​The current application of the ministerial veto in the Australian Research Council (ARC) introduces "a randomness in a system that should be designed to preclude it to the maximum extent possible," says the Academy, in a submission made this month to the Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment.

The submission to the Senate inquiry into the Australian Research Council Amendment (Ensuring Research Independence) Bill 2018 highlights the need for reform in ARC grant approvals.

It argues that the veto "disregards" the capacity of the Council to make recommendations that include consideration of national interest and value for money, and lacks transparency and clarity.

This echoes earlier statements by the Academy regarding the revelation on Christmas Eve 2021 that six ARC Discovery Projects had been rejected using ministerial veto.

In February, Academy President John Shine joined the other presidents of Australia’s learned academies to call for the Government, the ARC and universities to work together to "uphold Australia’s reputation as a home and champion of international best practice research."

Read the full submission.

“Respect the scientific and medical evidence that provide ample justification for the pardon of Kathleen Folbigg and demonstrate that you take seriously your responsibility to provide justice to the people of NSW.”

This is the call by three Nobel Laureates and the outgoing and incoming Presidents of the Australian Academy of Science in a letter sent to the NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman this week.

The new appeal for Ms Folbigg’s immediate release from jail comes one year after the NSW Attorney General was provided with sufficient medical and scientific evidence that provides an alternative explanation for the deaths of Ms Folbigg’s children.

The evidence and the grounds for a pardon were laid out in a petition signed by ninety eminent scientists, which has been awaiting advice from the NSW Attorney General since March 2021. An additional 66 Royal Society of NSW Fellows backed the petition last year.

The outgoing President of the Academy, Professor John Shine, said Ms Folbigg’s continued incarceration is untenable.

“It is time that the NSW legal system accepts that a miscarriage of justice has occurred,” Professor Shine said.

“Ms Folbigg has been incarcerated for almost two decades despite scientific and medical evidence that provide reasonable explanations for the death of her children.

“We understand that the materials being considered are complex and detailed and our offer to the NSW Attorney General to facilitate a scientific briefing remains.

“I, along with colleagues, have written to the NSW Attorney General to express our deep concern about the disregard of scientific evidence in this case.

“The obligation of the NSW Attorney General is to ensure the NSW legal system is just and efficient. To avoid further exacerbating this miscarriage of justice, the NSW Attorney General must expedite this matter and advise the NSW Governor to pardon Kathleen Folbigg and release her from jail.”

“The power rests with the NSW Attorney General to not only right this wrong but to bring about the legal reform required so that no person finds themselves in a similar situation,” Professor Shine said.

Read a copy of the letter to the NSW Attorney-General. This video by the Australian Academy of Science explains the latest science.

Twenty researchers from around Australia have been recognised by the Australian Academy of Science today, receiving prestigious honorific awards for their contributions to the advancement of science at the early, mid and career level.

The awarded research includes the use of gas-eating microorganisms to make sustainable animal foods, understanding how our wetlands respond to a changing climate, revealing serious complications in carbon capture, and how genetics can influence our choice in partners.

Professor Steve Simpson AC FAA FRS receives the Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture – one of the Academy’s top awards – for his revolutionary research into locust swarming, spanning all the way from the brains of individual locusts to continental-scale migration patterns.

This work led to a ground-breaking framework for nutrition research which has since been applied to a wide range of organisms and used to tackle problems from aquaculture and conservation biology to the dietary effects on obesity and ageing.

Professor Andrew Roberts, the recipient of the 2022 Mawson Medal and Lecture, is recognised for his fundamental contributions to paleomagnetism, allowing scientists to use the geological record to reconstruct global plate tectonic movements and to understand variations in Earth’s magnetic field through its history.

His world-leading research, using environmental magnetism to understand climate change, has led to significant understanding of African monsoon dynamics, sea level variations, and Arctic and Antarctic glacial history.

Professor Rebecca Guy FAHMS, a mid-career researcher, receives the Gustav Nossal Medal for Global Health for her public health work for vulnerable and remote communities, such as point-of-care testing for STIs and COVID-19, and HIV self-tests that can be done at home.

Early-career researcher Associate Professor Jenny Fisher receives the Anton Hales Medal for her research into how trace gases such as mercury and other pollutants are transported and distributed through the atmosphere, which informs the management of air pollution as well as climate modelling.

President of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor John Shine, said this year’s awardees are blazing a trail for science both locally and globally.

