Be noticed by those who matter; Australia Day science list; prizes; and funding opportunities

2 February, 2017

Bulletins, Science stakeholder bulletins

Australia Day was a good day for science

Not only was stem cell researcher Alan Mackay-Sim awarded Australian of the Year last week, Andrew Holmes, the guru of plastics and light and science academy president, received an AC, and many others were on the honour roll. We’ve scoured the list for science mentions. If we’ve missed anyone let me know.

Put your science in front of those who matter most: Stories of Australian Science

Has your team got an exciting discovery, invention, or other news you’d like to celebrate?

We’re calling for stories to feature in the 2017 edition of Stories of Australian Science, our online collection and annual print publication bringing together discoveries, prize-winners and top achievers in Aussie science.

We distribute the stories all over the country and overseas. Prices start from $1,200 with discounts for multiple stories. More below.

Need help telling the story in your science to the media, government, funders, investors…?

We’re holding media and communication training courses for scientists around the country. These courses will help your team find the best way to communicate your work to different audiences, manage tricky questions about your research, and give you the chance to practise interviews with working journalists from TV, radio and print.

We’ll be in:

Melbourne: Wednesday 8 February, Tuesday 2 May, Thursday 22 June
Adelaide: Wednesday 22 February, Tuesday 6 June
Sydney: Thursday 16 March, Thursday 25 May
Perth: Wednesday 8 March, Wednesday 5 July
Canberra: Wednesday 5 April

More below.

Also in this bulletin:

Stories of Australian Science 2017: visibility for your work in print, online, and on social media

Stories of Australian Science is used by journalists, scientists, politicians, and science policy-makers, as a useful reference for keeping up-to-date with new and exciting developments in Australian research.

It’s an online collection and annual print publication bringing together discoveries, prize-winners and top achievers.

If you’d like to have your research or the work of your scientists/institution featured, contact Lydia on lydia@scienceinpublic.com.au or call the office on (03) 9398 1416.

While we can accept stories at any time, to be included in the 2017 print edition, you’ll need to register your interest with us by 1 March 2017.

All we need from you are a couple of dot points and some contact details. We’ll interview the key scientist/s then write and edit the stories, running them by both the commissioner and scientist so you’re happy we’ve got the facts right.

We’ll print 15,000 copies and distribute them to journalists, scientific researchers, politicians and science policymakers.

We’ll share them on social media, and put them online where users can search by field of science, state, institution or key word to see the science stories that have been included in the current year and previous years. And everything we write is available for you to use in other publications.

Prices start at $1,200 + GST for a single story, and are discounted for multiple stories.

More details at stories.scienceinpublic.com.au/submission and read the 2016 edition here

Communication training—book now for 2017

We offer a flexible range of training programs to help your researchers understand their audiences, the essence of their story, and how to build their profile with the audiences and stakeholders that matter for their projects and for their long-term career development.

Our offerings include:

Meet your audience: from government, business, and/or the media
Make your pitch: what’s the essence of your story
Build your profile: websites, media, social media
Make your story work for mainstream media
Presentation training: make your story come to life
Photography and videography for scientists.

For more information on a bespoke course, visit www.scienceinpublic.com.au/training or call us on (03) 9398 1416.

We also hold regular media and communication training workshops around Australia, for scientists and those who communicate science.

In 2017, our media and communication training course for scientists will be in:

Melbourne: Wednesday 8 February, Tuesday 2 May, Thursday 22 June
Adelaide: Wednesday 22 February, Tuesday 6 June
Sydney: Thursday 16 March, Thursday 25 May
Perth: Wednesday 8 March, Wednesday 5 July
Canberra: Wednesday 5 April

Registration is now open for all courses via EventBrite.

In these courses, we’ll help you shape the story of your research into a form that works for the media, as well as for government, industry and other stakeholders. The day’s insights and training will help you feel more comfortable in dealing with journalists when media opportunities arise.

From stem cells to solar cells: Australia Day was a good day for science this year

Last week, Professor Alan Mackay-Sim, the scientist whose stem cell research helped a paraplegic walk again, was named Australian of the Year

And the President of the Australian Academy of Science was awarded the highest honour in the Australia Day honours list.

Professor Andrew Holmes was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) “for eminent service to science through developments in the field of organic and polymer chemistry a s a researcher, editor and academic, and through the governance of nationally recognised, leading scientific organisations”.

A number of other scientists were also appointed to the Order of Australia in recognition of their contribution and service in many areas of science.

