Precarity in academia is tied to the contestable funding model.

Kia ora! Sharing this piece on the interface of the current funding model and our precarious research workforce written for the NZAS. There is a vision of how base funding might support researchers salary providing stability as well as recognition for all the work we do in addition to the research tasks described in our funded grant applications. 'This brief explores some of the drivers of precarity that are inherently built-in to our current contestable research funding model; although not by design. Herein, it is also highlighted why funding research and indeed researchers, 100% from contestable sources, does not reflect the reality of what academic researchers do with their time. In reality, researchers need to use a % of their time to do research-related (research-support) tasks, career-building tasks as well as research community contributions that are not explicitly described within the research projects that actually supply 100% of their salary. The system also fails to recognise that research is a continuum of knowledge-building rather than a series of individual research projects. With no element of stable funding base in the current system, the ability of researchers to carry out knowledge-building is compromised and there is therefore knowledge-loss. Precarity of our research workforce also drives skill-loss and is subsequently wasting money and resources. The proposal of a base grant model goes some way to recognise the reality of how research is actually carried out and therefore support a more efficient, flexible system, putting people and their talent first.' https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6350640