Future Humanities Workforce

Investigating the contribution and preparedness of Australia’s humanities workforce for the future of work in academia and beyond.

The Future Humanities Workforce project will provide a new account of Australia’s humanities workforce to ensure we are positioned to adapt to changing research environments, digital disruption, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.

  • How can we best support and develop the next generation of humanities researchers?

  • What are the knowledges and skillsets needed into the future?

  • What are the consequences of gender inequities for the health and capability of the workforce?

Objectives

The project aims to:

  • investigate the sustainability of the research workforce, with a focus on gender equity, workforce diversity, and early career researcher development;
  • identify skills and knowledge priorities for future research and workforce environments, with a focus on data and digital literacy; and
  • develop a distinctive set of workforce strategies to ensure the sector is best placed to contribute to Australia’s future, enabling effective responses to global opportunities and challenges, and to changing national research and training needs.

Progress

Project team

Led by former Academy president and ARC Laureate Fellow Professor Joy Damousi FASSA FAHA, the project team includes:

Acknowledgement

This project is funded by the Australian Research Council through the Learned Academies Special Projects scheme. The scheme invests in the future of Australian research by providing vital funds to the Learned Academies to support strategic disciplinary initiatives.

Australian Government Australian Research Council logo

Acknowledgement of Country

The Australian Academy of the Humanities recognises Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of this land, and their continuous connection to country, community and culture.