Chapter 332: The Royal Academy of Sciences
When Arthur met the technical experts from various European countries, a smile would occasionally appear on his face.
The European powers, combined, provided Australasia with over a thousand technical experts. These experts spanned across various fields, including military industry, warships, chemical engineering, medical sciences, and even physics and chemistry.
After this exchange, Australasia's pool of advanced talent became even richer, bringing the country's foundation closer to that of the great European powers.
With so many talents available, the Royal Physical Research Association could no longer manage them all. After discussions with figures like Einstein and Strahl, by the end of October 1912, the Royal Academy of Sciences of Australasia was officially established.
As the name suggests, the Royal Academy of Sciences was designed to gather all of Australasia's top talents. Anyone who had made significant contributions or achievements in their respective fields could join the Royal Academy of Sciences and become a member.
According to the Royal Academy of Sciences' ranking system, members start as Level 1 Academicians, advancing to Level 2 and 3, with titles such as Honorary Vice-President, Vice-President, Honorary President, and President.
The position of Academician was theoretically equivalent to the status of a mayor, Vice-President equaled a governor, and the President's position was akin to a Cabinet minister.
Of course, these were merely theoretical administrative ranks, and while the academicians held such titles, they did not have the actual power of mayors, governors, or ministers.
Arthur assigned these high administrative ranks to the experts, not for their power, but to elevate the status of scientists in the public eye. He wanted researchers to become the role models that every citizen of Australasia aspired to be.
The goal of making science and education the cornerstone of the nation's strength was essential to maintain Australasia's status as a great power, and to even challenge the power of the leading world nations. This made the reserve of top-tier talent, and the country's and citizens' respect for scientists and technology, a very important foundation.
In current-day Australasia, there are essentially three ways to obtain a title of nobility:
The first is through military service, by making crucial contributions during wars that involve the country's survival or major national interests. Such achievements naturally earn a noble title.
The second method is by joining the ranks of the scientific community. If a person invents a technology that significantly impacts an industry in Australasia or has strategic value for the nation, they may be granted medals and nobility.
The third option is for those not involved in the military or research sectors. If someone makes a significant contribution to the royal family or the government, and a medal does not suffice, they may also be awarded a title of nobility.
Aside from these three paths, there is also the possibility of inheriting a title by being born into Arthur's family. As Arthur's children, William and Anna are destined to inherit noble titles, though since they are still very young, Arthur has not yet granted them titles.
Of these three ways for ordinary people to obtain nobility, the first is definitely the most dangerous.
After all, military service in wartime carries inherent risks. Whether it's the machine guns and artillery of World War I, or tanks and airplanes in World War II, these weapons can easily claim the lives of soldiers.
To obtain a title through military service, one not only needs exceptional ability, but also a fair amount of luck. They must survive artillery and machine gun fire on the battlefield and avoid stray bullets that often fly overhead.
The remaining two options are difficult, but becoming a researcher is slightly easier.
Of course, this doesn't mean that researching a technology that can change Australasia is simple.
The real challenge is that ordinary people in Australasia rarely have direct access to Arthur. There is no way for them to make major contributions to the royal family or government.
By comparison, becoming a researcher after graduating from university offers a clear path into scientific research, where, with enough skill, making groundbreaking discoveries is not out of the question.
In addition to their rank, members of the Royal Academy of Sciences would receive generous benefits.
Academicians in the Royal Academy of Sciences could hold positions at various universities, and could even have independent research projects.
The Academy also offered high salaries. After expanding the Royal Physical and Chemical Research Association into the Royal Academy of Sciences, salaries for academicians were increased.
For basic salary, Level 1 Academicians received 1200 Australian dollars, Level 2 Academicians 1800 Australian dollars, Level 3 Academicians 2800 Australian dollars, Honorary Vice-President 3800 Australian dollars, Vice-President 4000 Australian dollars, Honorary President 5500 Australian dollars, and the President 6000 Australian dollars.
From the perspective of basic income, the salaries of the Royal Academy's members were comparable to those of experts in European countries.
When factoring in research and part-time incomes, the academicians of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Australasia may even earn more than renowned European experts.
Among the 1,607 technical personnel sent by Europe, over a hundred were engaged in research in fields like physics, chemistry, medicine, and technology, which were precisely the types of talents that Australasia urgently needed.
These more than 100 talents were naturally recruited into the Royal Academy of Sciences, bringing the total number of members to 221.
Of these, 155 were Level 1 Academicians, 58 were Level 2 Academicians, 6 were Level 3 Academicians, 1 was a Vice-President, and 1 was the President.
