Position statement – Principles of science policy advice

The Australian Academy of Science comprises 550 Fellows whose common link is their exceptional scientific achievement. Through the Fellowship, the Academy has unparalleled access to scientific expertise and to the Australian science community. The Academy is able to use this knowledge base to provide advice on policy-related matters. 

Principles for policy advice 

All advice provided by the Academy will be dispassionate, disinterested apolitical and founded in expertise, according to the following standards: 

1. Excellence. The Academy will draw on the expertise of its distinguished Fellowship, and on other relevant experts.
2. Quality. All advice is subject to internal and external review, in part to ensure content is appropriate and in part to ensure any advice is compliant with Academy policies and principles.
3. Independence. The Academy is independent. Its advice is driven by evidence and will not be influenced by political interference in its drafting or its conclusions.
4. Transparency. A normal condition of Academy advice is that it is made public. It will be written to be accessible to a non-specialist audience.