Get your Fresh Science in; Japan stories; Science Week report back; and training all over the country

Bulletins, Science stakeholder bulletins

Help us find the next generation of Fresh Scientists

Nominations for Fresh Science 2017 close next Thursday 31 August. So encourage all the great early-career researchers you know to apply and become our next generation of spokespeople for science.

Thank you Curtin, UWA, Murdoch, Edith Cowan, Notre Dame, Adelaide, UniSA, Flinders, Monash, Melbourne, LaTrobe, Deakin, Swinburne, RMIT, UNSW, UQ, QUT, Griffith, and CSIRO for your support.
More below.

Next year the Australian Government’s Australia Now program will focus on Japan. Look out for opportunities to be involved.

See some examples of Australia Japan partnerships in innovation.

They include giant robot trucks, repairing teeth together, new malaria drugs, and solar furnaces.

Watch and download the videos here.

There is also a new batch of Stories of Australian Science, including making motorcycle clothing safer, robotic arms for stroke rehab, finding gold with volcanoes and much more.

You can read and share the stories via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More below.

Just about every science organisation in Australia got behind National Science Week this year, with a record breaking 2,100+ events around the country.

But there’s no time to rest. 2018 Science Week grants open soon and next year’s dates are 11 – 19 August. More below.

We’re holding communication courses around the country over the next month.
If you or any of your staff need help shaping your science into a story for stakeholders, the public, industry, or the media, join us for one of our training courses. Or talk to us about a customised course—our entry level session takes just 90 minutes.

We’ll be in Sydney on 31 August, Melbourne on 12 September, Canberra on 5 September, Adelaide on 19 September and Perth on 21 September. More below.

Finally, it’s the Eureka Prizes next week.

We’re not driving the media this year, so I’m looking forward to sitting back and enjoying a good night with friends and colleagues, and celebrating some of our best Australian science. You can read more about the finalists here: https://australianmuseum.net.au/2017-eureka-prizes-finalists

Also in this bulletin:

Record-breaking National Science Week

What better way to celebrate the 20th birthday of National Science Week than with a record-breaking number of events.

More than 2,100 events and activities were held around the country from the Tiwi Islands down to the Antarctic research bases.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians got a healthy dose of science, exploring topics from Life on Mars, to smartphone addiction, CSI skills, the science of fake news, future cancer therapies, and more.

And 17,167 Aussie kids were among the 28,575 children in 56 countries who together broke the world record for the most number of kids coding in one day.

Next year’s National Science Week is 11  19 August 2018.

The 2018 schools theme will be Game Changers and Change Makers—looking at innovation and innovators: past, present and future.

The Australian Government grant round will open later this year.

Subscribe to the Science Week newsletter to keep up to date with news and grant information via www.scienceweek.net.au/subscription.

New Stories of Australian Science

The work of more than 100 Australian scientists is featured in this year’s edition of Stories of Australian Science. We’re sharing them online and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

We believe the heroes of Australian science deserve to be celebrated so please feel free to share the stories with your own audiences.

Everything is cleared for reproduction, and you can search through hundreds of yarns from our past collections.

Some of the highlights include Australian scientists:

  • making silk-derived implants to fix damaged eardrums
  • working to stop people going into flood waters
  • flying unmanned drones to record our reefs in incredible detail
  • teaching bots to search out and destroy crown-of-thorns starfish
  • keeping stored red blood cells in shape
  • testing water safety with fingernail-sized sensors
  • expanding the net for gravitational waves
  • and much more.

They are also working with colleagues in the USA, Indonesia, and Japan. We’ve got special features on these collaborations, including: ‘blood tests’ for big machines and new artificial hearts; using a radar-in-a-suitcase to make bridges safer; and making chewing gum that reverses tooth decay.

More at: stories.scienceinpublic.com.au 

Got a story to tell? Fresh Science closes next week

Do you know an early-career researcher who has peer-reviewed results, a discovery, or an invention that has received little or no media attention?

Encourage them to nominate for Fresh Science, the national competition that helps early-career researchers find, and then share, their stories of discovery.

Scientists get a day of media training and the chance to share their work with the media, general public and school students.

We’re looking for:

  • early-career researchers (from honours students to no more than five years’ post-PhD)
  • with a peer-reviewed discovery that has had little or no media coverage
  • and with some ability to present their ideas in everyday English (something we can build on).

Nominations for Fresh Science 2017 are now open and close 31 August 2017.

For details on how to nominate, and this year’s events, visit freshscience.org.au


Want to join the party? And help the next generation of scientists find their voice

Now in its 20th year, Fresh Science has trained more than 500 scientists to share their science, and generated hundreds of news stories via TV, print, radio and online.

You can read past Fresh Scientists’ stories online at freshscience.org.au

We’re looking for partners around the country for Fresh Science 2017—to help us celebrate our 20th birthday in style.

So far…

Fresh Science is supported by New Scientist. 

Fresh Science South Australia is supported by the South Australian Museum, Flinders University, the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide.

