The Australian Academy of Science welcomes the independent Inquiry into Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Academy has argued that an inquiry should be future-focused, about preparing for the next pandemic, and led by experts. The approach adopted by the Federal Government is consistent with this approach: learn from the past, prepare for the future.

It is critical that it does take this approach. The world faces challenges of a type and at a scale not seen before. Climate change and deforestation, for example, will increase the risks of pandemics.

“We need to work out how to prepare our nation, and our world, for what’s to come,” said Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish.

“The Academy stands ready to play its part in that process, just as it did through the COVID-19 pandemic, via the Rapid Research Information Forum.”

This innovative model provided the latest evidence to the government to help drive the country’s response to the pandemic.

Its strengths were its multi-disciplinary focus, independence, and ability to rapidly draw on Australia’s best and most relevant experts on any given policy matter.

“This model must continue to be used in the long term to ensure that decision-makers are drawing on the best available evidence-base at the time. That is the way we confront and meet challenges,” Professor Jagadish said.

“And we can’t continue to deprioritise national funding in R&D, which is on a 14-year decline, and just expect to have the capability to do what we will need to do as the challenges to our health, prosperity and security grow.”

The Australian Academy of Science says the Australian Universities Accord must include an unambiguous commitment to research in the Australian university system and provide it with fit-for-purpose base funding complemented by, not substituted with, research project funding.

The proposal is part of the Academy’s submission to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report.

It also says the Accord must maintain and enhance regulatory and legislative protections and obligations for Australian universities to maintain the quality of research within the system.

The submission recommends that the Australian Government:

• declares an unambiguous commitment to research in the Australian university system, with fit-for-purpose base funding supplemented by project funding
• commissions an independent science and research system review without delay
• makes a commitment to lifting investment in R&D expenditure and to working with the higher education and industry sectors to execute a 10-year plan designed to reach overall R&D investment at least to the OECD investment average.

The Academy commends the work of the panel in producing the interim report and their acknowledgement that further work is needed to reflect the role of research in the higher education system appropriately.

Read the Academy’s submission.

The Australian Academy of Science has welcomed Australia’s 2040 Southeast Asia Economic Strategy as an opportunity to deepen science and technology regional partnerships that underpin priority areas.

The strategy announced by the Australian Prime Minister at the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum in Jakarta comes ahead of global meetings in Malaysia in October that will bring together prominent scientists and decisionmakers to assess regional preparedness for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and address sustainability challenges.

Academy President and Co-Chair of the Council for the International Science Council Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific (ISC RFP-AP), Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC, said that Australia is fostering scientific leadership and partnerships within the region that will support priority areas in the government’s Economic Strategy including agriculture and food, resources, green energy transition, skills, healthcare, and the digital economy.

“The Economic Strategy is yet another demonstration of the Australian Government’s commitment to our region and builds on their strategic commitment to establish the ISC RFP-AP,” Professor Jagadish said.

The ISC RFP-AP is designed to grow scientific capability and to build robust and trusted research partnerships across the region, which underpin collaboration and accelerate economic growth.

“Harnessing the vast knowledge and innovation within the Southeast Asia science network is key to supporting the areas identified in Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy,” Professor Jagadish said.

Fourteen countries are meeting in Kuala Lumpur on 5 October to discuss national science ecosystems for AI. The workshop is being held by the Centre for Science Futures, a think tank of the ISC, in collaboration with the Australian Academy of Science and the Academy of Sciences, Malaysia.

On 6 October, the Australian Academy of Science and its Malaysian counterpart will also host a pivotal Global Knowledge Dialogue that will focus on how to progress the role of science in achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific.

“We need to bring the Asia-Pacific region into focus on the international dialogue on how we can live and thrive within our planetary boundaries,” Professor Jagadish said.

“AI will have a role to play, and our region is at the forefront of the AI revolution, so the Global Knowledge Dialogue is a timely gathering.”

Amongst the 55 science institutions taking part in the Global Knowledge Dialogue are: Thailand Science, Research and Innovation (TSRI); National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP); Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC); Indonesian Young Academy of Science (ALMI); Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA); and Universiti Malaya.

Media contact:

Aleta Johnston | M 0431 514 677 | E media@science.org.au

The Australian Academy of Science welcomes the release of the Australian Government’s draft national science and research priorities. 

President of the Australian Academy of Science Professor Chennupati Jagadish said that to shape our future it is crucial that Australia strategically identifies and invests in sovereign science capabilities.

