow to fight Labor on future coal, gas projects (Sunday Age, 24/7). The Greens’ lack of political savvy is disheartening. The artwork of politics is the artwork of compromise, and hard-line attitudes and inflexibility will make it arduous to attain a wise consequence. They need to as a substitute interact in personal and wise debate with Labor to discover a compromise or a ahead considering, well-timed plan.
Opposition events and independents might attempt to wield the massive stick however they don’t have to bear the accountability of the ultimate resolution that rests with the federal government. By no means has there been extra want for a bipartisan strategy to the grave points dealing with not solely Australia however the world. The Greens want to vary their strategy.
Rod Mackenzie, Marshall
The improper candidates
All of us profit when there’s a sturdy opposition to carry the federal government to account. The most recent collection of the Liberal candidates for state preselection (The Age, 25/7) give no confidence this may happen. How did they discover a sceptic of formidable local weather change targets?
Alister Ferguson, Canterbury
Shut the borders now
When we now have no meat and no milk to your cafe lattes, will individuals solely then realise extra must be carried out to guard Australian borders from the devastating foot and mouth illness from Bali? I grew up in a rustic city. Folks’s lives rely upon this safety, please.
Juliette Kent, North Melbourne
In Sarah we belief
Sarah Ferguson, the brand new host of the ABC’s 7.30, is now in her rightful place – commensurate with the depth and vary of her data, and time for her heat to point out. All is true with the world.
Judy McKenzie, Hampton
In search of different investments
Re Malcolm McDonald’s remark (Letters, 23/7) on the low degree of rates of interest set by the Reserve Financial institution. It appears this motion has change into a setting for the massive 4 banks, and others additionally, of their reluctance to supply something substantial within the shorter phrases to term-deposit clients.
The ASX trade traded funds are beginning to look extra attractive than ever.
Raymond Wilson, Avondale Heights
Put local weather physics first
An indicator of the priorities of our society is that very important selections to do with the functioning of our financial system have been faraway from the political sphere and trusted to the knowledgeable members of the Reserve Financial institution.
It’s unusual, due to this fact, that at a time of impending environmental collapse we’re content material that the important targets and instructions on local weather motion stay strongly restrained by the rhetoric from warring political factions, biased enterprise teams and self-seeking media moguls. It’s time for local weather physics to be the pressing precedence, empowered by means of a renewed Local weather Council.
Peter McCarthy, Mentone
The haves and have-nots
Re “House comforts create new class divide” (Remark, 25/7). Roshena Campbell is appropriate that “we aren’t all on this collectively”.
However relatively than continuing between these whose jobs can or can’t be carried out by Zoom, Dan Andrews’ dichotomy arises between public servants who “obtained compensation” to remain at house and people in the actual financial system, a lot of whom misplaced their jobs or giant measures of revenue, whether or not they can Zoom or not.
Douglas Shirrefs, Yea
Why flip again boats?
It was nice to see The Age highlighting the “cynical and hypocritical politics” of the Morrison authorities, in calling for an finish to the “performative cruelty” that has characterised refugee coverage for greater than a decade (Editorial, 25/7).
Nevertheless, I query the rivalry that we “should keep the important coverage of turning again boats”. What in regards to the inherent risks (each at sea and upon return to shore) of sending individuals again? What about Australia’s worldwide obligations and the inherent proper to hunt safety from hurt and persecution?
It’s time for the brand new Labor authorities to formulate honest and compassionate coverage on this space. My hope is that policymakers put apart the drained and questionable “cease the boats” mantra and devise efficient methods for individuals to hunt asylum and achieve enduring safety for his or her households.
Maryanne Barclay, Frankston South
Onerous work, however what enjoyable
Effectively, David Astle, what a smarty pants. Your newest crossword (Puzzles, 22/7) was one in every of your worst. It took ages and plenty of persistence to finish, proper into the night. Thanks for a little bit of enjoyable.
Allan Thomas, Nunawading
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit score:Illustration: Matt Golding
Politics
“A public servant with nothing to achieve” (25/7) might have had so much to lose if an untrustworthy authorities had been elected. Maybe his job.
John Archer, Benalla
If america continues on its path of dismantling democracy, we had higher prepare for giant numbers of American refugees. Will we “cease the jumbos”?
John Hoey, Hampton
The Victorian Liberals’ latest preselections (25/7): the irrational vying to be the unelectable
Rex Niven, Eltham
Tim Smith has gone rogue, however does his previous ally Matthew Man have the desire to confront it?
Andrew McFarland, Templestowe
Effectively carried out, Megan Herbert (25/7), to your snapshot of the political “recreation” – corrupt behaviour rewarded, wise coverage derided.
Jon Smith, Leongatha
AFL
The place is the Richmond military?
Peter O’Brien, Newport
The 9 lives of Collingwood.
William Hennessy, Clifton Hill
Collingwood on each the back and front pages of Monday’s paper. Actually? Spare us.
Jenny Latimer, Bentleigh
Moreover
Splendour within the slush.
Tris Raouf, Hadfield
I’ve been informed there’s a motion in Europe to switch the phrases “motherland” and “fatherland” with “birthing guardian land”.
Graham Bridge, Morwell
Isn’t it time we dialled again the unprecedented overuse of the adjective “unprecedented”?
John Paine, Kew East
Thanks for masking.
Margaret Lothian, Center Park
Do we now have to attend till a parliament, someplace, has a number of COVID-19 deaths? Introduce masks mandates indoors, now.
Mick Webster, Chiltern
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