Communicating the value and benefits of science to decision makers and the wider community is one of the Academy’s commitments.

Individual Fellows of the Academy have a history of doing so, including using science to inform the justice system.

Academy Fellows Sir Gus Nossal and Professor Ian Frazer were among 30 scientists who signed an open letter questioning the evidence used to convict Lindy and Michael Chamberlain.

The Northern Territory Government subsequently established a royal commission which overturned the Chamberlains’ convictions.

Almost 35 years later, the reception, quality and evaluation of scientific evidence in Australian courts was the focus of an Academy joint symposium with the Australian Academy of Law, an initiative started by the academies in 2018.

Academy Fellows presenting at the event included Professor David Balding, whose DNA analysis profiling helped convict one of Scotland’s most notorious killers in 2014.

Academy Fellow Professor Carola Vinuesa also spoke about new genetic research she’d recently completed with international colleagues.

Shortly afterwards, Professor Vinuesa’s research prompted 90 eminent scientists—including Nobel laureates, medical practitioners, science leaders and other prominent Australians—to sign a petition calling for Kathleen Folbigg’s immediate pardon and release from jail.

“Expert advice should always be heard and listened to. It will always trump presumption,” said Professor Ian Chubb, former Chief Scientist and the Academy’s current Secretary for Science policy, regarding his signing of the petition.

The new research, the petition and the Academy’s role as an independent scientific adviser in the Folbigg case were among the factors that played a role in overturning one of Australia’s biggest miscarriages of justice.

“Science needs to inform decisions wherever they are made, including in the justice system, and the second Folbigg Inquiry benefited from the Academy being appointed an independent scientific adviser,” said Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish.

Following this judicial inquiry, the Academy has been calling for a more science-aware legal system in every Australian jurisdiction, so that miscarriages of justice are prevented or made less likely.

“The second Folbigg Inquiry amply illustrates how rapidly scientific knowledge is changing. The justice system needs a mechanism to accommodate relevant changes as and when they occur,” Professor Jagadish said.

The Academy supports law reform in three key areas:

• the adoption of a reliability standard under which expert evidence would only be considered by the courts if it is factual, not opinion or suspicion — a process some other jurisdictions with similar court systems have adopted
• mechanisms for the selection of experts by independent and reliable sources, particularly where complex scientific material is required to inform decision making
• the establishment of post appeals review mechanisms, such as a Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Law academics and media outlets are among those who have joined the Academy in calling for reform in Australia’s justice systems.

The Academy’s work to bring about law reform to create more science-aware legal systems continues, including seeking discussions with the scientific and legal communities, and Attorneys-General across Australia.

The Academy’s law reform proposals for a more science-receptive legal system featured recently in the Australian media. 

The Academy is pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of the Graeme Caughley Travelling Fellowship, Selby Fellowship and Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship which will support four researchers in travelling both to Australia and overseas.

Ecosystem conservation with the Graeme Caughley Travelling Fellowship

Professor Richard Kingsford – University of New South Wales

Conservation biologist Professor Richard Kingsford from UNSW is this year’s recipient of the Graeme Caughley Travelling Fellowship. He will visit South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, the United Kingdom and Europe, connecting with wildlife managers to discuss conservation in uncertain conditions based on the best available science and adjusting decisions as evidence is gathered, known as strategic adaptive management.

Professor Kingsford works with communities and governments across Australia on ecosystem management and implementing effective conservation actions. He will also use this Fellowship as an opportunity to inform scientific and conservation managers on the application of a new classification of Earth’s ecosystems – the Global Ecosystem Typology.

“This can be a platform for assessment of the status of ecosystems and their drivers, which can focus management,” Professor Kingsford said.

Offered every two years, the Fellowship commemorates the work of Dr G. J. Caughley FAA in ecology and wildlife management. The Fellowship is financed through the generosity of his friends and colleagues, to enable ecologists resident in Australia or New Zealand to share their expertise by visiting scientific centres in countries outside of the Fellow’s own country.

“I had the privilege of having Graeme Caughley as a lecturer when I was an undergraduate at the University of Sydney,” Professor Kingsford said.