“We must focus and scale up our effort to build or maintain comparative advantage and to address scientific matters unique to Australia,” Professor Jagadish said.

“To be effective, priorities need us to make choices, unite Australian scientists, and concentrate resources around ambitious missions or grand challenges.

“The new priorities align with some of the main challenges facing the nation—moving to a net zero future, adapting to a changing climate, building an innovative economy and healthier communities—and they cut across traditional disciplines.

“Setting these directions is a solid start. However, it is imperative that the final priorities be backed by a robust implementation plan that clarifies how the Australian scientific ecosystem—scientists, institutions, funders and enablers—will incorporate the new priorities in their work. 

“Previous science and research priorities were not effective because they were lacking in implementation, monitoring and evaluation and therefore did little to focus and scale up science in the identified areas.

“It is important that these priorities are implemented through investment-led schemes across government, while leaving investigator-led schemes focused on the free pursuit of knowledge.

“We need both, and both can be achieved with a carefully designed implementation plan,” Professor Jagadish said.

The Academy thanks Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM FAA FTSE for consulting widely and leading the national conversation on behalf of the government to inform this work.

The Academy looks forward to contributing to the upcoming consultation.

In 2020, Anthony Albanese told the nation science would be essential to future economic growth and could unlock our potential as a country. He was right. But we are yet to unlock that potential because we are not investing enough as a nation in research and development (R&D).

Figures recently published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show national investment in R&D across the economy—business, government, and universities—fell from 1.80% in 2019/20 to 1.68% in 2021/22.

The latest figures continue a 14-year downward trend in national R&D investment, leaving us 21^st in the OECD. Already in the bottom half of OECD countries, if we keep going the way we are, in five years’ time Australia will be among the lowest of them all.

This decline is especially concerning because Australia has one of the world’s least differentiated economies—93rd in the world, which places us between Uganda at 92 and Pakistan at 94. This is no place for comfort, nor for complacency.

Australia can and must differentiate the economy. We are overly dependent on exporting unprocessed materials such as agricultural products and natural resources.

Where will we be if climate change-induced weather patterns affect what we can grow, how much and where? Or a decarbonising world lowers its demand for coal and gas.

We must harness the opportunities delivered by science and technology—the fuel for job creation and industry growth. New jobs, new industries, new products, new opportunities. The possibilities are many—we just need the capacity, the will and the leadership.

The Prime Minister acknowledged earlier this month that real, enduring reforms that change a country for the better take time. Investing more in R&D needs us to play the long game. But we need to be in a rush to get to the start line.

Can the Federal Budget afford it? It can’t afford not to. The cost of letting our science base continue to decline is simple: it puts our future at risk.

The recent inter-generational report highlights the challenges down the track. Imagine how much worse they will be if we do not invest in the fabric of change and instead put the future on the credit card and leave it to the future generations to pick up our tab.

Reversing the downward trend of government investment in R&D is not the work of any single budget. Nor can the nation look only to the Federal Government to solve this. It needs to be a national mission: business, all levels of government, philanthropy and universities all need to play their part.

It will take a decade or more of commitment and effort to boost total investment in R&D. Work must start now.

This opinion piece by Professor Chennupati Jagadish, President of the Australian Academy of Science, was first published in The Canberra Times.

Figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that despite Australia’s reliance on science and research and development (R&D) to navigate a challenging economic landscape, overall national investment in R&D continues its 14-year decline. 

National investment in science and research across the economy—business, government and universities—fell from 1.80% in 2019/20 to 1.68% in 2021/22.  

Australian Academy of Science President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said Australia’s capacity to respond to the challenges presented in the Intergenerational Report is diminishing.

“Australia urgently needs to develop a 10-year plan to boost government, higher education and business investment in R&D, so we are equipped to manage a large-scale energy transition, an ageing population, and develop critical national security technology,” Professor Jagadish said.

“If investment in R&D continues to decline by 0.1% of GDP per year, in five years’ time Australia will be among the lowest of OECD countries.

“Conversely, if Australia increased investment in R&D by 0.1% of GDP each year, we would reach the OECD average in 10 years if the average stayed the same.

“Increasing investment in R&D across all sectors—business, universities and governments—is necessary to improve productivity, boost the knowledge economy, and create new jobs and industries.  

“Australia has one of the world’s least differentiated economies. We remain vulnerable when our prosperity relies on such a narrow range of industries.

“It is imperative we improve Australia’s economic complexity, which can be driven by a more strategic focus on science and research—the fuel for innovation and industry growth,” Professor Jagadish concluded.

