‘Pure joy’: nine marine, soil and plant biologists awarded 2023 Thomas Davies Research Grants
(top from left) Dr Cheong Xin Chan, Dr Inka Vanwonterghem, Dr Onoriode Coast, Dr Chaoyu Li and Dr Mariana Mayer Pinto. (bottom) Dr Martin Breed, Dr Zahra Islam, Dr Joanna Melonek and Dr Maria Ermakova.
Nine early-career and mid-career researchers have been awarded the 2023 Thomas Davies Research Grant for Marine, Soil and Plant Biology.
The grant of up to $20,000 is awarded annually and funded through a generous philanthropic bequest from the estate of the late Thomas Lewis Davies to the Australian Academy of Science.
One of the recipients, Dr Onoriode Coast, said that learning he had been awarded the grant was “pure joy”.
Another recipient, Dr Chaoyu Li, said the support has improved her self-confidence and encourages her to pursue her academic career as an early-career researcher.
Applications for the 2024 round will open in early 2023.
Learn more about the Thomas Davies Research Grant.
Awardees and their projects
Dr Martin Breed, Flinders University
Harnessing the root-associated microbiota of the invasive species buffel grass to improve its management
Buffel grass is one of the most noxious invasive plant species in Australia, which degrades refuges for threatened native fauna, out-competes rare and endemic plant species and alters fire regimes. It is very hard to eliminate, and it is probable that buffel grass modulates its root-associated microbiota to gain a growth and survival advantage. Dr Breed aims to understand how this microbial community differs from surrounding soil, and how this association contributes to the establishment and invasion potential of buffel grass.
Dr Cheong Xin Chan, University of Queensland
Deciphering the molecular regulations of heat tolerance in a coral algal symbiont
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is sustained by symbiosis with microalgae, which supply essential nutrients and fixed carbon to their coral hosts. Breakdown of this symbiosis under environmental stress leads to coral bleaching, coral death, and collapse of the reef ecosystem. One of these microalgae species, D. trenchii, is known for its high heat tolerance, which can be conferred to the coral host—but the molecular mechanism is unknown. Dr Chan’s project will investigate how D. trenchii acquired thermotolerance and how we can identify and design highly resilient coral-alga symbioses in warming oceans.
Dr Onoriode Coast, University of New England
Exploring acclimation of wheat leaf respiration to warm nights
Australia accounts for approximately 11% of global wheat exports, but its production is threatened by increased global temperatures. Dr Coast’s project aims to understand the drivers of wheat responses to warm nights, which will support efforts to select and breed climate-resilient crops, better model crop response to night temperature, and develop effective strategies for cropping systems to ensure global food security.
Dr Maria Ermakova, Monash University
Developing a synthetic biology platform for high-throughput genetic engineering of sorghum to sustain crop productivity
Dr Ermakova’s project will allow high-throughput testing of new genetic targets for improving sorghum productivity and will help to develop new approaches for creating higher yielding, high-value sorghum varieties able to withstand the changing global climate.
Dr Zahra Islam, University of Melbourne
The effect of fertilisers on the capacity of soil bacteria to scavenge atmospheric hydrogen
In the face of a changing global climate, sustainable agricultural practices are becoming increasingly important. Crucial to the productivity of cropping plants is the role of symbiotic microorganisms that form part of the plant microbiome. These soil microorganisms have long been recognised as key players in biogeochemical nutrient cycles, but recent studies have also highlighted the capacity of some to oxidise trace gases such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane. Dr Islam’s project will investigate the trace gas oxidation capacity of plant-associated microorganisms, and whether this process can benefit the broader agricultural industry.
Dr Chaoyu Li, University of Melbourne
Unravelling the newly discovered complete ammonia oxidiser (comammox) bacteria in terrestrial ecosystems
Nitrification, a central process of the nitrogen cycle, was conventionally assumed to be a two-step process in which the first step was catalysed by ammonia-oxidising archaea and bacteria, and the second step was catalysed by nitrite-oxidising bacteria. This long-held perspective was challenged by the discovery of complete nitrifiers (known as 'comammox') that are capable of performing nitrification within a single organism. Dr Li’s project will improve our understanding of the role of comammox in the nitrification process and nitrous oxide production, which may lead to refined agricultural management strategies.