“I still clearly remember marvelling at his intellect, wit and quantitative acumen articulating the critical importance of experimental design and analyses in applied wildlife management.”

From bio-inspired design to ocean ecosystems, two international scientists will showcase their research in Australia thanks to the Selby Fellowship

Professor Ben Halpern and Professor Anette Hosoi are this year’s recipients of the Selby Fellowship which will support their visits to scientific centres in Australia to share their research.

Professor Ben Halpern – University of California, Santa Barbara

Professor Ben Halpern is the Director of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and Professor in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

His research uses environmental data science to address the many ways human activities are impacting ocean ecosystems and species, and the consequences of those impacts on the benefits we receive in return.

With funding from the Selby Fellowship, Professor Halpern will tour through Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, bringing his ocean sustainability science to new audiences. 

“I’m so excited to have the chance to visit different parts of Australia, meet with new people and visit old friends, and share what I have been working on lately,” Professor Halpern said.

Professor Anette Hosoi – Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Professor Anette (Peko) Hosoi is the co-founder of the MIT Sports Lab which connects the MIT community with pro-teams and industry partners to address data and engineering challenges that lie within the sports domain. Her research is at the junction of fluid dynamics, biomechanics and bio-inspired design.

“The Selby Fellows are an exceptionally distinguished group of researchers, and I am incredibly proud and honoured to be added to the list,” Professor Hosoi said.

“I am excited about my trip, and I am very much looking forward to meeting new people, starting new collaborations and getting to know Australia.”

Awarded to two distinguished scientists this year, the Selby Fellowship fosters the international exchange of scientific ideas and is financed through the generosity of the trustees of the Selby Scientific Foundation.

Inspiring the next generation of scientists with the Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship

Professor Peter Reich – University of Michigan and University of Minnesota

Professor Peter Reich is this year’s recipient of the Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship and will visit Australia to share his research on understanding and stewarding nature.

Previously the Chief Scientist at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University, Professor Reich is now the Director, Institute for Global Change Biology, University of Michigan and holds a Professorship at the University of Minnesota.

“Australian scientists and their institutions have always made me feel supremely welcome, and have hosted a great deal of exciting research done amidst high levels of collegiality and fun,” Professor Reich said.

From small-group to large-team studies covering topics including biodiversity, biogeochemistry, and climate change – social justice interactions, Professor Reich will share his knowledge at presentations across Australia.

“I am enthused about sharing our research findings from North America and around the world with the Australian plant science, ecological and global change science communities,” Professor Reich said.

“I am equally eager to learn from student, postdoc and faculty researchers about all of the amazing work ongoing across multiple institutions in Australia.”

The Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship commemorates the contributions of Professor Max Rudolph Lemberg FAA FRS to science in Australia, enabling either Australian or overseas scientists of standing to visit Australian scientific centres and deliver lectures. The Fellowship is financed through the generous bequest of Mrs Hanna Lemberg and the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Dates and details of all tour dates and public lectures will be published on the Academy website once confirmed.

Visit the Academy’s awards and opportunities to find out about our honorific awards and funding opportunities.

Today, the Australian Academy of Science celebrates seven decades of serving the nation as the home of science. 

Discussion of the Academy began in 1951 when leading scientists, technologists and industrialists met in Canberra to talk about the future of science and technology in Australia, ultimately deciding there was a need for a national establishment of scientists.

Earlier attempts to establish such an organisation had been unsuccessful, but with scientific capacity and capability accelerating in Australia, the need for this organisation was now urgent.

Renowned physicists Sir Mark Oliphant AC KBE FAA FTSE FRS and Dr David Martyn FAA FRS championed the initiative.

“If science for its own sake was to have coherence, there must be a means whereby that coherence could be expressed,” Oliphant said at a seminar in 1951, when convincing others of the possibilities of an Australian Academy. 

He went on to say, “most countries have a National Academy of Science, Britain has its Royal Society” and, because of the great talent and growing capability of Australian scientists, he was inspired to establish a national scientific identity closer to home.

