As the President of the Australian Academy of Science I am pleased to share with you our 2023 donor update.
Over the past year, your generosity has helped us reach significant heights. We have seen our awards program thrive meaning that many young researchers have received support to advance their research and foster important collaborations.
Supporting international collaboration has been a key feature of recent philanthropic efforts, particularly through the establishment of the Ukraine-Australia Research Fund. You may not be surprised to learn that there was very high demand for these grants to support Ukrainian scientists to continue their work through collaborations with Australia. I am delighted we have been able to open a second round of funding to meet some of this demand. I encourage you to read about Svitlana Omelchuk’s work and others featured in this newsletter.
2023 also saw new partnerships to support Falling Walls Lab 2023 which enables talented young researchers to showcase their groundbreaking research and measure themselves against the brightest from around the world. Dr Emma-Anne Karlsen, a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland’s Frazer Institute, was Australia’s overall winner and travelled to Germany to compete in the Falling Walls finale, placing third in the world.
The Academy was incredibly humbled to receive a significant bequest on behalf of Professor Michael Dopita AM FAA. In his time as Treasurer at the Academy, Michael was acutely aware of limited sources of untied funding for the Academy, and his bequest is greatly assisting the strengthening of our capabilities and independence. Bequests are a fundamental philanthropic pillar at the Academy and this thoughtful and purposeful way of giving is vital to harness the opportunities that can be delivered by science and scientists.
There have been many more achievements throughout 2023, and I encourage you to read more about these below.
2024 will see the Academy celebrate our 70th anniversary and I look forward to celebrating our achievements with you. I often reflect on the early donations to the Academy 70 years ago which have grown over time and today sustain and support us in vital ways. The founding members of the Academy had a vision to establish a strong and independent organisation that could call on its distinguished Fellows—Australia’s most accomplished scientists—to bring science to the service of our nation. That vision is as alive today as it was in 1954 and it has in no small part been realised due to the generosity of many along the way.
I invite you to stay engaged with us and participate in the varied and vibrant activities ahead, as we come together to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Australian Academy of Science.
I finish with my most sincere thanks and appreciation to our donors, our fellows, family and friends. Your ongoing support fuels our determination and with this the possibilities are many.
I extend my warm wishes to you and your loved ones during the festive season and I look forward to connecting with you again in the new year, as we share more on the 70th anniversary celebrations and our philanthropy program.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FREng FTSE
Born in the Czech Republic and educated at Wadham College, Oxford, and Manchester University in the UK, Michael and his wife Patricia moved to Australia some 40 years ago. Michael became a Professor of Astronomy at the Mount Stromlo Observatory (now the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the Australian National University) in 1994.
He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1996. He served as Treasurer (2007–13) and Council Member at the Academy.
Michael was an expert on galaxy formation and evolution; the physics of the interstellar medium; plasma diagnostics and spectral synthesis; and star formation and the feeding and the galactic environment of black holes. He authored more than 630 publications (360 refereed) and was an invited speaker at more than 50 conferences. He was ISI Citation Laureate (2001), was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal (2003), Member of the Order of Australia (2013), and an inaugural Australian Federation Fellow (2002–06).
As a former treasurer, Michael had an appreciation and deep understanding of the Academy’s needs. Michael’s bequest represents a significant donation, one that is not tied to a specific activity of the Academy.
At the time of making a bequest pledge, Michael wrote:
In my function as Treasurer, I was acutely aware of the limitations on our ability to act placed upon us by our budgetary limitations, and on more than one occasion a promising initiative could not be developed due to a lack of funding.
Too often, the temptation of a giver is to memorialise one's own field of science, through striking a medal or creating a special-purpose fund. This is eminently understandable, but does not greatly assist the functioning of the Academy in the long run. What is desperately needed now are untied donations which can be used for whatever purpose Council or EXCOM requires to develop the core mission of the Academy. For this reason, I have now made a binding bequest to the Academy of Science designed to add to the Australia Futures Science Fund, in the sure knowledge that the money will be well-spent in securing a more healthy, literate, rational and science-driven future for all Australians.
We are eternally grateful to Michael and Patricia for this overwhelming support.
Celebrate Science is a way for you to directly recognise scientific excellence and contribute to its progress in Australia, while forming a connection in perpetuity with the iconic heritage-listed Shine Dome.
A collection of manuscripts held in the Australian Academy of Science archives showcases a little-known multi-decade effort by science, industry and the farming communities of north-eastern Australia to combat sugar cane diseases.
The material has been digitised, thanks to the support of David Anstice AO, and is now freely available through the Academy online catalogue.
We thank David for his support towards preserving our scientific culture and history.
Twenty-one grant recipients have been awarded a share of A$330,000 from the Ukraine-Australia Research Fund, established to assist Ukrainian researchers impacted by the war with Russia.
Established in 2023, this award honours Professor David Vaux AO FAA FAHMS, who has championed scientific research integrity in Australia. Professor Vaux was also the inaugural recipient of the award.
The purpose of this award is to recognise individuals who have led efforts in their or other institution(s) to foster and promote integrity in science. They will have promoted fairness, honesty, and consideration of others in the practice of scientific research.
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) has kindly funded this award thanks to a generous donation from Dr Glenn Begley, a WEHI alumnus, and Mrs Merrin Begley. Their donation reflects their long-term commitment to research integrity and robust scientific methods. They are proud to be associated with a high-profile award that promotes research ethics and integrity.
The award will be offered biennially from 2025–2033. The fellowship is restricted to candidates who are normally resident in Australia and who will deliver workshops and/or lectures in Australia.
Thank you to the Begleys and WEHI for this generous support.
The winners were chosen from 10 participants, who gathered at the Shine Dome in Canberra to present their ideas, research and initiatives on the theme ‘Which walls will fall next?’. The Lab is an international forum for the next generation of outstanding innovators and creative thinkers.
Thanks to our partners at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Australia, ZEISS, EURAXESS Australia and New Zealand, and the DAAD German Academic Exchange Service.
In February, Grander’s Trust donated A$50,000 to Future Earth Australia, a national initiative based at the Australian Academy of Science that enables Australian researchers, governments, industry, peak bodies and civil society to connect and collaborate on sustainability transitions.
Thank you to all our generous donors for your continued support of Australian scientific excellence.
If you’d like to make a donation please contact us at philanthropy@science.org.au or + 61 2 6201 9460.
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© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