Dr Mariana Mayer Pinto, University of New South Wales
Interactive effects of light pollution and ocean warming on herbivory in temperate reefs
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is expected to profoundly impact most ecosystems on the planet by disrupting natural light cycles, and more than 20% of the world’s coastlines currently experience high levels of ALAN. Changes to the feeding activity and behaviour of sea urchins due to ALAN and ocean warming can therefore have major impacts on kelp forests—the dominant habitat-former in temperate Australia. Dr Mayer Pinto’s project will assess the effects of ALAN and ocean warming on the interactions between kelps and sea-urchins.
Dr Joanna Melonek, University of Western Australia
Uncovering the molecular function of mTERF proteins in fertility restoration in plants
Dr Melonek discovered a new clade of genes that have application to breeding hybrid cultivars in wheat, barley and rye, but the function and mechanism of action of the proteins encoded by these genes are completely unknown. The grant will help her to study them in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, leading to high-yielding and more stress-tolerant hybrid crops to help meet food demands in Australia and worldwide.
Dr Inka Vanwonterghem, University of Queensland
Mangrove forests’ unseen majority—unravelling microbial diversity, functions and interactions
By combining microbial genomics with environmental science, this project will allow Dr Vanwonterghem to identify core microbial species and functions that underpin mangrove forests’ health, productivity and climate change mitigation potential. The grant will enable her to understand mangrove-microbe interactions that support valuable ecosystem services, paving the way for inclusion of microbial ecology in mangrove conservation and restoration research.
Remembering Dr Alec Costin, the father of Australian high mountain ecology
Academy Fellow Dr Alec Costin devoted his life to learning about and protecting Australia’s unique ecosystems. He was an international authority on the ecology of high mountain and high latitude ecosystems, and made major contributions to the flora of the Snowy Mountains area.
Dr Costin was born on 30 September 1925 and raised in Roseville on Sydney's North Shore. He passed away on 22 August this year at the age of 96.
Dr Costin’s family, friends and colleagues gathered at the Academy’s Shine Dome in October for a memorial to celebrate his remarkable life and significant contributions to Australian science and land management.
According to Charlie Massey, a pastoralist from the Monaro region, his “lifelong research and resultant political fighting were largely responsible for the creation and protection of a number of Australia’s great national parks and the protection of fragile landscapes therein.”
Dr Costin in the Kosciuszko region.
Dr Costin had a direct impact on the formation of national parks, forestry and farming, and helped to convince government boards that mountain catchments were more valuable for water catchments than for livestock grazing.
He consulted with government officials, scientists and farmers to protect some of Australia’s most fragile and vulnerable alpine regions.
“Alec gave his time generously to the Academy, including over two decades of service prior to his election as a Fellow,” Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said.
Deidre Slattery, a fellow ecologist who was mentored by Dr Costin, made the closing remarks.
“Thank you Alec, for the devotion to our shared heritage, and for passing on your deep love and understanding of the mountains to us all.”
Dr Costin was interviewed in 2006 about his career by David Salt on behalf of the Academy. Read the full interview.
Champion of research integrity honoured with new award
Professor David Vaux AO FAA FAHMS, who has championed research integrity in Australia, has been recognised as the inaugural recipient of a new Academy award.
The inaugural award was announced at Science at the Shine Dome, the Academy’s annual flagship event.
The award, named in his honour as the David Vaux Research Integrity Fellowship Award, has been established to recognise individuals who have led efforts to foster and promote integrity in science.
Professor Vaux said integrity means consistently upholding principles, the most important of which is honesty, both in reporting research, and in allocating credit.
“The Academy is doing a wonderful job promoting the establishment of Research Integrity Australia,” Professor Vaux said.
“It is also advocating for improvements in the way research integrity is governed in Australia so as to create a more robust system that applies to all publicly funded research.”
Professor Vaux speaks at Science at the Shine Dome 2022.
