The Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS) PhD student mentoring scheme, run by the Australian Academy of Technology, has taken out the award for the Best Higher Education and Training Collaboration 2016 at the Business/Higher Education Round Table (B/HERT) National Awards.
The B/HERT Award was made jointly to the Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) and its key IMNIS partners – AusBiotech, Techin/BioSA, La Trobe University, University of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT University, University of South Australia, Flinders University, University of Adelaide, University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University, Curtin University, Murdoch University and Mentorloop.
IMNIS is ATSE’s national industry-led mentoring initiative linking PhD students in STEM with experienced industry mentors who provide advice and act as role models for industry-based STEM careers.
The aim is to develop a new generation of industry-aware PhD graduates. Through engagement with industry mentors, graduate students expand their knowledge of, and appreciation for, research and development and commercial activities in relevant industries.
Over the past two years’ programs have been established in three States with 100 PhD students from 11 Universities partnering with industry groups such as AusBiotech, Engineers Australia Western Australia and
TechinSA (formerly BioSA) to recruit leading professionals in their fields to mentor the students.
“Engineers Australia has been a strong supporter of the IMNIS program in Western Australia (WA) from the start, hosting the launch event in July 2015,” said Susan Kreemer Pickford, Engineers Australia WA General Manager.
“There is a culture gap in Australia between academia and business, one wider than virtually any other developed country. IMNIS is about changing this culture for PhD students. We want to encourage a future in which the best and brightest in STEM pathways will be leading the technological development of the country and companies they work for or have founded,” added Ms Kreemer Pickford.
In a recent survey, the vast majority of participants said they would strongly recommend the IMNIS program, saying it expanded their options outside academia.
In 2017, IMNIS plans to expand the existing programs into other States and develop mentoring programs in the agriculture and ICT sectors, with the aim of having more than 500 PhD students each year being mentored by Industry leaders.
IMNIS has a pilot program in Western Australia in the Minerals and Energy sector with four universities participating (University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University and Murdoch University). Discussions are underway with groups in Queensland and New South Wales to engage in the IMNIS program.
IMNIS Principal Professor Paul Wood FTSE said collaboration between business and publicly funded research organisations (PFROs) was crucial to improving the translation of research into productivity.
“By developing a new generation of PhD students who have a better understanding of industry and the skills it values we hope to create a more innovation-focused culture within the biosciences community,” he said.
“With only 10 per cent of PhD students finding long-term academic positions it is critical that they develop skills outside of their specific technical area. If the future PhD students do not see and understand the opportunities beyond an academic.
You can visit www.atse.org.au/imnis for further information and to enrol as a mentor in IMNIS.