Influence and impact of Academy stronger than ever

The Academy’s recently published annual report provides a comprehensive overview of the organisation’s major successes in 2018.

Guided by its strategic plan and made possible by the participation of hundreds of Fellows, the organisation had a strong focus on diversity and inclusion in everything it did. Major achievements included the launch of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Travelling Research Award, recognition of 15 institutions with SAGE Bronze Awards for gender equity and diversity, setting of science priorities for the federal election, reaching 1.2 million followers on Facebook, and publishing major plans to guide the future of taxonomy, geoscience and geography.

Global activities included the S20 meeting in Argentina, supporting the newly formed International Science Council, calling for action on climate change, bringing 40 PhD students from the Americas to Australia, and supporting young scientists to participate in international events.

The Academy delivered many successful events, including a symposium on science and natural disasters as part of its annual celebration of Australian science, Science at the Shine Dome. It launched a campaign to support brain science in Australia, hosted a conference on the impacts of feral horses on the Australian Alps, and further developed Future Earth Australia.

Its science and mathematics school programs continued to grow, and it produced more than 200 videos and 115 articles for communicating science to a broad audience on social media.

Twenty-one eminent scientists were elected as new Fellows, and two Corresponding Members were welcomed. Many Fellows received top Australian and international honours and awards to celebrate their distinguished achievements.

Find out more about the Fellows’ and Academy’s achievements in the 2018 Annual Report.