Above: Watch Robyn Williams AM FAA in discussion with Michael Wilson, Sir Mark Oliphant’s grandson, about Oliphant’s legacy and vision for science in Australia. See the full interview (30mins)

Petition to Queen Elizabeth II

The collaboration between Oliphant and Martyn overcame the difficulties that had defeated previous attempts to form an Academy, and together they organised the Petition to Queen Elizabeth II requesting the formation of the Australian Academy of Science.

The Royal Charter establishes the Academy as an independent body with government endorsement, and independence remains a talisman of the organisation.

Oliphant was the Academy’s first President, choosing to stay in Australia to continue to build research capacity and advocate for the organisation of scientists in this country – instead of pursuing what might have been a lucrative research career overseas.

“(I have a) deep confidence in the part which science can play in making us strong and prosperous, and an idea that the proper use of science within its diverse territories may point the way to a secure and good life for all,” Oliphant said, about staying in Australia to establish a home for science.

Current President of the Academy Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC, said the establishment of the Academy created the opportunity to recognise local talent, make their expertise available domestically and to grow recognition of Australia’s contribution on the global stage.

“We strive to ensure that wherever decisions are made, they are informed by evidence, whether that be in our parliaments, courtrooms, boardrooms, classrooms or in the public square,” he said.

To this day, the Academy remains an independent organisation of distinguished Australian scientists, championing science for the benefit of all – with 915 Fellows elected to the Academy from 1954 to 2023.

“We are non-partisan, we do not carry vested interests, we are not a governmental organisation, and we are not beholden to any single institution,” Professor Jagadish said.

A truly national organisation

And while the home of the Academy may be in Canberra, it is a truly national organisation, with Fellows elected from every state and territory in Australia.

From the invention of the Wi-Fi router to the development of the world’s first anti-cancer vaccine (Gardasil), the creation of spray-on skin for burn treatment and world-leading progress in gravitational wave detection and energy efficient solar cells, Fellows of the Academy are elected for their outstanding contributions to science.

The Academy is built on the vision of bringing scientists together as part of a national identity, now providing a valuable window into the history of Australian scientific discovery and serving as a springboard for scientific collaboration and education in Australia.

“As we enter our eighth decade we are as committed as ever to our mission to advance Australia as a nation that embraces scientific knowledge and whose people enjoy the benefits of science,” Professor Jagadish said.

“As we look to the future, the Academy will continue to work with you to ensure a healthy science system and make the best expertise available to the service of the nation.”

A full calendar of events

The Academy is celebrating seven decades of scientific excellence with a full calendar of events, to reflect on its vivid history and look to the future of science.

There will be a six-part public speaker series with events throughout the year, the annual symposium will be held during the World Science Festival in Brisbane and Science at the Shine Dome will be in September. Keep an eye on the Academy’s events page to join in the festivities.

Related content

70th anniversary President’s message

We are 70 years young – here are some things you might not know about us

For a community that loves its smartphones and obligingly updates the operating system when we are advised a few times each year, why are we prepared to live with an operating system for our research that hasn’t been updated in 30 years?

Good intentions, just-in-time measures, ad-hoc interventions, politics and overlapping state and Commonwealth priorities have led to a system spread over 176 programs and 14 federal portfolios.

We are left with an incoherent system band-aided to slow the bleeding but not to fix the problem.

The lack of a coherent and strategic approach yields a research funding model that is broken.

Universities, which perform 87% of discovery or basic research in Australia, rely heavily on international student fee revenues to fund research or to meet the indirect costs which hard-to-win research grants rarely cover.

Politicians talk regularly about mitigating sovereign risk yet watch Australia’s research capacity be increasingly dependent on highly contested international student markets, and vulnerable to geopolitical issues.

We expect a lot from Australian researchers.  They are not only asked to advance the frontiers of knowledge but to train the next generation, inspire the public, commercialise their research, protect national security, and solve global challenges.

Yet, many of these tasks are not supported by the current system and are not captured by the metrics used to assess performance.

A poorly functioning Australian science and research system has wide-ranging impacts. Australia’s productivity growth is declining - in the decade to 2020, Australia’s productivity growth was the slowest in 20 years, and our investment in R&D declined to a new low point over the same period.

