[ASA] Fwd: Science & Technology Australia April newsletter

Mon Apr 27 11:42:53 AEST 2015

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Science & Technology Australia April newsletter
Date: 	Mon, 27 Apr 2015 10:33:21 +1000
From: 	Catriona Jackson <catriona.jackson at sta.org.au>
To: 	catriona jackson <catriona.jackson at sta.org.au>

If you are having trouble viewing this message, you can read the 
Newsletter on our website 
<http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/March-Newsletter-2015.html>.

**Presidents, please pass on to your members**
**Colleagues, please share with you r networks**

<http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/>
CONNECT: 
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Science-and-Technology-Australia/216340638388984><http://twitter.com/ScienceAU><http://www.youtube.com/scienceandtechau> 

MEMBER PROFILE

*Name and title: *
Dr Euan Ritchie, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Deakin University

*Discipline: *
Ecology

*What lured you to science and/or technology in the first place?*
Nature, an obsession with it. Wanting to know why?

*What keeps you there?*
The same reasons [as lured me to science], some questions can't be 
answered easily, if ever, and they're the best ones to pursue.

*What makes science different to other careers?*
You really can say you're making a difference. Knowledge is power as 
they say, and that's what science does, it creates knowledge that 
otherwise was hidden from us. I like that creative element, I'm not much 
of an artist, but I'm guessing that's how painters, musicians, dancers 
etc feel too?

*What would you tell a 10-year-old about a career in science and 
technology?*
Follow your dreams, if you love something, you can't fail. It's a 
challenging career, no doubt, but one rich with rewards. Find a good 
mentor, it's NEVER too early.

*Have you a favourite career moment?*
Meeting my wife to be at a conference ;)

SUPPORT STA

Science & Technology Australia has been working for three decades to 
keep science and technology high on the national agenda, with 
parliament, policy makers and industry.

Science and technology underpins virtually every aspect of modern life, 
but is often the first on the chopping block when cuts come.

We believe that a flourishing science and technology system forms the 
basis of a prosperous and forward-looking nation.

Donations will contribute to the advocacy work STA does with 
parliamentarians and policy makers, it will boost campaigns and enrich 
events that bring the best science into your living room.

Putting science in the spotlight and keeping it there is something we 
work at each and every day. If you would like to help STA keep science 
on the national agenda, please make a donation today 
<http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/donate-to-sta/>.

Dear STA members and friends,

It has been a very busy start to 2015 with two major events and the 
successful campaign to save the national collaborative research 
infrastructure scheme (NCRIS) already under our belts. The campaign 
unleashed an outpouring of concern from business, science and the 
broader community regarding the fate of the 27 national facilities that 
are the backbone of our research system.

While all of us breathed a huge sign of relief at the reprieve announced 
on March 17, there is no place for complacency. STA is continuing to 
work closely on the issue, to ensure we are not in the same predicament 
in 9 months time, and to capitalise on the goodwill the campaign created 
for research infrastructure, but also for science broadly.

*Catriona Jackson*
Chief Executive Officer

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Federal Budget*

As usual STA Members will get the details direct from the Federal Budget 
lock up on the night (May 12). We will be looking very closely at the 
fate of the NCRIS funding, how many years’ worth has been allocated, and 
where the money has come from to fund the 2015/16 allocation and beyond.

Funding to the ARC will also be closely watched, with particular concern 
for the fate of the Future Fellowships program.

*The year ahead*

STA is negotiating a fresh contract with the Commonwealth to provide 
/Science meets Parliament/ and other events, including /Topical Science 
Forums/ for the public but also events for the Parliamentary Friends of 
Science. Signs are good and we look forward to finalising the 
arrangements in coming months.

*NCRIS campaign*

STA, along with the Academy of Science, and an alliance 
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kodXMKR0tlI> of like-minded science and 
education peak bodes and learned academies, led a campaign 
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kodXMKR0tlI> to save the 27 National 
Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme (NCRIS) facilities from 
closure earlier this year. Within weeks the campaign developed a real 
head of steam and on March 17 Minister Pyne backed down 
<http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/in-the-media/reprieve-for-nations-research-facilities-but-wheres-the-money-coming-from/>, 
and said the NCRIS allocation would flow.

This is a very significant win for science which has left the parliament 
in no doubt that scientists have real community support. STA is working 
to capitalise on this as we approach the 2016 election year.

*/Science meets Parliament/ 2015*

Over 200 scientists flooded the halls of power for /Science meets 
Parliament/ (SmP) this year, with a raft of new elements to give even 
more life to this annual event.

Feedback has been universally enthusiastic, from scientists and 
parliamentarians, and plans are afoot for a bigger and better event in 
2016. We will be coming to 2015 SmPers for more detailed feedback this 
year, on meetings and results as the year progresses so that we can 
better track the impact of this truly unique event.

If you missed out all the videos, photos, media coverage and speech 
transcripts are available HERE 
<http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/focus-on/science-meets-parliament-2015-wrap-up/>.

*/Science meets Policymakers/*

Around 200 delegates also attended Science meets Policymakers this year, 
the second time STA has run this event designed specifically to bring 
science and the bureaucracy closer together. The top class audience took 
it right up to the raft or high calibre speakers, as the groups 
navigated the maze of policymaking.

If you couldn't make it watch the proceedings and read the coverage of 
the event HERE 
<http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/focus-on/science-meets-policymakers-2015-wrap-up/>.

*Keeping in touch*

This newsletter is just one of the ways STA communicates. Emails sent 
direct to member organisations are another, but increasingly breaking 
news, comment and a wide array of information on scholarships, awards 
and conferences are issued via our social media platforms, such as our 
Twitter <http://twitter.com/ScienceAU>, Facebook 
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Science-and-Technology-Australia/216340638388984> 
andGoogle+ 
<https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/104363112885743185678/104363112885743185678/posts> 
feeds.

We film many of our events and you can watch the footage on our YouTube 
channel <https://www.youtube.com/user/scienceandtechau>

You have received this email from Science & Technology Australia. If you 
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<mailto:unsubscribe at sta.org.au?subject=Unsubscribe%20STA>.

© 2015 - Science & Technology Australia

	<http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/> 	

Catriona Jackson
Chief Executive Officer
Science & Technology Australia

T: 02 6257 2891| M: 0417 142 238| F: 02 6257 2897
PO Box 259, Canberra City ACT 2601
Website <http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au>| Twitter 
<http://twitter.com/ScienceAU> | Facebook 
<http://www.facebook.com/scienceAU> | YouTube 
<https://www.youtube.com/user/scienceandtechau>
Science & Technology Australia 
<http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au>

-- 
Prof. Andrew Hopkins, Head of Research and Outreach
Australian Astronomical Observatory
P.O. Box 915, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia
ph: +61 2 9372 4849  fax: +61 2 9372 4880

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