PRESIDENT'S NOTES
15 September 2003
Dear Colleague,
Warm congratulations to Jacques Miller on being awarded the Prime Minister's Prize for Science. The prize was awarded on 9 September at a dinner in the Great Hall of Parliament House. In announcing the win, the Prime Minister said that Jacques 'is a pre-eminent research scientist whose immense contribution to our understanding of immunology has had a far reaching impact on international medical research and treatment'. Jacques was interviewed for the Academy's Video Histories of Australian Scientists series in 1999. An edited transcript is available at http://www.science.org.au/scientists/jm.htm.
Congratulations also to Howard Wiseman, a world leader in theoretical quantum physics, who was awarded the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year. Earlier this year, Howard was a speaker at the Academy's inaugural Frontiers of Science symposium (see below), and was also this year's winner of the Academy's Pawsey Medal for research in physics. The Science Minister's Prize for Life Scientist of the Year was awarded to Chris Helliwell for his work in plant biotechnology.
With best wishes,
Jim
AUSTRALIAN FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE
The inaugural Frontiers of Science symposium, held at the Shine Dome on 31 July and 1 August, was a tremendous success. We were privileged to hear exciting, cutting-edge science from some of our most dedicated younger scientists. The proceedings from the symposium are now on the Academy's website (http://www.science.org.au/events/frontiers2003/program.htm).
SALINITY SCOPING WORKSHOP
On 1 September the Academy hosted a scoping workshop on 'Salinity mapping methods in the Australian context', as part of an evaluation of a review of salinity mapping methods being conducted by the Department of Environment and Heritage and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. After an address by Lord Robert May of Oxford, the President of the Royal Society of London, the 25 invited experts in salinity mapping from around Australia particpated in a lively discussion of salinity mapping issues.
Feedback from the workshop will be incorporated into a draft report to be presented at a public symposium for interested scientists, stakeholders and policy-makers, to be held at the Shine Dome on Friday October 17. If you are interested in attending this symposium please contact Chris Warris at the Academy on (02) 6247 3966 or mailto:chris.warris@science.org.au.
POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT ONLINE CONFERENCE
The Academy is hosting an online conference on 'Population and Environment in Australia'. The basis of the conference is a report commissioned by the Academy’s Population and Environment Research Fund Committee. This report, Population and Environment in Australia: 2003, by Dr Colin Butler, gives an overview of research into population and environment in Australia and the positions held by the various disciplines and lobby groups. Responses to the report have been invited from scholars across the various specialist disciplines and these responses have also been posted online. The conference is open to interested individuals who are welcome to participate in the online discussion forums. Registration is free but is necessary in order to participate in the conference. The conference will conclude on 30 November 2003.
PRIMARY SCIENCE AND LITERACY PROJECT
The Australian Foundation for Science is providing the Academy with funding for the first stage of an exciting initiative for Australian primary schools, the Primary Science and Literacy Project. While there is inspiring science teaching taking place in some Australian primary schools, research suggests that many primary teachers lack confidence in their background knowledge and competence in teaching science. There is a need for a program to enhance the good work being done in schools, one that will also support and encourage reluctant teachers of science.
To address this need, the Academy is exploring a new and strategic approach to primary science at a national level. The idea is to link the teaching of science to the teaching of literacy. The concept has received wide support in initial discussions with key groups and individuals in the education community. As a first step, the Academy is arranging a meeting of strategic individuals from the fields of science and literacy education.
RECENT ACADEMY SUBMISSIONS
The Academy has contributed to several reviews currently taking place in the areas of science, research and higher education. Our most recent submissions are listed here:
Australia’s Major National Research Facilities: Issues to consider for the next phase of Backing Australia’s Ability. Submission to the Taskforce on Major Research Infrastructure, available at http://www.science.org.au/reports/23july03.pdf.
Submission to the Review of Closer Collaboration between Universities and Major Publicly Funded Research Agencies, available at http://www.science.org.au/reports/27august03.htm.
SIR MARK OLIPHANT CONFERENCES
I would like to remind you that 26 September is the closing date for expressions of interest from individuals, organisations or consortia wishing to convene and organise a conference in the Sir Mark Oliphant Conference series. Conferences, for which up to $90,000 is available, are to be held between 1 July 2004 and 31 December 2005. For more information, including guidelines, go to http://www.oliphant.org.au/ and see 'Diary dates' at the end of this note for information about the second and third Oliphant Conferences.
VISITORS TO THE ACADEMY
The President of the Royal Society, Lord Robert May of Oxford, visited the Academy on 1 September. He also met with senior government officers at the Department of Education, Science and Training to discuss science and education policies especially as they relate to the many ongoing reviews of research management practices and funding mechanisms.
I hosted a lunch for Baroness Susan Greenfield on 10 September, which was also attended by several Academy Fellows. Professor Greenfield is Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, a post she holds jointly with her chair of Pharmacology in Oxford. She was visiting Australia at the invitation of the Rio Tinto Science Olympiads.
SCIENCE MEETS PARLIAMENT
Once again the Academy is pleased to be a sponsor of Science meets Parliament, to be held on 14-15 October. More than 150 scientists are expected to come to Canberra to meet one-on-one with parliamentarians. On 14 October the National Press Club will be holding a debate on science policy between the Minister for Science, Peter McGauran, and Shadow Minister, Kim Carr. More information is available at http://www.fasts.org/Fsite/SmP/SmP.htm.
DIARY DATES
18 September. Australian Foundation for Science Open Session and AGM.
19 September. Closing date for applications to the Academy's exchange programs with North America (http://www.science.org.au/internat/index.htm).
26 September. Closing date for expressions of interest to hold a Sir Mark Oliphant Conference (see item above).
30 September. Closing date for nominations for the Academy's 2004 Travelling Fellowships and 2004-05 Research Conferences (http://www.science.org.au/awards/index.htm).
30 September. Closing date for nominations for the Academy's Award for research on the conservation of endangered Australian vertebrate species (http://www.science.org.au/awards/conservation.htm).
14-15 October. Science meets Parliament (http://www.fasts.org/).
17 October. Public symposium on salinity. Shine Dome, Canberra. (See item above.)
31 October. Closing date for expressions of interest proposals for the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering's international activities during 2004-05 (http://www.atse.org.au/international/International_SET.htm).
3-5 November. 'Proteomics: Progress, Partnerships and New Directions'. Sir Mark Oliphant Conference, Sydney (http://www.mmb.usyd.edu.au/oliphant).
13-14 November. 'Networking for Excellence'. Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology Cooperation (FEAST) conference, Shine Dome, Canberra (http://www.feast.org/).
1-4 December. 'Scaling down to a Nano-materials World'. Sir Mark Oliphant Conference, Melbourne.
1 and 28 February 2004. Closing dates for applications for the Cambridge Australia Trust PhD scholarships (http://www.anu.edu.au/cabs/scholarships/cambridge/cambridge-austrust.html).
8-13 February. 'Dynamic Earth: Past, Present and Future'. 17th Australian Geological Convention, Hobart. The theme reflects the role in tectonics and global geology of the late Professor Sam Carey FAA, AO, Foundation Professor of Geology at the University of Tasmania.
COUNCIL MEMBERS (www.science.org.au/fellows/council/)
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
