Australia’s investment in science is moving backwards and will drive the nation’s best and brightest towards greater opportunities offshore, the Academy has warned in its submission to the National Commission of Audit.

In the submission, the Academy said investing in science was essential to increasing resilience, productivity and competitiveness, and fundamental to ensuring future prosperity. It urged the Government to create a strong economy and address looming issues for society through investing in science and innovation to build the tools to tackle tomorrow’s problems.

The Academy has paid tribute to one of its most distinguished Corresponding Members, British biochemist Professor Fred Sanger, who twice won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Professor Sanger, who passed away in November, won his first Nobel Prize in 1958 for work which provided the first conclusive evidence that proteins had a defined sequence. Sanger was one of the founding leaders of Cambridge’s legendary MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, where he developed methodology that laid the foundation for the Human Genome Project, and which in 1980 earned him a second Nobel Prize.

A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology visited the Academy on 4 December to share Australia’s experience in science, technology and innovation (STI) reform. The visit preceded the start of a new US$100 million FIRST Project (Fostering Innovation through Research, Science and Technology) with World Bank financing. This project will design and pilot STI policies, make R&D institutions more effective, and encourage innovative technology enterprises.

Professor Richard Harvey FAA, Head of the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Division at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, has been awarded the 2013 NSW Ministerial Award for Cardiovascular Research Excellence.

The annual award recognises the achievements of an individual in NSW who has made 'a significant positive impact on the cardiovascular health of the state, and deserves to be recognised for their contributions to the health of society'.

Registrations are now open for next year’s Science at the Shine Dome. As well as acknowledging the outstanding work of our awardees and new Fellows, this annual meeting includes a one-day public symposium on a special theme.

In 2014 the Academy will mark the 60th anniversary of its founding. The annual symposium this year celebrates the successes of Australian science and explores the shape of Australia’s science future. Celebrating Australian science PAST PRESENT FUTURE will have a galaxy of outstanding speakers, including several Nobel laureates.

The Australian Academy of Science (AAS), with funding from the Australian Government Department of Industry, invites applications for funding from Australian consortia who are a partner in an application under the European Commission (EC) Horizon 2020 programme.

The objective of the Australia-European Union (EU) Collaboration Program is to broker strategic research partnerships with the EU under the Horizon 2020 programme and support strategic cooperative research with Europe.

Geophysicist Professor Kurt Lambeck AO FAA FRS from the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, has won the Australian Academy of Science’s 2015 Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture for scientific research of the highest standing in the physical sciences.

The Academy today announced its 2014 honorific, research and travelling fellowship award winners, honouring achievements in Australian science.

Australian Academy of Science President Professor Suzanne Cory today congratulated Academy Fellows and staff recognised in this year’s Australia Day awards. Among the nearly 700 Australians honoured on Sunday, four Academy Fellows and two staff members were acknowledged for their work in fields as diverse as epilepsy research, physics, cardiology and microbiology.

Epilepsy researcher Professor Samuel Berkovic AC, FAA, FRS and lea

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