The National Committee for Chemistry (NCC) is currently carrying out the first Decadal Plan for Chemistry. The goal of the decadal plan is to understand the role of chemistry in Australian society—its strengths, its weaknesses and its challenges. The plan will outline how the discipline will move forward over the next 10 years. It will explore teaching and research, the role of government, the nexus with industry, employment and outreach within chemistry, as well as the role of chemistry in advancing Australian society, for example through improved environmental awareness, by expanding our capability in advanced manufacturing, and by increasing our understanding of the world around us.
Chemistry is the largest scientific discipline, and is often termed the central science. At present, 29 of Australia’s universities have dedicated chemistry departments.[1] Contrary to popular belief there is close to gender balance with 55.7% of all graduates in chemistry being male.[2] Mean annual salaries are $50,000, with a mean graduation age of 22. Around 50% of chemists work in industry, 25% in universities or teaching, and 24% in government laboratories[2]. The peak body for chemistry is the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI), which currently has some 5,000 members and has a rising membership.[3]
Chemistry is strongly coupled to industry. For example, chemicals and plastics supply 109 of Australia’s 111 industries. There are 60,000 people employed in the chemical industry and it is our second largest manufacturing sector. The sector contributes $11.6 billion dollars annually to Australian GDP.[4,5]
Research in chemistry at Australian universities is at, or above, world-class standard as evident from both the Excellence for Research in Australia (ERA) assessments in 2010 and 2012.[6] Typically, Australian research in chemistry accounts for 2% of high-impact research publications while chemistry researchers account for barely 1% of world population of workers in the field—we publish well above our weight. As many as six chemistry departments are in the top 100 in the world according to current university rankings.[7] However, despite the clear vitality of chemistry research and industry in Australia, the landscape is changing. Manufacturing overall is declining, investment by industry into research is stagnant, and chemistry as a whole often has a poor reputation within the community. These trends are worrying and provide a signal that a true audit, review and roadmap of the discipline are overdue.
Surprisingly, despite the impressive figures, no true decadal plan for chemistry has ever been prepared. A strategic plan and vision was put together by Tom Spurling, David Black, Frank Larkins and Tom Robertson in 1993 but unfortunately gained little traction, though many of its recommendations would be relevant today.[8] In 2005, a review of chemistry was carried out by the RACI, but this focused tightly on the education and training aspects and did not provide a roadmap for the future.[9] A smaller report commissioned and managed by CSIRO explored the state of the chemistry industry in 2006.[10]
The Decadal Plan for Chemistry will:
The decadal plan will provide the key information and knowledge needed to help direct future investment in chemistry, enabling us to tackle the following fundamental questions:
The final plan will be delivered to government in early 2016. The plan is targeted at: chemistry researchers and educators, educational bodies including high schools, tertiary sector institutions, government agencies, industry and business. The decadal plan will be implemented through a collective approach across education, industry, research and government with clear-cut goals and milestones over the lifetime of the plan. The RACI will provide a focal point for much of this activity.
© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
