In a boost for health innovation, the first placements have commenced under a partnership between the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute’s (AMSI) APR.Intern program and the recently established ARC Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies (ARC CPTT).
Enhancing APR.Intern’s focus on accelerating women into STEM, the collaboration will increase PhD industry engagement through placement of 24 of the Centre’s skilled PhDs in short-term research projects over four years.
With data from the Office of the Chief Scientist showing women account for only 16 per cent of Australia’s current STEM workforce*, AMSI Director Professor Geoff Prince said the partnership would open exciting opportunities to address gender equity while equipping a new generation of medical research leaders.
“These projects will have transformative impacts for health innovation, while training PhDs with essential skills to drive commercial medical research and development,” he said.
The internships will contribute to placements to be delivered by APR.Intern under the Australian Government’s $28.2 million Supporting more women in STEM careers: Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI)—National Research Internship Program (NRIP).
With over 500 Australian MedTech companies already in operation and skill demand growing, the ARC CPTT aims to foster supply of PhDs with both the research and industry skills to drive product research and development, and oversee regulatory affairs which are required for future growth of the sector.
ARC Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies Director, Professor Alastair Stewart said facilitation of PhD industry engagement opportunities was central to meeting this challenge in Australia.
“A core mission for our Centre and APR.Intern, this partnership opens critical avenues to provide PhDs with essential experiential industry training helping to future proof the biomedical workforce,” says Professor Stewart.
A collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, the University of Western Australia and 15 partner organisations, the ARC Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies aims to improve technology enabling the selection of therapies and ability to fast track their progression to clinical trial.
Delivered by AMSI, Australian Postgraduate Research (APR) Intern (formerly AMSIIntern) is Australia’s only national all sector – all discipline internship program placing PhD students into business.
These internships are supported by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training thorugh the ‘Supporting more women in STEM careers: Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) – National Research Internship Program.
More Information:
APR.Intern: aprintern.org.au/arc-centre-for-personalised-therapeutics-technologies/
NRIP: aprintern.org.au/govrebate/
*STEM Workforce Report: chiefscientist.gov.au/2016/03/report-australias-stem-workforce/
ARC CPTT: therapeutics-technologies.com.au/
For Interview:
Professor Geoff Prince, AMSI Director
Professor Alastair Stewart, ARC Centre for Personalsied Therapeutics Technologies Director
Media Contact: Laura Watson
E: media@amsi.org.au
P: 0421 518 733
