The Australian Academy of Science has welcomed the Australian Government’s measure to prioritise funding for critical minerals projects in the next round of the Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) Grants to help grow the resource sector.

The CRC-P program was identified as a useful mechanism to undertake the research and technology development needed to support the exploration of critical minerals in the UNCOVER Roadmap.

The UNCOVER Roadmap is a blueprint launched by the Academy and AMIRA International in August 2017 to unlock Australia’s enormous potential mineral wealth.

The Roadmap, supported by 53 organisations coordinated by AMIRA International, is based on the vision of the UNCOVER AUSTRALIA initiative, established by the Australian Academy of Science in 2012.

The UNCOVER AUSTRALIA initiative identifies what is required to transform Australia’s ability to find non-bulk mineral resources such as copper and gold under the majority of Australia’s landmass.

Academy Council Member Professor Sue O’Reilly AM said that Australia is thought to be rich in renewable energy minerals such as copper, cobalt and rare earth metals, but that these can’t be easily found using conventional exploration approaches.

“Demand for cobalt just from the electric vehicle industry is expected to exceed global supply within just a few years,” said Professor O’Reilly.

“Investments in research and development that will help find these metals will be enormously beneficial to Australia with the potential to create jobs, reduce emissions and revitalise regional communities.”

Academy President Professor Shine AC congratulated the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology the Hon Karen Andrews and the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia the Hon Matthew Canavan for prioritising investment in this area.

The Expert Panel convened by the Australian Academy of Science to investigate the fish kills in the Murray-Darling River system in NSW has requested an additional week to deliver their independent science advice on this important issue.

The additional time is allowing the Expert Panel to:

• Thoroughly analyse the extensive data that has been provided by a number of Federal and State agencies including the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, the Land and Water Division of the NSW Department of Industry, the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office, in addition to data and information provided by researchers in many related fields. The Expert Panel wishes to acknowledge the cooperation of these bodies and individuals in promptly providing data.
• Continue to consult as widely as possible, including with Indigenous water experts. It is in the national interest to ensure all the available multidisciplinary knowledge is brought to bear in assessing this concerning situation and to help inform the scientific advice being prepared for this review.
  
  The Expert Panel chair Professor Craig Moritz FAA and Expert Panel member, Professor Sue Jackson, this week visited Menindee to meet with the local Mayor, Indigenous elders and other stakeholders. They also toured affected areas, witnessing firsthand several large Murray cod in dire condition in the Darling River. This visit provided a wealth of information to help inform their review.
• Allow the Expert Panel’s final report to be independently peer-reviewed, including by international scientists.
• Consider the additional fish kill events that have occurred since the Expert Panel was first assembled.

A verbal progress update will be provided to the Leader of the Opposition by the Chair of the Expert Panel before the parliamentary sitting fortnight and the final report will now be provided by 17 February and it will be made public. 

Media note: Expert Panel members will not be conducting media interviews on the Panel’s work while they conduct the review but will be available to speak to media once the final report is made public.  

Media contact: Dan Wheelahan – dan.wheelahan@science.org.au – ph: 0435 930 465

Five Academy Fellows are among the Australians recognised in the 2019 Australia Day Honours List.

Dr Liz Dennis received the highest honour, appointed a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC), which recognises ‘eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or to humanity at large.’

Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)

Dr Liz Dennis AC FAA FTSE—For eminent service to science as a researcher and academic in the area of genomics and plant development, and to professional organisations.

Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)

Professor Ron Ekers AO FAA FRS—For distinguished service to science as a radio astronomer, to scientific education, and to international astronomical organisations.

Emeritus Professor Brian Kennett AO FAA FRS—For distinguished service to the earth sciences as a leading academic and researcher, particularly in the field of seismology.

Professor Bruce Kemp AO FAA FRS—For distinguished service to biomedical research, particularly to the study of protein phosphorylation.

