The expansion of postgraduate and early-career research: Student, staff, and disciplinary perspectives

Abstract

We draw on information gathered as part of the Strategic Review of the Psychology Discipline and its Research to discuss the expansion in postgraduate research in psychology that is currently occurring in Australia, and the position of early-career psychologists. Both PhD and professional coursework enrolments are increasing markedly. Given the tight constraints on academic staff numbers and general research funding, postgraduate research will constitute an increasing fraction of Australia's total research effort in psychology. In the context of planning postgraduate research and encouraging early-career research in all settings, we present data showing the diversity of funding sources tapped by researchers in psychology, the importance of links between universities and external agencies and industry, the importance of multidisciplinary research, and the key role played by postgraduate research and research by practitioners in strengthening links between the discipline and the profession of psychology. Beginning postgraduate students, their supervisors, department heads, and policymakers should all carefully consider the full range of possibilities for enhancing the value of postgraduate research. Further, early-career professional psychologists should receive every encouragement to participate in collaborative research, and to consider the full range of collaborative research possibilities in their practice. We suggest a number of implementation strategies towards these aims.