PRESIDENT'S NOTES
18 December 2002
Dear Colleague,
The Academy welcomes the Federal government's recent announcement of the national research priorities:
- An environmentally sustainable Australia;
- Promoting and maintaining good health;
- Frontier technologies for building and transforming Australian industries; and
- Safeguarding Australia.
The priorities are exciting and comprehensive and they will capture the imagination and support of the Australian community. The Academy commends the government on the widespread consultation process carried out in order to define the priorities. The Academy supported the consultation process in a number of ways and will continue to do so in the future.
In 2003 the Academy will hold a high-flyers think tank to allow mid-career researchers to provide input into the process of implementing the priorities. Such activities will allow the scientific community to actively engage in the implementation of this important government initiative.
With best wishes for a happy festive season,
Jim
MAJOR NATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITIES
The Academy hosted a workshop for Major National Research Facility (MNRF) directors on 12 December at Ian Potter House. The workshop brought together the directors or senior representatives of all 15 MNRFs, together with members of the steering group of the Academy’s research infrastructure project. The purpose of the workshop was to facilitate inter-MNRF cooperation in the future and to assist the Academy in developing the case for a one-line item in the Federal budget for MNRF funding. Following an initial discussion of the range of challenges faced by each MNRF, attention shifted to areas of common ground between the MNRFs and to identifying ways in which MNRFs could move forward as a group. Several promising suggestions were made as to how MNRFs could cooperate better in the future and agreement was reached on the next steps to be taken in this process.
AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE
The open session and Annual General Meeting of the Australian Foundation for Science were held on Monday 18 November. Mr John Ralph, the Foundation's Chairman, chaired the proceedings. The Emperor of Japan has recently conferred the award of Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure upon John, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to closer economic relations between Australia and Japan.
Two of the Foundation's very successful projects were showcased at the open session - the Nova: Science in the news website and Video Histories of Australian Scientists. Professor John McKenzie gave an overview of the ten Nova technology topics that were funded by the National Innovation Awareness Strategy. I was pleased to introduce the video interviews which showed the winners of this year's Prime Minister's Science Prizes - Professor Frank Fenner, Professor Marcela Bilek and Dr Joel Mackay. It is always a pleasure to acknowledge excellent science and the video interviews are a wonderful resource for raising awareness of Australia's scientific talent and achievement.
SCAM ALERT
Nature has recently published two articles about investigations it has conducted into the self-styled European Academy of Sciences and the North American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Scientists around the world are apparently either invited to become members or are congratulated on being elected - and are then asked for registration fees. The articles are available below:
SCIENCE MEETS PARLIAMENT DAY
Once again, the Academy was pleased to sponsor the annual FASTS' Science meets Parliament (SmP) Day, held on 12-13 November. About 160 scientists from across the nation met with about 140 members and senators of federal parliament; the Academy was well-represented, including by representatives of some regional groups of Fellows.
Lord Robert May of Oxford, President of the Royal Society and corresponding Fellow of the Academy, addressed the visiting SmP Day scientists at their briefing session, and once again at a cocktail party in the Members' Hall at Parliament House. The cocktail party, now an annual event associated with Science meets Parliament Day, is hosted by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate and provides a relaxed venue for informal meetings of members and senators with scientists.
I was pleased to accompany Bob May to meetings with the Prime Minister, John Howard, and with the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson. Our conversations revolved around the theme that science is the bedrock of the economy. Science Minister, Peter McGauran, graciously hosted a small dinner for Bob May, officers of the Academy, and senior science policy makers, in Parliament House.
2002 ROUND OF CRCs AND ARC CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE
Congratulations to all successful applicants for the 2002 round of CRCs and ARC Centres of Excellence announced this week.
Thirty new CRC grants were announced:
http://www.dest.gov.au/ministers/mcg/dec02/mr_108_101202.htm.
