Fostering early and mid-career research in affective disorders

In the area of affective disorders, the life of an early/mid-career researcher (EMCR; i.e. the first 5–10 years post-PhD) has become increasingly difficult. Statistics on the 2014 grant outcomes from Australia’s peak medical funding body, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), indicate that in comparison to the 30.1% success rate for senior fellowships, just 22.4% of early career and 13.5% of mid-career fellowship applications were successful. Statistics regarding NHMRC Project Grant outcomes are similarly disheartening, with less than 30% of all successful project grants going to Chief Investigators (CIAs) without a full or Associate Professorship and only 6.5% of successful applications awarded to new investigators (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2014). Moreover, despite wide recognition that depressive disorders are among the leading causes of disease burden worldwide (Ferrari et al., 2013; World Health Organization, 2004), less than five of the 183 early/mid-career fellowships offered went to individuals with projects specifically targeting bipolar or depressive disorders (based on project titles and keywords listed in the summary details of the 17 Oct 2014 Announcement (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2014)). When seated in the context of mental health research in general, compared to other National Health Priority Areas, mental health received only a very small proportion of available grant funding (7.1% compared to 18.3% and 15.3% for cancer and cardiovascular disease, respectively), which suggests that research targeting mental health is underfunded in Australia at this time. This is particularly clear in relation to the support of early/mid scholars working in these areas (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2014). Successful funding for EMCRs is largely determined by academic track record and translation of outcomes. To develop a competitive track record, EMCRs are acutely aware that they need to ‘publish or perish’, ‘make broad collaborations’, ‘cement relationships with industry partners’ – and the list goes on. However, without the proper supportive infrastructure, at best this kind of progression is significantly hampered and, at worst, the impending exodus of imminent research leaders leaves the future of mental health in a state of uncertainty. This is a sentiment echoed elsewhere in the world (Clark, 2014; National Institute of Health, 2014). High-impact research requires good mentorship and funding. Successful funding requires a good track record and collaborations; but, as young researchers, particularly those of us in the first 2–3 years post-PhD, we ask ‘Is this really obtainable? Where do we begin? Where do we find genuine support to help us to become legitimately competitive?’. These questions led us to form the Early/Mid-Career Researcher Sub-Committee of the Australasian Society for Bipolar and Depressive Disorders (ASBDD). This committee is dedicated to activities aimed at retaining and promoting early-career scholars working in affective disorder research. In a voluntary capacity, the committee, with the support of the ASBDD, will provide a much needed support network for such researchers through ASBDD membership. We believe that for research output in mood disorders to match the needs in the community, a significant increase in career opportunities for EMCRs will be required. Therefore, we aim to foster improved EMCR outcomes by lobbying for affective disorder-specific EMCR fellowship and project grant funding. We also aim to initiate activities that will facilitate EMCR careers, including collaborative publications, relevant seminars and workshops to discuss and promote EMCRs. These activities would act as a significant impetus for new researchers to enter the field and to actively promote further research in mood disorders. In this way, we aim to build a collaborative cohort of future leaders in bipolar and depressive disorders that will contribute to the promotion of a better research landscape for the future. We invite interested EMCRs to become a part of the ASBDD EMCR membership to promote affective disorders research in Australia