They hold the key to Australia’s future but the nation’s brightest minds are being forced to live “in poverty” as they pursue PhDs.
Domestic PhD enrolments dropped eight per cent between 2018 and 2023, despite Australia’s population growing by over seven percent in the same period, a report released by Universities Australia and the Australian Council of Graduate Research reveals.
Despite an increase in the PhD stipend, the payments are still inadequate for many prospective candidates.
For Kate O'Hara, who is undertaking a PhD in biological sciences at the Australian National University, even a $10,000 (US$6,200) top-up payment from the CSIRO was not enough to survive, given the rising cost of living.
“I mean, it’s still not even going to be minimum wage,” she told AAP.
“Unless you work significant hours on top of the stipend, you’re just not going to be able to get by unless you’ve got family or your partner supporting you.
“A lot of people work, and they work quite a lot on top of it, and of course, that just increases the length of time that it takes.”
With students often required to spend more than 40 hours a week on their PhD, taking on extra work on top of caring for a family is simply not an option for many.
As a result, many potential candidates were being deterred from pursuing a PhD, threatening the country’s future economic growth prospects, Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy said.
“PhD students contribute enormously to Australia’s research output and innovation,” he said.
“It is unacceptable to expect them to live in poverty while driving breakthroughs that fuel our economy and progress.
“Without urgent reforms, we'll continue to see PhD enrolment numbers decline, something Australia can ill afford at a time when we need to produce more skilled workers.”
He called for an increase to the stipend to make research degrees more accessible, as well as enabling students to access government benefits like paid parental leave.
“The average enrolled PhD candidate is 37 years old, juggling significant financial responsibilities like families and mortgages,” Sheehy said.
The minimum PhD stipend was just $32,192 (US$19,974) a year in 2024, well below the annual minimum wage of $47,626 (US$29,550).
The Greens say the stipend should be raised to the minimum wage and paid parental leave extended to PhD students, regardless of employment status.
“PhD students deserve so much better than being abandoned to the poverty line,” said Greens education spokesperson Mehreen Faruqi.
“It is a real indictment on our higher education system that PhD students are forced to skip meals, take up exhausting night jobs or rely on their partners’ wages to be able to survive while doing their research.”
Education Minister Jason Clare said the government was still working through the recommendations of the Universities Accord, which called for the stipend to be raised, but had already committed to implementing 31 recommendations in part or in full.
Australian Council of Graduate Research president Louise Sharpe said fixing the financial barriers for PhD students would allow untapped potential to boost the nation’s research efforts.
“With the right incentives, these students could address critical workforce shortages and strengthen our research and innovation sectors,” Professor Sharpe said.