They are:

Keryn Williams, AC, ophthalmology
Graeme Blackman, AO, pharmaceutical industry
Gregory Constable, AO, cotton breeding
David Cooper, AO, intensive care medicine, including traumatic brain injuries
Raymond Frost, AO, spectroscopy
James Gehling, AO, environmental science, palaeontology
Gwendolyn Gilbert, AO, infectious diseases and public health
Peter Gray, AO, bioengineering and nanotechnology
Max Lu, AO, materials science and nanotechnology
Chris Roberts, AO, medical biotechnology, including the cochlear implant
Gordon Wallace, AO, materials and biomedical sciences
Robert Bowen, AO biotechnology and innovation
Stephen Colagiuri, AO, diabetes and endocrinology
Mark Cooper, AO, diabetes and cardiovascular research
Ian Johnston, AO, engineering and geothermal energy
Lizbeth Kenny, AO, radiation oncology
Colin Masters, AO, neuroscience and Alzheimer’s disease
David Vaux, AO, cancer research
Patricia Armati, AO, neuroscience
John McLean, AO, veterinary science and toxicology
Jon Bowie, AM, mass spectroscopy
Hugh Dove, AM, agricultural science and nutrition
Donald Hector, AM, chemical engineering
Norman Mckenzie, AM, biological surveys
William Maxwell, AM, veterinary science
Peter Parodi, AM, nutrition and dairy research (deceased)
Chris Semsarian, AM, cardiology
Evan Simpson, AM, breast cancer
Owen Bruce, AM, radio astronomy (deceased)
Robert Stimson, AM, geography
Malcolm Walter, AM, astrobiology
Andrew Coats, AM, cardiology
Vaughan Beck, AM, service to professional academies and engineering
Simon Clarke, AM, adolescent health
Ruth Colagiuri, AM, diabetes and health policy
Paul Harvey, AM, cardiovascular research
Jack Iland, AM, haematology
Vijay Kumar, AM, nuclear medicine
Lynette March, AM, rheumatology
Bruce Maslin, AM, botany
Cathryn Turner, AM, population health
Ronald Woods, OAM, electrochemistry

How do you get your sustainability story into the news?

Find out in Melbourne on 16 February

What turns environmental science and issues into news for media outlets and their audiences? Where have all the science and environment reporters gone? What goes on behind the scenes in a newsroom?

Join TV insider Ben Knight (ABC TV), radio insider Alison Caldwell (freelance and ABC Radio Current Affairs), and print insider Adam Morton (Fairfax and The Age) who will tell us about what they do, what they look for in a story, and then answer your questions.

We’ll also learn from the experiences of Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute researcher (and former journalist) Cathy Alexander on working with the media.

Find out what journalists need from you in order to tell your story in an engaging way while remaining true to the science.

Hosted by environmental campaigner, science journalist and broadcaster Tanya Ha, this event is a must for environmental advocates and researchers who need to know how to work with the media we have, rather than an idealised version we might hope for.

More at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/breaking-news-an-insiders-guide-to-the-new-media-climate-tickets-31110382993

Explore the halls of power at Science meets Parliament

Registrations have opened for Science Meets Parliament, which will be held on Tuesday March 21 and Wednesday March 22 in 2017.

The program gives scientists an insight to policy and Canberra. This year, Science & Technology Australia is offering two scholarships to STEM practitioners with an Indigenous background to attend Science meets Parliament in Canberra. More here.

It’s your chance to engage with government, with small groups of scientists meeting face-to-face with parliamentarians in Parliament House. It’s also a forum for the 200 attending scientists to meet lobbyists, parliamentary staffers, politicians and journalists—getting a feel for government policymaking and tips on how to successfully engage politicians.

Read the full program at: http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/smp2017-program

Information on how to register: http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/science-meets-parliament-2017

Prizes and funding opportunities

NHMRC Science to Art Award

NHMRC Science to Art Award recognises outstanding images from medical research that have come out of research funded by the NHMRC.

Entries close 5pm (AEDT) Friday 3 March 2017.

Information about the award is available at www.nhmrc.gov.au/media/nhmrc-awards/science-art-award-2017

New York Stem Cell Investigator Awards

The New York Stem Cell Foundation Robertson Stem Cell Investigator Award RFAs are now open, providing $1.5M USD (payable over five years) to outstanding young researchers from around the world.

They have two awards on offer: the Innovator Awards for Early Career Investigators in Translational Stem Cell Research (www.nyscf.org/stemcell) and the Innovator Awards for Early Career Investigators in Neuroscience (www.nyscf.org/neuro).

Applications close Wednesday 22 February 2017.

More information at www.nyscf.org

Eureka Prizes

Known as the ‘Oscars of Australian science,’ the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes celebrate research, science communication and journalism, leadership, and students. Finalists will be announced online on July 28, and winners at a gala dinner on August 30.

Nominations open on February 3 and close 7pm (AEST) on Friday 5 May 2017.

More information at australianmuseum.net.au/eureka

CRC awards for Excellence in Innovation

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Association’s Awards for Excellence in Innovation recognise great examples of research results, knowledge and technologies coming out of CRCs, for the community, government agencies and companies to use.

Applications close Tuesday 21 February 2017. They are open to all CRC Association members.

See videos on last year’s winners.

More information at crca.asn.au/annualconference/excellence-in-innovation-awards

$4 million in grants for citizen science programs

Could your research use a helping hand from volunteers and give them insight into the research process? Grants of between $50,000 to $500,000 are now available to Australian researchers for projects that directly involve the public.

Projects must be Australian scientific research projects that include the participation of the public through a range of activities – including collecting and analysing data, formulating research questions and organising research teams.

Applications are now open, and will close at 4pm (AEDT) on 17 February 2017.

For more information and to apply, visit www.business.gov.au/csg.