[ASA] Expressions of Interest to attend Science meets Parliament 2026

[Richard McDermid]

Dear ASA,

Science and Technology Australia (STA) are again organising Science meets Parliament (SmP) in 2026. SmP is an opportunity to receive training in policy engagement and communication, learn about how science and politics interact within the Federal Government, and to advocate for astronomy in a small-group meeting with a member of the Federal parliament.

This event is planned to be held in person in Canberra over two days, 25-26th March, 2026. Further information on SmP is available here<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Vj4MCwV1vMfV3k4pmSVf8HJQNcL?domain=scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au>.

The ASA is a member of STA, and we usually support multiple delegates from our community. This email is to ask for volunteers to attend this meeting, with costs covered by the ASA.

If you are interested, please send me a brief summary of why you are the best person to represent the ASA and your colleagues to parliamentarians. Expressions of interest will be reviewed by ASA Council, and assessed to ensure a diverse range of delegates. Attendees will be asked to report back on their experience.

Please email me your nomination by Friday 13 February.

Best wishes,
Richard

----
Professor Richard McDermid
(he/him)

Director, Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO)
Director, Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre
President, Astronomical Society of Australia
Macquarie University,
Sydney, Australia

T: +61 (0)2 9372 4811 / +61 (0)2 9850 4476
W: https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/6QIVCxngwOfRoDgOVTvhAHyxP9G?domain=bit.ly

I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the Macquarie University Land, the Wallumattagal people of the Dharug nation, whose cultures and customs have nurtured, and continue to nurture, this land since the Dreamtime.

[PastedGraphic-1.png][b6fce74e-a522-45ed-b077-a5baad0dc8a8.jpeg]

Please consider the environment before printing this email.
This message is intended for the addressee named and may
contain confidential information. If you are not the intended
recipient, please delete it and notify the sender. Views expressed
in this message are those of the individual sender, and are not
necessarily the views of Macquarie University.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.sydney.edu.au/pipermail/asa/attachments/20260127/7d64c4ec/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: PastedGraphic-1.png
Type: image/png
Size: 7455 bytes
Desc: PastedGraphic-1.png
URL: <http://mailman.sydney.edu.au/pipermail/asa/attachments/20260127/7d64c4ec/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: b6fce74e-a522-45ed-b077-a5baad0dc8a8.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 4578 bytes
Desc: b6fce74e-a522-45ed-b077-a5baad0dc8a8.jpeg
URL: <http://mailman.sydney.edu.au/pipermail/asa/attachments/20260127/7d64c4ec/attachment.jpeg>