Message from the President—October 2020

October 23, 2020
 

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are the pinnacle of science recognition in Australia, honouring lifetime achievements of scientists, innovators and teachers. The Academy is proud to see Fellows Emeritus Professor David Blair, Professor Susan Scott and Professor David McClelland, with their colleague Professor Peter Veitch, jointly awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, and Fellow Professor Thomas Maschmeyer awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation. Congratulations to all the recipients of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science.

We are also proud to see that Professor Edward Holmes, Professor Suzanne O’Reilly and Professor Ian Wright have been recognised in the NSW Premier's Prizes for Science and Engineering, and that Professor Mark Randolph has been inducted into the WA Science Hall of Fame.

The Academy has welcomed the 2020–21 Federal Budget measures that will provide much needed assistance to Australia’s scientists as they face the unique challenges brought on by the pandemic. An injection of funding will support research at Australia’s universities and government science agencies, and the strategic decision to fund STEM education programs such as those delivered by the Academy is a prudent investment in the future workforce. COVID-19 has highlighted the critical need for policies to be informed by multidisciplinary science, which can only be achieved with a robust research workforce and infrastructure.

Global challenges in the context of COVID-19 were also the focus of the G20 Science 20 (S20) summit hosted recently by Saudi Arabia. Three Academy Fellows contributed to S20 recommendations presented to G20 leaders and policymakers. Such international involvement by the world’s leading science academies and others in the science community is vital to global progress and sustainability.

Closer to home, but with global implications, the Academy is calling for the establishment of an independent agency to manage Australia’s biodiversity data. Scientific evidence backed by reliable data must support all decisions made under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. It’s estimated that more than two-thirds of Australian species are still to be described. Improving data management now will also prove vital to recording and understanding new species, resulting in environmental, social and economic benefits for all Australians.

Thank you for taking the time to keep abreast of our news, and I hope you enjoy reading this month’s newsletter.

John Shine

© 2024 Australian Academy of Science

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