Working in research and academia

A career in research or academia

Overview

Pursuing a career in academia and research is an exciting way to be involved in educating future osteopaths and developing new evidence to advocate for and validate the profession, improve patient health outcomes, and promote evidence-based practice in osteopathy.

Academics and researchers help drive the direction of the profession and, through their work, can help shape the future of osteopathy within the Australian healthcare system. As academics, osteopaths use their knowledge and experience to educate aspiring osteopaths. This role involves teaching and contributing to curriculum design and development, which requires keeping up to date with recent advances in knowledge to ensure that content is contemporary and reflects best practices. For those interested in contributing to the evidence base for osteopathy, opportunities in research allow osteopaths to investigate topics relevant to clinical practice, contribute to scientific knowledge, and develop innovative healthcare solutions.

Research opportunities aren't limited to universities. Industry partners often seek health researchers to develop health-informed products or services.

What it's like to be an osteopath working in research and academia

Day-to-day life as a researcher or an academic can vary greatly depending on the role. In most instances, it will involve designing, implementing, and coordinating research studies, recruiting participants (if involved in human research), working on ethics and grant applications, presenting research at meetings and conferences, applying for grants, writing manuscripts for publication, mentoring research students, and perusing current literature to keep up to date in your research area. If working in academia, there is a mix of administration for your teaching role (such as staffing, timetabling, and student enrolments), creating and delivering educational content, answering student queries, creating and marking exams and assignments, and ongoing quality improvement to keep content relevant and up to date. Individuals can work in academia without being involved in research, and likewise, they can work in research without working in academia.

Pros and cons

Pros:

Large-scale impact: published research helps build evidence for the profession on a national and international scale.
Supporting future generations: providing quality education to students ensures high-calibre graduates who are ready to tackle clinical challenges head-on.
Networking and collaboration opportunities: researchers often network and collaborate on studies with researchers outside of their institution, including internationally.
Leadership: researchers and academics can become leaders in their field through publication, collaboration, networking, and grant success.
Integration with practice: there are significant benefits to patients, improving evidence-based practice by integrating research and clinical practice.
Hours: working in research and academia can offer remote and flexible working hours.

Cons:

Funding: researchers often rely on external funding to determine what projects will and won't run - securing funding can also be quite competitive.
Clinical time: individuals give up time in clinical practice to focus on research or teaching .endeavours.
Integration with practice: some osteopaths may be challenged by integrating research with clinical practice.
Hours: working in research and academia can sometimes mean working odd hours and putting in additional time and prioritisation of teaching content, writing papers, or completing grant applications.
Siloed working arrangements: working as a researcher or in academia can often mean working autonomously and not involving much collaborative teamwork.

Typical tasks and duties

Academia: creating, maintaining, and delivering course material through lectures, tutorials, exams and assignments. Academic roles can also involve large amounts of administration, such as student queries, staffing, timetabling, and reporting to heads of schools. Some academic roles include developing new programs and ensuring that content meets accreditation standards.
Research: identifying funding opportunities, submitting grant and ethics applications, conducting literature reviews, developing research methodologies, conducting various forms of research, data analysis, publishing, presenting at and attending conferences.

Skills and experience needed

Undergraduate degree
MaMaster'sy research and/or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Postdoctoral experience in research and/or teaching (dependent on role)
Any qualifications in tertiary education can be beneficial but are not mandatory

How to become an osteopath in research and academia

Higher degree by research: includes MaMaster'sy research and/or a Doctoral degree (PhD). Pathways from Undergraduate Studies: complete an Honours year or a MaMaster'segree, followed by a PhD. Some universities offer fast-track PhD positions, allowing progression from an Honours degree to a PhD.
PhD requirements: completing a research project and submitting a thesis or oral defence component (in most institutions).
There are many opportunities during a PhD: teaching undergraduate students or working in administrative roles. Publishing doctoral work enhances one's chances of securing postdoctoral or research-related positions.
To secure a PhD position: contact potential supervisors directly. Discuss your research focus areas and the availability of positions within their research groups.

