65th Lindau Nobel Laureates meeting

Thirteen leading young Australian researchers mixed with 650 other young scientists and 65 Nobel Laureates from around the world at a special meeting in Germany, convened to strengthen global interdisciplinary scientific exchange.

The 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, held over a week in late June and early July in the German town of Lindau, covered the fields of physiology and medicine, physics and chemistry.

Annual meetings of Nobel Laureates give young researchers the opportunity to meet their scientific heroes, exchange ideas, gain exposure to areas in their chosen disciplines and establish new contacts and networks. Professor Jim Williams AM FAA FTSE led this year’s delegation and was accompanied by Academy President Professor Andrew Holmes AM PresAA FRS FTSE and Professor Phil Kuchel FAA. Attendance of the young Australian scientists was made possible by a grant from the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF).

On the final day of the meeting 36 Nobel Laureates, including Australian Laureates Professor Brian Schmidt AC FAA FRS, Professor Elizabeth Blackburn AC FAA FRS, Professor Peter Doherty AC FAA FRS and Professor Robin Warren AC FAA, signed a landmark declaration on climate change. The Mainau Declaration calls on the nations of the world ‘to take decisive action to limit future global emissions’ as part of the Paris climate talks later this year.

Following the meeting the Australian delegation visited three Max Planck Institutes, the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland and the impressive Mercedes Benz plant in Stuttgart. These site visits were supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry and Science.

Read some stories by or about Australia’s 2015 delegates:

• Will saving the future of science help save humanity?
• Science and sport go hand in hand to provide best lesson for success - resilience
• Reflections of Mainau and Lindau: An eternal reminder of a scientist’s social responsibility
• G’day from down under
• ABC Radio interview with Louis Wang

The 2015 Australian delegation

• Eva Alvarez De Eulate, Curtin University
• Emma Beckett, University of Newcastle
• Paul Berkman, CSIRO
• Tristan Clemons, University of Western Australia
• Vipul Gupta, University of Tasmania
• Kang Liang, CSIRO
• Thomas Oon Han Loke, University of Western Australia
• Amelia Parker, Children's Cancer Institute
• Bronson Phillipa, James Cook University
• Elena Tucker, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
• Louis Wang, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
• Mark Zammit, Curtin University
• Jiangbo (Tim) Zhao, University of Adelaide

Nominations open for 2016 Lindau meeting

Nominations are now open to attend the physics-themed 2016 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, which will be held in Germany from 26 June – 1 July 2016. With SIEF support, Australia will be sending a delegation of up to 10 early-career researchers to take part in this unique experience.

Nominations close Monday 5 October 2015, 5pm AEDT.

More information on applying for this award