Message from the President: March 2026

This month, the Academy welcomed the Australian Government’s Ambitious Australia report, the most comprehensive examination of Australia's research and innovation system in decades.  

The Academy’s sustained advocacy since 2018 led to the commissioning of this report, and we now have the roadmap we need to reform Australia’s R&D system so that it is fit-for-purpose.  

One thing is clear: the challenges we are facing are systemic and need urgent attention. 

The upcoming May Budget is an opportunity to begin reform and to reverse the long-term decline in R&D investment. There is not a moment to waste. 

I was pleased to join the presidents of all Australia's Learned Academies to call for the Government to implement the recommendations in Ambitious Australia as a package.  

The Academy reiterated this message again following Senator Tim Ayres' National Press Club speech a week later. 

On the international stage, the Academy welcomed the Government's announcement that Australia will pursue association to Horizon Europe. This is a significant win for our science sector that the Academy has called for since 2023.  

International scientific collaboration is a matter of strategic national interest and something Australia cannot do without. 

The global challenges we are facing require global solutions, where researchers and countries work together.  

Deepening research partnerships with Europe mitigates geopolitical risk and will deliver scientific and economic benefits to Australia.  

It is against this backdrop that I am especially delighted to celebrate the 23 exceptional scientists we are honouring through our 2026 Honorific Awards.  

Their research is improving lives, protecting our environment, and helping secure a better future for all Australians.  

This is precisely the kind of work Australia must continue to support, or risk losing if we fail to restore science funding. 

Earlier this month we also announced the recipients of the Academy's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award: Dr Cassandra Sedran-Price from the University of Sydney and Mr Jacob Birch from the University of Queensland. Their work exemplifies the profound contribution Indigenous leadership and knowledge systems bring to Australian science. 

I also wish to acknowledge the resignation of our Chief Executive, Anna-Maria Arabia OAM, whose last day will be 17 April 2026. On behalf of Council, I thank Anna-Maria for her almost 10 years of outstanding service and the energy and commitment she brought to advancing Australian science at home and abroad. 

Next month will be the first instalment of our 2026 Public Speaker series, featuring a discussion about ‘Project Sunrise’ – Qantas' ultra-long-haul initiative underpinned by research from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre. Hear from Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson and Professor Stephen Simpson AC FAA FRS on how circadian biology research is transforming the passenger experience. Please join us online, or in person at the Shine Dome.  

I hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter. 

Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FRS FREng FTSE