PRESIDENT'S NOTES
4 April 2007
Dear Colleagues,
The Academy welcomed the key findings of the Productivity Commission’s research report on public support for science and innovation. The Commissioners used multiple approaches to try to estimate the returns on public investment in science. Acknowledging that it is difficult to quantify these returns precisely, they concluded that there are ‘widespread and important economic, social and environmental benefits’ arising from public investment in research.
As scientists, we do not find this conclusion surprising. Similar studies, in the United States and elsewhere, have shown that half the productivity gains in the past 50 years are attributable to technological innovation and the basic science that underpins innovation. The knowledge-based economy of the 21st century will be even more dependent on scientific knowledge as global competition increases the pace of change.
I was pleased that the Productivity Commission’s report highlighted the submission from the Academy that drew attention to poor career structures for Australia’s early- to mid-career researchers. The Academy’s Submission said: ‘The careers of many young researchers in Australia are in a 'holding pattern'. Some are in their second or third postdoctoral fellowship with low salaries, low status, limited job security and uncertain prospects. This is frustrating for them, but it’s also a national concern. This could be resolved in part by increasing the number of Queen Elizabeth II Fellowships and CJ Martin Biomedical Fellowships. Australian Research Council QEIIs encourage research in Australia by postdoctoral graduates of exceptional promise and proven capacity for original work. The purpose of the CJ Martin Fellowships is to provide a vehicle for full-time training overseas and then in Australia.’
The Academy is concerned also about the related issue of Australia permanently losing many valuable post-doctoral scientists overseas and has suggested a ‘Boomerang Scheme’ to tempt Australians back to the country before they became too settled overseas. The scheme would involve substantial start-up funds, a salary equivalent to Australian peers and job security. The scheme also could be used to attract top international scientists from around the world to Australia.
I look forward to welcoming you to Science at the Shine Dome, to be held on 24 May this year.
Best wishes
Kurt Lambeck
MEETING OF NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRS
The Chairs of the Academy’s National Committees and Task Forces, or their representatives, met at the Shine Dome on Thursday 22 March. Discussion focussed on two prevalent issues in science — the erosion of the traditional disciplines by the current trend towards vocationally oriented education and the poor career paths for post-doctoral researchers.
A move away from ‘boutique’ courses and towards ‘fundamental’ undergraduate university courses was seen as necessary for producing flexible and self-directed graduates, capable of meeting the needs for Australia’s future skills requirements.
The group identified the issue of Australia permanently losing many valuable post-docs internationally, and suggested a scheme — the ‘Boomerang Scheme’ — to tempt Australians back to the country before they became too settled overseas. The scheme would involve substantial start-up funds, a salary equivalent to Australian peers, and job security. In addition, the scheme may also be used to attract international top scientists from around the world to Australia.
The proceedings of the meeting will be available at: http://www.science.org.au/natcoms/index.htm
Two media releases summarising the outcomes of the meeting are available at: http://www.science.org.au/media/index.htm
Science Meets Parliament
As a long standing sponsor, the Academy was pleased to again support Science Meets Parliament, which is organised by the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS). The event was held over two days from 2728 March and the representatives who attended on behalf of the Academy were: Professor William Dunsmuir, Dr Roger Gifford, Professor Andrew Gleadow, Professor Robert Vincent, Professor Fred Watson, Executive Secretary Professor Sue Serjeantson and Academy Science Policy Analyst Dr Sophia Lindeyer.
In preparation for the meetings, Parliamentarians selected topics they wished to discuss from about twenty options. The Productivity Commission report on Public Support for Science and Innovation was widely discussed, as was the challenge of planning for environmental risks — particularly multidisciplinary approaches for water and energy management.
In a motion passed in the Senate on 28 March, and moved by Senator Natasha Stott Despoja (768), the Australian scientific community was commended for its continued success in generating world-leading innovation.
PrimaryConnections
The Academy’s award-winning education project 'PrimaryConnections: linking science and literacy' continues to grow. The first PrimaryConnections Curriculum Leader professional learning workshop was held last month. The two-day programme has been developed to suit teachers who are unable to act as professional learning facilitators but are very keen to implement the program in their own school or community. State-based workshops are also being run for trial teachers and for professional learning facilitators in five major capital cities during MarchApril. This will allow participants to be updated on the project’s development, share experiences and plan for future implementation. More than 8,000 units were distributed during February and March, bringing the total to more than 22,500 since the first units were available in December 2005.
SCIENCE AT THE SHINE DOME
One of the most important events on the Academy’s calendar, Science at the Shine Dome (which incorporates our Annual General Meeting), will run from 24 May this year. One of the highlights of the three-day event will be on Wednesday 2 May when our new Fellows present short talks on their research. This year’s symposium, ‘Development and evolution of higher cognition in animals’, will be held on Friday 4 May.
This year we are privileged to host the Royal Society’s Rutherford Memorial Lecture as the plenary address for the symposium. The lecture will be given by Professor Sir Patrick Bateson, Professor of Ethology, Cambridge University, UK, who will speak on ‘Cognition and the need to take the stink out of instinct’.
Programs and registration details for Science at the Shine Dome are available at: http://www.science.org.au/sats2007/index.htm
Oliphant Conferences — Call for expressions of interest
The Academy and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) are seeking expressions of interest for Oliphant Conferences to be held between 1 January and 31 December 2008. Each conference can be supported to an amount of up to $90,000.
The Sir Mark Oliphant Conferences International Frontiers of Science and Technology
provide financial support to stage strategically significant international conferences in Australia on high priority, cutting edge, multi-disciplinary themes. A Sir Mark Oliphant Conference must be a stand-alone event and not be part of an existing series.
The Conference series is supported by the Australian Government under the International Science Linkages Programme and managed on behalf of the Department of Education, Science and Training by the Academy and ATSE. Applications close on Friday 18 May 2007. Guidelines, information and an expression of interest form can be found at: http://www.oliphant.org.au
‘FOND MEMORIES’ FROM CHINA
Recently, Cathryn Hlavka, of the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai met with President of the Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association Professor Yan Dong Sheng, who noted that he had been part of a delegation from the Chinese Academy of Sciences that visited Australia in 1965. This was a return visit following the first visit by the Australian Academy of Science to China the previous year. Professor Yan commented on the fond memories he had on this and was enthusiastic about Australia and his links with the Academy.
In 1964 Academy President Sir Thomas Cherry received an invitation from the Academia Sinica, Peking, for himself and three other Fellows to visit China as guests of the Academia Sinica. The President was accompanied by Sir Mark Oliphant, Edwin Hills and Eric Underwood on a four-week visit in SeptemberOctober 1964, during which institutes under the control of the Academia Sinica, universities and industrial undertakings were inspected and several lectures delivered. The possibility of establishing mechanisms for continuing scientific contacts between Australia and China was discussed at a high official level.
The immediate result of the visit was a reciprocal invitation for a return visit by a delegation from the Academia Sinica to Australia in April 1965. Both visits and the reports emerging from them did much to improve understanding between the two academies and to provide a great deal of information to the Fellowship on the quality and extent of China's scientific, educational and industrial efforts. It is interesting to record that the Australian Government at the time would not recognise either of these visits officially, so that they were indeed private visits on the Academy's own responsibility, and the visit of the Chinese delegation to Australia was financed from its private funds. The Cultural Revolution in China prevented any further contact between the two academies until 1973, although some private exchanges did occur between scientists in the two countries.
The next Australia-China workshop will take place in Beijing in August this year.
Moran Award for History of Science Research
Applications are invited for the Moran Award for History of Science Research.The award is aimed at postgraduate students and other independent researchers with expertise in the history of Australian science. Its purpose is to encourage use of the Basser Library collections, especially by younger researchers, and it can be used towards travel and accommodation costs.
A total of $2500 is available each year. This will generally be awarded to one person, but may be split between candidates at the selection committee’s discretion. Closing date for submissions is 30 April 2007. For more information: http://www.science.org.au/academy/basser/bass-award.htm
AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL — FUNDING SCHEME CALENDAR
Minister for Education, Science and Training Julie Bishop has released a schedule of key dates for researchers planning to apply for Australian Research Council (ARC) funding for projects commencing in 2008. For more information about ARC funding schemes, visit: http://www.arc.gov.au
The learned Academies in Australia are eligible to bid for project grants under the Learned Academies Special Projects (LASP) scheme. Fellows are invited to submit suggestions for LASP projects to sue.serjeantson@science.org.au by 31 May 2007.