“The award recipients have made a significant contribution to the research enterprise and the impact of their research will continue for years to come.

“They have distinguished themselves and the whole of Australian science, and the Academy is proud to support their outstanding contributions.”

Award recipients

The Academy’s 2022 honorific awards go to:

Premier honorific awards

• Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture—Professor Steve Simpson AC FAA FRS, University of Sydney
• Ruby Payne-Scott Medal and Lecture—Dr Liz Dennis AC FAA FTSE, CSIRO Agriculture and Food (Canberra)

Career honorifics

• David Craig Medal and Lecture—Professor Christopher Barner-Kowollik FAA, Queensland University of Technology
• Haddon Forrester King Medal and Lecture—Dr Kathy Ehrig, BHP Billiton
• Haddon Forrester King Medal and Lecture—Professor Richard Henley, Australian National University
• Ian Wark Medal and Lecture—Professor Timothy Senden, Australian National University
• Mawson Medal and Lecture—Professor Andrew Roberts, Australian National University
• Suzanne Cory Medal and Lecture—Professor Georgia Chenevix-Trench FAA, QIMR Berghofer

Mid-career honorifics

• Gustav Nossal Medal for Global Health—Professor Rebecca Guy FAHMS, University of New South Wales Sydney
• Nancy Millis Medal for Women in Science—Professor Vanessa Peterson, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Lucas Heights)

Early-career honorifics

• Anton Hales Medal—Associate Professor Jenny Fisher, University of Wollongong
• Christopher Heyde Medal—Dr Francis Hui, Australian National University
• Dorothy Hill Medal—Dr Samintha Perera, University of Melbourne
• Fenner Medal—Associate Professor Chris Greening, Monash University
• Frederick White Medal—Professor Kerrylee Rogers, University of Wollongong
• Gottschalk Medal—Dr Alisa Glukhova, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)
• John Booker Medal—Associate Professor Annan Zhou, RMIT University
• Le Fèvre Medal—Dr Yuning Hong, La Trobe University
• Pawsey Medal—Dr Keith Bannister, CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science (Marsfield)
• Ruth Stephens Gani Medal—Dr Loic Yengo, University of Queensland

The awards will be presented at the Academy's event, Science at the Shine Dome 2022, in November.

Award nominations now open for 2023

Know an amazing Australian scientist? Nominate them for an award!

Nominations are now open for the Academy’s 2023 honorific awards, research conferences, research awards and travelling fellowships.

What impact is our changing climate having on our lives, jobs and homes? And what policy frameworks are needed to ensure a resilient and prosperous future for Australia?

Report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (or IPCC) is widely regarded as the most important and authoritative source on climate change, its impacts and how to tackle the rising emissions that drive it.

Already released as part of the Sixth Assessment Report is the contribution from Working Group I, who focused on the physical science basis of climate change. Working Group III should publish their contribution on mitigation in April, and a Synthesis Report combining the three Working Group reports is scheduled for later this year.

At 10 pm AEDT on Monday, 28 February 2022, the contribution from Working Group II was released on the observed and projected impacts of climate change, the adaptation capabilities of communities and biosystems, and the vulnerabilities posed to humans and our natural systems.

But how does this specifically relate to Australia, and what can policymakers and professionals do, both inside and outside government, to make use of this resource in support of the critical decisions they make?

To answer these questions, the Australian Academy of Science in partnership with Future Earth Australia, held an online forum event to help inform and support policy makers and professionals in how Australia can reduce its vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.

Event

The Academy President, Professor John Shine, hosted the event and introduced short presentations from four of the lead authors of the chapter dedicated to discussing the impacts and risks for Australia and New Zealand.

Professor Brendan Mackey, Director of Griffith University's Climate Action Beacon is a Coordinating Lead Author of the IPCC Working Group II.

He spoke on the observed impacts of climate change. He outlined that climate trends have caused major impacts on our natural systems, with some Australian ecosystems already having experienced irreversible changes.

He closed his presentation reminding us that climate change is not something that might occur in the future. It has happened, it is happening, and it will continue to happen into the future. It's a reality we have to deal with.

Dr Francis Chiew, a hydrologist, leads the Surface Water and Basin Outcomes research group in CSIRO in Canberra. He spoke on climate change will exacerbate the already complex challenges in managing water for competing demands in south-eastern Australia.

Finally, the frequency and severity of dangerous fire weather conditions have increased and will continue to increase with very significant consequences in this part of the world.