The award will be offered biennially, and awardees will be selected based on their promotion of fairness, honesty, and consideration of others in the practice of scientific research.
They will receive up to $10,000 to present workshops and lectures in Australia, primarily to research higher degree candidates, with the aim of instilling the importance of integrity in science and its outcomes and demonstrating the critical responsibility of every scientist.
A donation from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute has enabled this award to be established and funded until 2033.
Research integrity is a key issue for Australia science, with a recent Academy survey conducted with publisher Springer Nature finding 73% of Australian researchers supported mandatory research integrity training.
“To correct errors in the literature, whether innocent or deliberate, and to manage cases where misconduct is alleged, 23 European countries, the US, UK, Canada, Japan and China have national offices for research integrity, but Australia does not,” Professor Vaux said.
Highlights from Science at the Shine Dome 2022
Watch the event highlights
Welcome to our highlights from Science at the Shine Dome 2022. This is a special year, as we come together in person at the Shine Dome for this event for the first time since 2019. The event is a hybrid format, so audiences were able to join us in person in Canberra or from anywhere in the world, online.
Science at the Shine Dome is the Academy’s annual flagship event. Over three days, Australia’s most influential scientists gather at the Shine Dome in Canberra to celebrate and honour outstanding achievements in science. It enables researchers from all disciplines and career levels to come together to present, share, network and collaborate.
We are grateful to our generous Event Partners, who made this event possible.
#ShineDome22
On this page:
Day 3: Thursday 24 November
On the third and final day of Science at the Shine Dome, we continued to recognise excellence in Australian science—with award and medal presentations.
Professor Renfree has established marsupials as unique biomedical models for understanding human reproduction.
The recipient of the 2020 Macfarlane Burnet Medal Professor Marilyn Renfree gave her associated lecture, outlining how she came to be a world authority on marsupial reproduction and development.
There were also Premier Honorific awards for Professor Steve Simpson of The University of Sydney and Dr Liz Dennis of CSIRO, as well as recognition for those making outstanding contributions to science early in their careers.
Recipients of career honorifics included scientists who’ve transformed our understanding of the biological basis of breast cancer, those using light as a ‘molecular surgical tool’, and those illuminating how deposits of copper and gold form within the hydrothermal systems of volcanoes.
Mid-career and early-career awardees included trailblazers who introduced STI and COVID-19 point-of-care testing in remote Aboriginal communities, are leading international efforts to model the concentrations of atmospheric pollutants, and identifying the source locations of fast radio bursts in distant galaxies. Read about their work.
Watch the award and medal presentations
How modern science can intersect with traditional knowledges
In the afternoon, Professor Tom Calma led a workshop for all attendees to discuss how their practices can be enriched by effective and meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge holders and contemporary science practitioners.
Professor Calma is Chancellor of the University of Canberra and a descendant of the Kungarakan and Iwaidja tribal groups. He was elected as a Fellow of the Academy in 2022, having championed the improvement of Indigenous peoples’ health, education, and justice for over 45 years.
They also discussed how researchers can help to build a more inclusive and diverse science sector, with other Indigenous scientists sharing their experiences of working within the Western science paradigm.
Finally, after Canberra had treated its visitors to some icy winds and low temperatures over the previous few days, the sun came out.
Attendees made the most of the warmth, catching up at the picnic tables outside the Shine Dome, and continuing to enjoy the ever-popular gelato cart!
Day 2: Wednesday 23 November
The 2022 Fellows
The second day of Science at the Shine Dome focused on the Academy Fellows elected this year. They spoke passionately and about their life’s work and achievements, acknowledged the people who have supported them on their journey of discovery, and shared their thoughts about possible futures for Australia and the world.
Many in-depth interviews were also filmed with Fellows—don’t miss them!
Watch the Fellows’ presentations and interviews
What the new Fellows were saying
From top left
Professor Peter Langridge “Food-wise, wheat is the most important plant for humanity and it’s great to work on—the genome is so flexible you can break and re-join it. Working with plants is fantastic; they can do so many things and they are the basis on which all life depends.”
