Early- to Mid-Career Researchers

Early to mid-career researchers are the current and future scientists to deliver the next wave of ground-breaking discoveries.

They are also the group with the least opportunity to secure funding and often find themselves in the position of having to give up their research career due to lack of job security.

While this issue impacts the whole health and medical research workforce, it is particularly causing acute problems for early- and mid-career researchers who are trying to establish their careers. These researchers are less likely to have access to other sources of funding that can sustain their research careers and, as such, they spend a disproportionate amount of time writing grants in lieu of generating data or publishing papers.

What we’re doing

By working to fund the full costs of research, these better coordinated funding mechanisms will in turn support the development of sustainable and rewarding careers for those new to the sector, along with also supporting our more experienced scientists.

In 2023, AAMRI launched the AAMRI Rising Star Award, focused on recognising an outstanding mid-career researcher. Since 2024, the AAMRI Rising Star Award is now granted annually, with a tightened focus on celebrating emerging medical researchers who are less than five years into their research career.