The era of global astronomy facilities and discoveries has begun.

Australia in the era of global astronomy: the decadal plan for Australian astronomy 2016–2025 presents the strategic vision for Australian astronomy for the next decade.

The plan is based on the reports of 11 working groups, comprising over 150 astronomers, engineers and educators from over 30 Australian institutions across all states and the ACT, in a process run by the Academy's National Committee for Astronomy during 2014 and 2015.

The plan identifies five top-level infrastructure priorities and four priorities for the astronomy community.

The document follows on from the success of the committee's 2006 plan, New horizons: a decadal plan for Australian astronomy 2006–15. 

This publication was highly influential in presenting the community's vision to stakeholders outside the research sector, including key stakeholder the Australian Government and industrial and research partners nationally and internationally.

This report summarises the discussions and recommendations of a group of early- and mid-career researchers from a broad range of relevant disciplines who came together in July 2014 to consider climate challenges in relation to health in Australia. Five main impacts were considered.

1. Extreme weather events. These include heatwaves, droughts, storms, cyclones and floods. These will have direct impacts on lives, homes and communities, and will also place stress on the mental wellbeing of members of the community during prolonged events such as intense heatwaves.
2. Disease. Many diseases are likely to spread and increase in incidence as the climate warms. A growing human population with high rates of interconnectedness is also at risk from newly emergent and exotic diseases for which we have no treatment or immunity.
3. Food and water. Disrupted supplies of water and high temperatures will stress crops and promote algal blooms in reservoirs while rising ocean acidification will affect fisheries.
4. Jobs. Livelihoods – including farming, fishing and tourism – will be particularly badly affected from soaring temperatures, droughts and storms. Employment patterns will be changed and disruptions to supply chains will threaten businesses.
5. Security. Threatened food supply chains, changing patterns of infectious diseases, and forced migration from land rendered uninhabitable will trigger tension, unrest and violent conflict.

The five different groups of experts involved in writing this report made a total of 22 recommendations. 

This report presents some key features in risk assessment that should underpin any new Australian risk assessment framework. It then analyses five case studies: 

• the 2002–03 drought in south-east Australia
• the ACT–NSW bushfires of 2003
• asbestos-related mesothelioma
• the white powder scares of 2001 and subsequent years
• the Bali bombings of 2002 and 2005. 

Each is considered under the standard risk assessment steps of analysis, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, followed by an analysis of lessons learned from the case study.

The report concludes that overall Australia has performed quite well in responding to problems that have arisen in disaster situations.

New policies and practices have been introduced in many different areas, though not all problems have yet been addressed effectively.

Some areas in which additional research is needed are indicated.

The 2012 Theo Murphy High Flyers Think Tank brought 60 early to mid-career researchers together with expertise in disciplines across economics, social sciences, ecology, biology and technology to consider how a vision for Australia’s future might be shaped by population.

Researchers worked in four groups to consider specific contexts in which population trajectories might affect different aspects of our social and natural environments. Each group considered one of the following questions:

• Who will we be?
• How will we share activities and resources?
• What will we do?
• How shall we live in our habitat?

All of the different future population scenarios examined by the groups showed that Australia will face big and challenging questions, particularly with pressures on our social and ecological systems. In finding solutions, science has a crucial role to play.

Earth observations from space (EOS) promise to transform Australia's capacity to address critical national challenges such as climate change, water availability, natural disaster mitigation, safe and secure transport, energy and resources security, agriculture, forestry and ecosystems, coasts and oceans, and national security.

This report is designed to help Australia begin its urgently needed transformation to a global EOS player and a more effective user of EOS information for national purposes. 

It reviews current EOS capability, future needs, and sets out essential elements of a national strategy and implementation schedule.

This report was prepared by a working group of 16 Academy Fellows and other space science and Earth observation experts in response to the terms of reference assigned to the working group by the Presidents of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Download the executive summary

The big challenges and opportunities for Australia in the 21st century – social, economic and environmental – are global, requiring coordination and integration across scales and disciplines.

Australian science and innovation can continue to play an influential role, but will increasingly need to be coordinated with and be cognisant of the efforts of others.

This report seeks to restart and contribute to national debate about what Australia must do to ensure that it can maintain its links with leading international science, and continue to maximise economic and social benefits for the nation from these global networks.

This report is based upon, but is not strictly representative of, the inspiration and data provided by speakers at the Academy’s series of monthly public lectures, ‘Australia’s renewable energy future’, held between 2 September 2008 and 4 August 2009. 

It outlines the state of the technological alternatives, and provides a set of development options for consideration by policymakers.

Searching the deep Earth: A vision for exploration geoscience in Australia is a call for Australian Earth scientists to cooperate in an innovative, structured and nationally coordinated strategic venture that will bring competitive advantage to Australian mineral exploration. The vision requires research groups, surveys and explorers to participate in a cross-institutional joint research venture on a scale never before attempted.

Minister for Resources and Energy, The Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP, launched the document on 8 August 2012, as part of the International Resource Ministers Forum at the 34th International Geological Congress. In his speech the Minister stated:

The Standing Council on Energy and Resources, I chair, has agreed to develop a National Exploration Strategy to assist Australia in developing greenfields exploration capabilities. This multifaceted long-term strategy is aimed at unlocking our resources through investment in a national Geoscience Research Initiative inspired by the Searching the Deep Earth publication.

Representing research, government and industry sectors, the UNCOVER Implementation Committee was convened under the aegis of the Australian Academy of Science to address the decline in Australian mineral exploration success through implementation of the 2010 Theo Murphy High Flyers Think Tank recommendations (Searching the deep Earth: The future of Australian resource discovery and utilisation).

The UNCOVER Implementation Committee met several time during 2011–2012 to identify practical steps towards addressing the Think Tank recommendations.

The UNCOVER Implementation Committee prepared an exposure draft document and undertook community consultation. Searching the deep Earth: A vision for exploration geoscience in Australia is the result of this extensive research community consultation.

UNCOVER implementation committee

• Phil McFadden (Chair), Australian Academy of Science
• Sue O’Reilly FAA, Universities
• Mitch Hooke, Mining Council of Australia
• Will Robinson, Association of Mining and Exploration Companies
• Brad John, Geological Surveys
• Jonathon Law, CSIRO
• Michael Asten, Australian Geoscience Council
• Dean Collett, Industry

These reports summarise the benefits returned to Australia through its membership of global science organisation, the International Science Council, and the Australian Academy of Science’s strategy to enhance these benefits.

The reports were launched on 17 April 2019 by the president-elect of the International Science Council, Professor Sir Peter Gluckman ONZ KNZM FRS FMedSci FRSNZ.

Download the strategy

Geography: shaping Australia’s future was prepared by the National Committee for Geographical Sciences and presents the state of play of geography as a discipline in Australia. It provides a unified vision for Australian geography over the next decade.

The plan offers a framework for engaging research, teaching and industry that aligns strategically with contemporary social, economic and environmental challenges of our region.

Download a summary for policymakers