Professor Gretta Pecl is a marine ecologist at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), and the Director of the Centre for Marine Socioecology (CMS) at the University of Tasmania.

She spoke on the impact of climate on the Australian economy and people, reminding us that if bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef persists, an estimated 10,000 jobs and A$1 billion per year in revenue would be lost from declines in tourism alone.

Professor Lauren Rickards is Director of the Urban Futures Enabling Capability Platform and co-lead of the Climate Change Transformations Research Group at RMIT University.

She started by emphasising that many of the changes required are significant are not only those in the climate and physical systems, but are also in many areas not typically identified as related to climate change.

In terms of thinking of the way to progress adaptation it‘s about taking on the complexities.

She highlighted again the amazing opportunity we have to "improve on the past and present, to enhance our well-being, to restore the planet, and to actually generate thriving communities and ecosystems."

She closed her presentation by reminding us that to fuel adaptation, we have a rich resource in our communities—we need to listen to everyone.

The panel then engaged in an audience answer session. On everyone's minds was the current flooding event in south-eastern Queensland and northern NSW, and whether there was a connection to climate change.

While individual disasters cannot be explicitly attributed to being caused by climate change, the panel were unanimous that climate have made the severity and duration of the flood event much worse.

For Professor Mackey, the floods are personal. His extended family have "suffered the direct impacts of climate change", losing their house to the floodwaters in Lismore. He shared a striking image of them sheltering on a roof waiting to be airlifted to safety.

The panel also discussed whether the flood is a one-in-a-thousand-year event. The answer: it depends.

Flooding may not have happened to the same degree in some time, although there were devastating floods in 2011 and 1974.

However, looking forward into the future, it is unlikely that this kind of flooding won't happen for another thousand years.

The authors used this point to emphasise that any delay in both reducing emissions and addressing the impacts of an increasingly changed climate will mean we will miss this chance to secure a liveable and sustainable future for us all.

Find out more

You can find out more about the Academy and the science of climate change by visiting our Climate Change Hub. More resources are available from Future Earth Australia, as a peak initiative in convening leaders to advance the sustainability agenda.

Australia was well served by policymakers being able to access scientific evidence during the pandemic, and mechanisms that now bring science to the heart of government should not be lost during or after our recovery, the Academy’s submission to the 2022–23 Federal Budget reads.

Delivered to the Treasury recently as part of the public consultation process, the submission calls for the establishment of robust and permanent mechanisms for independent science advice to government.

Such mechanisms would assist in providing evidence-based answers to questions to inform a range of policy challenges, from adaption to global warming and the challenge of a circular economy, to building sovereign capability in manufacturing.

The Academy’s submission also recommends that the government act to ‘secure the base’ of scientific research by supporting the whole scientific pipeline, focused on support for fundamental research.

The submission echoes earlier comments by the Academy on the Australian Government’s announcement of a University Research Commercialisation action plan in February.

“By supporting new ideas and discoveries that underpin innovations and products, we can improve the lives and livelihoods of all Australians,” said Academy President, Professor John Shine.

“Research discoveries form a pool of intellectual capital that can be developed within Australia and globally.”

A whole-of-government review of the science and research system, including an urgent review of existing competitive grant funding schemes, is recommended.

Also recommended is a national effort to secure new jobs and industries through science and technologies, including establishing a science translation fund modelled on the current Medical Research Future Fund.

Read the full pre-budget submission and its recommendations.

On 8 May 1980, Australian virologist Professor Frank Fenner stood before the World Health Assembly in Geneva and declared smallpox, an ancient disease thought to be responsible for more than half a billion deaths during the last hundred years of its existence alone, had been eradicated.

For Frank Fenner, the announcement was the culmination of 35 years of research into poxviruses and more than a decade’s work on the eradication campaign, first as a principal advisor and later as Chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) commission that certified when and where the virus had been defeated. Although reporting smallpox gone from humanity was the proudest moment of his life, Professor Fenner’s work with the Smallpox Eradication Program was just one achievement in a long and distinguished career.

The Frank Fenner manuscript collection held in the archives at the Australian Academy of Science documents his extensive research contribution to the understanding of viruses and the literature of microbiology. It is also an unexpectedly rich personal archive recording Professor Fenner’s thoughts on the implications of his work, broad-ranging intellectual interests, environmental activism, and contributions to the broader community.

