News and views

Explore updates on Academy initiatives, scientific developments, and expert perspectives on issues shaping research and policy. Our commentary reflects the Academy’s role in fostering informed discussion and sharing thought leadership that connects science with society.
Image Description
Shine dome aerial directly overhead
Filters
Clear filters
Australia's Parliament House in Canberra with the flag flying against a blue sky with fluffy white clouds

‘Ambitious Australia’ report: There is not a moment to waste

The Academy strongly supports recommendations from the Strategic Examination of Research and Development to stop the long-term decline in research funding and to craft an R&D system that supports scale and focus. Without this, Australia will fall behind.
Read more
Australia Parliament House

Budget signals support for ambitious reform for Australian science

The Academy welcomes 2026–27 Budget measures that back key recommendations of the Strategic Examination of Research and Development.

Profile photo of two men side by side

Academy backs early-career researchers protecting Australia's wildlife

Two early-career scientists researching a deadly frog fungus and an invasive backyard skink have won the Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award.

Australia from space

International grants supercharging Australian research collaborations

Australian researchers tackling big challenges have received a total of $6.2 million in grants to deepen partnerships with international collaborators across priority technology areas.

Melissa Abberton

Academy Council appoints inaugural Executive Director

The Council of the Australian Academy of Science is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Melissa Abberton as the inaugural Executive Director.

Five different covers of the Historical Records of Australian Science laid out, with the two earlier editions brown in colour, the next two blue, and the most recent one white.

Sixty years of illuminating the history of Australian science

Tracing the origins and stories of the Academy's journal, Historical Records of Australian Science, in its 60th year of publication.

Three large telescope buildings under a starry night sky.

As the world looks up, Australia looks away

The Australian Government’s decision to withdraw from its association with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is short-sighted and risks long-term damage to the country's astronomy capability.

A woman sits on a couch surrounded by hands proffering laptops, phones, tablets and a megaphone. She appears overwhelmed and has her hands covering her ears.

The science of resilience: New insights on tackling mis- and disinformation

Investing in our physical and mental health is also an investment in our collective ability to resist harmful information, a new report reveals.

Close up of NSW Premier John T. Lang’s signature

‘The Bearer of this Letter ...’ 

Newly discovered archival letters reveal how early 20th-century Australia deployed its scientists abroad, armed with prime ministerial introductions.

23 profile photos arranged in a grid

Academy celebrates the best of Australian science 

Prestigious honorific awards acknowledge outstanding contributions from 23 scientists across disciplines and career stages.