Australian Academy of Science honorific award recipient Professor Renae Ryan AM and Academy Fellow Professor Toby Walsh FAA are among the 19 individuals and teams recognised at the 2023 Australian Museum Eureka Prize awards for excellence in Research and Innovation, Leadership, Science Engagement and School Science, held on 23 August in Sydney.

Professor Walsh received the Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science, awarded for sharing expertise with a broad audience – informing, enthusing and engaging the public on scientific topics. 

Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence at UNSW and Fellow of the Academy since 2016, Professor Walsh is a world-renowned researcher and leading voice on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI). 

He has helped shape the conversation around the ethical implementation of AI – making regular appearances on TV and radio to talk about the impacts of AI and robotics. He writes regularly for print and online media and has authored two books on AI for a general audience.

Professor Ryan of the University of Sydney was awarded the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers presented by the University of Technology Sydney.

The award recognises an individual scientist who has helped develop the next generation of Australia’s researchers. 

Professor Ryan, who received the Academy’s Nancy Millis Medal for Women in Science earlier this year, is a sought-after supervisor and mentor and a passionate advocate for gender equity, diversity and inclusion. She has played a central role in improving diversity in STEM, leading university-wide initiatives to increase representation and foster a more inclusive and supportive academic environment. 

The following Fellows were shortlisted for Eureka Prizes:

Professor Kate Joliffe FAA and Professor Maria Forsyth AM FAA FTSE were shortlisted for the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers for their dedicated commitment to mentorship, and Professor David Keith FAA was shortlisted for the Australian Institute of Botanical Science Eureka Prize for Excellence in Botanical Science. 

The evening also saw young citizen scientists recognised for their curiosity and creativity in science communication. Among the awardees was young Darcy, who won the University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Secondary Prize for his video explaining chlorophyll. Darcy is also the son of an Academy staff member, who was undoubtedly very proud of the budding scientist. 

The Academy congratulates all the prize winners and finalists in this year’s Eureka Prizes.

The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are hosted annually to celebrate outstanding scientific achievement and shine a light on the incredible work being done in science and science engagement in Australia. 

See the full list of 2023 Eureka Prize winners and read more about the Academy Fellows recognised in 2021 and 2022. 

The Australian Academy of Science applauds the announcement today by Federal Education Minister Jason Clare that he will accept all 10 recommendations of the review of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Act (2001).

Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said the reforms will create a far more robust and research-oriented system.

“Limiting the unrestricted use of ministerial discretion to veto properly assessed and reviewed research proposals is a particularly significant reform and something that will bring great relief to our nation’s research community,” Professor Jagadish said.

“When the integrity of Australia’s research system is compromised by perceived or actual political interference, there are real costs for the research sector and indeed for the nation – by eroding trust and damaging the relationships researchers have with industry, the Australian community, and international partners.

“The establishment of a board as the accountable authority for the organisation will strengthen and modernise the governance of the ARC.

“Appointees to this board must have extensive experience in the research system.”

The Academy thanks Professors Sheil, Dodds and Hutchinson for their work on this review and the Education Minister for comprehensively responding to the review.

We look forward to working with the ARC and the Australian Government to ensure the amendments to the Act are appropriate.

The President of the Australian Academy of Science has welcomed the draft recommendations of the Diversity in STEM review, released today by the Australian Government, which highlights the task at hand while showcasing progress made.

Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said we need all the available STEM talent if we are to address the challenges of our time.

“Much work has been done to improve diversity in STEM, but there is much more still to do to deliberately and strategically improve diversity in STEM and ensure we are attracting, training and retaining all of the available talent,” Professor Jagadish said.

In the Academy’s submission, it was strongly recommended that the diversity in STEM review build on the Women in STEM Decadal Plan and its recommendations to take a whole-of-STEM sector approach.

“We have learned much from our work on the Women in STEM Decadal Plan. The Academy is pleased to see the review adopt a similar focus to all dimensions of diversity on leadership, accountability, evaluation, workplace culture, visibility, and education,” Professor Jagadish said.

The review has presented draft recommendations that bring us closer to achieving unified national actions aimed at enhancing diversity in STEM.

The draft review report acknowledges the benefits and impacts of measures that are a direct result of the recommendations in the Women in STEM Decadal Plan, including: the establishment of the STEM Equity Monitor; the Evaluation and Program Implementation tools developed by the Women in STEM Ambassador; and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE)’s Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The Academy supports recommendations to build on the strong foundations and systemic changes enabled by the Women in STEM Ambassador.