The Fenner Collection was inscribed on the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register in 2019 and received a grant from the Asia Culture Center (ACC) and Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) to enhance preservation and accessibility in 2021. The grant has enabled the Academy, in collaboration with the National Library of Australia, to digitise Professor Fenner’s diaries detailing work undertaken internationally between 1948 and 1999.

The digitised diaries are now freely accessible via Trove and the Academy online catalogue.  

The 22 notebooks were handwritten during his extensive travels throughout the world – beginning with his fellowship at the Rockefeller Institute in New York, where he developed a new system for counting mycobacterium associated with tuberculosis and, unlike some of his coworkers, managed to avoid contracting a tuberculosis infection himself.

The diaries feature visits to India as part of the Colombo Plan to strengthen economic and social development in the Asia-Pacific and Indonesia on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Professor Fenner writes fondly of travel to Stockholm to celebrate the presentation of the Nobel Prize to fellow Australian Professor Peter Doherty, visits to virology labs in numerous countries and international recognition for his efforts combating Australia's rabbit plague through the myxoma virus.

Of particular interest is Professor Fenner’s personal experience of the Smallpox Eradication Program. He started with his initial contact with the project – a committee meeting of the Informal Group on Monkeypox and Related Virus that met for the first time in Moscow in 1969 to exclude the possibility of an animal reservoir of smallpox capable of reintroducing the disease to humans, and continued with detailed descriptions of travel to India, Nepal, China, Switzerland and the countries of eastern and southern Africa as Chair of the Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication. 

Professor Fenner follows up with accounts of receiving the Japan Prize in Preventative Medicine for his smallpox work alongside Dr D A Henderson and Dr Isao Arita in 1988, and records the seven years he was consumed by his role as senior author of the WHO archival history, ‘Smallpox and its eradication’. 

The eradication of smallpox is the first time in human history a disease has been entirely wiped out. The program required an astounding degree of cooperation across political and cultural barriers, and its vaccination, disease surveillance and containment strategy laid the foundation for ongoing immunisation work and underpinned the establishment of primary healthcare in many countries. Professor Fenner’s experience as Chair of the WHO Committee for Post-Eradication Policy and discussion of expanded international strategies to fight malaria, poliomyelitis and other infectious diseases is especially relevant today during efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Make history with us

Frank Fenner’s diaries account for a relatively small percentage of his overall manuscript holdings, but their expansive scope provides a framework for understanding much of the remaining collection. They cover five decades of Professor Fenner’s career and preserve memory and feelings that fill gaps in an often depersonalised and compressed published record. The newly digitised notebooks will play an essential role in contextualising the Fenner manuscript collection as a whole and in planning for future conservation and digitisation of related material.

The research and experience of Australian scientists forms the foundation on which we build our future. It is vitally important that we capture, preserve, and digitise their stories — but we need your help. Donations from organisations and individuals are welcome and will contribute to the very significant cost of digitisation the archives. If you would like more information about supporting this project, please contact our Philanthropy Manager today by calling 02 6201 9400 or email philanthropy@science.org.au

Donate

By Anna-Maria Arabia, Chief Executive, Australian Academy of Science

Diversity and inclusion are core pillars of the Australian Academy of Science’s vision for a scientifically informed Australian community that embraces excellence in science and is guided by, and enjoys the benefits of, scientific endeavour.

The Academy recognises that diversity is critical to excellence in science and that an inclusive STEM community brings together the widest range of talents, backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, maximising scientific innovation and creativity, as well as the competitiveness of Australia and its scientific industries.

Australia’s STEM-skilled workforce has a disproportionate under-representation of women compared to other industries. Only 16% of Australia’s stem-skilled workforce are women, whereas the broader Australian workforce has close to 50% female participation. The Academy’s Gender Equity in STEM program is a suite of initiatives targeting various dimensions of the STEM ecosystem: systemic, institutional and individual. Our program is underpinned and informed by the Women in STEM Decadal Plan and includes:

• Women in STEM Decadal Plan Champions initiative, launched in 2019, which encourages all public and private organisations across the STEM sector to align their gender equity activities with the six opportunities outlined in the decadal plan
• STEM Women, a network of practitioners who are members of an online discovery platform featuring women in Australia working and engaging in STEM
• STEM Women ASIA, which extends the reach and capability of the STEM Women platform into 30 countries.

