There’s a “big lump” of scientists in their 50s and 60s, then a yawning gap, Dr Colin Mackintosh, of AgResearch, says.
He is easing into retirement and has serious concerns about the dwindling pool of young talent. His sentiments are echoed by Massey University’s Peter Wilson, professor of deer health and production.
“Quite frankly I have a deep concern for the future of deer research and maintaining what we’ve got, particularly in the veterinary and animal-health areas.”
His concern is partly funding and researcher salary based, but more so around the uncertainty of a long or even medium-term future.
“We need to convince potential career scientists that the deer and wider agricultural industry is a good place to be but for quite some time it’s been a battle because their careers are not secure – (scientific) research is becoming an itinerant career.”
He found out just how difficult it was to plug the research and tertiary teaching gap during the past two years when he unsuccessfully tried to fill a position for a full-time lecturer as part of a succession plan for the deer research team.
“In 18 months there may well not be a deer expert at Massey.”
The uncertain future is causing scientists to look overseas. Wilson gives the example of a former New Zealand-based antler researcher now working in China with a team of 25 and guaranteed funding for 13 years. “Investment is happening in other countries because they can see the benefits of both fundamental and applied research.”
Dr Geoff Asher, of AgResearch, agrees that the lack of recruitment is largely because of the contestable system of funding. Also a turn-off are the fees; students investing five to eight years in university education want assurance of a career at the end of it all, which is difficult to guarantee in the agricultural science sector.
DEEResearch, the joint collaboration between AgResearch and the deer industry, is doing its best, Wilson says, but the funding system does not offer a secure career.
'Quite frankly I have a deep concern for the future of deer research and maintaining what we’ve got, particularly in the veterinary and animal-health areas.'
DEEResearch chairman Collier Isaacs says that providing career assurance is a pastoral sector rather than a deer specific issue.
“We’ve (DEEResearch) always been supportive of getting younger people involved in R&D projects but yes, there is the challenge of working out the gaps in the pastoral sector.”
He says the $2 million spend on DEEResearch projects is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Most of the money – about $1.3 million – comes from AgResearch; $650,000 from Deer Industry New Zealand and the Deer Farmers Association; and $100,000 from third parties.
Isaacs doesn’t think that the Future Footprint will change AgResearch’s contribution to DEEResearch, but believes it is likely funded projects will become broader in context and have cross-species translation.
“Deer specialists will be helpful but so, too, will generalists.”
Aside from DEEResearch, AGMARDT and the Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Farming Fund are non-deer specific sources of funding that require leverage contributions from participating parties. Professor Peter Wilson says Landcorp continues to be an excellent direct and indirect supporter of deer research.
“Landcorp is often castigated by farmers but they have contributed in a way that no other commercial or private organisation has had the will or capability to do.” As well as investing in technology such as the Innervision scanner owned in partnership with AgResearch, Landcorp provided in-kind support.
“They’ve delivered both social and industry good, along industry good, along with their commercial imperatives.”