Professor Albert Zomaya “For me, it’s a humbling experience when you are watching the talks from people who are at the forefront of their fields. It’s great to see the depth and breadth of research here today—wow! My research in computer science goes all the way from the theoretical to the practical. It has now transitioned into changing people’s lives.”
Professor Kate Smith-Miles “We would never approve pharmaceutical drugs without a clinical trial, but there are very few regulations for algorithms. My work tests algorithms to help improve accuracy.”
Professor Catherine Greenhill “It’s great that Fellows over the last three years get to be here in person and be recognised for their achievements. We live in a networked world and understanding random graphs—what I work on—can help us to understand these networks.”
Professor Ute Roessner “I’m excited to be a Fellow; humbled to be amongst all these other scientists. It’s good to celebrate the wonderful plant science happening. [My science] uncovers the chemical diversity of life, which is astonishingly complex.”
From bottom left
Dr Wenju Cai “I use science to make predictions that minimise damage and maximise adaption—in a sense I predict the future. It is eye-opening being here, there is so much science across so many different areas.”
Professor Huijun Zhao “Science makes you feel younger; makes you feel useful. It’s wonderful to see all my colleagues and friends—finally we get to see each other again!”
Dr Beth Fulton “There is lots to learn—I’m surrounded by such smart people, it’s really amazing. [From my research], making copies of the world inside a computer we can figure out how to have a sustainable and healthy future without using up our current one.”
Professor Naomi McClure-Griffiths, with father David and daughter Madeleine “I’m looking forward to signing that book!” David said, “I’m extremely proud of Naomi. Ever since she was a small child she was interested in science – this is the ultimate recognition as far as I’m concerned. I’m very proud she became a scientist.”
Gala dinner
Professor Marilyn Renfree (second from right) receiving the 2020 Macfarlane Burnet Medal from the Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic at the Academy’s gala dinner.
More than 400 scientists and science supporters attended the Academy’s annual gala dinner on Wednesday night at the Great Hall of Parliament House. The evening was hosted by Academy Council members Professor Lyn Beazley and Professor Frances Separovic.
One of the highlights of the evening was a conversation on stage between Karlie Alinta Noon, a Gamilaroi yinarr woman and astronomy PhD candidate and lecturer from the Australian National University, and the Minister for Industry and Science the Hon Ed Husic MP. Other highlights were the presentation of the Academy’s most prestigious medals: the 2020 Macfarlane Burnet Medal to Professor Marilyn Renfree and the 2022 medal to Professor Steve Simpson; the 2021 Matthew Flinders Medal to Professor Andrew Holmes; and the 2021 Ruby Payne-Scott Medal to Professor Cheryl Praeger and the 2022 medal to Dr Liz Dennis.
Tribute to Robyn Williams
During the evening the Academy paid tribute to iconic ABC broadcaster and Academy Fellow, Professor Robyn Williams, and showed two videos to mark his nearly five decades of dedication to reporting, promoting and exploring science for the ABC. Watch the second video.
Day 1: Tuesday 22 November
The first day of Science at the Shine Dome was a major celebration of Australian science as more than 60 leading scientists, covering fields from Antarctic life to the evolution of our galaxy, were formally admitted to the Academy.
Also celebrated were the recipients of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, with a breakfast in Canberra’s iconic Shine Dome. The breakfast followed the official prize ceremony at Parliament House on Monday night, where Academy Fellow Professor Trevor McDougall took home the 2022 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for his research on the role the ocean plays in transferring heat around the globe.
Three years of new Fellows formally admitted to the Academy
In addition to our new Fellow admission ceremonies, there are plenty of fascinating live interviews throughout the event with our new Fellows. Highly recommended watching—catch them on the livestream recording below.
Science at the Shine Dome was opened with a Welcome to Country by Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Violet Sheridan. During the day we saw 60 Fellows elected in 2020, 2021 and 2022 sign the Charter Book, signifying their formal admission to the Academy. Two 2019 Fellows were also able to sign the book. A video was shown for each new Fellow to as an introduction to their science.
Highly recommended!