Professor Elaine Sadler AO FAA—For distinguished service to science as an astrophysicist, in the field of galaxy evolution, and to gender equality.

Academy Fellow Professor Tanya Monro has become the first woman to lead Australia's Defence Science and Technology. She takes up her new position as Chief Defence Scientist in March, replacing Professor Alex Zelinsky.

Professor Monro is currently Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation and an ARC Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellow at the University of South Australia.

In 2012 she became one of the youngest living Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science elected for ‘exceptional scientific contributions of international significance to optical glass materials and fibres, photonics and optical physics, most notably in nanophotonics for nonlinear optics and sensing’.

In the same year Professor Monro also won the Academy’s Pawsey Medal. Throughout her career the physicist has also been an advocate for diversity and inclusion and a champion of the Academy’s Science in Gender Equity (SAGE) initiative.

Professor Monro was the inaugural Director of the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) from 2008 to 2014 and was also the inaugural Director for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP) at the University of Adelaide.

Her awards include the Prime Minister's Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year (2008), South Australian Scientist of the Year (2010), South Australia's Australian of the Year (2011), and the Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research (2015).

Read the full DST announcement.

The Australian Academy of Science welcomes the announcement by Minister David Littleproud to appoint an expert panel to assess the deaths of fish in the lower Darling River.

The Academy is pleased that the final report of the independent panel will be released publicly, as will the Academy’s own report, developed in collaboration with the other learned Australian academies.

The Academy strongly urges all parties to work collaboratively so that we can bring to bear all the available knowledge to inform decision making.

The fish kill is a multifactorial issue and it is in the national interest to ensure all the available knowledge is brought to bear in assessing this concerning situation.

It is also important that the information is received in a timely way so that it can be considered by the Parliament.

Decisions to maintain and improve Australia’s river system based on the best available science is something all Australians want to see.

Read the Academy’s other statements on this issue:

• Academy to provide science advice on fish kill
• Panel of experts to review fish kill announced

In response to a specific request from the Leader of the Opposition, The Australian Academy of Science, in consultation with the other learned academies, has convened a group of experts to provide scientific advice on the fish deaths in the Murray–Darling river system.

The expert panel will commence work immediately to prepare advice to support decision making aimed at creating and maintaining a healthy river system in Australia. Independent scientific advice will be prepared by the following expert panel members:

Panel Chair

• Professor Craig Moritz FAA—Director, Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, Australian National University

Expert panel members

• Professor Linda Blackall—Director, Environmental Microbiology Research Initiative, University of Melbourne
• Professor Jenny Davis—Head, School of Environment Charles Darwin University, Member of the Academy's National Committee for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
• Professor Tim Flannery FAA—Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne
• Professor Lee Godden, FASSA—Director, Centre for Resources, Energy and Environment Law, University of Melbourne
• Professor Lesley Head FAHA—Head, School of Geography, University of Melbourne
• Professor Sue Jackson—Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University
• Professor Richard Kingsford—Director, Centre for Ecosystem Science, UNSW Sydney
• Professor Sarah Wheeler—Centre for Global Food and Resources, University of Adelaide
• Professor John Williams FTSE—Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

Australian Academy of Science President, Professor John Shine, said the expert panel is multidisciplinary in nature and is drawn from the distinguished fellowships of the four learned academies.

“The knowledge that the expert panel brings to bear will enable the various aspects of this matter to be explored and comprehensive advice to be prepared,” Professor Shine said.

“Over the course of their careers the expert panel members have collaborated with scientists in Australia and abroad, including scientists within state and federal agencies and authorities.

“In undertaking this body of work the expert panel will collaborate with other relevant experts as required and will seek to consult with the Murray–Darling Basin Authority and relevant state and federal bodies.

“Their advice will be a synthesis of the best available knowledge and will be presented in a way that makes it accessible to decision makers and the Australian people.”

The advice from the expert panel will be provided to the Opposition Leader by 10 February 2019. The Academy is pleased that the advice provided will be made public.