We know R&D can increase the number of industries Australia benefits from, thereby raising economic complexity and making our economy less vulnerable. As government investment in R&D falls, the incentive for business investment falls with it.

The Prime Minister has personally acknowledged that science is essential to future economic growth and could unlock our potential as a country.

But acknowledging the importance of science is one thing. Investing in science is another. And right now, it is clear there is a mismatch between Australia's aspirations and its support for science.  

The Australian Government must urgently commission a cross-portfolio, cross sectorial review of the Australian research and development (R&D) system. This review would inform a 10-year roadmap to enable R&D to power our economy and meet our national ambitions. 

Reversing the downward trend of government investment in R&D is not the work of any single budget. All levels of government, industry, universities, the research sector, and philanthropy must play their part.

But a national strategy, a roadmap and a decade of commitment to boost investment in R&D is an essential start.

Read the 2024-25 Pre-Budget submission and the related media release.

Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FREng FTSE
President, Australian Academy of Science

This piece was first published in The Australian.

The Australian Academy of Science congratulates recipients of the second round of grants from the Ukraine-Australia Research Fund, announced today.

In this funding round, a total of A$405,000 has been awarded to assist Ukrainian researchers impacted by the war with Russia. The fund supports two activities, each offering practical support to enable the continuation of research and technology activities by Ukrainian scientists.

Activity 1 – Short-term visits to Australia

This activity supports Ukrainian researchers to participate in short-term visits to Australia to engage in project research at a host institution, or to participate in a conference and site visit program.

Activity 1 has awarded 12 applicants a total of A$205,000, which will support 15 Ukrainian visitors. The Australian hosts, visiting Ukrainians, and their institutions are:

Activity 2 – Facility access

Under Activity 2, Ukrainian researchers are supported to access leading infrastructure capabilities in Australia, such as supercomputing facilities, microscopy and microanalysis, and telescopes, by way of funded grants.

Ukrainian researchers will be able to send their samples to Australian facilities for analysis, with the results returned to the Ukrainian research institute.

The grants will cover expenses associated with sending samples between Ukraine and the Australian facility, instrument access, and testing and analysing the samples. Activity 2 supports Ukrainian researchers to remain productive and publishing at their own institutes in Ukraine while also engaging in international collaborations.

Activity 2 has seen nine applications approved to support access to National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and other Australian research facilities. The total amount awarded was just over A$200,000.

The collaborating Australian facilities, Ukrainian awardees, and their institutes are:

• Astronomy Australia and the Australian National University
  • Dr Serhii Borysenko, Main Astronomical Observatory, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• AGRF
  • Dr Iryna Kozeretska, State Institution National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine
• Australian National University
  • Prof Volodymyr Levenets, National Science Center Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology
• Australian National University RSES SHRIMP
  • Dr Irine Shvaika, M.P. Semenenko Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Ore Formation
• Australian Proteome Analysis Facility
  • Mr Oleh Platonov, Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Bioplatforms Australia
  • Dr Eugene Tukalenko, Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Bioplatforms Australia and Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
  • Dr Tetiana Dvirna, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Curtin University
  • Dr Olena Ganzha, Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• John de Laeter Centre (Curtin University)
  • Dr Mariia Reshetnyk, The National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Applications received under the program were evaluated by an assessment committee of Academy Fellows and relevant subject matter experts. The final decision on approvals and allocations was made by the Ukraine-Australia Research Fund Working Group, chaired by Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish.

The Academy thanks the not-for-profit Breakthrough Prize Foundation for their funding support of this program, the Australian institutes and researchers hosting Ukrainian visitors, the NCRIS facilities and Directors Group for their ongoing contributions to the program, and the Ukrainian participants.

Read about the first round of grants from the Ukraine-Australia Research Fund.

Above: Ukrainian scientists Svitlana Omelchuk and Maryna Dzuh were grant recipients from the first round of the Ukraine-Australia Research Fund and visited Australia in October 2023.

The Australian Academy of Science will celebrate its 70th anniversary across 2024, with a full calendar of events to mark seven decades of scientific excellence.

