Academy Newsletter 195: August 2025

Australian Academy of Science Newsletter July 2025 Number 194
 

Message from the President

Next week the Academy is releasing an important report on the reforms required to put Australia on track to meet our national ambitions.

National productivity won’t be boosted with flatlining business investment in R&D

ABS data reveals Australian business expenditure on R&D is flatlining as a percentage of GDP.

Latest figures show total government spending on R&D is in decline, again

New figures reveal a continued decline in R&D investment and potential $400 million underspend on the Medical Research Future Fund.

Action on Australian research integrity reform needed now

Scientists have renewed the call for a national body to manage and investigate research misconduct in Australia.

Prioritising R&D in Australia: ABC interview with Academy Chief Executive

Anna-Maria Arabia spoke with Saskia Mabin about supercomputing, investment in R&D and CSIRO job cuts.

Speech: Building a robust, responsive and interconnected ecosystem

Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC spoke at a conference in Bandung, Indonesia.

Opportunity for scientists

Applications open for 2026 Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia) grants

The Australian Academy of Science is excited to extend an invitation to early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) to apply for the Theo Murphy Initiative Australia (TMIA) grant program for the 2026 round.

The TMIA was established by the Royal Society to further scientific discovery. The fund is administered by the Australian Academy of Science and provides grant funding to EMCRs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Applicants will need to demonstrate how the proposed activity will support knowledge development in the relevant STEM-related field(s) of research.

In this round, TMIA will support at least three Flagship activities empowering transformative initiatives, up to seven Amplify activities demonstrating potential to amplify the impact of existing projects or initiatives, and several Participation Support grants to assist with the cost of attending and participating in an event or activity.

For more details on the application process, eligibility criteria and assessments, please refer to the grant application guidelines.

Applications close 5 pm (AEST) 1 October 2025.

For specific funding streams, find the application links below:

Find out more about the activities funded in 2023-24.

For more information, contact theomurphyau@science.org.au or call +61 2 6201 9433.


Take a digital tour of the Shine Dome

Completed in 1959 and reflecting some of the more adventurous architectural ideas of that time, the Academy’s Shine Dome (previously known as Becker House) remains one of the most unusual buildings in Australia. The distinctive dome structure was designed by Sir Roy Grounds and has since become a well-known Canberra landmark.

An extensive virtual tour of the Shine Dome has been developed by the Robin Boyd Foundation in collaboration with the Australian Academy of Science and Canberra Modern.

The Shine Dome is available for hire, with venue spaces that can cater for groups both small and large.

Explore the unique venue offerings.


Fellows update

Keep abreast of the Academy Fellowship in the Fellows update:

  • Honours and awards to Fellows

If Fellows have been recognised with an award, please let us know via fellowship@science.org.au so we can consider including it in the next update.

 

Science at the Shine Dome 2025
 

Science at the Shine Dome: 1–4 September

The Academy’s annual flagship event, Science at the Shine Dome, will be held in Canberra next week at the iconic Shine Dome – the home of Australian Science.

Australia’s science sector will gather to celebrate science and to honour outstanding scientific achievements.

Fellows elected in 2025 will sign the historic Charter Book, adding their names to the scientific greats of our nation, and delegates will have a unique opportunity to learn about the depth and breadth of Australian science from the nation’s best.

We will celebrate the recipients of the Academy’s prestigious awards and early- and mid-career researchers will have an unparalleled opportunity to network and forge new collaborations.

Registrations for in-person attendance are now closed.

Watch the event through our live stream and join the conversation on social media:

Facebook | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky | Instagram | Threads

Find out more about Science at the Shine Dome 2025.

 


There has never been a national effort to systematically assess Australia’s science capability against its future need – until now.
 

National Symposium 2025

Over the past 18 months, the Australian Academy of Science has embarked on one of the most ambitious policy efforts in our history – Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035.

At the 2025 National Symposium, the Academy will share the findings and implications of our assessment of Australia’s science capability.

Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of capability gaps, workforce trends and strategic dependencies, the event will present a national picture of where we stand, and what we must do to strengthen science for the decades ahead.

This event will explore the findings of this study, including gaps in our science capabilities, and the reform required to put Australia on track to meet our national ambitions.

Registrations are now closed but you can join the discussion online via the livestream.

Event details

  • Date: Thursday 4 September 2025
  • Time: 9.00 am – 4.30 pm AEST
  • Venue: Shine Dome Canberra, and online livestream
  • Cost: $150 per delegate in-person, free for online.

Find out more about this event.


2025 Fenner Conference on the Environment – registrations closing 31 August

Preparing Nature and Society for a Hotter World

Extreme heatwaves are landscape-scale shocks to our natural, agricultural and social systems that occur against the backdrop of rising average temperatures.

Their increasing severity is posing major societal challenges.

With each passing season, high temperature records are being broken globally, with heatwaves now occurring across more than 10% of the Earth’s terrestrial surfaces (up from 1% in the 1960s).

Australia is especially vulnerable to extreme heat challenges, with life-threatening heatwaves becoming more frequent and severe across the continent.

The 2025 joint Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and Australian Academy of Science Fenner Conference on the Environment will explore current knowledge in the area and highlight gaps. It will shape future research collaborations, both locally and internationally, which seek to develop environmental, technical and social solutions that will address the challenges of extreme heat.

The conference brings together experts from research, industry and policy who are focused on charting positive alternative futures for our landscapes and society.

Event details

  • Dates: Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 September 2025
    • Day 1: Full-day conference ($65) and evening public lecture ($20 full admission, $10 students and early-career researchers)
    • Day 2: Research agenda-setting workshop (invitation only)
  • Time: 9.30 am – 5.00 pm
  • Venue: Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra

Register today (registrations close 31 August 2025)

​Contact: thermallimits@anu.edu.au

 

 

2025 Fenner Conference public lecture

Join the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the Australian Academy of Science to explore how we are preparing nature and society for a hotter world.

The evening conversation is the public session of the larger two-day conference.

This debate will be chaired by Professor Joan Leach, former Director of the Australian National Centre for Public Awareness of Science, and will feature:

  • Sarak Perkin Kirkpatrick, Professor of Climate Science, Australian National University
  • Peter Susanto, 2025 NT Young Australian of the Year and youth representative at COP29
  • Xuemei Bai, Professor of Urban Environment and Human Ecology, Australian National University
  • Carmel Reyes, Climate Action and Sustainability Manager, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
  • Ary Hoffman, Professor of Ecological Genetics, University of Melbourne.

Event details

  • Date: Monday 15 September 2025
  • Time: 6.00 – 7.00pm for the lecture, canapes at 5.30pm, poster session at 5.00pm
  • Venue: Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra
  • Cost: Free

Register (select Public Event). Registrations close 5 September 2025.

Contact: thermallimits@anu.edu.au

 

Be part of Australia’s scientific and economic future with the Global Talent Attraction Program

The Academy-led Where Science Lives: Global Talent Attraction Program is aimed at recruiting leading scientists from the United States.

This institution- and discipline-agnostic initiative offers competitive relocation packages to attract exceptional talent that could be placed in universities, medical research institutes, research agencies, and industries while focusing on areas of national need.

Embedding brilliant minds within Australia’s R&D system creates a powerful multiplier effect that seeds capability, creates jobs, attracts investment, mentors young scientists and positions Australia as a global innovation leader.

With other countries already pursuing similar opportunities, the Academy is calling on visionary funders to contribute to this nation-building program and be part of Australia’s scientific and economic future.

Donate today

To learn more about giving to the Academy visit our website or contact Kate Groves on (02) 6201 9460 or kate.groves@science.org.au.


The Honorary editor of the Academy newsletter is Professor Yuri Estrin FAA

© 2025 Australian Academy of Science

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