PRESIDENT'S NOTES
29 June 2001
Dear Colleague,
The recent Federal Budget gave scientists the first demonstration of the Government’s willingness to implement the innovation platform it put forward in January. We can only hope that, in an election year, the other parties decide that the same (or greater) support for science and innovation is needed to secure Australia’s economic future. The response from the Academy’s new Science Policy Secretary, Michael Barber, is available at http://www.science.org.au/media/2001budget.htm.
Best wishes
Brian D O Anderson
STEM CELL RESEARCH
At the urging of the Prime Minister, the Council of Australian Governments has proposed banning the cloning of humans. While the Academy opposes the cloning of whole humans, any new laws must be framed with care so as not to affect important research in cellular and developmental biology. The Academy, in particular John White, has been making strenuous efforts to promote informed public debate on this subject. The Academy’s media release is available at http://www.science.org.au/media/stemcell.htm.
Copies of our recent discussion paper, outlining the latest international developments in research and policy, are available from Trish Nicholls (mailto:nr@science.org.au). It is also available on our website at http://www.science.org.au/media/stemcell.pdf.
CLIMATE CHANGE
The Academy, along with 16 other national academies, has endorsed a statement about the science of climate change which appeared in the journal Science on 18 May 2001. (The US National Academy of Science was not a signatory.) The statement is part of the work of the InterAcademy Panel. This body is seeking candidates for a study group on promoting worldwide science and technology capacities for the 21st century. I would like the Academy to participate in this by having a Fellow on the panel. Any Fellow interested please contact mailto:es@science.org.au.
NEW FELLOWS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY
Congratulations to two Fellows, Mandyam Srinivasan and Roger Tanner, for their election to the UK’s Royal Society. More information is available at http://www.science.org.au/media/royalsociety.htm.
DISCIPLINE REVIEWS
Discipline reviews are valuable activities for the Academy’s national committees, since research funding bodies are not necessarily well placed to undertake such reviews. The Academy’s National Committee for Psychology is considering updating the 1996 discipline review of psychology. The Academy will write to the Australian Research Council offering to assist with discipline reviews.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
The Academy has submitted expressions of interest to undertake special projects to be funded by the Australian Research Council. The three projects are on web-based information to support Australian science and technology, benchmarking Australian research in emergent areas of science and technology, and the social impacts of changing water regimes.
MEETINGS OUTSIDE CANBERRA
I have asked for an estimate of the additional cost of holding some of the Academy’s meetings outside Canberra. It may be possible to obtain state government sponsorship. I am also looking at the feasibility of repeating an event such as the new Fellows symposium in two or three capitals each year.
Meanwhile, the Executive Committee will hold its November meeting in Melbourne and a meeting in autumn next year in Sydney.
SELBY LECTURES
The 2001 Selby Fellow, Dr Jean Jouzel (Director of Research of the French Atomic Energy Agency and Head of the Laboratory of Climate and Environmental Sciences), will be giving a series of lectures in Australia from 18 July-2 August 2001. More information is available at http://www.science.org.au/awards/selby.htm#jouzel, or phone Faye Nicholas (02) 6247 5777.
OTHER NEWS
Other Academy news is in the online version of the Academy’s latest newsletter (http://www.science.org.au/academy/newslett/newslett.htm).
DIARY HIGHLIGHTS
5-6 July: National Academies Forum symposium – Food and Drink in Australia – to be held in Adelaide. More information is available from mailto:lynn.martin@adelaide.edu.au.
5-8 July: Fenner Conference on the Environment – Biodiversity conservation in freshwaters: Same landscape, different perspective. More information is available at http://aerg.canberra.edu.au/fenner/.
25 July: I will give the Telstra Address at the National Press Club – ‘Australia and the ICT Revolution’. More information is available at http://www.npc.org.au/speak/future.html. The address will be televised live by the ABC.
30 August: Nominations for the Academy’s 2002 awards close. Information about the awards is available at http://www.science.org.au/awards/index.htm.
3-6 September: Fenner Conference on the Environment – Nature tourism and the environment. More information is available from mailto:r.buckley@mailbox.gu.edu.au, phone: (07) 5552 8677.
15 September: Deadline for applications to the Academy’s international exchange programs with Europe. More information is available at http://www.science.org.au/internat.
1 October: Deadline for applications to the Academy’s international exchange programs with Asia. More information is available at http://www.science.org.au/internat.
Deadline for applications to the Academy’s postdoctoral fellowships program. More information is available at http://www.science.org.au/internat.
2 November: Deadline for applications to the Academy’s international exchange programs with North America. More information is available at http://www.science.org.au/internat.
OFFICE BEARERS
President, Professor Brian Anderson
phone (02) 6125 8667, fax (02) 6125 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 Michael Barber
phone (08) 9380 2460, mailto:mbarber@acs.uwa.edu.au
Foreign Secretary, Professor Kurt Lambeck
phone (02) 6125 5161, mailto:kurt.lambeck@anu.edu.au
Treasurer, Professor Ian McDougall
phone (02) 6125 4136, mailto:Ian.McDougall@anu.edu.au