The Academy will reflect on its vivid history as well as look to the future and invites all with an interest in science to join in the festivities.

“Our country has a deep reservoir of talent within the sciences, including some of the world’s most eminent researchers and professionals,” said Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish.

“In our 70th year, the Academy will deliver a rich program of events, profiling our most distinguished and emerging scientists, champions, and organisations who contribute to science every day.”

A ceremony at the Shine Dome in Canberra will kick off the year-long celebrations on 13 February 2024, marking the week the Academy was founded in 1954 by Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London.

Across the year, a six-part public speaker series, titled The journey of Australian science: Tracing our history, discovering future paths, will delve into the fascinating history and future of Australian science. Each instalment will tell the story of one scientific discipline, from the landmark discoveries of the Academy’s earliest Fellows – such as founding President, distinguished physicist Sir Mark Oliphant – to today's cutting-edge frontiers.

In March, the Academy’s annual symposium, Food futures: Nourishing a nation, will highlight the hot-button issue of food security during the World Science Festival in Brisbane.

2024 will also see the iconic symbol of Australian science, the Shine Dome, celebrate its 65th birthday. As part of the ACT Heritage Festival, the Shine Dome will be open to the public for tours on 20 April.

Science at the Shine Dome, the Academy’s flagship annual event, will run 9–12 September 2024. The event will feature the admission of distinguished Fellows elected to the Academy in 2023 and 2024 and offer an occasion to reflect on the Academy’s rich history and bright future.

Further activities will be held across the year to celebrate this milestone.

Sign up to the Academy’s newsletter for more updates

Australian scientists have welcomed today’s decision by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal to quash Kathleen Folbigg’s convictions.

While justice has finally been served for Ms Folbigg, wrongful convictions will continue to occur without major reforms to justice systems across Australia.

New genetic evidence available in 2019 played a significant role in bringing about the second Inquiry into Kathleen Folbigg’s convictions and subsequent pardon in 2023; however, basic scientific principles were not upheld from the time of her trial.

For example:

• Kathleen Folbigg was convicted for murdering her children by suffocation, yet there was no pathology-based evidence of suffocation of the children
• medical and pathological evidence was available to indicate natural causes of death of the Folbigg children
• the case against Kathleen Folbigg was premised on an incorrect logic that four children could not die in a family from natural causes unless it was one unifying cause of death
• circumstantial evidence (including non-scientific opinions about Ms Folbigg’s diaries) was given more weight than medical and pathological evidence available at the time of trial
• at the first Inquiry, erroneous interpretation of data held in the International Calmodulinopathy Registry was presented and accepted
• no journalling, trauma or grief experts were given the opportunity to provide expert evidence in a formal legal process until the 2022 Inquiry.

Australia must be open to learning from the gross miscarriage of justice in Ms Folbigg’s case. The Academy’s role in Ms Folbigg’s case has always been to ensure that science is being heard in the criminal legal system.

Our role in this case has reinforced our view that in every Australian state and territory, a more science-sensitive legal system is required.

As a matter of urgency, Australian jurisdictions must adopt a reliability standard to determine the admissibility of evidence.

Until Evidence Acts across the country are amended to introduce a reliability standard, there is a significant risk that unreliable evidence will be admitted into courts. Australia remains well behind other nations in its absence of a legal reliability standard.

When the Academy petitioned the Governor of NSW to pardon Kathleen Folbigg based on additional scientific evidence uncovered by its Fellow, Professor Carola Vinuesa FAA FRS, it took nearly three years for Ms Folbigg to be pardoned.

This unacceptable time delay is because Australia lacks effective post-conviction review mechanisms. In countries such as the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand and, most recently, Canada, criminal cases review commissions have been established.

These commissions are independent, dedicated bodies that investigate miscarriages of justice. It is time Australia introduced an independent, transparent and accountable review mechanism. This is particularly important in an age of rapid scientific and technological discoveries.

