We can do it: Improving research culture and capacity in medical radiation sciences

Driving professional development and growth through research: a commentary

“…35,42 Having research mentors Finally, to succeed in enhancing MIRS research, it is critical to have research mentors. Neep 32 asserts that having approachable and accessible research mentors is one of the most valuable resources in enhancing research participation and output. Hanover Research 38 highlights that those with research experience and skills are needed to support those who are developing their research competence.…”

“…Funding is crucial for research and most countries allocate a significant portion of their budget toward research. Research funding/grants are a great enabler for research growth and impact 32 . Grants should be aligned to specific themes and made available to all levels 5,33 .…”

“…Research funding/grants are a great enabler for research growth and impact. 32 Grants should be aligned to specific themes and made available to all levels. 5 , 33 In addition to research and development grants from public funds, there are multiple sources of funds that can be accessed nationally and internationally.…”

“… 11 assert that lack of time, lack of interest, cost and workplace support are among the contributing factors for non‐participation in postgraduate research in the Australian MIRS context. Neep 32 highlights that protected time is one of the key ingredients in improving a research culture and capability. A proposed approach to establish a MIRS profession research culture is shown in Figure 3 .…”

“…However, Australia has a higher number of medical radiation practitioners (18,772) 11 compared to New Zealand (3533), 12 this contributes to research output and participation being higher in Australia. The number of doctoral qualifications in New Zealand was reported to be low (five) compared to Australia (32). 13 These numbers have increased recently since both countries have experienced growth in postgraduate students.…”