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#AdvanceAustraliaCare is trending in Australia today.
This is a campaign from the @TheASMR1 to highlight the great work that Australian Medical Researchers are doing, and would love to do if funding wasn't basically impossible to get. A
This is a campaign from the @TheASMR1 to highlight the great work that Australian Medical Researchers are doing, and would love to do if funding wasn't basically impossible to get. A
I've been lucky to have had funding for my salary from the @nhmrc 2017-2020. It allowed me to transition into an ongoing position, so I at least have a secure job (as secure as it gets in the university sector). But the fellowship I had came with just $5000/year to do my research
I do molecular nutrition research. $5000 is the cost of one set of assays. So I spend alot of time applying for other funding and chasing $$$. I don't have a sugar mumma/pappa prof throwing me money. I run my research team on enthusiasm and fumes. But we still do great work.
In COVID times we have all become very interested in medical research, in the search for a vaccine, and suddenly everyone knows what epidemiology is (something that I used to need to explain constantly). But medical research is for and is so much more than just emergencies.
Medical research is built on basic science where discoveries are made without a translation or final endpoint in mind. Sometimes we just need a curious question about how something works to uncover what is needed for a big breakthrough.
Medical research might not seem pressing in your life, most people aren't interested until they/someone they love are touched by an illness. But please be part of the campaign to invest in us. We need public support. We can't rely only on industry funding & commercialisation.
Especially not in fields were commercialisation might not best serve the public interest. Most researchers took this career path to make a difference, theirs easer tracks to get rich on. We don't want to be rich, we want to help. Please support us.
How can you help #AdvanceAustraliaCare? You can remember who supports medical research at election time, donate to research institutes, teams & support organisations, you can RT some of the awesome+awful stories from scientists. You can volunteer to be study participants.
You can give the scientists you know a (virtual) pat on the back, shout out or a coffee. We live in a constant cycle of begging and rejection. The work we do is thrilling and inspirational, and we love it, but its also often soul crushing, relationship destroying and hard.
