Early career newSletters

Issue 11
July 2012

Special issue on science communication
A model for global conversation — Jane Lubchenco
Scientist-to-scientist communication — TJ Higgins FAA FTSE
Train, recognise and reward — Tim Flannery FAA
Take control of your message — Paul Willis
A tribute to Dr Ben Chuwen: celebrating his life, commitment and passion
Launch of the ‘Women in Science, Maths and Engineering’ Parliamentary Friendship Group
News bulletin
Funding opportunities
Brilliant quotes about science

Special issue on science communication

Science is a central value in modern societies. Democracies don’t function properly in the absence of broad, public discussion based on well-sourced information. However, the question of sharing knowledge remains unresolved.

The ability to present knowledge in a clear and interesting way is one of the elementary skills of a successful scientist but there are only very few ‘natural talents’.

Should science and technology communication be addressed on new terms? Should scientific training include courses in science journalism, science policy, economics or management to broaden viewpoints? Should it teach us how to write, present, lecture, get certain points across and maintain visibility?

In this special issue, we report on a recent forum at the Academy with outspoken Obama ‘science team’ member Dr Jane Lubchenco and three outstanding Australian scientists and communicators share their views on the questions ‘How should future scientists communicate?’ ‘What skills should a science leader have?’, and ‘How can this be incorporated into the standard scientific training?’

A model for global conversation — Jane Lubchenco

Jane Lubchenco Images

On Friday 6 July 2012 President Barack Obama’s Under-Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Dr Jane Lubchenco, joined a discussion moderated by the Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute, Professor Will Steffen, on how climate change affects both the environment and human society. Other panel members were the Chief Climate Change Commissioner Professor Tim Flannery and head of the Bureau of Meteorology Dr Rob Vertessy. The event was organised by the Australian National University and took place in the Shine Dome at the Australian Academy of Science.

One of the ‘most highly cited’ ecologists in the world, Dr Jane Lubchenco has been the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since 2009 and was nominated by President Obama in December 2008 as part of his ‘science team’. She is a marine ecologist and environmental scientist with expertise in oceans, climate change, and interactions between the environment and human wellbeing.

Dr Lubchenco presented the work done by NOAA across government agencies to assess and inform about the already visible consequences of climate changes throughout the US. She also gave a great overview on some specific issues related to climate change, such as ocean acidification and the likely consequences for the biology of the oceans, food chains and fisheries. The panel stressed the need for political will to address rising CO2 levels and the importance of focusing on ‘avoiding the unmanageable’ and ‘managing the unavoidable’. They advocated for more engagement from everyone — communities, scientists, business leaders, policymakers, etc. — to change behaviour and take the necessary actions.

The discussion also turned to what constituted an inspiring message on science communication. Dr Lubchenco recognised the need for scientific jargon but said that ‘scientists need to be bilingual’: they should learn to speak not only the language of scientists but also the language of the lay people. Messages from scientists need to be simple to understand, yet still accurate. Dr Lubchenco acknowledged the difficulty of achieving this balance, and later provided a compelling example in a crystal clear, yet technically uncompromising, explanation of ocean acidification in response to a question from the floor. She encouraged scientists to practice speaking in plain language and telling stories to engage colleagues, but also their families, neighbours and friends. Stories, analogies or metaphors may not be perfect but they are useful tools in making science more accessible.

The panel also focused on the importance of rewarding scientists who make efforts to communicate their science to a variety of audiences. Science communication training and recognition can make a crucial difference to how scientific knowledge circulates and is received by decision-makers and the wider community.

Scientist-to-scientist communication — TJ Higgins FAA FTSE

TJ Higgins FAA FTSE Images

Dr TJ Higgins is a leading researcher in plant gene technology particularly in improving nutritional value and resistance to pests and diseases. TJ is a strong advocate of science communication and regularly discusses gene technology in public forums. Webpage: www.csiro.au/people/tj.higgins

The ability to present scientific knowledge in a clear and interesting way is one of the elementary skills of a successful scientist. But many scientists are very poor at conveying the results of their work and are thus at risk of being consigned to the category of ‘unsuccessful scientist’. Does it have to be so? I think not. Scientific training should include courses on how to communicate, first and foremost, with their scientific colleagues. If they turn out to be one of the few ‘natural talents’ then this is a great bonus and they will be able to follow in the footsteps of such fine communicators as Alan ‘Hawkeye’ Alda, Julian Cribb and Robyn Williams [or Carl Sagan! See end of newsletter]. They will be able to get the messages of science across to the community and to the policymakers.

Although most scientists are not ‘natural talents’, they can become more successful scientists if they become competent communicators. Scientists are often very capable of articulating the outcomes of their work to their supervisors or immediate colleagues as long as they can stay in their comfort zone — which is liberally sprinkled with jargon, shorthand phrases, acronyms and a host of other secret handshake equivalents. But can they present, lecture, get critical points across and maintain visibility in the wider scientific community? The answer, all too frequently, is an emphatic ‘no’. This is a great shame since they need the visibility in order to have a positive impact on students, possible collaborators, the scientific hierarchy that will be hoping to be able to promote them and especially on potential employers. It is vital that these potentially ‘successful scientists’ take the next step and work on their communication skills.

How about you? Like many ailments the first step toward a cure is to acknowledge that you have a problem (no matter how good you think you are). Start by asking yourself:

- ‘Am I confident than 90% of the audience at my last presentation understood 90% of what I presented?‘
- ‘Do I spend enough time introducing the topic and summarising the results and their implications?‘
- ‘Can I recall the main take home message of my last presentation to this group?‘

If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions then you almost certainly could use some help and training to become a better science communicator.

Seek the help of a sympathetic colleague or two willing to endure listening to you many times while you work toward a presentation that is intelligible to a slightly broader audience. They will be able to make suggestions for improvement (as soon as you have been able to tell them what you are on about). It is not generally known that KISS stands for ‘keep it simple, scientists’. Improvement will be rapid and who knows, maybe the next David Attenborough is just waiting to emerge!

Train, recognise and reward — Tim Flannery FAA

Tim Flannery FAA Images

Professor Tim Flannery is an internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer and conservationist and one of Australia’s leading thinkers and writers. He was named Australian of the Year in 2007 and is currently Adjunct Professor in the Division of Environmental and Life Sciences at Macquarie University. Webpage: www.timflannery.com.au

Future scientists will be faced with myriad ways to communicate, but fundamental to them all will be the ability to write clearly and compellingly. After all, almost every movie or radio broadcast begins with a written pitch and script. Few of us are naturally gifted writers, and the only ways to learn to write are to read good writing and to practice writing yourself. This is not a trivial skill to acquire, and scientists interested in communication need the opportunity to do this, preferably in a formal setting.

Achieving excellence in science communication is a lifelong pursuit, and it takes decades to perfect the skills required. This means that science communication must be fostered and valued through busy scientific careers. Currently the academic world is very poor at doing this. Universities reward their academics principally on the basis of citation indices, numbers of publications and grant-getting abilities. Most academics are stretched to the limit doing this, and have little time for science communication. Even worse, some academics look down upon colleagues who pursue science communication as second-rate researchers.

If Australian scientists are to achieve excellence in science communication this will need to change. Regrettably, the opportunities for scientists wishing to pursue careers in both research and science communication are diminishing. Historically a disproportionate number of science communicators, such as Steven J Gould, were museum-based researchers. Yet last year the new ARC rules disqualified museum-based researchers from applying for research grants. This weakens substantially the capacity of active, museum-based researchers to pursue their careers.

In summary, what will need to change if science communication is to flourish is for the academic community to value and reward science communication. This means changing curricula to permit the learning of communication skills, and altering the way academics are rewarded. These are systemic changes that involve the value-systems of Academe. They will not be easy to achieve, and may only be approached incrementally. But unless a start is made, the capacity of scientists to communicate the value of their work to the broader community will be lost. And with that will come a wholesale devaluation of the scientific enterprise.

Take control of your message — Paul Willis

Paul Willis Images

Dr Paul Willis is well known as a science broadcaster with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, presenting and producing on ABC television science shows including Quantum and Catalyst. He is passionate about informing, educating and amusing people of all ages and backgrounds about science. Paul brings a solid research career in vertebrate palaeontology to his work as a science communicator and now as Director of RiAus. Webpage: http://riaus.org.au/people/paul-willis. Photo courtesy of David Mariuz.

I think the future looks very bright for any young scientist who wants to communicate the science they are doing (and that should be all of them!). Why? Because the availability of high quality, low cost technology for making stories and free access for distributing them via the internet means that scientists can make their own messages and take control of the content.

Until now, getting your message across to a large audience meant going through a media outlet (TV, radio or print) and making something for those outlets involved specialist equipment that was very expensive. But now most people can afford a few thousand dollars to purchase a video camera that can produce broadcast-quality images or for around $100, get a good quality sound recording device. Editing software for visual and audio media is available free online, and more sophisticated packages can be purchased economically. And you can host your masterpieces on your own website or pass them on to your institutions website for broadcast. So, for not a huge investment of funds, you can become your own mini-media mogul, making whatever you like and presenting it to the world.

OK, it’s not really as simple as that because the skills of audio and video production take time to learn and perfect – there’s no point in producing a story with brilliant content if it looks bad because no one will look at it. And there are story-telling skills that you will need to develop if you want a general audience to pay attention. Then there is the question of where on the internet to place your piece so that it will get the highest visibility and be available to the audience that you intend. But all of this stuff can be learnt by any reasonably intelligent person and placement online is as simple as identifying a suitable content aggregator (and RiAus is rapidly developing that profile! www.Riaus.org.au).

So how do I see the future of science communication? I see scientists taking control of the message and speaking in their own voice direct to an audience spread across the world. That is a powerful vision for selling the message of your research!

A tribute to Dr Ben Chuwen: celebrating his life, commitment and passion

Ben Chuwen Images

Dr Benjamin M. Chuwen, PhD 1974–2012

Dr Ben Chuwen completed his PhD at the Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research at Murdoch University in January 2010 and was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Dr Jeremy Lyle at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) at the University of Tasmania. As an ichthyologist, Ben’s work focused on the biological aspects of key fisheries species, such as black bream, and how such biotic variables can change with fishing pressure and/or environmental change. Ben also developed quantitative ecosystem models for estuaries, published his research in international journals and presented at a number of international and national conferences. Ben had completed the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation’s Advance in Seafood Leadership Development Program and was the Tasmanian State representative on the board of the Australian Society for Fish Biology. Ben used to pride himself on being able to effectively communicate with a wide range of stakeholders and community members to enable the results of his work to be disseminated as widely as possible.

Ben was a founding member of the Australian Early/Mid Career Researcher Forum in 2011 and joined because he wanted to make a difference. As a passionate scientific researcher with a friendly, easy-going nature, Ben was an advocate for all young scientists, regardless of their professional discipline. With a strong commitment to a healthy work-life balance, Ben wrote in his Forum biography, ‘I enjoy a balanced work/family life, which I achieve through being as productive as possible during my working time and allowing myself quality time after hours with my family.’ Ben readily acknowledged the love and support of his family, and how this helped him juggle the demanding roles as both a young father and an emerging researcher.

On Sunday 4 March this year, Ben woke with a ‘lightning bolt’ headache that rapidly became life-threatening. He had a brain arteriovenous malformation since birth which ruptured and caused the first of three severe haemorrhagic strokes. Following multiple surgeries and several weeks in intensive care, Ben passed away peacefully on Friday 20 April 2012. He was 37 years old. Our thoughts remain with his family, especially his wife Nicole and their two young daughters Lila and Gracie. As scientists, we know that research groups also spend a lot of time together and what affects one, ultimately affects all. Ben’s colleagues at IMAS described him as ‘a dynamic and enthusiastic young scientist’ and they all strongly supported Ben’s family throughout this difficult time.

In celebration of Ben’s life, commitment and passion for all things science, the Forum will hold the first Chuwen Keynote address at its inaugural national meeting this September. We all admired Ben’s love for both his work and his family, and we all want to make him proud.

Launch of the ‘Women in Science, Maths and Engineering’ Parliamentary Friendship Group

Parliamentary Friendship Group Images

A new bipartisan Parliamentary Friendship Group aims to celebrate and promote women in science, engineering and mathematics to the benefit of the nation, and work to remove barriers to their full participation and contribution. Established at the suggestion of former Chief Scientist Professor Penny Sackett, Academy President Professor Suzanne Cory AC and Chief at CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering Dr Cathy Foley, the Friendship Group held its inaugural function on Wednesday 20 June 2012 at Parliament House in Canberra.

It was a great success. Over 200 people attended, including politicians from all parties, the Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb AO, and CEO of the NHMRC Professor Warwick Anderson, senior representatives of government departments, and some of the best and brightest female scientists, engineers and mathematicians in the country from a variety of universities, research centres and hospitals. The Parliamentary Friendship Group co-chairs Kelly O’Dwyer MP and Amanda Rishworth MP introduced Nobel Laureate Professor Elizabeth Blackburn AC FRS who spoke as the guest of honour. There were addresses by the Hon Tony Abbott MHR, Leader of the Opposition, and Senator the Hon Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research.

Dr Gayandhi de Silva and Dr Sarah Brough are Research Astronomers at the Australian Astronomical Observatory in Eastwood, NSW. They share their thoughts on the event.

Sarah: ‘I think this friendship group will be very useful. It is crucial to have a forum such as this to bring the important issue of gender equity in scientific careers to the attention of politicians for change to be possible. I had the opportunity to speak to Members of Parliament and found it was no harder than talking to senior figures in my own field. Speaking to them also led to my personal highlight which was finding that there are politicians who care about these issues and are actively looking at ways to address them.’

Gayandhi: ‘I think this group will raise the awareness and profile of women in science, engineering and mathematics. I am not sure if we can expect direct results that improve our condition but making politicians aware that we exist and we have issues can only help get the process started. During the launch I was introduced to Australia’s Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb and could talk to him, which was very interesting.’

Pictured, from left to right: Kelly O’Dwyer, Cathy Foley, Amanda Rishworth and Suzanne Cory having a good time at the launch

News bulletin

Keep the dates: 24–25 September 2012

The Australian Academy of Science Early/Mid Career Researcher (EMCR) Forum will hold its first national meeting, Science Pathways: Getting Science on the National Agenda, at the Shine Dome in Canberra on 24–25 September 2012. The Academy’s aim is to engage more with EMCRs to learn about the challenges they face and discuss some possible solutions. We want EMCRs to have their say!

The event will begin with the inaugural Chuwen Keynote Address named in honour of the late Dr Ben Chuwen (see above). Importantly, young researchers will have the opportunity to extend their professional skills through an Education Session on Policy Development and Implementation, and a Career Hotspot which will also provide the opportunity for EMCRs to network with leading scientific professionals employed at some of Australia’s top organisations in public and private enterprise. This meeting will not only show the many viable career pathways open to you, but also give you the know-how on policy processes and innovation — important to scientists at all levels!

Program and registration available at http://www.science.org.au/ecr/emcr/
For updates, sign up here: http://www.science.org.au/ecr/ecrlist.html

European Union (EU) Research Priorities for 2013 and cooperation opportunities

1. EU Research Priorities: Orientation Papers

The European Commission has recently published a number of ‘Orientation Papers’ setting out the expected research themes for the 2013 work programs of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7). These can be found under ‘Orientation Papers 2013’ on: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/page/fp7_documentation/ Orientation Papers for the following areas have been released (more are expected to become available shortly):

  • COOPERATION - Transnational research cooperation projects on Space; Security; Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology; Industrial Technologies, Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies; Health; Environment; Oceans of Tomorrow; Energy
  • PEOPLE - Mobility, skills and competence development activities mainly through Marie Curie Actions
  • EURATOM - Nuclear research and training activities

2. Opportunities for Cooperation: Brokerage Events

Information days and brokerage/partnering events for the 2013 Work Programme of FP7 will be held in Europe (mostly Brussels) in the lead-up to the publication of calls in July 2012. Although most Australian researchers will not be able to attend the information days/brokerage events, some of the sessions will be web-streamed and presentations and participants lists are usually made available. This might help Australian researchers to identify opportunities and potential partners for engagement in Europe. The following events have been announced:

Applications to use Investigator in 2014–15 now open

The new Marine National Facility Research Vessel Investigator is currently under construction. Owned and operated by CSIRO, the research vessel is scheduled to be available in 2014–2015 for work in all Australian regional seas and oceans, from the tropics to the Antarctic ice edge. Australian marine researchers are invited to submit applications for use of Investigator for research in:

  • physical, chemical and biological oceanography
  • marine geosciences
  • fisheries
  • environmental science

The vessel will be particularly suited to multidisciplinary research projects.

Brief pre-proposals must be submitted by Friday 27 July 2012 and full applications submitted by Friday 24 August 2012. Further details and application forms are available at www.marine.csiro.au/nationalfacility/Investigator/index.htm

International study on the mobility patterns, career paths and working conditions of researchers

The European Commission recently launched a large international study on the mobility patterns, career paths and working conditions of researchers (www.more-2.eu). A first survey focusing on the opinions of researchers currently working in a European university was launched in June 2012.

This second survey looks beyond Europe and focuses on the international mobility of researchers to and from Europe and other places in the world. It targets both EU and non-EU researchers.

The European Commission would like to know about your views, needs and experiences with international mobility. Which countries have you worked in as a researcher? What factors have played a role in your decisions to move country? Have you previously worked in Europe and if so, how does this compare to other parts of the world? Have you considered carrying out future research in Europe?

Your responses will help the European Commission to develop better policies that should improve the mobility opportunities, career prospects and working conditions of researchers.

The questionnaire should take no more than 15–20 minutes to complete. It will remain open till Saturday 15 September 2012. All answers will be treated as strictly confidential and processed anonymously.

The survey on working conditions and mobility of international researchers can be found at http://s.chkmkt.com/?e=21264&d=e&h=0B637FEC1B8E248&l=en

2014 will be the International Year of Crystallography

At their 66th General Assembly on 3 July 2012 the United Nations adopted the resolution that 2014 will be the International Year of Crystallography. Introducing the resolution, the representative of Morocco noted that crystallography was ever-present in modern life in drug development, nanotechnology, biotechnology and the development of new materials.

2014 marks the centenary of the birth of modern crystallography, marking the experiment by Max von Laue that showed that X-rays were diffracted by crystals. Father and son William Henry and William Lawrence Bragg showed in 1913–1914 that the diffraction of X-rays can be used to determine accurately the positions of atoms within a crystal and unravel its three-dimensional structure — work which ultimately resulted in the award of the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly to father and son.

Research universities and the future of America

Research universities and the future of America The US National Research Council released Research universities and the future of America: ten breakthrough actions vital to our nation’s prosperity and security on 14 June 2012. This report is a follow-up to the 2007 and 2010 publications Rising above the gathering storm (www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11463) and Rising above the gathering storm Revisited (www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12999). It examines the health and competitiveness of US research universities, and their partnerships with government and industry.

The report responds to a request from Congress for ‘the top ten actions that Congress, the federal government, state governments, research universities, and others could take to assure the ability of the American research university to maintain the excellence in research and doctoral education needed to help the United States compete, prosper, and achieve national goals for health, energy, the environment, and security in the global community of the 21st century’. http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/bhew/researchuniversities/index.htm

More women, less ‘macho’

In The Observer, Cambridge University physics Professor Athene Donald says the research community needs to end the ‘macho culture’ that drives women away from the science, and should instead encourage women to bring their talents to the various scientific disciplines. She suggests that additional government resources would help, but adds that the first step is in changing the culture at universities and research institutions to reflect the real-life choices women have to make. And although women will undoubtedly benefit the most from such changes, Donald adds, men will also see benefits. See http://www.genomeweb.com/blog/more-women-less-macho.

Free reports, publications and presentations by top scientists on the Academy webpage

Funding opportunities

Australian Academy of the Humanities awards

  • Nominations are now open for the Crawford Medal of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, Australia’s most prestigious award for achievement and promise in the humanities. It is presented to an Australian-based early-career scholar working and publishing in the humanities, whose publications contribute towards an understanding of their discipline by the general public. Nominations close Tuesday 31 July 2012. More information is available at www.humanities.org.au/Grants/CrawfordMedal.aspx
  • Nominations are also now open for the McCredie Musicological Award. The award recognises outstanding contribution in musicology by an Australian based scholar under the age of 40. Nominations close on Tuesday 31 July 2012. More information is available at www.humanities.org.au/Grants/McCredieMusicologicalAward.aspx

The Australian Innovation Challenge hunts for the nation’s best ideas

The search is on again for the nation’s greatest ideas in a variety of fields through The Australian Innovation Challenge awards. The awards are run by The Australian in association with Shell, with the support of the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education. The goal is to help drive game-changing breakthroughs by scientists, engineers, technologists, educators and backyard inventors to commercialisation or adoption.

Up to $70,000 are available. The awards are open to both individuals and teams and have seven professional categories, each carrying a prize of $5000. The overall winner of the professional categories will receive a further $25,000. An eighth category, Backyard Innovation, is open to the general public and has a $10,000 prize. The categories are:

  • minerals and energy
  • environment, agriculture and food
  • education
  • health
  • ICT
  • manufacturing and hi-tech design
  • community services
  • backyard innovation

Last year, Professor Mark Kendall of the University of Queensland and his team took out the overall prize for a patch to replace needles and syringes in vaccination. The ‘Nanopatch’ could save millions of lives, with its biggest impact expected to be in developing countries. It is projected to be on the market within 10 years.

To enter The Australian Innovation Challenge visit www.theaustralian.com.au/innovationchallenge. Entries close on Sunday 12 August 2012.

The InBev-Baillet Latour Health Prize

Nominations are invited for the prestigious InBev-Baillet Latour Health Prize of €250,000. The theme for 2013 is Cancer. This annual award is intended to recognise outstanding scientific achievements in biomedical research for the benefit of human health and to encourage the laureate in the pursuit of his/her career. The prize is open to scientists of all nationalities who have not received an equivalent prize for their personal use. The deadline for nominations is Friday 14 September 2012.

More information at www.inbevbailletlatour.com/index.cfm?ee=3|336

Brilliant quotes about science

Carl Sagan Images

'It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it not stirring to understand how the world actually works — that white light is made of colors, that color is the way we perceive the wavelengths of light, that transparent air reflects light, that in so doing it discriminates among the waves, and that the sky is blue for the same reason that the sunset is red? It does no harm to the romance of the sunset to know a little bit about it.’

(Carl Sagan, Pale blue dot: a vision of the human future in space, 1994)

Carl Edward Sagan (1934–1996) was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He is best known for his research on the possibilities of extraterrestrial life, including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by radiation. He popularised science brilliantly and was one of the greatest science communicator of the 20th century.