For the very first time, the Academy is enriching the experience of those watching online by broadcasting live interviews with scientists and other attendees from the grounds of the Dome. These fascinating discussions are revealing more about each person’s research, what drives them to discover new things, and their interests outside of science. Highly recommended watching!
Watch the day’s admission ceremonies and live interviews
2020 Fellows
The work of the 2020 Fellows includes pioneering research into the colour vision of animals that’s improved the performance of digital cameras, identifying the cause of mass frog extinctions across the globe, and the first commercialisation of quantum communication.
See photos and videos for the 2020 Fellows.
Professor Robyn Owens (centre) has supervised dozens of researchers. In a wonderful coincidence, she was admitted to the Academy on Tuesday alongside two of those researchers, Professor Svetha Venkatesh and Professor Ian Reid.
Professor Robyn Owens (centre) has supervised dozens of researchers. In a wonderful coincidence, she was admitted to the Academy on Tuesday alongside two of those researchers, Professor Svetha Venkatesh and Professor Ian Reid.
2021 Fellows
The achievements of the Fellows elected in 2021 have myriad benefits to science and society—from helping to mitigate the worst impacts of regional climate extremes to improving weather forecasting.
See the photos and videos for the 2021 Fellows.
During a short break in proceedings, the Fellows proved they weren’t put off by the unseasonally cool weather, taking time to mingle and enjoy a scoop of gelato.
2022 Fellows
The final admissions were the 2022 Fellows, including Professor Tom Calma, a descendant of the Kungarakan and Iwaidja tribal groups and the first Fellow elected to the Academy who identifies as an Aboriginal person.
See the photos and videos for the 2022 Fellows.
Professor Jiang Lei, a chemist and materials scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was also at the Shine Dome to be admitted as a Corresponding Member.
The 2022 cohort marks the first time gender parity was achieved in the Academy’s annual election of new Fellows.
The day concluded with a cocktail soiree held in a marquee near the Academy’s other historic building, Ian Potter House.
Handy links
Download the event program (PDF 4.3MB)
Twitter: #ShineDome22 and Academy.
Supporting Ukrainian scientists through a partnership with the Breakthrough Prize Foundation
(From L-R) Academy Chief Executive Anna-Maria Arabia, His Excellency Ambassador of Ukraine Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish, Ukranian scientist Professor Vladimir Chegel and Academy Foreign Secretary Professor Frances Separovic.
Ukrainian scientists who have fled the war with Russia or who have been unable to work due to the destruction of their workplace are set to receive a helping hand from their Australian counterparts.
The assistance will come in the form of an A$800,000 donation from the non-profit Breakthrough Prize Foundation to the Australian Academy of Science, announced today.
The donation will support initiatives including:
- the establishment of long-term research collaborations between Ukrainian and Australian scientists, focusing on early-and-mid-career researchers (this may consist of short-term visits to Australian research facilities to establish links that last beyond the war)
- providing Ukrainian scientists with access to leading Australian science and research infrastructure and facilities such as supercomputing programs, synchrotrons telescopes and NCRIS facilities
- the opportunity to send data and samples to Australian research facilities for analysis, with the results returned to Ukrainian research institutes.
All efforts to assist Ukrainian scientists will adhere to the ten-point action plan developed to ensure measures focus on rebuilding a modern and globally integrated science and research system in Ukraine.
President of the Australian Academy of Science Professor Chennupati Jagadish said the Academy stands by the people of Ukraine and their scientific workforce at home and in exile.
“A considerable number of Ukrainian research facilities and universities have been destroyed by the war. We see this initiative as one of the most effective ways Australia can support the Ukrainian scientific community,” Professor Jagadish said.
“This new initiative will be a mutually beneficial partnership and a two-way knowledge exchange between Australian and Ukrainian scientists.
“We thank the Breakthrough Prize Foundation for its generous donation and its ongoing support for Ukrainian scientists.”
The initiative is part of a global movement to support Ukrainian scientists and will complement work already underway by other countries such as the United States, Poland and Denmark, who have received primarily Ukrainian women scientists who have fled their country.
The Academy is also part of a coordinating committee of other national academies including the National Academy of Sciences (US), the Polish Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
“It is inspiring to see the scientific community come together across continents in support of Ukrainian scientists and their critical research,” said Yuri Milner, founder of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.