2007 Australian Museum Eureka prizes
Entries and nominations are now open for the 2007 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes. This year the Australian Museum has announced two new prizes: the IAG Eureka Prize for Innovative Solutions to Climate Change and the British Council Eureka Prizes for Young Leaders in Environmental Issues and Climate Change.
The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are Australia’s largest award scheme for outstanding Australian Science. In 2007 the Eureka Prizes include a further 18 awards across Scientific Research and Innovation, Leadership, School Science and Science Communication and Journalism. For more information visit http//:www.australianmuseum.net.au or contact Dr Sophie Lieberman by phone on (02) 9320 6483 or email at sophiel@austmus.gov.au.
For the Fellowship
New nominations for ordinary election to the Fellowship are due at the Secretariat by close of business 31 July 2007.
The 2007 Annual General Meeting is on Thursday 3 May, 2.305.00 pm in the Ian Wark Theatre, Shine Dome, Canberra.
DIARY DATES 2007
1820 April. Gene Delivery and Control (Boden Research Conference), Shine Dome, Canberra. Organised by the Australasian Gene Therapy Society (http://www.agts.org.au).
27 April. Nominations close for the 2007 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science (http://www.dest.gov.au/scienceprize).
24 May. Science at the Shine Dome, incorporating the Annual General Meeting and symposium (see item above).
4 May. Nominations close for the 2007 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes (see item above).
16 May. Nominations close for the Oxford Nuffield Medical Fellowship 200708 (http://www.science.org.au/awards/nuffield.htm).
16 May. The Haddon Forrester King Medal, sponsored by Rio Tinto, will be presented to Emeritus Professor David Groves at a dinner held at the Weld Club, Perth. If you wish to attend please email Faye Nicholas at: faye.nicholas@science.org.au
18 May. Deadline for expressions of interest for Oliphant Conferences (see item above).
22 May. Public lecture by Professor John Pearn, ‘A Doctor in the garden’. The final lecture in the Academy’s ‘The origin of species: the Australian Connection’ lecture series. For information go to: http://www.science.org.au/events/publiclectures
24 May. Public lecture by Dr Susan Solomon, Senior Scientist, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, US. ‘Ozone depletion and climate change: A tale of two environmental issues’, Shine Dome, Canberra, 6-7pm, refreshments from 5.30pm. Bookings are recommended. Contact Susie Barratt by phone on (02) 6201 9400 or email at susie.barratt@science.org.au
2628 June. Biodiversity: Balancing Conservation and Production — Case Studies From the Real World, University of Tasmania, Launceston. Organised by Tamar NRM in association with the University of Tasmania’s Centre for Environment (http://www.conferenceplus.com.au/nrm).
2 July. Nominations close for the 2007 Cosmos Bright Sparks awards (http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/brightsparks)
1617 July. The Magellanic System (Elizabeth and Frederick White Research Conference), CSIRO Australia National Telescope Facility, Epping, NSW. Organised by the ANTF (http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/LVmeeting/mag_program.html)
17 July. Improving Access to Australian Publicly Funded Research — Advancing Knowledge and the Knowledge Economy (National Scholarly Communication Forum), Shine Dome, Canberra. For more information, contact Colin Steele by phone on (02) 6125 8983 or email colin.steele@anu.edu.au.
COUNCIL MEMBERS (http://www.science.org.au/academy/council/officers.htm)
President, Kurt Lambeck
phone (02) 6125 5445, fax (02) 6125 5443, kurt.lambeck@anu.edu.au
Secretary (Physical Sciences), Robert Frater
phone (02) 8884 2338, rfrater@resmed.com.au
Secretary (Biological Sciences), John Shine
phone (02) 9295 8120, j.shine@garvan.org.au
Secretary (Science Policy), Philip Kuchel
phone (02) 9351 3709, p.kuchel@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Secretary (Education and Public Awareness), Julie Campbell
phone (07) 3365 4658, julie.campbell@uq.edu.au
Foreign Secretary, Jenny Graves
phone (02) 6125 2492, jenny.graves@anu.edu.au
Treasurer, Phil McFadden
phone (02) 6249 9612, mcfadden@grapevine.com.au