Fresh Science Western Australia is supported by the Western Australian Museum, Edith Cowan University, the University of Western Australia, Murdoch University, and The University of Notre Dame Australia.

Fresh Science Victoria is supported by The University of Melbourne, Monash University, Deakin University, RMIT University, CSIRO, and La Trobe University.

Fresh Science NSW is supported by the University of New South Wales.

Fresh Science Queensland is delivered in partnership with Econnect Communication and is supported by QUT, Griffith University, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and the University of Queensland.

Communication and engagement training—book now

Do you (or any of your staff) need help shaping your science into a story for stakeholders, the public, industry, or the media?

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 to 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.

“The biggest prize I received as a Fresh Science finalist was intensive media training by Science in Public,” says astrophysicist Alan Duffy.

“I gained experience in different media formats such as radio and TV with practice interviewing, and invaluable coaching in how to tailor my message that I use to this day.”

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.

For the rest of 2017, our media and communication training course for scientists will be in:

  • Sydney: 31 August
  • Canberra: 5 September
  • Melbourne: 12 September
  • Adelaide: 19 September
  • Perth: 21 September

Registration is now open for all courses via EventBrite. Or call us, (03) 9398 1416.

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.

Over the years we’ve helped Monash launch the world’s first printed jet engine, revealed the loss of half the coral on the Great Barrier Reef, helped CERN announce the Higgs boson, and revealed the link between CSIRO’s Wi-Fi patent and Aussie astronomy.

Working journalists from television, print and radio will join us over the course of the day to explain what makes news for them. And you’ll get the chance to practise being interviewed in front of a camera and on tape.

Other prizes and events

MedTech’s got Talent—applications extended to 1 September

MedTech’s Got Talent is Australia’s largest medical device start-up competition.

The program is open to anyone in Australia who has an early-stage medical technology project they want to commercialise.

They’ve just given applicants one more week to take part for the chance to share in over $160,000 in cash prizes and intense specialised training and mentorship.

Applications close 5pm on Friday 1 September.

More at: https://medtechs-got-talent-2017.thinkable.org

Meet your Nobel heroes in Germany: Academy of Science grants

Apply to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany for 2018. This year’s meeting is Physiology or Medicine.

Successful applicants will receive a travel scholarship to attend the meeting and undertake a group study tour following the Lindau meeting.

Open to Doctoral students and early-career researchers within 5 years of receiving their PhD.

Applications close 5pm (AEDT) Tuesday 2 October 2017.

More at: www.science.org.au/opportunities/travel/nobel-laureates-meetings/lindau-nobel-laureates-meetings

$22,000 grants for big ideas in agriculture from young rural innovators

Grant applications are now open for the 2018 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

If you’re 18-35, this is your chance to apply for a grant of up to $22,000 to fund your project on an innovative or emerging scientific issue that will benefit Australia’s primary industries. ​

There are 11 industry Science Award categories open for applications: cotton; dairy; established, new and emerging rural industries; fisheries and aquaculture; grains; health and biosecurity; meat and livestock; pork; red meat processing; viticulture and oenology; and wool.

Winners of the industry category Science Awards are then invited to apply for the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources’ Award, which provides additional funding for an extended research project.

Applications close 5pm AEDT Friday 13 October 2017.

More at: www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/conferences-events/scienceawards

2018 Clunies Ross Awards now open

The Clunies Ross Awards recognise contributions by dedicated individuals to the application of technology for the benefit of Australia.

The Academy of Technology and Engineering will honour 2018 Clunies Ross Award winners in three categories:

Entrepreneur of the year
For those who have played a leadership role in the translation to a commercial enterprise with a financially successful outcome of a technology based product or service in which they have personally had a significant input in the inventorship/development of the technology. Such as last year’s winner Professor Andrew Wilks

Knowledge commercialisation 
For those who have been responsible for a technology which has been commercialised most likely by licensing with a financially successful outcome. Such as last year’s winner Mr Darryn Smart.

Innovation
For those who have been responsible for the adoption of a technology of demonstrably significant potential, currently at a stage where the financial outcomes are yet to be realised and/or the benefits are of a measurable broad community nature. Such as last year’s winner Professor Mike Xie FTSE.

Nominations close 2pm (AEDT) Friday 27 October 2017.

More at: https://www.atse.org.au/atse/content/about/clunies-ross-award-nominations.aspx

Science in Public — planning, mentoring, communicating

Contact me to find out more about our services to train, mentor, plan and deliver media and communication strategies for science. We offer:

Communication plans, mentoring and training
We can review your stakeholders, messages and tools and help you and your communication team refine your plans. We offer this service for individual announcements or for a whole program or institute.

Media releases, launches, and campaigns
We can help you develop an outreach program, from a simple media release through to a launch, a summit, a conference, or a film.

Publications and copy-writing
From a tweet to a newsletter; from a brochure to a Nature supplement, we can write compelling and accurate science-driven copy which captures the essence of your story and purpose.