Sandra Gardam
Early- and Mid-Career Researcher Policy Analyst
Australian Academy of Science
@sandra_gardam
Innovation and Science Australia recently held a consultation to assist in the development of a 2030 strategic plan for the Australia Innovation, Science and Research System. The plan will aim to identify investment and infrastructure priorities for government. Thank you to everyone who contributed their thoughts to the EMCR Forum’s submission. Read the final submission.
The EMCR Forum also recently made a submission to the Australian Research Council’s consultation on Research Opportunity and Performance Evidence (ROPE). The consultation sought the views of stakeholders on the effectiveness of the current system in facilitating fair access to competitive funding. In our last newsletter and over twitter we encouraged you all to make a personal submission to this consultation and we hope you took the opportunity to share your experience. Read the EMCR Forum’s ROPE submission.
We will keep you up to date on any outcomes from these consultations relevant to EMCRs.
EMCR Forum Chair Carly Rosewarne recently took a trip to Canberra to talk to decision makers about issues affecting EMCRs. She had a productive meeting with advisors from the office of Senator Arthur Sinodinos, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. She also met with senior staff from the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. It is great to hear that many decision makers are aware of problems facing the EMCR community and the EMCR Forum looks forward to continuing to work with government to help address some of these issues.
Carly and other executive members have also been meeting with the Academy’s new Secretary Science Policy, Professor David Day, who took over the position in May. David has already expressed a strong interest in programs which support EMCRs and the EMCR Forum executive members are enjoying working with him. David also joined the EMCR Forum executive earlier this year at their annual planning meeting to offer his advice and guidance, as well as to learn how the EMCR Forum works.
Hamish Clarke, EMCR Forum executive member (and Editor of this newsletter!) has joined the steering committee of Future Earth Australia to help represent the views of EMCRs. Future Earth is the largest ever international research and development collaboration focused on long term sustainability solutions for the planet and human societies. The Australian arm has recently been established and aims to enable Australian scientists, governments, industry and NGOs to collaborate both with each other and with international networks and programs.
Approximately 60 EMCRs attended Science at the Shine Dome in May. They had a great opportunity to network with Fellows of the Academy, hear the best science from around Australia and take part in career development workshops. Thank you to the College of Medicine, Biology and Environment and the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at the Australian National University who generously sponsored the EMCR–Fellow reception. Thank you also to those who facilitated the career development workshops–Patricia Macmillan who taught storytelling techniques, Michael Hopkin from the Conversation who taught EMCRs how to pitch to the media, Stephen Buckman, from the ARC and Kathryn Holt, who helped EMCRs perfect their grant writing skills, and Drew Evans, EMCR Forum executive member and Dayong Jin, who encouraged EMCRs to foster partnerships with industry. We hope to see even more EMCRs attending next year.
Coming up at the end of July is this year’s Theo Murphy High Flyers Think Tank for EMCRs. Congratulations to the 60 EMCRs from around the country who were selected to attend. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Perth for Rethinking food and nutrition science. For the first time, the Think Tank will be used to contribute to an ongoing strategic planning process for the discipline. This is a great opportunity for EMCRs to have influence on the direction of their research field and we hope it is one of many more to come.
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