Dear Program Partners and Supporters,
The Federal Government is currently seeking advice to scope its new University Research Commercialisation Scheme (URCS), aiming to better commercialise university research outputs.
I am writing with information on how APR.Intern aligns with Government priorities, and to encourage you to make a submission for continued Government support of a national PhD internship program.
APR.Intern’s mandate aligns directly with the fourth issue for discussion in the Scheme’s consultation paper – “industry-university collaboration”. Specifically, the need for the Scheme to support PhD students in undertaking industry research to drive collaboration on page 10.
Under the Government’s National Research Internships Program (2017-2021), APR.Intern has facilitated more than 600 industry-university research collaborations; nurturing the translation of research skills into business innovation and commercialisation across Australia.
Ongoing Government support will ensure continued:
- Provision of a simple PhD internship program for businesses to engage Australia’s brightest PhD research talent and broker industry-university collaboration
- Improvement of employability outcomes for research students (70% of job-ready interns were offered employment following their internship)
- Increased industry-university collaboration (71% of internships are unique collaborations between the industry partner and university)
- Ongoing support for Australia’s innovation and research commercialisation agenda
This is an opportunity to share your program feedback with Government; to describe how APR.Intern has supported your organisation in pursuing industry-university research collaboration.
Please see a guide we have developed for submissions here.
Submissions (up to 1,500 words) can be emailed to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment at urcs@dese.gov.au, up until 11.59pm AEST Friday 9 April 2021. More information: dese.gov.au/urc.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Warmest regards,
Lisa Farrar
National Program Manager, APR.Intern
APR.Intern’s Impact under the National Research Internships Program (2017-2021):
- 614 PhD students placed into short-term industry-university research collaborations
- 313 industry partners, spanning all sectors and sizes
- 32 universities engaged in the program, nationally
- 71% of internships were unique collaborations between the university and industry partner
- 70% of job-ready interns were offered employment following their internship; of those, 73% were offered a non-academic position and 27% were offered an academic position
- 90% of interns reported the internship was either important or very important in preparing them for future employment
- 74% of internship project outcomes were implemented, and 89% of industry partners surveyed intend to continue the research collaboration.
- 99% program satisfaction rate among industry, students and academic mentors