The Australian Academy of Science acted as an independent scientific adviser to the second Folbigg Inquiry – a unique and rare interaction between a learned academy and a legal system. It assisted by independently recommending experts to assist the Inquiry. This meant that the Inquiry could hear from the best available experts from the relevant scientific disciplines wherever they resided in the world.

A mechanism to enable the courts to routinely hear from independently identified experts who are available to all parties for cross-examination must be found.

The Academy looks forward to working with the Attorneys General across Australia to develop and implement more science-sensitive legal systems.

More information

Read a transcript of the press conference with Australian Academy of Science Chief Executive Anna-Maria Arabia outside the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.

The Australian Academy of Science says further action is needed to strengthen the governance of Australian research following the publication of an evaluation of the performance of the Australian Research Integrity Committee (ARIC).

The evaluation by KPMG was published earlier this week after being commissioned by two of the nation’s research funding councils: the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Research Council (ARC).

Responding to the publication of the ARIC evaluation, the Academy’s Secretary for Science Policy, Professor Ian Chubb, said processes are important, and good changes are welcome.

“ARIC might be more efficient if the recommendations of the evaluation are adopted. Time will tell,” said Professor Chubb.

“However, the substance of the issues that we must deal with will be missed when the terms of reference of a review are so narrow that it cannot grapple with the threats to the scientific enterprise.

“This evaluation will, therefore, not advance Australia’s capacity to manage allegations of research misconduct in any of our organisations, large or small.”

The Academy notes recommendation (11) of the evaluation, which says: 

ARIC Reports should make assessments to balance the importance of ensuring adherence to the Code with countervailing priorities, such as the costs for institutions and the scale of institutional breaches or deviations from defined processes.

Professor Chubb said read literally, this recommendation suggests adhering to the Code is optional.

“This evaluation itself identified that international best practice is a system that is national in scale, has processes and policies that align with national policy and an oversight mechanism.

“We do not have such a system, and even what we have is limited, officially, to organisations that receive funding from NHMRC and ARC, or some others that may volunteer.

“There is no reason to believe that research misconduct is limited to such institutions. Any institution that receives public funding to conduct research should be subject to both the Code and to the consequences of any breach,” Professor Chubb said.

In a new position statement on research integrity published earlier this month, the Academy said protecting the scientific enterprise from research misconduct is a difficult task and that although Australia’s current system attempts to be all-encompassing, there are deficiencies in several areas such as coverage, accountability and transparency.

The Academy submission noted that ARIC also has deficiencies owing primarily to the narrow scope of its remit.

The Academy will continue to engage with the sector, funding agencies and government on meaningful changes to enhance the governance of research misconduct and looks forward to deeper conversations on the matter.

Governments and society in 2023 turned to science for evidence to inform vital decisions we faced. Yet we also saw overall investment in R&D drop to an all-time low. 2023 is the year that science became more valued, but more vulnerable.

The Australian Government looked to the Academy and the Australian scientific community to help it get to grips with the rapid advance of science in domains as varied as artificial intelligence (AI), the future of the Great Barrier Reef, and our regional relationships in the Pacific and Asia. And the justice system looked to the Australian Academy of Science to act as an independent scientific adviser to make sure scientific principles were upheld during the Second Inquiry into the Convictions of Ms Kathleen Folbigg.

Internationally, we convened AI experts across our region to explore how nations are preparing their science systems for the impacts of AI and how preparedness could be measured. The Academy also reconceived the research integrity system in Australia to make it more robust and fit for the modern research enterprise.

We convened experts and published advice on the science required to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, an analysis of Australia’s high-performance computing needs, and the impact of national security measures on international research collaboration – an area of growing importance as trilateral arrangements between the US, UK and Australia develop under the AUKUS agreement.

The Academy commenced its five-year leadership role hosting the International Science Council’s Regional Focal Point for the Asia Pacific and, importantly, assisted in convening Pacific scholars who have agreed to establish a Pacific Academy to ensure they can contribute to and benefit from regional and international decision making.

Review: Hopes for 2024 – ten-year investment plan

In 2024, the Academy celebrates its 70th anniversary. Since 1954 there have been 915 Fellows elected for their outstanding contributions to science. Next year we look forward to highlighting their ground-breaking achievements.