For clinicians without recent research experience

Graduate Diplomas, Honours and Master's options: available for clinicians with little to no research experience. Typically, 1–2 years full-time. Provides pathways to completing a PhD.
Direct entry to higher research degrees: possible for clinicians with some research experience. Requires evidence of prior research and relevant professional experience.

Further qualifications, training or requirements

While not expected, it is common for individuals in research or academia to pursue further learning (e.g., certificates, graduate certificates, or master's Degrees) in their respective areas of interest.

Salary ranges

Associate to senior lecturer $70,000 - $147,000 annually
Associate professors and professors $140,000 - $200,000 annually
Postdoctoral researchers and research fellows $90,000 – $120,000 annually
Research assistants $60,000 – $80,000
Industry-based research roles $80,000 – $160,000

Who employs osteopaths in research and academia

Academics are employed in higher education settings such as universities and colleges. Research roles vary and are not always synonymous with academia. Individuals can use their qualifications to work in academic, clinical, or not-for-profit/industry-based research roles. Potential employers include, but are not limited to, universities, research organisations, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, professional associations, government sectors, funding organisations, media, and charities.

Usual career trajectories or pathways

Most academic positions require a minimum postgraduate qualification. Individuals completing a PhD will simultaneously seek research and educational experience, including teaching, supervising and publishing research.

Following a PhD, individuals then tend to follow one of two routes. The teaching/lecturing pathway or the postdoctoral research pathway. As the name suggests, the first is primarily teaching-based, while the second is research-based, but it is common for lecturers to engage with research and for postdoctoral to take on teaching. Both pathways can lead to ongoing academic employment in a teaching or research capacity. Building a record of teaching and/or publications will be an important factor influencing employment opportunities, so it is something to consider early on. This experience doesn't have to be specific to osteopathy but can come from teaching or publishing in other relevant areas.

For those working clinically, entering academia can involve starting with casual research assistant or teaching positions such as tutoring or guest lecturing – and then applying for more permanent roles as your experience increases. Regardless of how you enter academia, initiating and maintaining networks in universities is important, as these relationships can often lead to teaching and research opportunities. Academic positions usually follow the same stepping stones - from lecturing to senior lecturing positions that can follow to associate professorships, professorships, Dean roles, etc.

Similarly, research positions follow similar stepping stones: from PhD to postdoctoral researcher, research fellow, associate professorship, professorship, dean's sole, etc. After completing their PhD, individuals can also move into non-academic research roles.

Clinician-scientist
You may wish to incorporate research into your career without giving up your daily clinical work. In this instance, you may consider working as a clinician-scientist. Clinician-scientists often work clinically while completing/incorporating research into their clinical work. They usually do this through collaboration with an established academic or institution. Some might also hold adjunct research positions in universities/research organisations while simultaneously holding a clinical position. There is no linear way to become a clinician scientist, and no formal pathway is offered in Australia. The best way to start as a clinician scientist is to conduct casual research, build university networks, and/or consider mentorship with an established researcher. For individuals looking to trial research without giving up clinical practice - Osteopathy Australia's national Research Pathways Mentorship Program seeks to promote, encourage, and support research culture and leadership in osteopathy. The program pairs osteopaths interested in research (mentees) with established researchers (mentors) to facilitate the mentee's career development and research capabilities through access to one-on-one support from an experienced researcher.

Using a research degree beyond academia-industry and the private sector
For those who have completed a research degree but are looking for roles outside of academia, industry roles are a great opportunity to diversify. Through your PhD, you will have gained transferrable skills in project management, critical thinking, problem-solving, and more – all of which are valuable in a number of different career areas. Individuals with health degrees, and more often those with research degrees, can move into medical writing, medical science liaison positions/pharmaceutical sales, medical/science communication, health policy and governance, or healthcare information specialist roles. The opportunities are truly endless.