The Academy also supports efforts to expand Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) across STEM including using government funding levers to incentivise transformative and systemic improvements that SAGE accreditation has enabled to date.  

Tools like the STEM Equity Monitor provide valuable data to inform decision-making and should be expanded to give us a comprehensive picture of diversity in STEM in Australia and track progress.

“This review confirms that to break down persistent barriers faced by under-represented communities, the STEM sector —government, academia, educators and industry— needs to push in the same direction and harness the opportunities in the Women in STEM Decadal Plan designed to reach gender equity by 2030,” Professor Jagadish said.

“I wholeheartedly agree that Australia’s diverse population is our strength, and I applaud the focus on maximising participation of underrepresented groups,” he said.

The Academy thanks the panel for their work, and looks forward to assisting the Australian Government to deliver the outcomes when the final report is released.

Academy’s work in diversity

The Australian Academy of Science is a leader in diversity and inclusion. Earlier this year the Academy made a submission to the Diversity in STEM Review.

In 2019, the Academy led the production of the Women in STEM Decadal Plan with the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

The Academy founded and helped to establish Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE).

The Great Barrier Reef is likely to face impacts from climate change that could become irreversible around mid-century regardless of whether global emissions stabilise, according to a new report by the Australian Academy of Science.

The report explores possible futures for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) under different emissions scenarios. It also identifies evidence-based strategies and areas of opportunity to manage the Reef ecosystem in the face of unrelenting climate change.

It found flow-on effects from climate impacts to cultures and customs are rapidly changing and mostly unknown, making it difficult to prioritise where to intervene to protect areas of high cultural value to Traditional Owners.

The report says this could be improved by ensuring transdisciplinary knowledge is integrated into prioritisation processes.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water engaged the Academy as an independent scientific adviser to convene three roundtable discussions to assess the likely outcomes for the GBR in three climate scenarios: near-term, and both low-emissions and high-emissions trajectories in the medium-term.

A total of 84 multidisciplinary experts joined the roundtable discussions: the first on climate impacts on functions of the GBR, the second on interventions and the third on the future of the GBR.

The report has been delivered to the Reef 2050 Plan Independent Expert Panel. They have considered it in their advice to government on the current and likely health and resilience of the GBR in the face of climate impacts and potential reef interventions.

President of the Australian Academy of Science Professor Chennupati Jagadish said the report makes clear that climate change is the primary threat to this global icon and its connected systems.

“It reminds us that sticking to that path we are currently on, simply because we started on it, will not offer the best solution for the Great Barrier Reef,” Professor Jagadish said.

“It highlights that in the medium-term, there are opportunities to slow the decline in the health of the reef, however this requires Australia to take further action now.”

The report also identifies other opportunities, including:

• a comprehensive review of GBR management—this may offer opportunities to streamline processes that are currently decentralised to create a management setting that is fit for purpose and agile enough to react to a changing climate. The report highlights that the management system was established before there was understanding of how climate change would impact the GBR
• relevant research organisations could form a consortium to agree on sector-wide data standards and sharing arrangements. Such agreements would support better integration of existing and future research efforts
• filling gaps in knowledge in the high emissions scenario—if these gaps were filled, including an improved understanding of how different ecological functions might be impacted, communities could be better prepared for the anticipated disruptions to lives and livelihoods
• standardising and centralising socio-ecological data could aid GBR management. Of particular importance will be understanding differing opinions between groups as to what values, regions or functions are most important for preservation or protection. If we can’t save everything, what we can save needs to be communicated and understood by all 
• developing suitable regulations and laws which do not rely on political involvement to be implemented in full. Doing so will secure a more evidence-informed system for the benefit of the GBR.
• Traditional Knowledges could provide a framework for managing a changing and adapting GBR.  Indigenous peoples have adapted to a changing GBR, however, the rate of change that is being and will be experienced is unprecedented. Indigenous participants suggested that there is an opportunity to address the decline of GBR values in a more profound and connected way, using a collaborative approach founded in Traditional Knowledge.

The Reef Traditional Owners are supported by the Australian and Queensland Governments to build a taskforce to operationalise the Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Implementation Plan’s actions in a collaborative co-design approach.

A full list of opportunities in the report can be found on page 30. 

The report concludes:

“Truthful, open, and clear communication with the public is needed to prepare Australians for what is to come, given the GBR will continue to change as the environment becomes more challenging for its habitats and species.

“Clear communication is also important to garner support for necessary management interventions to protect the GBR to the greatest extent possible.”

Read the report