The contributions of Fellows have changed the world: think Howard Florey’s discovery of penicillin, to Fiona Stanley identifying that a maternal diet rich in folic acid can prevent spina bifida in babies, to David Solomon creating plastic bank notes.

Many of the Academy’s current Fellows are also at the forefront of technical innovation: think quantum computing (Michelle Simmons), recycling (Veena Sahajwalla) and clean energy (Rose Amal).

In 2024, it is our goal to have the Australian Government develop a cross portfolio and cross sectoral 10-year investment plan that reverses the decline in R&D investment and sees government, the higher education sector and industry take a cohesive and strategic approach to R&D that achieves multi-partisan support.

The Academy will develop a Decadal Plan for Science to show how today’s discovery is tomorrow’s prosperity. It will outline the conditions necessary for the science community to enable Australia to meet its ambitions to be healthy, prosperous and secure in a sustainable environment, and to face the multiple challenges before it.

We also want policy makers and governments to intensify their use of expertise to inform decision making. Science should be heard wherever and whenever decisions are made – in our parliaments, boardrooms, courts of law and in the public square.

In 2024, science must be brought to the service of the nation to accelerate the reconfiguration of our economy, so it is fuelled by industries that are circular, not consumptive. And we need to create knowledge in a transdisciplinary and inclusive way.

Our knowledge systems must evolve to embrace Indigenous knowledge and to adapt to the community’s varying capacity to respond to scientific and technological advances. When we disenfranchise communities, we all suffer and we risk eroding trust in the very knowledge we need to live within planetary boundaries.

Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FREng FTSE
President, Australian Academy of Science

This article was first published in Cosmos Magazine.

An Australian scientist was awarded third place in the Emerging Talents category of the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year last month, at one of the world’s premier conferences for research and innovation, the Falling Walls Science Summit.

Dr Emma-Anne Karlsen from the University of Queensland was one of three Australians, and one of 100 young innovators, selected from more than 2,300 submissions across the globe to present her work in this prestigious competition.

Dr Karlsen wowed the audience and an esteemed panel of judges with her three-minute pitch ‘Breaking the wall of cancer therapy’, where she described her work investigating novel breast cancer biomarkers and therapeutic strategies.

In her pitch, Dr Karlsen explained how monoclonal antibodies are fantastic targeted medications for cancer, but that a sizeable portion of patients do not respond to the treatment.

Her team’s research is focused on repurposing an anti-nausea medication, prochlorperazine, at higher than usual doses to improve response rates to these medications. Once proven to be safe and efficacious through clinical trials, they envision better outcomes for patients with a range of cancers.

“The Simpson Lab at the University of Queensland work exceptionally hard to improve outcomes for patients with cancer. I feel very lucky to represent our wonderful scientists and clinicians,” said Dr Karlsen, who was honoured to receive the recognition.

The Falling Walls Science Summit is a global gathering of innovators and scientists, brought together to share their innovative ideas and breakthroughs to address some of society’s toughest challenges.

Each year the conference is held on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which marked the dawn of a new era of freedom by breaking down barriers—both physical and imaginary.

“[Falling Walls] is a fantastic opportunity to connect with scientists from different countries and backgrounds. I have met incredible future collaborators and made genuine friends for life,” said Dr Karlsen.

Past President of the Academy, Professor Andrew Holmes, and Academy Fellow, Professor Hans Bachor, were both at the event to support the three Australian scientists and to celebrate Dr Karlsen’s success.

Professor Bachor, who was MC of this year’s Falling Walls Lab Australia, described the experience in Berlin as “an unforgettable week, where our young Australian scientists get to present their ideas to an influential audience, to people who can trigger changes, invest in solutions, influence their own communities, companies and governments across the world.”

Each year, the Academy hosts Falling Walls Lab Australia for students and early-career professionals to share their innovative ideas and be in to win a spot at the international finale in Berlin.

Read more on this year’s Falling Walls Lab Australia winners and on this year’s Falling Walls Lab global finale winners.

Information on the next Falling Walls Lab will be available in early 2024.