The President of the Royal Academy was, naturally, Einstein, the former president of the Royal Physical and Chemical Research Association, and the Vice-President was Tesla.
Among the 221 members, Arthur was most familiar with and valued the contributions of Einstein and Tesla. While others also had some renown, they were still not as famous as these two.
The Royal Academy of Sciences offers various pathways for promotion. Aside from producing noteworthy research, contributions to the Academy and the royal family, as well as profits generated from research results, could elevate an academician's rank.
However, after the Royal Physical and Chemical Research Association became the Royal Academy of Sciences, the membership doubled, which also meant that the annual research budget of the Academy would significantly increase.
Theoretically, though the membership had doubled, the majority being Level 1 Academicians would allow the per capita research funding to remain similar to the previous amount, 30,000 Australian dollars.
This meant that the Royal Academy of Sciences' annual research funding would likely range from 6 million to 7 million Australian dollars, a substantial expenditure.
Though the royal consortium could afford this expense, it was important not to allow the technical experts to access research funds without restraint.
To address the rising research budget, Arthur, after consulting with Einstein and Tesla, decided to implement a policy within the Royal Academy of Sciences.
First, the research budget for each academician would be allocated based on their rank.
A Level 1 Academician could apply for a maximum of 10,000 Australian dollars per year for research, Level 2 Academicians could apply for up to 20,000, and Level 3 Academicians could request up to 30,000. Vice-Presidents could apply for up to 50,000, while Honorary Presidents and Presidents could apply for up to 100,000.
Academicians could also apply for funding based on specific research projects, with funds allocated for projects requiring anywhere from one month to two years of research.
Level 1 Academicians, when applying for project funding, could request a maximum of 20,000 Australian dollars for each project.
Although applications for research funds were generally approved, if an academician's research project failed the previous year, their funding for the next project would be reduced by half until the research was successful.
This ensured that the research funds were being used appropriately and that academicians, especially those without firm control over their projects, would consider the consequences of failure before recklessly pursuing projects.
Arthur wasn't worried about these experts spending money, but he didn't want the process to be so easy that it would lead to complacency, negatively affecting the progress of research.
Though the research budgets would be reduced to an extent, for truly capable researchers like Einstein and Tesla, their budgets would remain unaffected.
The academicians who would be most affected were the Level 1 Academicians, i.e., the average European researchers.
However, even the lowest-ranking Level 1 Academicians, with their annual research budget of 10,000 Australian dollars, equivalent to 5,000 British pounds or 25,000 U.S. dollars, would still receive a sizable amount.
This was a significant sum, especially since fewer than 1,000 people in all of Australasia earned more than 10,000 Australian dollars annually.
Considering that this was a large amount for most of the population, it further underscored the value of becoming a member of the Royal Academy.
While research budgets were cut for ordinary researchers, this was less of an issue for mid-to-senior-level researchers, as many of their projects were relatively small and required lower funding.
For large projects involving dozens of academicians, Arthur had set up a special funding plan for large projects.
Level 2 Academicians could apply to collaborate with other Level 1 and Level 2 researchers for medium-sized projects, typically requiring about 50,000 Australian dollars, though special cases could increase the funding.
From Level 3 Academicians onward, they could apply for large-scale projects, with Level 3 Academicians eligible for a maximum of 100,000 Australian dollars, Vice-Presidents for up to 200,000 Australian dollars, and the President for up to 500,000 Australian dollars.
Of course, these numbers were theoretical, and actual funding could vary, but it would not exceed double the amount.
Upon successful project completion, the academicians would receive rewards based on the importance of the project, ranging from 1,000 to several thousand Australian dollars. For projects that were crucial to Australasia, the rewards could be as high as 10,000 to 30,000 Australian dollars.
For those groundbreaking projects that could dramatically change an industry in Australasia, the reward was based entirely on Arthur's discretion.
Nonetheless, for such high-value projects, the reward would certainly be generous, and could include medals, titles, and even peerage.
With all these policies in place, the academicians' salaries were far higher than their basic pay. This was Arthur's gift to the researchers, ensuring that those contributing to the prosperity of Australasia were properly rewarded.
In addition to these various financial rewards and policies, all members of the Royal Academy of Sciences would receive a villa near the Academy, as well as a BenzOne car produced by the Benz Automotive Factory.
If an academician was unable to drive, the car factory's employees could personally train them, or the Academy could hire a driver for them.
With a driver's salary of just 50 Australian dollars, it was a small expense for the Royal Academy, but it ensured the academicians could easily travel between their homes and the Academy, allowing them to focus on their work.
(End of Chapter)
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