PRESIDENT'S NOTES
13 December 1999
Dear Colleague,
I recently visited New Zealand as a guest of the Royal Society of New Zealand. It was a great opportunity to compare the different ways that science works in two closely related countries with very different Academies.
With best wishes for Christmas and the new year,
Brian D O Anderson
PRIME MINISTER’S COUNCIL MEETING
I attended a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council on 26 November. The meeting considered progress on the National Innovation Summit, action on salinity and other problems in the Murray-Darling Basin, science awareness activities, science in schools and nanotechnology. Arising from a discussion at the meeting, the Academy is to support a conference on nanotechnology in association with ATSE.
RESEARCH ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
A working group involving the four Academies and chaired by the Secretary (Science Policy), John White, has prepared a proposal for a research assessment exercise based on the model used in Britain but with variations for Australian conditions. The purpose is to develop a firm basis for qualitative judgements in the allocation of research infrastructure support. For more information contact Ros Wallace at the Academy (email ns@science.org.au, phone 02 6247 3966).
CAPABILITY REVIEW
John White has also prepared a draft submission to the Australian Science Capability Review. Council has supported the recommendations of the submission including the proposal that there should be more emphasis on the need for a 60 per cent loading on research grants to provide research infrastructure. For more information contact Ros Wallace (email ns@science.org.au, phone 02 6247 3966).
POLICY FRAMEWORK
The Foreign Secretary, Kurt Lambeck, and I will seek a meeting with the Chief Scientific Adviser of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Dr Warren King, to discuss the development of a national policy framework for science and innovation.
AUSTRALIA PRIZE
The Academy has congratulated the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources on the continuation of the Australia Prize, which has been reconstituted as the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science and two Minister’s Prizes for Achievement in Science. The Academy has advised the department that an age limit of 40 for the Minister’s Prizes was preferred to 35, to allow sufficient time to judge the researchers’ achievements.
JOURNALS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
While I was in New Zealand I raised the proposal of the Advisory Board of the Australian Journals of Scientific Research that amalgamations of Australian and New Zealand titles be encouraged. The advantages and disadvantages of such mergers will be discussed with CSIRO and comments sought from Australian researchers.
STRATEGIC PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
Council has endorsed the recommendations of the review of the Academy’s Strategic Plan. The recommendations covered the role of Regional Groups, ties with industry, promotion of National Committee activities, the involvement of recently retired Fellows and evaluation of international activities.
BYE-LAWS BALLOT
Proposed changes to correct gender-specific references in the Bye-Laws will be submitted to a ballot of the Fellows shortly.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2000
The Regional Groups of Fellows have been invited to propose matters for discussion at next year’s annual general meeting. The Executive Committee will consider any submissions and advise Council.
BODEN RESEARCH CONFERENCE
The Australian Society for Reproductive Biology and the Fertility Society of Australia have been invited to organise a Boden Research Conference in 2001 on Immune Deviation and Reproductive Function.
MAX JACOBS AWARDS
The Maxwell Ralph Jacobs Award Committee has agreed to make several awards in 2000. They will go to Craig MacFarlane, Geraldine Moore and Emily Kemp to support their forestry research.
ADVISORY POSITION
The Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs has invited the Academy to nominate members of a committee to advise the Minister for Education on the award of Science Lectureships and three names have been put forward.
HUMAN RIGHTS OF SCIENTISTS
With other Fellows, I recently had dinner with Professor Torsten Wiesel, the Chair of a US National Academy of Sciences committee on the abuses of scientists’ human rights. The Academy will request more information on the filtering of reported incidents of abuse, a key aspect of such activities.
OFFICE BEARERS OF THE ACADEMY
President, Professor Brian Anderson
phone (02) 6279 8667, fax (02) 6279 8688,
email brian.anderson@anu.edu.au
Secretary (Physical Sciences), Professor Bruce McKellar
phone (03) 9344 5122, b.mckellar@physics.unimelb.edu.au
Secretary (Biological Sciences), Professor John Young
phone (02) 9351 4600, johny@physiol.usyd.edu.au
Secretary (Science Policy), Professor John White
phone (02) 6249 3578, jww@rsc.anu.edu.au
Foreign Secretary, Professor Kurt Lambeck
phone (02) 6249 5161, kurt.lambeck@anu.edu.au
Treasurer, Professor Athel Beckwith
phone (02) 6249 3234, beckwith@rsc.anu.edu.au
