Australian and New Zealand astronomer Dr Richard (Dick) Manchester FAA has been awarded one of Australia’s highest honours for work in the physical sciences, the Australian Academy of Science’s Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture.

Dr Manchester, an Honorary Fellow with CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, is a world-leading authority on pulsars: small spinning neutron stars that send out regular pulses of radio emission, left behind after a normal star has died in an explosion. During his career Dick Manchester has led teams that have discovered more than 1700 pulsars, about sixty per cent of all pulsars now known.

Among the pulsars they discovered is the only known double pulsar, listed by Science magazine as one of the ten top scientific breakthroughs in 2004. The discoveries have been used to test Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, to search for gravitational waves from super-massive black holes in the early universe, to probe magnetic fields in our galaxy and to explore supernova explosions.

Professor Ron Ekers FAA NAS FRS, who nominated Dick Manchester for the award, said he is a ‘tour de force’ of Australian astronomy.

“His contributions to both international radio astronomy and Australian science have been substantial,” Professor Ekers said.

“In 1985, Dr Manchester published a seminal research paper on the Galactic pulsar population and its evolution, which for the first time gave a clear indication of how many pulsars exist in the galaxy, how long they lived and how they evolved.”

Dr Manchester co-authored the definitive book on the topic, ‘Pulsars’, published in 1977 with 1993 Nobel Prize winner Joseph Taylor and is still being cited. In 2008 he was invited to Cambridge to give the inaugural Hewish lecture, named in honour of Antony Hewish, the Nobel Prize winning discoverer of pulsars.

In addition to his research on pulsars, Dr Manchester has also played an important role in the development of radio astronomy instrumentation at CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope. He programmed the first computer delivered to Parkes in April 1969, an 18-bit minicomputer known as the PDP-9, which was used for the first computer analyses of observational data from the telescope.

Dr Manchester said he was greatly honoured to receive the award.

“It has been a huge privilege to be able to follow my instincts in astrophysical research in a relatively unhindered way for the past 50 years and I thank all those that have made this possible,” Dr Manchester said.

“Pulsars are fascinating astrophysical objects that tell us a lot about the way the universe works; my research has been a wonderful vehicle for exploring topics as diverse as the theories of gravitation and the structure of the interstellar medium in our galaxy.”

Academy President Professor John Shine AC, FAA congratulated Dr Manchester on the award.

“Dr Manchester is among only a handful of senior scientists acknowledged by the Academy each year through awards, for their life-time achievements and outstanding contributions to science,” Professor Shine said. 

Dr Manchester will be presented with the medal at Science at the Shine Dome in 2019, where he will deliver the Matthew Flinders Lecture to leaders in the Australian scientific community.

Read more about Dr Manchester’s achievements.

Academy Fellow Professor Terry Hughes from James Cook University has been awarded the 2018 A.G. Huntsman Medal in recognition of his innovative science for sustainable management of coral reef biodiversity.

The award, established by the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in 1980, is presented by the Royal Society of Canada to marine scientists of any nationality who ‘have had and continue to have a significant influence on the course of marine science thought.’ It is named in honour of Archibald Gowanlock Huntsman (1883 – 1973), a pioneer Canadian oceanographer and fishery biologist.

The award citation reads: ‘Terry Hughes is Distinguished Professor, Director, driving force, and intellectual leader of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. 

Comprising over 300 researchers and students, this team of ecologists, social scientists, economists, lawyers and modelers is leading a worldwide shift in coral reef science, away from earlier qualitative and solely descriptive studies towards research that is quantitative, predictive, and specifically designed to inform regional-scale management of coral reefs and other marine ecosystems.

Dr. Hughes undertakes research that delivers environmental, economic, and social benefits to countries and communities that rely on coral reef biodiversity as a resource for fisheries and tourism.’

The award ceremony and public lecture will take place on 20 November 2018 at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Read more about the award.

PhD student Ms Samantha Wade from the University of Wollongong is the winner of the third Australian Falling Walls lab, hosted by the Australian Academy of Science.

Second placed competitor University of Canberra PhD student, Ms Hayley Teasdale, will join Ms Wade to represent Australia at the Falling Walls Lab finale in Berlin on 8 November.

Dr Jason Whitfield from the CSIRO/University of Queensland placed third in the competition.

They joined 17 other researchers and innovators at the Shine Dome in Canberra to present their work in three minutes on subjects including nanoscopic neuroscience, data storage, preterm births and water recycling.

Ms Wade is working on pancreatic cancer, which has a poor survival rate in part due to difficulties in delivering adequate levels of chemotherapeutics to tumours. The required dose is often intolerable to patients.

“I’m developing chemotherapy implants aimed at delivering high doses of multiple chemotherapy drugs directly to the tumour, with minimal side effects to the patient,” Ms Wade said.

Ms Teasdale has designed a technology that can be used to rapidly improve balance and reduce the high risk of falls in the elderly and those with neurological conditions.

Dr Whitfield is developing a point-of-care test to screen for doping biomarkers to improve the targeted testing of athletes and to reduce doping in sport.