Expert panel members will meet with the Shadow Minister for Environment and Water, the Hon Tony Burke, as soon as is practical.

Background information

The expert panel will provide written advice to the Opposition on five key areas:

• How the fish kills took place and what caused the magnitude of the event
• Whether water diversions and/or water management practices in the Murray-Darling system have caused or exacerbated the scale of this disaster
• Whether chemical and fertiliser use may have contributed to the event
• What immediate steps can be taken to improve the River system’s health and management within the Basin Plan framework
• Whether there has been a step change in inflows due to climate change or whether more work is required in this research area.

The Australian Academy of Science has been concerned about the fish kill in the Murray-Darling River system in NSW and welcomes the opportunity to provide independent scientific advice to the federal Leader of the Opposition.

Science is critical to support decision making in creating and maintaining a healthy river system in Australia.

The Australian Academy of Science will commence work immediately by consulting with the other learned academies to convene a group of multidisciplinary experts to provide independent scientific advice on this matter. 

This advice will be provided by 10 February 2019.

The Academy of Science is pleased that the advice provided will be made public.

The fish kill is a multifactorial issue and the multidisciplinary panel of experts the Academy of Science will assemble will be knowledgeable across a range of matters that will allow it to respond to the request by the Leader of the Opposition.

A commitment to using science from independent expert sources to inform policy decisions is crucial for effective decision making in Australia.

It is common in other comparable countries for governments to routinely seek formal independent scientific advice from their respective national academy. For example in the UK, the Royal Society is an independent scientific adviser to government and in the US the National Academies of Science perform this role.

Australian scientists are calling on NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to visit Kosciuszko National Park to see firsthand the damage inflicted by feral horses on the natural environment.

Australian Academy of Science Secretary for Science Policy, Professor David Day, said leading research on the impacts of feral horses locally provides clear scientific evidence of environmental damage done by this invasive species.

"Feral horses are impacting Kosciuszko’s endangered alpine animals, its wetlands and streams and the headwater catchments of the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Snowy rivers. The Premier needs to see this for herself and take decisive action to halt the damage,” Professor Day said.

Professor Jamie Pittock of the ANU’s Fenner School of Environment and Society said the NSW Government has failed to acknowledge the overwhelming scientific evidence of Australia’s leading alpine researchers and scientists.

“The evidence presented at the Kosciuszko Science Conference in November last year was unequivocal,” Professor Pittock said.

“Even small numbers of feral horses cause damage to the park and the only realistic way to bring the thousands of feral horses under control is to use a mix of methods, including aerial culling, particularly for the Kosciuszko summit alpine area and rugged and remote parts of the park.

"The impacts of these feral horses are mounting, and the cost of getting on top of the problem and then restoring the landscapes is rising.

"There is no established heritage benefit of having feral horses in the national park, but already, millions of dollars will be needed to restore the damage these horses have done to the catchments, and that amount increases the longer they are left unchecked.

“It is now critical for the Premier to visit Kosciuszko National Park this summer to see for herself the damage caused by feral horses and to instigate action that will stop the damage and restore these iconic landscapes," said Professor Pittock.

Professor Pittock said the government’s credibility as a defender of NSW’s natural environments and catchments at Kosciuszko and its respect for scientific evidence was seriously under question.

“In 1944, another NSW Premier, Sir William McKell observed for himself the impacts of years of stock grazing to the catchments of Kosciuszko and in his words was so ‘outraged’ with the severity of the erosion that he immediately took action to establish protection through the creation of Kosciusko State Park,” Professor Pittock said.

“For the past 75 years, Liberal Governments have had a proud history of protecting the Kosciuszko National Park. There is still an opportunity for the Premier to maintain that proud tradition,” Professor Pittock said.

Read the Kosciuszko Science Accord

Academy Fellow and UNSW Professor John Church is the first Australian awarded the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Climate Change for his work in detecting, understanding and projecting sea-level rise due to climate change.

