Scientists, career choices and organisational change : managing human resources in cross sector R&D organisations

The Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program is typical of the ways many governments are seeking to promote cross-sector R&D collaboration. Scientists are key resources in these organizational arrangements. However, there is only fragmentary information available about why and when scientists choose to work in these cross-sector organizations rather than others, or the impact of changing funding regimes on their career choices. Similarly, there has been little research into the impact of such partnerships and career choices on the organizations in which scientists work. This paper presents some findings from two new Australian Research Council funded studies in Australia designed to investigate the careers of scientists and the organizational and career implications of participation in cross-sector R&D collaboration. One of the findings show that CRCs may not endure as long term hybrid organizational arrangements as some observers have suggested, but rather remain as transitional structure influencing the partners involved and the careers of scientists.