EMCR Forum activities

The EMCR Forum is the national voice of Australia’s early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs). Apart from preparing for Science Pathways 2016: Future Leaders, Forum executive members have been working over the last few months to ensure EMCRs are represented in the following consultations:

• Medical Research Future Fund consultation for the development of the Australian Medical Research and Innovation Strategy and related Priorities
• ARC and National Innovation and Science Agenda consultation on Research Engagement and Impact Assessment
• Department of Education and Training consultation on new program guidelines for Research Block Grants for universities
• National Health and Medical Research Council consultation on the structural review of its grants programs.

180 Seconds of Science

Executive members recently ran 180 Seconds of Science, a video competition that encouraged EMCRs to showcase their research to the general public and win prizes and travel awards to attend Science Pathways 2016. The EMCR Forum partnered with the Royal Society of New Zealand Early Career Forum to bring a trans-Tasman aspect to the competition.

Voting for the people’s choice awards and judging occurred during national science week. The winning videos were:

• Science across the ditch (NZ entrants): 1. Helen Taylor, ‘Studs or duds? Bird sperm and conservation’. 2. Cate Macinnis-Ng ‘The Kauri drought experiment’
• Australian Future Leader: 1. Kallista Sears (Imagine if your T-shirt could power your mobile) 2. Marta Rubio Martinez (Metal Organic Frameworks: enabling clean technologies)
• People’s Choice: 1. Teresa Ubide, ‘Discovering volcano histories’.

You can view all the entries including the winning videos on the 180 Seconds of Science webpage.