News and views

Imagine a world without science, a world without scientists striving every single day to understand the world around them. It’s virtually impossible to contemplate such a reality. I often think about the collective impact on the world made by the Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science and remain quite awestruck at the difference their work has made to our wellbeing, the economy and our physical and designed environment. The world simply would not be as we know it today in the absence of their contribution.

The Academy has announced the commencement of a new initiative to develop a 10-year strategic plan for biosystematics and taxonomy in Australasia.

Science has largely flown under the radar in a restrained Federal Budget, with no big spending measures and no major cuts apart from previously-announced university funding changes.

An expert in optoelectronic engineering has been announced as the Australian nominee for the 2017 international ASPIRE Prize.

Mr Nicholas Leseberg from the University of Queensland and Dr Marta Yebra from the Australian National University are the first two recipients of the Academy’s Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award.

Australian Academy of Science President, Professor Andrew Holmes, and his colleagues from the S20 Science Forum have presented a position statement on global health to the German Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel ahead of the G20 Summit in July.

The Academy welcomes the Government’s National Science Statement released today by the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Senator the Hon Arthur Sinodinos at the National Press Club.

Melanie is a PhD qualified medical research scientist turned professional science communicator. She joins us from the Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC) where as Manager of Business Development she was a driving force in the launch of their new breaking science news venture, Scimex.

Dear Academy person…