National Committee for Earth Sciences
The National Committee for Earth Sciences (NCES) fosters the Earth sciences in Australia, links the Academy to Australian Earth scientists and relevant scientific societies, and provides a link between Australian and overseas Earth scientists, primarily through the International Union for Quaternary Research, the International Union for Geodesy and Geophysics and the International Union for Geological Sciences.
In 2018 the NCES published a wide-ranging decadal plan, Our Planet, Australia’s Future, to ensure Australian geoscience research continues to be world leading through sustained support for this innovative and integrated field of endeavour. The plan is intended to drive future research to impact positively on Australian life: improving the safety, security and well-being of Australians while contributing positively to the nation's prosperity and management of environmental challenges.
A previous decadal plan was released in 2003 and brought about a period of significant scientific advance in the sector, built on well-funded research programs and underpinned by significant investment in research infrastructure through the NCRIS and EIF schemes. The new decadal plan looks towards the challenges and opportunities likely to present themselves over the next 10 years.
Statement regarding a decline in funding of tertiary geoscience departments across Australia
In August 2021 the National Committee for Earth Sciences published a statement addressing the systematic reduction in staff members in geosciences departments in Australia in recent years.
Governance
Reports and activities
Related groups and organisations
Members
- Chair: Emeritus Professor Ian Jackson FAA
- Australian National University, Research School of Earth Sciences
- Research Expertise: Seismology, Earth evolution, geophysics
- Committee member: Professor Michael Bird
- James Cook University, Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science
- Research Expertise: Isotope geochemistry, quaternary science, carbon cycle science, geoarchaeology
- Ex-officio: Professor Nathan Daczko
- Macquarie University, School of Natural Sciences
- Research Expertise: Microstructural and microchemical changes that occur during melt-rock interaction
- Committee member: Professor Kliti Grice FAA
- Curtin University, Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre
- Research Expertise: Mass extinctions and paleoclimate, natural resources, molecular palaeontology, molecular ecology
- Committee member: Dr Steven Hill
- Geoscience Australia, Chief Scientist
- Research Expertise: Sediments, mineral exploration, biogeochemistry, lakes, geological mapping
- Committee member: Dr Tim Rawling
- AuScope, Chief Executive Officer
- Research Expertise: Geography, earth and atmospheric sciences
- Committee member: Professor Chris Rizos
- The University of New South Wales, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Co-director of the Satellite Navigation and Positioning (SNAP) Lab
- Research Expertise: Global positioning system (GPS), GPS navigation, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), surveying
- Committee member: Associate Professor John Tibby
- The University of Adelaide, School of Social Sciences
- Research Expertise: Climate and environmental history
- Committee member: Associate Professor Helen Bostock
- The University of Queensland, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Research Expertise: Oceanography, paleoceanography, atmospheric science, coasts and ocean science
- Committee member: Professor David Ronald Cohen
- The University of New South Wales, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Research Expertise: Mineral exploration, environmental geology, geochemistry
- Committee member: Dr Eleanor Green
- The University of Melbourne, School of Geography, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences
- Research Expertise: Thermodynamic equilibrium, geology, phase-relations
- EMCR Representative: Dr Jessica Stromberg
- CSIRO Mineral Resources, Team Lead and Geoscientist
- Research Expertise: geochemistry, spectroscopy, ore systems
- Committee member: Dr Andrew Smith
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Principal Research Scientist
- Research Expertise: Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), particle accelerator systems, ion beam optics, Antarctic paleoclimatology
