In September, the Academy continued to call for greater investment in research and development (R&D). Following the figures released in late August by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which show that national investment in R&D continues its 14-year decline, I published a statement arguing that letting our science base continue to decline puts our future at risk.
It is critical that Australia de-risks our economy by diversifying it. We are overly dependent on exporting unprocessed materials like agricultural products and natural resources. We also know that every major challenge before us calls for a solution underpinned by science and technology—decarbonisation, accelerating the energy transition, preparing for pandemics, ensuring Australians can continue to access the highest standard of health care, and responding to an ever more complex geopolitical environment.
The Academy also welcomed the release of the Australian Government’s draft national science and research priorities. The new priorities align with some of the main challenges facing the nation—moving to a net zero future, adapting to a changing climate, building an innovative economy and healthier communities—and importantly they cut across disciplines. We have argued that the final priorities will need to be backed by a robust implementation plan if they are to be effective.
As Academy President and Co-Chair of the Advisory Council for the International Science Council Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific (ISC RFP-AP), I also welcomed Australia’s 2040 Southeast Asia Economic Strategy, which is an opportunity to deepen science and technology regional partnerships that underpin priority areas. This release of this strategy precedes global meetings in Malaysia that I will be attending next month, which will bring together prominent scientists and decisionmakers to assess regional preparedness for artificial intelligence and address sustainability challenges.
Some recent activities of the Academy have attracted substantial attention via social media and seen our efforts to counter disinformation go global. We published on X (previously Twitter) our support of Academy Fellow Professor Eddie Holmes and his rigorous approach to scientific inquiry in the face of sustained media attacks. This post has generated much discussion and has been seen by more than half a million people, many from the USA. Our statement on the Academy’s website conveying the Academy Council’s support of the Voice to Parliament has been read more than 5,700 times. Meanwhile, as news of the pardoning of Ms Kathleen Folbigg spread across the globe, a video produced to mark this occasion and explain the Academy’s involvement was watched by more than 350,000 people worldwide.
I am also pleased to share the recent opening of applications for the Theo Murphy Initiative. This fund enables scientific discovery in the fields of medicine, science, technology and engineering and particularly supports career development amongst Australia’s early- and mid-career researchers in STEM.
Finally, in this edition we have shared highlights from my and the Chief Executive’s visits to the workplaces of our Fellows in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Hobart. We were truly inspired by the breadth and depth of research being undertaken, and I am sure you will be too. I look forward to visiting other parts of the country later this year.
Please enjoy the September newsletter.
Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FREng FTSE
© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
