PRESIDENT'S NOTES
22 October 2004
Dear Colleague,
With the announcement in August that the Government would provide $1.8 million for the Primary Science and Literacy Project, an exciting partnership between the Academy and the Department of Education, Science and Training has commenced. The project is on track to trial in 55 schools across Australia in 2005, including in a selection of schools with primarily Indigenous students. To commence the trial, 110 primary school teachers will gather at the Shine Dome for a week-long workshop in January.
The project is a mix of innovative new curriculum resources and training support for teachers. The importance of the project is apparent from the collaborative involvement of all states and territories, Catholic Education, independent schools and professional associations.
I am delighted that the Academy continues to show leadership in supporting and promoting science education in Australia.
With best wishes,
Jim
THIRD ANNUAL HIGH FLYERS THINK TANK
The Academy's High Flyers Think Tank 2004 was held in Brisbane on 19 October. The purpose was to bring together early to mid-career researchers from a broad range of disciplines to engage in thinking about novel applications of existing science and technology, and to identify gaps in knowledge that might be addressed when applying science (including social science) and technology to an issue of national importance, in this case the issue of emerging diseases.
Early to mid-career researchers from various disciplines (many of whom work outside the area of interest) were invited to attend and contribute to the Think Tank; all were requested to supply a 100 word précis of their research and how it related to - or could potentially relate to - this year’s topic.
The two previous Think Tanks have been on Australia’s National Research Priorities (2002, http://www.science.org.au/events/priorities/highfly.htm) and Safeguarding the Nation (2003, http://www.science.org.au/events/safeguarding_australia). Both events culminated in reports to government that were timely and well received. The highly-interactive workshop-style one-day event is preceded by brief overviews from selected experts. Officers of the Academy are also present to facilitate and record discussions.
The 2004 High Flyers Think Tank on Emerging Diseases - Ready and Waiting? looked at Australia’s preparedness to deal with sudden and unpredictable threats to human, animal, plant and aquatic health. The meeting was opened by the Chief Health Officer of Queensland, Gerry FitzGerald, and was addressed by leading experts including Aileen Plant, Martyn Jeggo, Graeme Garner, John Manners and Brian Jones. Breakout sessions were facilitated by Fellows of the Academy, including Jim Peacock, Frank Fenner, Mark von Itzstein, Julie Campbell, and by senior researchers. The day’s open discussion was very successful and will form the basis for a report being prepared by the Academy. The Academy will ensure that the report is distributed to those with a vested interest in the topic.
ACADEMY OPEN DAY
As part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations the Academy held an Open Day on Sunday 17 October. The purpose of the day was to allow the public to explore the Academy’s two buildings and to increase awareness of the Academy’s activities. More than 200 visitors (including two who had worked on the construction of the Dome) were able to take a guided tour of the Shine Dome and watch a film showing original footage of its construction. They also viewed objects from the Academy’s collection including memorabilia depicting the Dome. To help create a 1950s atmosphere, Academy staff dressed in 1950s clothes and the FX-FJ Holden Car Club provided cars. Refreshments were served and a jazz band provided entertainment.
AUSTRALIA - CHINA SYMPOSIUM ON SUSTAINABILITY
The Academy and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering organised the Australia-China Symposium on Sustainability on 17-18 October. This is the first in a series of annual symposia to be conducted with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Department of Education, Science and Training provided funding for this important activity.
The two-day symposium enabled Australian and Chinese participants to explore current and future developments in the interrelated workshop topics of water; environment and energy; sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration. The symposium was held at Red Hill in Victoria and was followed by site visits in Adelaide on 19 and 20 October.
The symposium provided a significant opportunity, not only to discuss areas of mutual interest between Australia and China, but also to act as a platform to develop strategic relationships.
NATIONAL ACADEMIES FORUM COMMITTEE MEETING
A meeting of the National Academies Forum Committee will be held on 29 October 2004. The Committee will receive several presentations, including one from Mr Jonathon Mills, former Melbourne Festival director about a new series of Alfred Deakin Lectures to be held next year in Melbourne, on the important role innovation plays in the global economy.
NAF will also meet with Professor Kenneth Wiltshire, Chairman of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO and President of UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme. Management of Social Transformations is one of the world's most significant international social science programs. It identifies significant social transformations which are occurring internationally and recommends policies for governments to deal with related issues and impacts. Professor Kenneth Wiltshire is the J.D. Story Professor of Public Administration at the University of Queensland.
Professor Rory Hume will also meet with NAF in his capacity as Chair of ARIIC (Australian Research Information Infrastructure Committee) and Chair of the Advisory Committee for a National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Information about ARIIC may be found at http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/research/ariic.htm.
The Presidency and Secretariat of NAF rotate among the four learned academies every two years. On 1 January 2005 the Presidency will pass from Dr Jim Peacock and the Academy of Science to Dr John Zillman and the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
MAJOR NATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITIES
In 2003, the Federal government established the National Research Infrastructure Taskforce, chaired by Dr Mike Sargent, to review a strategy for national research infrastructure.
The Academy made a number of recommendations to the Taskforce, including the need for a more strategic approach to the planning of major infrastructure requirements. The Academy urged the government to remove the ad hoc nature of the MNRF Program and commit to an ongoing program that permitted long-term planning and development of partnerships between the Commonwealth and the states.
In 2004 the Federal government announced that it would provide $542 million over 2004-05 to 20010-11 for a National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) as part of Backing Australia’s Ability package.
An Advisory Committee is now being appointed to advise on the development of a detailed implementation proposal for NCRIS, building on the work of the National Research Infrastructure Taskforce and drawing on further consultations with stakeholders, which the Committee will oversee. As well as providing independent advice, the Committee will play a critical role in building support amongst stakeholders for NCRIS and emphasise the need for a more strategic approach to research infrastructure investment.
The Committee will have representation from the National Academies Forum, the Chief Scientist, the government’s National Broadband Advisor for Education, representatives of the Australian Vice Chancellors Committee, the CSIRO, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council.
RECENT ADVANCES IN STEM CELL SCIENCE AND THERAPIES
In 2005 there is to be a review of two Acts of Federal Parliament, the 'Research involving Human Embryos Act 2002' and the 'Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002'. These are the two Federal Government Acts that prohibit both reproductive and therapeutic cloning. The review group will report to Parliament and the Council of Australian Governments by December 2005. The review is written into the Act.
Therapeutic cloning is the terminology used to describe the transfer of the nucleus from an adult cell into an empty egg in order to generate self-compatible stem cells, also known as embryonic stem (ES) cells. In 2002, at the time when a moratorium was placed on therapeutic cloning using human cells in Australia, there had been no reports of successful somatic-cell nuclear transfer (therapeutic cloning) in humans. On 12 February 2004, a team at Seoul National University produced a line of human embryonic stem cells by somatic-cell nuclear transfer.
It is the promise of new cures for degenerative diseases that has stimulated intense research into stem cells. Stem cells have also been derived from embryos surplus to requirements of patients undergoing infertility treatments and the moratorium on this practice in Australia will also be reviewed in 2005.
The Academy has joined 67 of the world’s national science academies that make up the InterAcademy Panel (IAP) in calling for a convention to ban human reproductive cloning but not therapeutic cloning.
Meanwhile, at the United Nations Australia has decided to support Costa Rica (and the US) in a convention to ban all forms of human cloning. Belgium is proposing an alternative resolution at the UN banning reproductive cloning and allowing national legislation on therapeutic cloning. Belgium is supported by the UK, France and Germany.
Once a vote is taken at the United Nations it is a matter for individual nations to ratify the resolution by signature. This usually takes some time, especially for Australia, where matters are referred to all States and Territories for consideration.
The Academy continues to advocate the use of human cells derived from cloning techniques for approved research activities in human biology. On 6 May 2005 the annual Science at the Shine Dome symposium will address the topic of recent advances in stem cell science and therapies (http://www.science.org.au/sats2005/symposium.htm).
HOUSE OF REPS STANDING COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
On 31 May 2004 the Science and Innovation Committee resolved to review the Annual Report 2002-2003 of the Department of Education, Science and Training. In conducting the review, the Committee resolved to give particular consideration to the factors inhibiting student participation in the ‘enabling sciences’, including physics, mathematics and chemistry, at the secondary and tertiary levels; and how greater participation in these disciplines might be encouraged. The Academy made a Submission to the Standing Committee on 9 August 2004, building on the theme that school science experiences at all levels must be relevant and engaging for students if we are to achieve greater participation in the enabling sciences.
However, under the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, standing committees are appointed for the life of the Parliament. The 40th Parliament was prorogued and the House of Representatives dissolved on 31 August for the general election held on 9 October.
All Committees in the House of Representatives and joint committees of the Senate and House of Representatives for the 40th Parliament ceased to exist upon the dissolution of the House of Representatives at 4:59pm, 31 August 2004. Therefore, inquiries of the 40th Parliament that were not completed before the dissolution have now lapsed.
It is not yet known whether the Inquiry will be resumed by the 41st Parliament.
FOR THE FELLOWSHIP
The Academy's Council, at its meeting in June, endorsed the proposed changes to the rubrics for Sectional Committees 9 and 10 to apply from 2005 - Sectional Committee 9 - Applied Biology and Health Sciences; Sectional Committee 10 - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Council proposed also to recommend consideration of an additional Sectional Committee (12) in future years in the Biomedical Sciences. This second proposal, with supporting background documentation including the A/B-side balance, would be presented to the Fellowship at the 2005 AGM for consideration and discussion.
DIARY DATES
11 November. Call for nominations for ARC College of Experts (https://gams.arc.gov.au/CoEnominations).
11-12 November. The role of Antarctic research in Australian science and policy advice, Canberra (http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=13961). A conference organised by the Academy's National Committee for Antarctic Research, and the Australian Antarctic Division.
15-16 November. ATSE 2004 National Symposium, Living longer, living better - improving longevity and quality of life through science, technology and engineering. Adelaide (http://www.atse.org.au).
16 November. Australian Foundation for Science, Open Session and Advisors Committee Meeting, to be held in the Shine Dome (mailto:marian.heard@science.org.au).
18-19 November. Science teaching and research: Which way forward for Australian universities? Conference to be held at the University of Queensland, Brisbane (http://www.brightminds.uq.edu.au/TRC).
13 December. Closing date for submission of abstracts for NHMRC’s conference on ethics in human research, Conflicts of interest in human research, to be held on 12-13 May 2005 (http://www.communicationlink.com.au/ethics/main.aspx).
COUNCIL MEMBERS (www.science.org.au/fellows/council/)
President, Jim Peacock
phone (02) 6246 5250, fax (02) 6246 4866, president@science.org.au
Secretary (Physical Sciences), Robert Frater
phone (02) 9886 5628, rfrater@resmed.com.au
Secretary (Biological Sciences), John Shine
phone (02) 9295 8120, j.shine@garvan.org.au
Secretary (Science Policy), Michael Barber
phone (02) 6276 6388, michael.barber@csiro.au
Secretary (Education and Public Awareness), John McKenzie
phone (03) 8344 6407, dean@science.unimelb.edu.au
Foreign Secretary, Bruce McKellar
phone (03) 8344 5122, b.mckellar@physics.unimelb.edu.au
Treasurer, Ian McDougall
phone (02) 6125 4136, Ian.McDougall@anu.edu.au