Attracting women and girls to STEM and providing an environment for them to thrive is a shared responsibility of government, academia, the education system, industry and the community. The attract–retain–progress framework outlined in the decadal plan provides a useful approach to understanding the issues and challenges faced by women and girls in STEM.

While the impacts of COVID-19 disrupted the careers of early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs), it has particularly negatively impacted women in the STEM workforce. Women remain an under-represented group in STEM and have been disproportionately impacted by disparities in the distribution of domestic workloads, and have had fewer career opportunities compared to men, hindering their career progression. More than ever, the attract–retain–progress framework is critical to overcoming systemic challenges faced by women in STEM.

There is overwhelming evidence that women face systemic challenges in the workforce in STEM and beyond, which negatively impacts their engagement, experiences and opportunities for career progression. Factors such as biased employment practices, lack of workplace flexibility, a concentration of women in industries that have lower than average incomes, and the propensity for women to have more time out of the workforce, all contribute to the pay gap where women earn less than men by 14.2%.

As outlined in Australia’s most recent STEM Workforce report:

“Further barriers exist which can limit women’s participation in STEM education and careers, from stereotypes and bias that deter girls from studying STEM subjects at school, to a lack of job security in workplaces, the impact of career disruptions, social and cultural barriers, and gender discrimination and sexual harassment in STEM workplaces. Not all these barriers are specific to women and girls in STEM, with many experienced by women in all areas of the workforce”.

Organisations wanting to support the development and increased participation of women in STEM should adopt an evidence-based approach, which is intersectional and centres the voices and experiences of individuals, as part of all their efforts. While there are various initiatives employers and peak bodies can adopt, without an evidence-based approach that is intersectional and consultative, it may prove difficult to measure the long-term success of initiatives, resulting in less meaningful workforce engagement and diminished lasting change. 

As part of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Academy spoke with several outstanding women within STEM and considered the systemic challenges women can experience in society and the workforce.

Extracts from ‘Conversations with women and girls in STEM’

These are drawn from a series of conversations with women in STEM published on the STEM Women website.

What drew you into the world of STEM?

Karlie Noon

As a kid, I was pretty obsessed with the natural world and found it beautiful. It wasn’t until I was 19 after reading A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking that I even knew what physics was. Up until this stage, I had a pretty strong handle on math and became obsessed with learning about the universe so figured I may as well have a go at doing a degree in it. I never thought much more about it, I was just really curious about how everything came to be.

Vaishnavi Muddam, National Youth Science Forum Student 

I recently heard a mathematician define mathematics as the study of anything that can be made precise. I have always been drawn to the logical nature of mathematics and its ability to explain the universe in such a complex yet beautiful language. The extension and application of this language is physics.

Vaishnavi Muddam. Image: supplied.

Dr Jess Hopf

I came into science to study our oceans but stayed because I love problem-solving and discovery. I now work as an ecological modeller researching marine reserves. That is, I convert ecology into maths to help understand the where, why, and how of protecting our oceans. 

Who are some of your role models?

Dr Tich-Lam Nguyen

I have learnt a little bit from many women whom I’ve had the opportunity to work with and know of. I learnt resilience and the value of education from my mum. She couldn’t complete high school due to the war and had always encouraged us to never waste an opportunity to learn… Angela Merkel and Jacinda Ardern are also my role models although I’ve never had the privilege to meet them. Angela Merkel has truly shown what a difference a leader with STEM backgrounds can make. She’s positioned Germany as a leader in energy reform and her influence has spread even outside of the EU. Jacinda Ardern showed how empathy, kindness and a forward focus can lead a country through times of crisis.

What advice you would give women and girls considering a career in STEM?

Former EMCR Forum Chair Dr Yee Lian Chew

The major challenge for me was having faith in myself that I could keep going and that I wasn’t going to be a complete failure (imposter syndrome, anyone?). It definitely helps to have friends and allies who lift you up when you feel down. If you love science and technology, and you want to pursue it as a career, don’t let the haters keep you down. Find your people and keep on lifting each other up.

Nabilah Chowdury, National Youth Science Forum

Don't be disheartened; give it a shot and see what you think. You may be nervous about entering a male-dominated sector, but don't be discouraged. I really believe that you do not need to be the best student or the smartest person in the room to embark on a career in stem. Dream big and put in the effort. There are no limits to what you can do if you do so.

Sophie Johnstone, National Youth Science Forum student

I am endlessly grateful for the opportunities that have been provided for me through NYSF. From learning how to become an Astronomer to finding out the secretes to the microscopic world of E. coli bacteria, I have learnt so much and am incredibly inspired to pursue a career in STEM.