Eight Centres of Excellence, selected by the Australian Research Council (ARC) to share almost $90 million over the next five years to undertake leading edge research, were also announced: http://www.dest.gov.au/ministers/nelson/dec02/n261_121202.htm.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2003 ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS
Senior awards
The Craig Medal for research in any branch of chemistry:
Professor Michael Bruce, FAA, University of Adelaide
The Lyle Medal for research in mathematics or physics:
Professor George Dracoulis, FAA, Australian National University
The Haddon King Medal for mineral exploration:
Dr Ken McCracken, FAA
The Jaeger Medal for research into the solid earth or its oceans:
Professor Andrew Gleadow, FAA, University of Melbourne
The Ian Wark Medal for contributions to the prosperity of Australia:
Professor Graeme Jameson FAA, University of Newcastle
Junior awards (researchers under 40 years)
The Fenner medal for research in biology (excluding the biomedical sciences):
Dr Andrew Young, CSIRO Plant Industry
The Pawsey Medal for research in physics:
Dr Howard Wiseman, Griffith University
The Gottschalk Medal for research in the medical sciences:
Dr Levon Khachigian, University of New South Wales
The Moran Medal for research in statistical sciences:
Dr Nigel Bean, University of Adelaide
The Dorothy Hill Award for research by female scientists in the earth sciences:
Dr Kathryn Trinajstic, University of Western Australia
The Selby Fellowship sponsors distinguished scientists to visit scientific cetnres in Australia and to deliver public lectures:
Dr Charles Arntzen, Arizona State University
The Conservation of Endangered Species Award offers support for research on endangered Australian vertebrate species:
Dr Alistair Glen, University of Sydney;
Dr Andrea Taylor, Monash University;
Professor Ross Crozier, James Cook University;
Dr Mark Eldridge, Macquarie University
The Maxwell Ralph Jacobs Awards promotes research in forestry:
Mr Philip Alcorn, Australian National University;
Ms Natalie Kelly, Forest Science Centre, Victoria.
Those honours that are not awarded on an annual basis (Hannan, Lyle, Jaeger and Moran Medals) will be held over for presentation at the AGM in 2004, in celebration of the Academy's 50th Anniversary Year. The 2004 AGM agenda will be crowded with events that celebrate Australian science, so the Flinders Medal and Lecture will be held over to 2005.
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES
The Academy's Asia and Postdoctoral Exchange Committees met in November and selected fifty-four researchers to travel to China, Korean, Japan and Taiwan in 2003-2004.
The Academy's North America Exchange Committee will meet on 17 December to select researchers to travel to Canada, the USA and Mexico.
DIARY DATES
28 January. Deadline for nominations for the Dan David Prize (http://www.dandavidprize.org).
29-31 January. Australian Synchrotron: A Workshop for Potential Users (http://www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au/whats_new/user_workshops.asp).
28 February. Deadline for applications for Visiting Fellowship for a Senior Academic Woman in Engineering and Information Sciences at the Australian National University (http://www.rsise.anu.edu.au/nieis/VF.html).
26-28 March. Commercialisation Forum and Fair of Ideas, Sydney (http://www.kca.asn.au).
30 April. Deadline for applications for the Cambridge Australia Trust Scholarships (http://www.anu.edu.au/cabs/scholarships/cambridge/cambridge-apply.html).
COUNCIL MEMBERS (http://www.science.org.au/academy/council/officers.htm)
President, Jim Peacock
phone (02) 6246 5250, fax (02) 6246 5530
mailto:jim.peacock@csiro.au
Secretary (Physical Sciences), Bruce McKellar
phone (03) 9344 5122, mailto:b.mckellar@physics.unimelb.edu.au
Secretary (Biological Sciences), John Shine
phone (02) 9295 8120, mailto:j.shine@garvan.org.au
Secretary (Science Policy), Michael Barber
phone (02) 6276 6388, mailto:michael.barber@csiro.au
Secretary (Education and Public Awareness), John McKenzie
phone (03) 8344 6407, mailto:dean@science.unimelb.edu.au
Foreign Secretary, Kurt Lambeck
phone (02) 6125 5161, mailto:kurt.lambeck@anu.edu.au
Treasurer, Ian McDougall
phone (02) 6125 4136, mailto:Ian.McDougall@anu.edu.au