“I applaud the Australian Academy of Science for its contribution to this global effort.”
Background
The Australian Academy of Science is a Fellowship of 590 of Australia’s leading scientists. The Academy provides independent scientific advice, promotes international scientific engagement, builds public awareness and understanding of science, and champions, celebrates and supports excellence in Australian science.
The Breakthrough Prize Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to recognising the world’s great scientists, advancing cutting-edge scientific research, and helping to create a knowledge culture in which everybody, especially the next generation, can be inspired by the big questions of science. The Breakthrough Prize, renowned as the ‘Oscars of Science’, recognises the world’s top scientists in the fields of life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics. Each prize is $3 million. The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is an annual global video competition for students to inspire creative thinking about science.
Applications for the Ukraine-Australia Research Fund are currently closed.
The future is what we make it, says winner of Prime Minister’s Prize for Science
Academy Fellow Professor Trevor McDougall AC FAA FRS. Photo: Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
Academy Fellow Professor Trevor McDougall AC FAA FRS has been awarded the 2022 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for his outstanding contributions to the study of the world’s oceans and their role in regulating Earth’s climate.
The award recognises his ground-breaking research in the field of ocean thermodynamics, which looks at the role of the ocean in the movement of heat around the planet. This includes how to keep track of the heat that is exchanged with the atmosphere, and how heat is mixed in the ocean interior.
“Without the oceans, the equatorial regions would be much hotter than they are today and the polar regions much colder,” Professor McDougall said.
“The ocean is notoriously difficult to observe; we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the sea floor.
“There are relatively few of us in the field of physical oceanography, and we have tended to perpetuate assumptions that were first made a century ago and not question them – I’ve made it my business in the past three decades to question those assumptions.”
He discovered previously unknown ocean mixing processes, which greatly improved the work of both theoretical and observational oceanographers, and these discoveries have led to completely new research areas that have improved our understanding of ocean physics.
Professor McDougall’s work is used by oceanographers around the world and has improved the accuracy of climate predictions, including the climate modelling of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
He said that young scientists should be encouraged to join the effort to study climate science and be part of the solution.
“The future is what we make it. At the beginning of my career La Niña had not been noticed and global heating was thought of as being important only in the distant future.
“It is the research of a few thousand scientists around the globe who have spent their careers studying these things and improving our knowledge.
“It has been frustrating to see the warnings of climate scientists being largely ignored for the past 25 years, but the world knows of the dangers now.
“Do come on board this science enterprise, because the world needs many answers to ever more questions about the environmental impacts of what we humans have been doing with our grand experiment in burning fossil fuels.”
Academy Fellows have featured each year since the prizes’ inception in 2000.
Recipients of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science will be celebrated at a breakfast at the Shine Dome as part of Science at the Shine Dome.
See the full list of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science recipients.
Best of Australian science returns to Canberra
The best of Australian science will be celebrated and recognised at Science at the Shine Dome this week and for the first time since 2019, the Australian Academy of Science’s annual flagship event will be held in-person in Canberra.
Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said that Science at the Shine Dome is where we come together to celebrate excellence in Australian science.
“It is also an opportunity for researchers from all career stages to connect with our Fellows and other leading Australian scientists, to forge new and important collaborations – the bedrock of science,” said Professor Jagadish.
This three-day event, which is also being livestreamed online, will see Australia’s most influential scientists from across disciplines gather to share their expertise.
Held annually since the Academy’s founding in 1954, Science at the Shine Dome will include the admission of new Fellows to the Academy, the presentation of awards and lectures, and scientific presentations by new Fellows.
“I am thrilled we can reunite researchers of all career levels to share knowledge, network and participate in professional development,” Academy Chief Executive Anna-Maria Arabia said.
Three days of scientific excellence
On Tuesday, Fellows from 2020, 2021 and 2022 will be formally admitted to the Academy, followed by a soiree on the grounds of the recently renovated and restored Ian Potter House.
On Wednesday, attendees will hear from some of Australia’s most distinguished scientists, the 2022 new Fellows, as they present their science and career achievements.