This story was first published on the Diversity Council Australia website.

The Australian Academy of Science welcomes the passing of Maeve’s Law by the Australian Parliament.

Academy President Professor John Shine said the legislation allows important research to proceed and is expected to enable impacted families to increase their likelihood of having a child unaffected by mitochondrial DNA disease.

“It does so while providing an appropriate regulatory environment with necessary safeguards,” Professor Shine said.

“There are two important considerations relevant to the implementation of mitochondrial donation.

“Firstly, the administrative and operational arrangements should allow for equity of access for all Australians whose children run the risk of inheriting mitochondrial disease.

“Secondly, the assisted reproductive technology service providers should ensure there is sufficient mitochondrial donation expertise available to ensure the highest quality advice and counselling is available to families seeking access to the technology.”

Read the Academy’s submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) Bill 2021.

Sustainability leaders, experts, industry and innovators from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific are invited to share their knowledge on sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Oceania region in mid-2022 as part of a major international sustainability event.

An Australian consortium of academia and government partners, coordinated by Future Earth Australia, will host the sustainability-focused event in Brisbane on 29 June – 1 July.

This event is a satellite event of the Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2022 (SRI2022) that will be happening online and in Pretoria, South Africa on 20–24 June.

The Oceania Satellite Event will build on the outcomes of the inaugural SRI2021 Congress last year in Brisbane that featured more than 2000 attendees from over 100 countries. It will focus on sustainability issues and challenges unique to Oceania.

Attendees of the event will learn about the latest sustainability science and innovation, create novel networks and partnerships, explore new ideas, gain visibility, inspire and be inspired, all in a hybrid environment at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.

All participants of the SRI 2022 Oceania Satellite Event will also have full access to the online portion of the SRI2022 Congress, and the cost of this is included in their registration.

Call for proposals

The call for proposals for the Oceania event is open until 28 February through the main SRI2022 platform. This deadline is separate from the deadline for submissions for the Pretoria event.

Proposals will follow the formats available in the SRI2022 Congress, including in-person and hybrid presentations, workshops, innovation demonstrations and engagements with society. Options for individual presentations will be opened at a later date.

About SRI2022: Oceania Satellite Event

The hosting consortium for the Oceania Satellite Event, led by Future Earth Australia and CSIRO, includes the University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Griffith University, and James Cook University.

This group contains many of the same members as the SRI2021 event held in Brisbane last year, providing them with the experience and insights to hold another successful event. 

About SRI

The Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress is a series of gatherings that unite global research leaders, experts, industries, and innovators to inspire action and promote a sustainability transformation.

A joint initiative of Future Earth and the Belmont Forum, the SRI Congress is a space of dedicated advocacy for sustainability scholarship and innovation, transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration, and action.

Future Earth Australia is a program of the Australian Academy of Science.

We, the Presidents of Australia’s Learned Academies, are committed to a research and innovation system underpinned by the expertise and talent of researchers across the sciences, humanities, technology and engineering, social sciences, and health and medicine.

We urge that our system be consistent with world’s best practice, where expertise in both conducting research and in evaluating which research to support is essential.

This provides confidence to the community that pays for it, the politicians who prioritise it, and the researchers who conduct it, that the outcomes of our research support a culturally rich, economically prosperous, and secure Australia.

Through the Australian Research Council (ARC), grants are awarded to our best researchers and assessed by national and international experts.

Acting Minister for Education and Youth, Stuart Robert MP, recently exercised his veto power to reject six projects recommended for funding by the ARC.

When the integrity of Australia’s 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. Australia’s research system must be responsive to national priorities, with strong governance, and innovative and responsive funding schemes.

Arbitrary judgements should play no part in a fit-for-purpose system. We believe there is a strong national interest in constructive relations between the government of the day and the research sector.

Australia’s Learned Academies are ready to work with the Government, the ARC, and universities to find a way forward, and to uphold Australia’s reputation as a home and champion of international best practice research.

Professor Lesley Head FASSA FAHA – President, Australian Academy of the Humanities
Professor John Shine AC FRS PresAA – President, Australian Academy of Science
Professor Hugh Bradlow FTSE – President, Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering
Professor Richard Holden FES FASSA – President, Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Professor Ingrid Scheffer AO FRS FAA PresAHMS – President, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences