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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Dear astronomy colleagues and supporters,</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It gives me great pleasure to share with you the Astronomy Decadal Plan 2026 – 2035
that will officially be launched later today at the 2025 ASA Annual Science Meeting in Adelaide.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Australian Academy of Science’s decadal plan development process is the way scientific
disciplines in Australia come together and plan for the future.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The plan is the culmination of over two years effort by the Australian astronomical
community based on:</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<ul style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); direction: ltr; margin: 0px;">
the reports of 13 working groups, comprising over 250 astronomers; and</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); direction: ltr; margin: 0px;">
<div role="presentation">an extensive survey of over 550 members of the astronomy community including staff and students from over 30 Australian institutions across all states and the ACT.</div>
</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); direction: ltr; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">
<div class="elementToProof" role="presentation">two Australia-wide astronomy roadshows held in 2024/2025</div>
</li></ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A huge thank you to all those that contributed their time and expertise to the plan,
particularly the editorial board of Professor Sarah Brough (Deputy Chair), Professor Tamara Davis AM, Professor Michael Ireland, Professor Chris Power, and Professor Cathryn Trott, the National Committee for Astronomy, and the Academy’s secretariat team.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I’d also like to acknowledge the financial support provided by CSIRO, Australia’s
national science agency, and the late Professor Michael Dopita AM FAA, which has supported the development of the Astronomy Decadal Plan.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This is your plan, so please be proud of it and share with your networks, because
as the plan makes clear, astronomy is a science for all of Australia.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I am hopeful this plan will inform policy and investment decisions into the future.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You can read the plan and the media release
</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"><u><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/8bEICROND2u5Xnp60H9f8i1L2gn?domain=science.org.au" title="https://www.science.org.au/news-and-events/news-and-media-releases/a-new-plan-for-australia-to-remain-an-astronomy-world-leader" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">here</a></u></span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.
The Academy will be highlighting the plan on </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"><u><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/kiF2CVARKgCg80EJkizhxiEnKsq?domain=science.org.au" target="_blank" id="OWAeb28a8ec-90cb-c5ba-2a92-fae73b30cd8f" class="OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.science.org.au/news-and-events/social-media" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134); margin: 0px;">social
media</a></u></span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", -apple-system, "system-ui", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> from today.</span></p>
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Kind regards,</div>
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Virginia</div>
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Chair, Editorial Board, Astronomy Decadal Plan 2026-2035</div>
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Chair, National Committee for Astronomy</div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><b>Prof. Virginia Kilborn</b></span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">Chief Scientist</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">Swinburne University of Technology </span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">Hawthorn VIC 3122 AUSTRALIA</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">T: +61 3 9214 4380 | E: </span>
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 112, 192);"><u><a href="mailto:vkilborn@swin.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 112, 192); margin: 0px;">vkilborn@swin.edu.au</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"> | www:</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 112, 192);"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(149, 79, 114);"><u><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/CvOUCWLVXkUD8zQEXfKiqiod3i_?domain=bit.ly" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); margin: 0px;">http://bit.ly/24vsqSR</a></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">CRICOS number 00111D</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><i>I respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Swinburne’s campuses
are located. I also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait nations across Australia, their Elders, Ancestors, cultures and heritage</i></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">Proud supporter of the </span><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/-MdICXLW2mUOZBgQDSksziWE6h9?domain=vkilborn.wixsite.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">WATTLE
Women in Leadership Program</a></span></p>
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