Networking breaks will give in-person attendees the opportunity to meet each other, while those joining via livestream will see exclusive feature interviews with special guests live from the Shine Dome.
On Wednesday evening, the Academy’s annual gala dinner will be held at the Great Hall of Parliament House.
It will feature a conversation between the Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon Ed Husic MP, and Gamilaroi yinarr (woman) and astronomy PhD candidate Karlie Alinta Noon from the Australian National University.
The dinner will also include the presentations of the Academy’s Premier Medals – the Macfarlane Burnet Medal, the Matthew Flinders Medal and the Ruby Payne-Scott Medal.
On Thursday, three lectures will be given by premier Academy awardees:
- Professor Marilyn Renfree (2020 Macfarlane Burnet Medallist)
- Professor Steve Simpson (2022 Macfarlane Burnet Medallist)
- Dr Liz Dennis (2022 Ruby Payne-Scott Medallist)
After these lectures, the 2022 honorific medal presentations will take place, followed by a networking lunch and an Indigenous Knowledges Workshop led by Academy Fellow Professor Tom Calma.
Registrations for in-person attendance of Science at the Shine Dome are now closed, but the livestream can be watched from anywhere in Australia or across the world.
The full program is available on the Academy website, and you can tune into the livestream on YouTube.
Thank you to our event partners
Platinum Partners: CSIRO and Department of Defence
Major – Diversity and Inclusion Partner: The University of Queensland
Major – Gala Dinner Partner: The University of Sydney
Major – Livestream Partner: Department of Education
Major Partners: The Australian National University and UNSW Sydney
Gold Partners: Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Deakin University, and The University of Melbourne
Silver Partners: QUT, The University of Adelaide, Nature Portfolio, and Evans & Partners
Bronze Partner: The University of Newcastle
EMCR Supporters: NCI, The University of Newcastle, UNSW Sydney, Griffith University, The University of Western Australia, and Monash University
Raising the profile of women in STEM across the globe
Women working in STEM fields around the world will be able to raise their profile and discover opportunities to progress their careers following the launch of STEM Women Global in November.
The existing STEM Women platform, a free online directory of women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Australia and Asia, has been expanded to include women scientists from across the globe, taking this Australian innovation to the world stage.
“We are very proud to bring STEM Women Global, an Australian innovation, to the international STEM sector,” Australian Academy of Science President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said.
“By raising the profile of women in STEM across the globe, all of science will benefit.”
STEM Women Global, which any woman working in STEM can apply to join, allows users to search for members by their expertise, country and areas of professional interest, connecting women in STEM with individuals and organisations looking for diverse STEM experts.
STEM Women Global is an initiative of the Australian Academy of Science with the support of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA), the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) and the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS).
The launch included remarks from the IAP and other project partners. Speakers addressed the importance of raising the visibility of women in STEM in their regions and the significance of mechanisms such as this new directory to establish international collaborations.
As well as expanding the platform for global reach, the project will explore tools and mechanisms to support scientists in exile and will introduce multilingual options for equity of access across locations and cultures.
“The STEM Women initiative unlocks an enormous talent pool of women in STEM, increases their visibility, and directly connects them with career opportunities including international collaborations,” Academy Foreign Secretary Professor Frances Separovic said.
The project highlights the Academy’s ongoing commitment to advancing gender equity in STEM by showcasing the breadth of scientific talent both in Australia and across the world, so that women researchers and professionals working in STEM across all countries can be recognised and offered career-advancing opportunities.
Visit the STEM Women Global website
Academy welcomes S20 recommendations for global recovery
The Australian Academy of Science supports the communiqué released in September by the S20, the science academies of the G20. The S20 Summit, coordinated on the margins of the G20’s theme of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’, concluded in Jakarta, Indonesia with recommendations to G20 governments on international cooperation toward common goals in key priority areas.
The communiqué recommends G20 governments tackle challenges in the following priority areas:
- Building resilient health systems
- Enhancing the adaptive capacity of health systems to climate change
- Bolstering multi-disciplinary science and technology for pandemic preparedness and climate change
- Guaranteeing people-centred systems design in societies and global structures
- Strengthening the nexus between data, research, policy and practice
Global cooperation and evidence-informed policy making are more important than ever to ensure a successful and equitable economic recovery. The S20 agreed that research and innovations in science and technology should be leveraged to develop more sustainable, resilient and effective systems across the globe, and that efforts must also increase to integrate the social sciences and humanities within public policy to ensure a people-centred design.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored that governments, the private sector, civil society and scientists need to re-double their efforts to work together across disciplines to coordinate a greater global response to the challenge of climate change.
The S20 encouraged open data practices to enhance knowledge collaboration and transfer among G20 members. G20 members should ensure transparency, data availability and translatability across member nations in order to equalise access and bolster the adoption of evidence-informed policy between science and decision makers.
Academy President Chennupati Jagadish speaking at the S20 Summit.
“I congratulate the S20 group for this communiqué, unanimously agreeing on the importance of science and the importance of people-centric solutions,” Academy President Chennupati Jagadish said.
The Australian Academy of Science has taken action to ensure policies are evidence-informed, and where research gaps exist these are identified. Earlier this year we launched Australia’s National Strategy for Just Adaptation, produced by Future Earth Australia, which seeks to broaden the national adaptation and resilience agenda and embed principles of justice and equity across climate action.
The Academy also held a roundtable of cross-disciplinary scientists, governance and innovation policy makers, politicians, and other decision makers to provide guidance on what science and technology was still required to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and draw down greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Furthermore, the Academy is developing a roadmap for advancing data-intensive research in Australia in order to create a data ecosystem for global knowledge exchange.
Through continuous support from governments and member nations, scientists hope to ensure sustainable, adaptable and healthier global development in the face of future challenges. The Academy commends the S20, under the leadership of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences, for producing this timely communiqué.
Read the full communiqué (PDF, 536KB).
Revitalising science critical to advancing Australia’s economic and social prosperity
The Australian Academy of Science welcomes the release of the Australian Government’s 2022-23 budget.
The Academy will lead a new regional presence coordinating scientific engagement in the Asia-Pacific over the next six years thanks to a $10.3 million investment from the Australian Government.
Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said the Australian Government’s investment will enable Australia to leverage its standing as a science and research leader and engage in strategic science diplomacy in our region and globally.
The Government has also made several other significant investments that rely upon science to advance Australian economic and social prosperity.
These include:
- The establishment of the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund with seven key priorities in renewables and low emissions, medical science, value-adding resources, enabling capabilities, transport, defence and agriculture, fisheries, food and fibre.
- Confirmation of the Government’s intention to establish an Australian Centre for Disease Control.
- $105.2 million to support First Nations people to respond to climate change in their communities. The Academy’s Future Earth Australia National Strategy for Just Adaptation, published last month, called for the development of a national Indigenous-led climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy.
- Renewal of Australia’s climate policy ambition through greater investment in the Climate Change Authority, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, net zero and negative emissions and major investments in Australia’s renewable energy systems.
- $2.9 million for the National Science and Technology Council’s provision of science and technology advice to support evidence-informed decision-making and independent science advice to Government
- A down payment on meeting Australia’s responsibility to protect our natural biodiversity including support for preventing species extinction, protecting the Great Barrier Reef and advancing environmental law reform
- 20,000 new university places for under-represented students, the Startup Year Program and establishing the Australian Universities Accord
- $5.8 million for the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship program and the independent review into Government programs to ensure they support greater diversity in Australia’s science and technology sectors
- $10 million for Questacon to help inspire the next generation of young people to consider STEM careers
“Australians look to science to provide the knowledge, solutions, and advice to guide us through the challenges of our uncertain world. A world now more frequently experiencing climate induced natural disasters and the threat of pandemics," Professor Jagadish said.
“We recognise a lot of work is in train to revitalise the scientific enterprise and reverse the fourteen-year decline in investment in research and development. It will take time, but it can be done.
“We look forward to working with the Australian Government to map a pathway that repositions Australian science to advance national prosperity and global competitiveness."