The Falling Walls Lab, which began in 2011, provides ‘emerging talents, entrepreneurs and innovators a stage to pitch their research work, initiatives or business models to their peers and a distinguished jury from academia and business’. Labs have taken place in 50 countries.

The Falling Walls Lab Australia is organised by the Australian Academy of Science in association with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Australia.

More information on the international Falling Walls event

The Australian Academy of Science is calling for nationwide views on the barriers and enablers that affect participation, retention and success of women and girls in science, technology, engineering and maths—STEM.

Feedback on the Academy’s discussion paper will inform a 10-year roadmap for sustained increases in engagement and participation of girls and women in STEM. The roadmap is being developed by the Australian Academy of Science in partnership with the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering on behalf of the Federal Government. 

Australian Academy of Science Chief Executive, Anna-Maria Arabia, said women are lost at every stage as they seek to advance their career in STEM fields, due to a range of factors including stereotypes, discrimination and workplace culture and structure, some of which manifest from the early school years. 

“We have seen the social and economic benefits of gender equity; however, Australia still has a long way to go as a nation to achieve equity in opportunities for girls and women to pursue STEM education and careers.

“This 10-year roadmap will give the nation a pathway to achieving success in this area. Input from individuals and organisations across Australia is critical to ensure its success, and we encourage governments, research, industry, the not for profit sector and the media to participate,” Ms Arabia said.

The expected outcomes of the Women in STEM 10-year roadmap are: 

• sustained improvements in gender equity in STEM
• increased opportunity for women and girls to gain STEM skills and participate in STEM careers
• increased benefits to business and society from increased access to STEM skills and a diverse workforce.

The Women in STEM 10-year roadmap was announced in the 2018 Federal Budget and its recommendations will inform the Australian Government’s Women in STEM National Strategy. Written submissions from individuals and organisations are invited and can be made until 8 October 2018. 

Consultation workshops will be held in each state and territory through September and October 2018. The Women in STEM Decadal Plan is being overseen by an Expert Working Group that provides independent advice. Read the discussion paper.

Academy Fellow Professor Louise Ryan has been awarded the Statistical Society of Australia’s Pitman Medal, for outstanding achievement in and contribution to the discipline of statistics.

The Pitman Medal, a gold medal, is the society’s most prestigious award. Award recipients are recognised for a body of work that has enhanced the international standing of Australia in the discipline.

Professor Ryan, from the University of Technology Sydney, is internationally known for the development and application of statistical methods for cancer and environmental health research.

Professor Ryan’s career has been characterised by broad-based engagement across a wide range of application and methodological areas, and she is recognised for her ability to identify good technical problems motivated by real world applications.

She is also highly regarded for her mentoring of young researchers, and for her considerable efforts to increase the participation of women and minorities in statistics.

Professor Ryan, who becomes the 15th Fellow to receive the award, said she was honoured and touched to receive the Pitman medal.

“It’s a great boost for biostatistics in Australia as well,” Professor Ryan said.

Three Fellows have been rewarded for their excellence in research/innovation and leadership at the 2018 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

Professor Nalini Joshi FAA AO from the University of Sydney received the 2018 University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers.

Professor Nalini Joshi ‘has been instrumental in training and mentoring dozens of individual researchers and countless others through the broader mechanisms that she has established. A strong advocate for gender equality, her influential actions have transformed the research landscape and supported young female scientists across Australia’ according to the prize citation.

Professor Thomas Maschmeyer FAA from the University of Sydney was awarded the CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science.

Professor Maschmeyer is ‘a world leader in the chemistry of catalysis. He aims to generate and translate new knowledge into commercial solutions as part of his vision for a more sustainable world. His discoveries allow widespread use of renewables and recyclables in the chemical, material and energy spaces. His discoveries have resulted in 23 patents and the foundation of four companies.’

Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop FAA AO was part of the Optical Physics in Neuroscience team from the University of Queensland that won the UNSW Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research.

The Optical Physics in Neuroscience team ‘has devised cutting-edge methods for studying how our brains work to detect gravity and motion. Using optical trapping and novel microscopes, they successfully imaged the functioning brain circuits that process gravity and motion and combine this information with other senses.’

Read about all the Eureka Prize winners.

The Australian Academy of Science welcomes the appointment of the Hon. Karen Andrews MP to Cabinet as the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology.

Academy President, Professor John Shine, said the appointment aligns with the Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA), which promised to place science at the heart of Australia’s policy agenda.

“It’s good to see science back in Cabinet where it belongs. One dollar in every seven of Australian economic activity is estimated to rely directly on advanced physical and mathematical sciences and advanced biological sciences,” Professor Shine said.

“Minister Andrews brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the portfolio. As an engineer before entering the Parliament, she has previously held the position of Assistant Minister and Parliamentary Secretary for Science and has co-convened the Parliamentary Friends of Science group since its inception.

“We look forward to working with Minister Andrews and the Government to ensure scientific evidence fully informs their major policy decisions.”

The Academy also acknowledges Minister Andrews’ strong commitment and advocacy for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in her previous portfolio role.

“The Academy has a strong track record of delivering long term strategic plans for a range of science disciplines. We look forward to delivering a decadal plan for women and girls in STEM to Minister Andrews that will identify and set priorities for the next decade and outline strategies to achieve them,” Professor Shine said.

The Academy welcomes the Hon. Dan Tehan MP as the new Education Minister, the Hon. Melissa Price MP as the Minister for the Environment and the Hon. Greg Hunt MP’s continuing role as Minister for Health. We also thank the Hon Michaela Cash MP and wish her well in her new portfolio.

Newly elected Fellow and organic geochemist Professor Kliti Grice has been named the 2018 recipient of The Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) Medal for her extraordinary contribution to science.

Professor Grice, who is founding Director of the Curtin-based Western Australian Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre, was presented the medal by Chief Scientist of Western Australia, Professor Peter Klinken AC.

Professor Grice is a world-leading authority on molecular fossil and stable isotope geochemistry. Her research into modern and ancient environments has greatly enhanced the understanding of Earth’s early life, microbial ecosystems of the past, aspects of plant and algal physiology and food webs. 

Grice pinpointed sulfide toxicity as an underlying cause of rapid biological turnover, by identifying the frequent presence of green sulfur bacteria in mass extinction sedimentary records. She also established the role of microbial activity in exceptional preservation of fossils.

Professor Grice said she was honoured to be the recipient of the ANZAAS Medal and acknowledged the contributions of a large cohort of Australian and international researchers she has collaborated with.

“The many inspiring students and early career researchers at Curtin who bring such enthusiasm and energy to our research program have also played an important role in any individual achievement of mine,” Professor Grice said.

Professor Grice said she was passionate about science research and enjoyed the challenges it frequently presented.

“As researchers, we often face setbacks, but it is important to remain curious and pursue research projects with determination and persistence in search of greater knowledge of the world,” Professor Grice said.

Read more about Professor Kliti Grice and the ANZAAS Medal.

The Australian Academy of Science has reissued its call for the Australian Government to use the best available science to guide action on climate change.

The longer Australia delays decisive action towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions the more challenging that action will become.

Even if all the country commitments from the Paris Agreement are met, the best interpretation of the latest data shows that by the end of the century the global climate is likely to be 3°C above pre-industrial levels.

This is substantially higher than the Paris target to limit warming to less than 2°C and would have profound impacts affecting billions of people throughout the world.

The Academy stands ready to assist the Australian Government by continuing to provide sound scientific advice on issues relating to climate change.

The science clearly indicates that avoiding the worst impacts of climate change will require concerted global action to reduce atmospheric carbon.

The Commonwealth Academies of Science Consensus Statement on Climate Change, published earlier this year, represents the consensus views of tens of thousands of scientists. It marks the first time Commonwealth nations have come together to urge their Governments to take further action to achieve net-zero greenhouse gases emissions during the second half of the 21st Century. 

View The Commonwealth Academies of Science Consensus Statement on Climate Change.

The Australian Academy of Science reached new audiences during National Science Week, capping off the annual celebration of science with record crowds attending shows featuring renowned science communicator Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and newly elected Fellow, UNSW Professor Veena Sahajwalla FAA.

The Academy kicked off the week with the fourth event of the year in the ‘Science of Us’ series. The event attracted the biggest audience for the series in 2018, with 227 people packing into the Shine Dome to hear Professor Mike Kyrios (Flinders University) and Professor Helen Christensen (Black Dog Institute) talk about mental health and technology.

The Academy then moved to Sydney for the first event in the Academy’s National Speaker Series for 2018, ‘The Science of Sport’. 120 attendees heard four outstanding speakers discuss how sport and science intersect, including the impact of caffeine on sports performance and how we can efficiently fuel our bodies during physical activity.

To finish the week the Academy brought Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and UNSW Sydney Professor Veena Sahajwalla to the National Convention Centre for two shows: high school students during the day and the general public in the evening. A total of 3,267 tickets were booked for both events.

Professor Hans Bachor, Academy Secretary for Education and Public Awareness of Science, said the Academy went boldly where it had not been before.

“The public events on the Friday were amazing, the response of the public, students, teachers were great. When do you have over 1,000 students quietly focusing on one topic, for over an hour? When have you got people waiting for so long to get their book signed? What a buzz,” Professor Bachor said.

The shows were supported by Defence Science & Technology, The Australian National University, The University of Sydney, UNSW Canberra, University of Canberra and the National Convention Centre Canberra.

On social media the Academy reached an audience of almost 26 million on Facebook and over 250,000 (impressions) on Twitter during National Science Week. 

The National Science Week video produced by the Academy was viewed over 130,000 times.
View the National Science Week video 

The Academy video with the biggest reach during National Science Week (over one million views so far) featured APEC ASPIRE Prize winner, Associate Professor Madhu Bhaskaran.
View the video on Associate Professor Madhu Bhaskaran.