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Introduction Methods Results Conclusion The purpose of this work was to determine the current publication output of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists radiation oncologists (ROs) to serve as a baseline contributing to future assessment of the effectiveness of the College's Research Action Plan 2024–26.An online survey was sent to all ROs in the College's member database in March–April 2024 requesting a list of publications between 2022 and 2023. A PubMed search was performed to cross‐check the self‐reported publications. Given the low response rate (8%), an additional PubMed search was performed for the non‐responders. The primary outcomes were publication proportions and rates, and the secondary outcomes were demographic correlates (gender, country, seniority).There were 536 eligible ROs (56% males; 80% practicing in Australia; median 12.4 years post‐Fellowship) with 1,012 unique publications identified. The proportions of ROs with at least one publication in any‐, first‐ and last‐author positions averaged 45%, 15% and 17% per year, respectively. On multivariable analysis, there were statistically significant differences in publications by seniority (higher proportions of last‐authorships but lower proportions of first‐authorships, for those ≥5 years post‐Fellowship) and by country (lower any‐, and last‐authorships for New Zealand [NZ] than Australia or Singapore).The mean numbers of any‐, first‐ and last‐authorships were 1.6, 0.18 and 0.29 per RO per year, respectively. On multivariable analysis, there were statistically significant differences by gender (males had more any‐, and first‐authorships), seniority (senior ROs had more last‐authorships but less first‐authorships) and country (lower numbers of any‐, and last‐authorships for New Zealand).This organization‐wide study provides comprehensive baseline RO publication data and identifies opportunities for the College to further address correlated disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Methods Results Conclusion The techniques employed in palliative radiation therapy are highly variable, ranging from basic (2D/3D‐conformal) to more advanced (beam modulation and stereotactic techniques), and their relative use has not previously been formally investigated at a national level. The purpose of this work was to assess the current utilisation of palliative techniques and technologies in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).A voluntary, anonymous, internet‐based, RANZCR approved survey was offered to all practising radiation oncology (RO) Fellows in ANZ. Participants selected their preferred methods of managing patients in five case studies involving bone, brain, lung metastases and locally advanced lung cancer.From October 2022 to February 2023, 146 of 485 eligible participants (30%) responded. In all, 61% and 81% would treat an uncomplicated breast cancer solitary spinal metastasis with stereotactic body radiation therapy routinely and ideally, respectively; 11% and 32% would treat a solitary lung cancer brain metastasis with dedicated stereotactic radiosurgery routinely and ideally; 36% and 56% would treat multiple low‐volume brain metastases with a stereotactic technique routinely and ideally. There was negligible difference in the routine and preferred use of advanced technologies for a solitary bowel cancer lung metastasis; 69% and 77% would treat a locally advanced primary lung cancer with an advanced technique routinely and ideally. Relative to Australia, NZ ROs routinely treat uncomplicated solitary spinal metastases (P < 0.001), solitary brain metastases (P < 0.001), multiple low‐volume brain metastases (P < 0.02), and locally advanced primary lung cancer (P < 0.001) more commonly with basic technologies, mainly due to limited local availability of advanced technology and departmental waiting lists.Participants generally favoured treating with advanced techniques and technologies in palliative settings, if available, but there were notable disparities between the two countries. Enhanced local access and clinical training may facilitate optimal utilisation of advanced technologies and improve clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe the research productivity among RANZCR Radiation Oncology (RO) trainees. Methods: Publicly available data on RO fellows, who were awarded the RANZCR fellowship between July 2014 and June 2023, was extracted from the RANZCR Annual Reports. Fellows who had qualified overseas and did not undertake full RANZCR training were excluded. A PubMed search was performed for publications by each fellow in the 5 years prior, and 6 months, after the estimated completion of training. Research productivity was defined as the number of first‐author and any‐author publications per trainee. Results: In total, 168 eligible RO fellows were included in this study. 104 (62%) and 118 (70%) fellows had first‐author and any‐author publications during training, respectively. A total of 203 first‐author and 308 unique any‐author publications were identified, with mean first‐author and any‐author publications per trainee of 1.21 (SD = 2.37) and 2.02 (SD = 3.71), respectively. Trainee research was most commonly published in JMIRO (34% of first‐author and 27% of any‐author publications). There were significant differences in the number of first‐author publications by gender (P = 0.04) and training jurisdictions (P = 0.03). There were also differences in the number of any‐author publications by gender (P = 0.002) and training jurisdictions (P = 0.03). There was a significant increase in any‐author publications over the 9‐year study period (P = 0.005). Conclusion: This is the first study evaluating research productivity among RO fellows during training. We identified disparities in research productivity by gender and training jurisdictions. This offers opportunities to tailor efforts to better support a vibrant and productive research culture across the RO training program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the need to enhance the research curriculum for trainees in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR). While research culture is well-developed in the field of Radiation Oncology (RO), it has not traditionally been a strength in Clinical Radiology (CR). The current research curricula for trainees in both faculties have limitations, with a significant number of trainees not producing publications. The article introduces the ENHANCE Project, which aims to shift the emphasis from completing research projects to acquiring essential research competencies. The project seeks to challenge longstanding assumptions and methods of research training in medical education. [Extracted from the article]

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) established the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (AIC) to address the implications of AI and machine learning in clinical radiology and radiation oncology. The committee advises on regulation, safety measures, training programs, patient safety, ethics, and workforce implications related to AI. The AIC's position statement focuses on autonomous AI, emphasizing the need for caution, oversight, and adherence to medical and ethical principles when using these systems in clinical practice. The statement highlights the importance of rigorous testing, human evaluation, and risk assessment before deploying autonomous AI tools in medical settings. [Extracted from the article]

Higher education systems around the globe are experimenting with different strategies to foster internationalization and networking, achieve critical research mass, and strengthen innovation and labour market integration. This paper discusses how Portugal, since 2006, has pursued a distinctive international collaborative strategy to induce critical changes in strategic focus areas at its leading institutions. Utilizing survey and interview data from the MIT-Portugal Program, this paper demonstrates how international collaborations are used to raise student internationalization and selectivity rates, to create national clusters of excellence, and to re-orient engineering education towards innovation and entrepreneurship. The data show that MIT-Portugal has created significant spillovers into Portuguese institutions, underscoring the potential of international collaborations to be drivers of systemic change. We argue Portugal's collaborative approach represents a model strategy for building a targeted human resource, research, and innovation base suited for long-term economic growth. Our findings are relevant for other countries facing similar transition challenges.