Science Policy and Diplomacy Newsletter—Special edition September 2025

The Science Policy and Diplomacy Newsletter of the Australian Academy of Science highlights important science policy discussions and events in Australia and around the globe. We report on the involvement of science in national and international policy and diplomacy, and the Academy’s contributions to these discussions.

Landmark report provides roadmap to meet future science challenges

After decades of declining investment, Australia is facing a collapsing pipeline of STEM skills in the community and workforce essential for the nation’s future. Simply put, our sovereign capacity to innovate and respond to emerging challenges, clearly outlined in the Intergenerational Report of 2023, is undermined.

– Professor Ian Chubb AC FAA FTSE, Convenor of Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035

The Australian Academy of Science is proud to present Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035 – the most comprehensive report of its kind with wide-ranging implications for all sectors in Australia.

Launched at the Academy’s National Symposium on 4 September 2025, this report assesses the capability of Australia’s science system, its ability to compete and collaborate globally, and its contribution to the nation’s economy, security, health and quality of life.

Australia faces unprecedented challenges: geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological change, declining STEM participation and an aging population. To meet these challenges, we need a science and technology uplift in both skills and capability to prosper, and we need it now.

For the first time, we have a map of what needs to be done, backed by evidence, and no excuse to do nothing because now we know.

– Professor Ian Chubb AC FAA FTSE

Critical findings: eight priority areas at risk

Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035 reveals dangerous gaps in workforce, infrastructure and coordination that will cripple Australia's ability to meet 2060 challenges.

The Academy’s report projects capability gaps in eight key science areas that will be most in demand by 2035: agricultural science, AI, biotechnology, climate science, data science, epidemiology, geoscience, and materials science.

The analysis found:

• We aren't training enough geoscientists, yet our economy rests heavily on resources, and critical minerals is a priority of the National Reconstruction Fund under ‘value-add in resources’.
• Jobs in artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to surge, yet only one in four Year 12 students is studying mathematics – the fundamental science discipline underpinning AI.
• We’re facing national shortages of materials scientists, and the workforce in process and resources engineering is also projected to decline.
• The current pipeline and study choices of students is not aligned with the needs of our future workforce, with declining STEM participation and teacher shortages a looming threat.

Rating scale for the graphic above:

• Green thumb: No trends decreasing. No gap or unlikely to have a gap in capability.
• Amber thumb: Some trends decreasing or no majority of increasing trends. Some gap or likely gap in capability.
• Red thumb: Most trends decreasing. Existing gap or certain gap in capability.
• Question mark: Insufficient data available.

This report provides critical, evidence-based, in-depth analyses that will inform science and policy leaders tasked with shaping the Australian science, education and immigration landscapes. In addition, it can act as a guide for philanthropists looking to make nation-building investment decisions.

A novel approach

Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035 is the most comprehensive report of its kind with wide-ranging implications for all sectors in Australia.

In undertaking this project, the Academy developed and applied a novel method to address a fundamental question: Does the science we have match the science we need?

The approach is underpinned by extensive consultations with discipline experts, Learned Academies, and demand-side stakeholders including users of science from academia and industry. The data analysis was further supported by rigorous forecasting techniques to identify shifts in the science workforce, anticipate demand and highlight potential workforce gaps.

Academy Fellows also engaged with Indigenous scientists in a series of yarns to gather a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on the future of science.

Academy Fellows also engaged with Indigenous scientists in a series of yarns to gather a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on the future of science.

Nation-leading science advice

The Australian Academy of Science is uniquely placed to deliver this type of project – its independence, convening power, the deep expertise of its Fellows, and the experience of its secretariat combine to provide authority, credibility and impact that is unmatched.

If you would like to know more, we invite you to contact the Academy to learn more about applying our method to your initiatives and providing evidence to inform your decisions.

Additional resources

Media release

New report provides roadmap to plug national science capability gaps

Recording

Watch the recording of the National Symposium 2025

Keynote address

Keynote address at the Australian Academy of Science National Symposium

Address delivered by the Hon Dr Andrew Charlton MP, Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy

Media article

New report reveals glaring gaps between Australia’s future needs and science capabilities

Article in The Conversation by Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC.