Richard, Anthony, my sincere congratulations on the launch of your campaign. I wish you every success.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today on Gadigal Land. I wish to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and pay my respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging.

I’m a nano scientist. That means I could place 21 lasers in one strand of your hair.  Please don’t worry, I’m not going to attempt that today.

My discovery research over the past 30 years has led to the creation of new solar cells, new methods to split water to create clean energy sources, breath sensing for ketosis and using nanotechnology and AI to develop treatments for people with dementia.

My passion for supporting discovery research is something I think we all share.

If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t be here today.

We also share a commitment to improving lives and making our nation a better place.

As well as my research, it is also my great privilege to lead Australia’s top scientists as the President of the Australian Academy of Science.

I’m sure many of you know some of our Fellows – our former President Professor John Shine AC from the Garvan and St Vincent’s precinct.

Our current Vice President and Council Member is clinician and researcher Professor Bob Graham AO - from the Victor Change Cardiac Research Institute and St Vincent’s Hospital. There are others, 600 in fact!

The Academy works every day to advance Australia as a nation that embraces scientific knowledge. And a nation whose people enjoy the benefits of science.

While the latter is certainly the case, Australia has a long way to go to truly embrace scientific knowledge.

Our Prime Minister has said that science is essential to future economic growth and could unlock our potential as a country.

Acknowledging the importance of science is one thing. Investing in science is another.

In the decade leading up to 2020, Australia’s investment in research and development declined to a new low point.

As government investment in R&D falls, the incentive for business investment falls with it.

It is perhaps no surprise that productivity growth was the slowest in 20 years over the same period.

It is clear there is a mismatch between Australia’s aspirations and its support for science.

We need science to decarbonise our industries and economy.

We need science to build defence capability that will strengthen national security.

We need science to take advantage of the opportunities AI and quantum technologies bring.

We need science to improve our health and turn discoveries into cures that are used in clinical practice here at St Vincent’s and beyond.

It is clear that science has never been more valuable.  And yet with record low levels of investment, it has never been more vulnerable.

As the Academy works to reverse the decades-long decline in R&D investment, we see important roles for not just government but also industry, universities, the research sector and philanthropists.

We know investment in R&D is patient capital.  It’s the long game. But dollars invested return in spades – both in economic wealth but also in our health and wellbeing which is priceless.

In fact, the Australian Research Council recently reported that for every research dollar invested via one of their major grant programs, the return is $3.32.

Failing to invest in discovery science is like constructing a building without foundations. It may last for a while, but if we get a big wind, then the building will come down.

Philanthropy especially has the potential to transform funding in the scientific landscape in this country and provide sustained investment.

In its quest to deliver the best healthcare and innovative medical research, the St Vincent’s Curran Foundation seeks to bridge government funding gaps through the generous support of others.

I support this approach too via my own personal endeavours.  My wife, Vidya and I created a fund which gives students and researchers from developing countries a chance to travel to the Australian National University to pursue collaborative research and develop their networks.

We did this because we have directly felt the transformational impact that the generosity of others can have.   If it weren’t for the generosity of my maths teacher in India, today I would be ploughing the field in India like my cousins.

Our own desire to create opportunities for others has inspired many around me, and I am so pleased that our family fund is helping several students each year.

I close by commending you all – as clinicians, researchers and philanthropists – for supporting science, discovery and research in Australia.

Your efforts go so much further than you can imagine.

Thank you.

Joint release: Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) and Australian Academy of Science 

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), in collaboration with the Australian Academy of Science, will deliver $6 million in grants to strengthen science and technology collaboration with regional neighbours as part of the Australian Government’s $40 million Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund.

Announced today by the Hon Ed Husic MP, Minister for Industry and Science, and Senator Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the grants of up to $1 million each are available to Australian researchers and businesses to partner with counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Brazil.

The grants focus on national priorities such as advanced manufacturing, AI, quantum computing, hydrogen production and RNA vaccines and aim to grow international collaboration in our region and drive innovation and commercialisation in priority areas.

ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said the grants have been designed to help create a modern, safe, sustainable and healthy Australia and world by focusing on areas where Australia has a competitive edge.

“The program will create links between Australia’s emerging and current STEM leaders and global partners, and give them access to international networks that can boost respective capabilities, economies, and build our international science and technology cooperation in a win, win, win,” ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said.

The Academies have a strong commitment to international engagement with a long history of global initiatives successfully delivering results for Australian science and technology.

ATSE is proud to lead and collaborate with the Academy of Science to deliver this new initiative, funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

Australian Academy of Science Chief Executive, Anna-Maria Arabia said the Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund will support international scientific collaboration and diplomacy precisely when it is needed the most.

“By identifying and supporting strategic international science and research collaborations, the fund will play a pivotal role in advancing the science and technology landscape in our region,” Ms Arabia said.

The learned academies will draw on their expert Fellowships to support Australian researchers and innovators to build global science and technology collaborations, amplify commercialisation potential and strengthen Australia’s standing as a global science leader.

Expressions of interest can be submitted through the grant website. 

An information session on 3 April will provide an opportunity to learn about the program. Please register at this link to find out more. 

For more information about grant opportunities go to www.glodip.org.au or email info@glodip.org.au.

Two researchers have received the 2024 Australian Academy of Science Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award for their research on precision cancer treatment and the management of Australian wetlands.

The award recognises research in the physical and biological sciences of outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD students and early- and mid-career scientists.

Dr Justine Clark, Telethon Kids Institute

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander precision cancer research

Indigenous peoples in Australia and globally share experiences of reduced cancer survival rates and barriers to accessing cancer healthcare in comparison to non-Indigenous peoples.

“Aboriginal people are about 14% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, compared with non-Aboriginal people, and also about 20% less likely to survive after diagnosis,” researcher and award recipient Dr Justine Clark said.

Precision cancer medicine is the use of an individual’s genetic profile to provide improved diagnosis, therapeutic decision making and long-term management of cancer, and is becoming an increasingly important part of cancer care in Australia. While precision cancer medicine has immense potential to improve cancer outcomes, Indigenous Australians still face barriers in accessing both standard and precision cancer medicine.

Dr Clark is a post-doctoral researcher in Indigenous genomics at Telethon Kids Institute, with a focus on Indigenous precision cancer research. Her research contributes to international efforts to improve Indigenous cancer health equity.

Māori researchers in New Zealand have begun to explore the potential for genomics-guided precision cancer medicine to improve outcomes for Māori peoples, and Dr Clark’s project brings together Māori New Zealander and Aboriginal Australian precision cancer researchers.

Dr Clark said that Indigenous-led precision cancer research provides a unique opportunity to create novel, tailored cancer care for Indigenous Australians and set future research priorities by characterising cancer types of the greatest burden of disease.

“This research must be guided by community priorities and aspirations, as well as clinical data identifying cancers that have the greatest burden on Indigenous Australians.”

Dr Joe Greet, University of Melbourne

Healing Water Country: developing a Traditional Owner-led billabong health assessment framework

Wetland health and sustainability are improved when Indigenous people lead the management of wetland systems according to award recipient Dr Joe Greet. This success is based on knowledge gained from managing and identifying with their land and waterscapes for millennia.

But the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and Traditional Owners in the scientific investigation and management of freshwater environments in Australia remains limited, particularly in urban contexts.

Dr Joe Greet is working to change this by bringing together Traditional Owners, specifically the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, and Indigenous scientists for on-Country workshops to share their knowledge and increase the role of Traditional Owners in water and land management.

“This is a culturally significant and innovative project as it recognises the efficacy and importance of Traditional Owner leadership in the scientific investigation and management of freshwater environments,” Dr Greet said.

His research aims to develop a Traditional Owner-led framework for wetland health assessment and management, using Melbourne’s degraded riverine wetlands (billabongs) along the urbanised lower Birrarung (Yarra River) as example ecosystems.

Dr Greet is working with the Wurundjeri people to preserve the last remaining billabongs in Melbourne, and said he is humbled to be receiving this award.

“I am most grateful for the Academy’s support to continue working with Narrap Rangers to develop a Wurundjeri-led billabong health assessment framework to better manage and help heal Country.”

Celebrating Indigenous scientists

Established in 2018, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award aims to support research and the growth of research networks and international knowledge exchange. It supports interdisciplinary and sociocultural research that could straddle the social sciences and humanities.

Awards include up to $20,000, with additional support provided to attend the Academy’s annual Science at the Shine Dome event.

The award is also part of the Academy’s work to champion diversity and inclusion in the sciences and empower the next generation of scientists. This will strengthen the voice of science and support scientific excellence.

The 2025 award round is now open, and closes on 1 June 2024.

The Australian Academy of Science welcomes the Australian Universities Accord Final Report released today.

Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said the report warns that unless the nation continues to produce more knowledge, skills, opportunities, and research, then we face a decline in Australia’s productivity, innovation and standard of living.

One of the recommendations the Accord makes to avoid this happening is for the Australian Government to commission a cross-portfolio examination of Australia’s research funding and develop a strategy that sets targets for Australia’s overall spending on R&D.

“The Academy has been calling for both these initiatives for several years, including in our latest pre-Budget submission, so we are pleased to see these recommendations in the report,” Professor Jagadish said.

“The report underlines the critical need to modernise our national science and innovation system.”

The report makes several other significant recommendations that, if implemented, will positively impact scientific research and education in Australia.

These include:

• Investing in fundamental research
• Planning and investing in the next generation of Aussie scientists
• Increasing government funding to university science courses
• Calls for government and industry to better utilise university science
• Predictable long-term funding for NCRIS

The Academy also welcomes recommendations to establish an Australian Tertiary Education Commission, funding the full cost of research and a Higher Education Future Fund.

Professor Jagadish said the report makes clear that Australia must improve equity and access to tertiary education – a recommendation strongly supported by the Academy.

“Universities do more than just train people for the workforce: they help prepare our nation for the future, they educate our citizens to think critically, to question, and to critique with the confidence to challenge and to lead,” Professor Jagadish said.

“The transformative nature of education should be available to all.”

The Academy thanks Professor Mary O’Kane and the review panel for producing this report and calls on the Federal Government to implement its recommendations.

I would also like to begin by acknowledging the Gadigal clan of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are gathering today.

The Australian Academy of Science also acknowledges and pays respects to the Traditional Owners and the Elders past, present and emerging of all the lands on which the Academy operates, and its Fellows live and work. They hold the memories, traditions, cultures and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia.

The Academy is an independent organisation of distinguished Australian scientists, championing science for the benefit of all. We deliver sought-after science advice that influences Australians’ actions and contributes to global science.

Our mission is to advance Australia as a nation that embraces scientific knowledge and whose people enjoy the benefits of science, including the new knowledge and research that would not be possible without high-performance computing and data.

Supercomputers play a crucial role in enhancing the lives of everyday Australians and boosting the economy.

Weather prediction using supercomputers allows for better preparedness and response to natural disasters.

They accelerate the discovery of new drugs, directly impacting patient care and treatment options.

Supercomputers may also help improve agricultural productivity by identifying optimal locations and species for food production to accommodate changing weather patterns, leading to increased sustainability and increased profitability.

They save lives—not least by tracking the evolution of COVID-19, enabling timely and evidence-based responses to the pandemic, and providing important learnings for future pandemics.

And they power the discovery of new technologies and innovations—creating the jobs and the industries of the future for Australians.

However, Australia has no national strategy to acquire and sustain state-of-the-art, high-performance computing and data for research—putting the country’s future prosperity and security at risk.

Without substantial and strategic investment in computing, Australia’s global standing in science and technology will be significantly impacted.

We risk falling behind in technological advancements, facing economic disadvantages, and suffering a reduction in research capabilities, including those that can help inform decision making.

Lack of investment could lead to a brain drain, national security vulnerabilities, missed international collaborations and stagnation in innovation across various sectors, including healthcare and education.

Late last year the Academy brought together a roundtable of multidisciplinary experts from fields including genomics, computational medicine, climate science, artificial intelligence and quantum physics to consider Australia’s future supercomputing needs for science.

Experts at the roundtable identified that developing a national strategy backed by at least one research exascale capability would secure Australia’s sovereign research capability and enable science to meet national and regional priorities into the future. 

They also discussed Australia’s opportunity to position itself to host a next-generation computing facility for research that could be shared with regional partners—advancing science for the region and building a skilled workforce in Australia.

Today, the Academy has released the first in a series of briefs resulting from this roundtable discussion.

A problem facing Australia is that the next generation of computing requires funding that far exceeds the cost of our existing national research computing facilities—and the total National Research Infrastructure budget.

Australia, like other leading nations, needs to urgently consider future investment in high-performance computing and data to remain competitive and provide services and benefits to all Australians.

However, due to our economy’s size, reaching advanced, exascale capabilities will require a well-thought-out national strategy and may require a regional approach that includes co-investment from regional partners or collaboration with commercial partners.

Australia has a substantial interest in the prosperity of the countries in our region.

Few countries in the region have the financial and technical capacity to invest in near-exascale and exascale high-performance computing and data capabilities.

But having access to these capabilities will soon not just be a nice-to-have, but a necessity for scientists throughout the region—including to study the changing climate and impacts it is having on countries and their people.

Today’s publication is a brief for policymakers titled ‘The future computing needs of the Australian science sector’.

It is now available on our website.

I am excited to be here today and hear from many researchers about how high-performance computing is accelerating your research and hope that the discussions held here this week are productive and bring great benefits to your work.

Thank you.

Today we celebrate our 70th anniversary since the foundation of the Australian Academy of Science.

Our country has a deep reservoir of talent within the sciences, including some of the world’s most eminent researchers and professionals.

Nearly 600 Fellows are currently elected to the Australian Academy of Science for their outstanding contributions. Each Fellow is nominated by their peers and chosen through a rigorous election process. They are our national treasure.

Every day, the Academy convenes its Fellows and other researchers and draws on their expertise to bring science to the service of the nation.

We play a crucial role in translating scientific knowledge in a timely way, so it is available to inform policy decisions and actions, enabling you, and everyone in our community, to benefit.

As we enter our eighth decade we are as committed as ever to our mission to advance Australia as a nation that embraces scientific knowledge and whose people enjoy the benefits of science.

Along with other Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London, the Academy’s first President, Sir Mark Oliphant, chose to stay in Australia rather than pursue lucrative opportunities overseas.

When asked why, he gave this reply.

“(I have a) deep confidence in the part which science can play in making us strong and prosperous, and an idea that the proper use of science within its diverse territories may point the way to a secure and good life for all.”

Seventy years on, I share that same confidence in the role of science and its potential for good.

The establishment of the Australian Academy of Science created the opportunity to recognise local talent and make their expertise available domestically and to grow recognition of Australia’s contribution on the global stage.

We strive to ensure that wherever decisions are made, they are informed by evidence, whether that be in our parliaments, courtrooms, boardrooms, classrooms or in the public square.

And we invite all Australians, from every corner of society, to collaborate with us to benefit from the value of science and share in the treasure that is our Fellowship and the knowledge they generate and share.

We closely guard our independence. It matters to us and provides great value and reassurance to you.

We are non-partisan, we do not carry vested interests, we are not a government organisation, and we are not beholden to any single institution.

We are also a leading voice on diversity in science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM). We welcome and support diversity in our Fellowship and provide guidance to empower the STEM sector to become more diverse and inclusive.

We are committed to advancing reconciliation, to working respectfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and increasing understanding of Traditional Knowledges.

And we actively support our future: our early- and mid-career researchers who are both shaping our world and who will be custodians of it. 

Thank you for your ongoing interest in and collaboration with the Australian Academy of Science.

As we look to the future, the Academy will continue to work towards ensuring a healthy science system and make the best expertise available to the service of the nation.

Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FREng FTSE 
President, Australian Academy of Science

Related content

Celebrating seven decades of the home of Australian science

We are 70 years young – here are some things you might not know about us!

While there is a slight increase in Government investment in R&D from 2022-23 to 2023-24, there is much still to be done if we are to see a full turnaround in the decades-long downward trend in R&D investment. Australia’s investment remains well below the OECD average.

We need a 10-year plan to reverse our investment trend and be positioned to meet national ambitions. The long-term decline in R&D investment and Australia’s resource focused economy is leaving Australia more exposed to external pressures and shocks, as well as increasing sovereign vulnerability. This has serious consequences for national well-being, security and prosperity.

Investment is just one piece of the puzzle – our current science system lacks strategy and coherence.

In our pre-budget submission, the Academy calls for a long-term strategic roadmap for the science system to chart a path to boost R&D investment by the government and other sectors, enhance productivity and ensure that science can support national needs. These include decarbonisation, the economic and social transformation driven by AI, securing critical supply chains, adapting to climate change and developing advanced defence and national security capabilities.

Our estimate of 0.51% of GDP government investment in R&D following the last Federal Budget is an estimate based on what was released in the Budget papers.

The Academy will comment further when actual expenditure is released for 2023-24 and our snapshot will be updated for the 2024-25 Federal Budget.

This statement can be attributed to the Academy’s President, Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FREng FTSE.

The Academy’s 70th anniversary is Friday 16 February 2024

Read on for a glimpse of who we are.

1. A right Royal Charter

As Queen Elizabeth II prepared for her first visit to Australia in 1954, it was a race against time to get a Royal Charter ready, the document that would establish the Australian Academy of Science.

A Royal Charter had not been presented in person by any monarch since King Charles II presented one to the oldest national scientific society in the world, the Royal Society of London, in 1662.

On 16 February 1954, the first 10 members of the Academy went to Government House, Canberra where Queen Elizabeth II handed Sir Mark Oliphant the Royal Charter – founding our organisation and establishing the Academy as an independent not-for-profit body with government endorsement.

2. 20 presidents

We’ve had 20 presidents since then. Our first was physicist Sir Mark Oliphant, known globally for his work in nuclear physics and microwave radar. Our current President is also a physicist, Professor Chennupati Jagadish, who is known for his work in lasers and is based at the Australian National University.

3. Home truth

Our home, and the home of science for all Australians, is a 710-tonne National Heritage listed concrete dome. The Shine Dome’s unique mid-century design continues to fascinate visitors to Canberra and as well as being a centre for sharing science, it is available for people to enjoy – we’ve held weddings, movie and TV productions, conferences, swing dance parties and festivals in and around the building.

4. R&D review

We recognise that government investment in research and development aimed at advancing knowledge is good for society. We also know that 88% of Australians agree with us on this. Australia’s R&D system is outdated and that’s why we are calling on the Australian Government to review the nation’s R&D system.

5. Going public

We build public awareness and understanding of science. We were one of the most prominent sources of information for the public and the government during the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments and society continue to turn to the Academy and science for evidence to help make decisions and to solve the global challenges we are facing.

6. Outstanding Fellows

Sir David Attenborough is perhaps the most globally recognisable of all our nearly 600 Fellows. They’ve all been elected for their outstanding contributions to science. As an organisation we know that science benefits from diversity and that’s why we were proud to achieve gender parity in the annual election of our new Fellows in 2022 and why we continue to provide guidance to the science sector to improve diversity practices.

7. Start them young

We’re proud of our long-standing role helping to build the capability Australia’s teachers and students, and equipping our next generations with skills they’ll need in the future.

From the world-renowned Biological Science: Web of Life text first published in the 1960s to our Primary Connections, Science by Doing and reSolve programs which are used by teachers and schools across Australia every day, we’ve had a positive impact. In the past year alone, our teacher resources were downloaded over 380,000 times and we’ve had more than 700 enrolments in our online professional learning courses.

8. Shaping science

We’ve played a leading role in shaping Australia’s science landscape. This includes the establishment of national parks, Antarctic expeditions, shaping the scientific disciplines and establishing our national astronomy infrastructure. 

We incubated the National Youth Science Forum and the organisation now known as Science and Technology Australia, partnered with the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering to roll out the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot, and are now incubating Water Trust Australia, amongst other achievements.

9. Going global

Since we were established, we have held Australia’s vote on the International Science Council – the global voice of, and for science. We maintain links with scientific bodies worldwide, ensuring science diplomacy plays its part in maintaining peaceful international relations. Today we lead scientific cooperation efforts across the Asia-Pacific region.

10. Science for justice

The Academy played a key role in helping to overturn one of Australia’s biggest miscarriages of justice, the case of Kathleen Folbigg. We are now working to ensure justice systems across Australia are better informed by science, to prevent future wrongful convictions.

11. Rich history

We hold a rich archival collection that provides a valuable window into the history of Australian scientific discoveries in the 19th and 20th centuries, including photos and diaries of some of Australia’s first explorers to Antarctica.

12. Research ready

We celebrate scientists through awards and support scientists to undertake research projects, travel and give lectures in Australia and abroad including through initiatives such as our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award. We’ll be announcing the 2024 recipients of our awards soon.

13. Proudly independent

Over the years, many generous donors have recognised the unique role the Academy plays in bringing science to the service of the nation and in advancing Australia as a nation that embraces scientific knowledge, so we all benefit. They have made much of our work possible and assured our independence. We are ever grateful. You can join them.

Related content

Celebrating seven decades of the home of Australian science

70th anniversary President’s message

Three early-career researchers have been awarded funding for ecology projects thanks to the Margaret Middleton Fund for endangered Australian native vertebrate animals.

The fund provides grants to support emerging researchers who are conducting conservation-based research of Australian ecosystems that ultimately will lead to tangible outcomes for endangered native vertebrates.

The 2024 recipients are:

Dr Samatha Tol, James Cook University

Do green sea turtle faeces increase seagrass seed germination and seedling success through fertilisation?

Global populations of green sea turtles have been declining due to a range of factors, including climate change, fishing practices and habitat loss, and these animals are now classified as endangered. Dr Samantha Tol, an ecologist dedicated to unravelling the intricacies of marine ecosystems, wants to harness the natural contributions of these marine mega-herbivores to enhance ecosystem restoration.

“One effective indirect approach to increase sea turtle populations is the restoration of their habitat, specifically seagrass meadows,” Dr Tol said in her application.

Dr Tol will use funds from this award to measure if seagrass seed germination rates, seedling growth and survival is enhanced by the addition of nutrients from turtle faeces. By enhancing seagrass restoration efforts, Dr Tol hopes to influence the overall conservation of green sea turtles and the numerous other species that depend on seagrass for their survival.

“I am enthusiastic about the potential positive impact that this research may have on seagrass restoration efforts and, ultimately, on the conservation of the many animals which rely on this habitat, especially the vulnerable dugongs and endangered green sea turtle,” Dr Tol said.

“I am genuinely grateful for this incredible opportunity to advance our understanding of marine ecosystems and contribute to the preservation of our marine wildlife.”

Ms Deanne (Dee) Trewartha, Flinders University

Heat, water and lizards – understanding behavioural responses to translocation in an endangered, endemic Australian grassland reptile to inform conservation practices

The pygmy blue-tongue lizard is endemic to South Australia and only found in a small number of isolated locations. This is an endangered species, at a high-risk of extinction due to dwindling grasslands. One way to conserve populations of these lizards may be to move them to protected locations (known as translocation).

Ms Dee Trewartha will use time-lapse cameras to monitor different populations of translocated pygmy blue tongue lizards and assess the population differences in their thermoregulation after translocation.

“Understanding the ability of high-risk populations to persist in altered climatic conditions is vital for successful translocation and therefore for ongoing management decisions,” Ms Trewartha said.

“I am absolutely excited that our little pygmy blue tongues have been funded by this prestigious award and I hope it will raise people’s awareness of the existence and conservation needs of this endangered endemic lizard.”

Dr Anthony Waddle, Macquarie University

Hot-spot shelters to fight amphibian chytrid epidemics

Dr Anthony Waddle will use the funding to test hot-spot shelters for protecting a wild population of green and golden bell frogs from the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

The amphibian chytrid fungus is an invasive species that affects amphibians worldwide and has been implicated in the mass die-offs and species extinctions of frogs for the past several decades. Chytrid cannot be eradicated once it invades a new site.

Dr Waddle’s research efforts contribute to finding interventions that allow species to co-exist with the chytrid fungus in the environment.

“Over the past two decades, research on chytrid has created incredibly valuable foundational knowledge… but we still do not have many tools to combat the pathogen in nature,” Dr Waddle said.

“I will use this grant to test an approach that involves creating artificial habitat for frogs that exploits the pathogen’s vulnerability to high temperatures and certain frogs’ affinity to seek warm shelter sites.”

About the fund

The Margaret Middleton Fund for endangered Australian native vertebrate animals was established in 2000 with Dr Margaret Middleton, who donated generously to this fund for many years.

Dr Middleton was a long-time supporter of the Academy and early-career scientists, with the fund supporting more than 90 projects to date.

Applications for the 2025 awards open on 15 February 2024.

The Australian Academy of Science welcomes the release of the final report of the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review.

“It is pleasing to see that the review has highlighted leadership, governance, cultural transformation and inclusive workplace environments as important priorities for improving diversity in the STEM sector,” Academy President Professor Jagadish said.

Up until now efforts to promote diversity in STEM have largely concentrated on improving the underrepresentation of women.

“We must now focus on a more expansive and systematic approach to cultivating talent and promoting the full inclusion of excellence across all dimensions of diversity.

“This includes not only women and girls, but also First Nations people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, LGBTQIA+ people, neurodiverse people, people facing age-based discrimination and people living in regional, rural and remote areas.

“STEM skills are in such high demand that we must make use of all the available talent and ensure they can work in safe workplaces free of bullying, harassment and discrimination.

“STEM-qualified Australians should reflect the make-up of the community from which they are drawn, and our practices should enable a collective commitment to equitable participation and opportunity in STEM.”

The Academy welcomes the panel’s recommendation that Learned Academies, as standard setters within the science and research community, work with the academic community and Traditional Knowledge holders to build respect, awareness and better practices to weave First Nations Knowledges into science and research systems.

And that this work should be guided by First Nations people and inform the Australian Government’s actions in this area.

Professor Jagadish confirmed that the Academy, in partnership with the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering will be working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Knowledge holders to co-design and co-develop a paper on the intersection of Traditional Knowledge and the broader scientific knowledge systems in STEM.

“Our intention is to provide practical guidance to research leaders and administrators on how to meaningfully incorporate Traditional Knowledges into research methodologies and empower the research sector to be actively and routinely involved in weaving together such knowledges,” Professor Jagadish said.

The Academy welcomes the recommendation to develop a whole-of-government, long-term strategy to increase diversity and inclusion in STEM. Until such a strategy is developed to address the important findings in this review, the sector should continue to be guided by the whole-of-sector Women in STEM Decadal Plan, which lays out opportunities to achieve gender equity by 2030.  These opportunities are applicable to other diversity dimensions and are consistent with the findings of the Diversity review released today.

The Academy also supports the following review recommendations:

• The establishment of a new advisory council and empowering the STEM Equity Monitor to improve data capture and analysis on underrepresented groups beyond women.
• Embedding best practice program design in all diversity in STEM programs, particularly through evaluation.
• Ensuring accountability, especially when public money is distributed.
• Concerted efforts to enhance STEM education and employment outcomes for underrepresented groups.
• Increase awareness, visibility and importance of diversity in STEM. The Academy considers that this will be most efficient if it is evidence-based, sustained and targeted. Existing projects should be leveraged, including the Academy’s STEM Women Global database.  
• Further support to Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) to drive cultural change in the higher education and research sector.

The Academy notes the recognition of the Women in STEM Decadal Plan and initiatives it has triggered, including the STEM Equity Monitor, National Evaluation Guide for STEM equity programs, STEM Equity Evaluation Portal, Workplace Gender Equity Implementation Guide developed by the Women in STEM Ambassador, and the Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit for small and medium enterprises by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

The Academy thanks the Review Panel for its comprehensive analysis and looks forward to the government’s response to the review later this year.