He shares the prize and €400,000 prize money with French space geodesist Anny Cazenave, a specialist in satellite altimetry (the measurement of the form and dimensions of Earth) and British climate scientist Professor Johnathan Gregory, an expert in ocean heat uptake and climate sensitivity.

The prize is rated as one of the world’s 99 major science awards by IREG List of International Academic Awards, with a reputation score of 0.59 (a Nobel Prize has a score of 1.0). Read more about the prize on the UNSW Newsroom website.

Academy Fellow and RMIT Distinguished Professor Min Gu has been awarded a top international prize, the 2019 Dennis Gabor Award in Diffractive Optics, named in honour of the Nobel-winning inventor of holography, Dennis Gabor.

The award, announced by the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), is presented annually in recognition of outstanding accomplishments in diffractive wave front technologies, especially those that further the development of holography and metrology applications.

Internationally renowned for his expertise in 3D optical imaging theory, Gu’s discoveries are helping drive the development of solutions to some of our biggest challenges in renewable energy, information technology and big data storage. Read more about the prize on the RMIT News website.

Meanwhile Academy Fellow and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Professor Melissa Little will receive $936,221 from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

The funding will be used to further her research into the use of human stem cells to develop kidneys with functioning tissue as an alternative for renal replacement. The research will focus on the molecular basis of kidney development, renal disease and repair.

The funding was announced by the Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, in January. Read the NHMRC media release.

The Australian Academy of Science has announced the successful recipients of the Australia–India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) Early- and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) 2019 Fellowships.

The recipients have been selected by the Academy from a competitive field of applicants to conduct research in 2019 at some of India’s leading research institutions. They are:

1. Dr Julie Ardley, Murdoch University—Investigation the role of tRAN modification and other molecular determinants of root nodule bacteria tolerance to environmental stresses;
2. Dr Yixiang Gan, University of Sydney—Optimising thermal energy storage with phase change materials: with applications to solar energy storage in Australia and India;
3. Dr Ulf Schmitz, University of Sydney—Establishing an Australian-Indian alliance to find cures for haematological diseases;
4. Dr Sridevi Sureshkumar, Monash University—Molecular mechanisms of epigenetic silencing caused by intronic repeat expansions;
5. Dr Chandan Karmakar, Deakin University—Wearable sensor devices for monitoring chronic disease;
6. Dr Gregory Martin, University of Melbourne—Intensified primary production of protein feed and oils from microalgae;
7. Dr Nisa Salim, Deakin University—Multi-functional carbon fibre composites towards quality assurance, predictive maintenance and in-service damage detection;
8. Dr Sambasivam Periyannan, Australian National University—Building food security in India through rapid incorporation of resistance to devasting cereal rust diseases;
9. Dr Douglas Tait, Southern Cross University—Quantifying the role of groundwater nutrient inputs into the Indian Ocean;
10. Dr Vini Gautam, Australian National University—Nanotechnology meets Neuroscience: novel scaffolds that engineer growth and function of neurons to understand brain disorders; and
11. Dr Vaibhav Shah, UNSW Sydney—Investigating molecular biology of HIV-1 subtype C: implications for the increasing global diversity of HIV-1 subtypes.

The Australia–India EMCR fellowships provide support (up to A$16,500) for Australian scientists to travel to India and work with leading researchers at major Indian science and technology organisations for between one and three months.

The fellowships also facilitate long-term science, technology and innovation collaboration between Australia and India by developing researchers’ expertise in international collaboration and fostering long-term relationships between Australian and Indian researchers.

This increases Australian researchers’ understanding of Indian culture, particularly science and research practices and systems, while developing leadership skills as future ‘science ambassadors’ for Australia.

The EMCR fellowships are a component of the AISRF, a platform for bilateral collaboration in science jointly managed and funded by the governments of Australia and India.

This program is supported by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.

More information about the fellowships