PRESIDENT'S NOTES
14 June 2000
Dear Colleague,
Following a very busy and successful AGM, the Academy’s Officers are returning to some other continuing concerns, including, for most of us, our day jobs. We have reviewed the AGM events and will be applying their lessons to the 2001 AGM.
With best wishes,
Brian D O Anderson
THE 2001 AGM
The 2001 annual general meeting will be a special event marking the Centenary of Federation and the refurbishment of the Shine Dome. Following a review of our last AGM, the Executive Committee has agreed to continue the range of activities but to keep them within three days.
In addition to important Academy concerns, we have decided that the focus should be on building links with the general scientific community, particularly younger researchers, and on communicating to the broader public. The number of women speakers should be increased. The citations for new Fellows should be revised to make them comprehensible to a lay audience.
The AGM symposium in 2001 will be on the subject of how genetic research will be influenced by the description of the human genome. Professor Grant Sutherland is preparing a draft program for Council in July.
DOME CONTRACT LET
The Academy has awarded the contract for refurbishment of the Shine Dome to Project Coordination. The cost of works approved to date will be $1,360,000. Other works, such as landscaping, will be considered soon.
Fundraising for the Dome renovations is continuing. About 50 of the 145 seats in the Wark Theatre have been allocated for plaques for donors who have contributed $500 or more ($550 after 30 June). Letters are being sent to Australian Foundation for Science members and scientific societies to seek their support. For more information see http://www.science.org.au/dome/donations.htm.
MAJOR NATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITIES
The Secretary (Science Policy), John White, is continuing the study of major research facilities in Australia. The final report will emphasise the importance of operating costs for these facilities.
SELBY FELLOW ON COGNITIVE PROCESSES IN BIRDS
The 2000 Selby Fellow, Associate Professor Irene Pepperberg, from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, will be giving public lectures in eastern Australia from 12 to 27 June. Her work is on cognitive processes in birds; it calls into question traditional assumptions about the nature and extent of human uniqueness.
The title of her talk is ‘In search of King Solomon’s ring: studies on the cognitive and communicative abilities of grey parrots’. For further information telephone Faye Nicholas on (02) 6247 5777 or mailto:ac@science.org.au.
KOREAN WORKSHOP ON LIGHT ALLOYS
The Third Joint Australia-Korea Workshop on Light Alloys was held on 25 and 26 May at Cheju, Korea. The Australian coordinator was Professor Gordon Dunlop from the University of Queensland and the Korean coordinator was Professor Nack Joon Kim from POSTECH. For further information, email Therese Lewis at mailto:io@science.org.au.
AWARDS
The Academy is calling for preliminary proposals for honorific awards for junior and senior researchers. Please refer to our website at http://www.science.org.au/awards/index.htm for further information, the conditions of each award and proposal forms. The closing date is 31 July 2000.
AUSTRALIA’S INFORMATION FUTURE
A symposium on ‘Australia’s information future: Securing the infrastructure for research and innovation’ is being held on 16 August in Canberra. The symposium is hosted by the Coalition for Innovation in Scholarly Communication, with support from the National Academies Forum, the Australian Research Council and the Australian Vice Chancellor’s Committee. The Academy is coordinating the program and registration, which is $125. Information will be available at http://www.naf.org.au/infofuture.htm from 23 June.
VIDEO HISTORIES OF AUSTRALIAN SCIENTISTS
This has been a very successful program to record the lives and works of Australia’s leading scientists (for transcripts, see http://www.science.org.au/educatio/interviews.htm). The next meeting of Council will review the list of subjects for interview and consider how to continue funding.
AUSTRALIA’S SPACE FUTURE
A very lively group of our students has formed the Australian Students Space Association and will be holding an international conference, on Space Futures 2000, in Canberra on 4-7 October 2000. They would welcome the participation of established researchers. Information is available on their website at http://www.assa.com.au/SF2000, or through the conference convener, Mei Ling Doery, on 0402 250 111.
DIARY HIGHLIGHTS
31 July: Closing date for honorific awards
16 August: ‘Australia’s information future’ symposium
NATIONAL COMMITTEES
Minutes of the following meetings are available at http://www.science.org.au/
internat/natcomm/natcom.htm. Copies can be requested from Ros Wallace at mailto:ns@science.org.au or (02) 6247 3966.
- Nutrition (25 February 2000)
- Plant sciences (18 October 1999)
- Animal sciences (13 August 1999)
- Geography (30 July 1999)
- Astronomy (12 July 1999)
- Quaternary research (11 June 1999)
- Biophysics (21 May 1999)
OFFICE BEARERS OF THE ACADEMY
President, Professor Brian Anderson
phone (02) 6279 8667, fax (02) 6279 8688,
mailto:brian.anderson@anu.edu.au
Secretary (Physical Sciences), Professor Bruce McKellar
phone (03) 9344 5122, mailto:b.mckellar@physics.unimelb.edu.au
Secretary (Biological Sciences), Professor John Young
phone (02) 9351 4600, mailto:johny@physiol.usyd.edu.au
Secretary (Science Policy), Professor John White
phone (02) 6249 3578, mailto:jww@rsc.anu.edu.au
Foreign Secretary, Professor Kurt Lambeck
phone (02) 6249 5161, mailto:kurt.lambeck@anu.edu.au
Treasurer, Professor Athel Beckwith
phone (02) 6249 3234, mailto:beckwith@rsc.anu.edu.au
