$1 million in science prizes; Australia’s #ideasboom dinner in DC; and more, always more…

Bulletins, Science stakeholder bulletins

In this bulletin:

Kind regards,
Niall

#ideasboom in DC – have you got a science story to share?

This Sunday, Valentine’s Day, we’re taking 50 of the world’s leading science journalists to dinner during the AAAS. We’ll tell them about the #ideasboom and about some of the top Stories of Australian Science from the past year including: exercise and dementia; bubbles earning billions of dollars; printing jet engines; making blood on demand in the lab; how much do barnacles and algae slow ships down; and Geoffrey Rush talking stars.

There is still time to get your story on the menu, all you need to do is book a story in our Stories of Australian Science 2016 edition by this Friday. We’ll mention the best yarns during dinner, then we’ll print the magazine in March and send it to hundreds of journalists and thousands of other stakeholders. More below on that.

And please let me know of any big upcoming story opportunities I should flag at the dinner.

Our guests usually include science editors from The Economist, Asahi Shimbun, BBC TV News, the Financial Times, PBS Nova, and reporters from many others.

If you’re going to AAAS let me know and we’ll see if we can fit you in at dinner, or at least let the assembled journalists know what you’re up to.

Our thanks to the National Innovation and Science Agenda team for their support of the dinner.

Sharing Stories of Australian Science, in print, online, and via @AusSciStories – have you got one to share?

We’ve started uploading our 2016 Stories of Australian Science and we go to press in March. We’ll print 15,000 copies and they’ll go to Parliament House, embassies and consulates, our media friends around the world, schools, and many other places.

There’s still time to include your best stories from 2015. Stories is advertorial, told our way with short, strong stories. Prices start from $1,200 for a single story. All we need is a contact number for the key scientist and we take it from there.

You can see the first of this year’s stories – and everything we’ve written since 2007 – at http://stories.scienceinpublic.com.au, on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @AusSciStories.

All the stories in the online database are cleared for reproduction. More at: stories.scienceinpublic.com.au/submission

Fresh Science 2016: helping the next generation of scientists find their voice

We’re looking for partners around the country for Fresh Science 2016. We’ll hold a final in every state and territory where we can secure support from local universities and science organisations.

Fresh Science takes up-and-coming researchers, helps them find their story through a day of media training, and gives them the chance to share their stories of discovery in the pub, at school forums and in the media.

Over the past two weeks 2015 Freshie Julie Fleet talked to the ABC, Adelaide Advertiser and The Australian about her nasal spray for pain relief in childbirth.

And Ebonie Rio from Victoria told the Herald Sun, ABC News Breakfast, The World Today and local radio how brain training is helping athletes give tendon pain the boot. You can see more of the media coverage at: freshscience.org.au/in-the-news.

We’re looking for early career researchers with a peer-reviewed invention or discovery. Nomination details are available at freshscience.org.au/how-to-nominate.

And drop me an email if you can help bring Fresh Science to your state.

Explore the halls of power at Science meets Parliament

Science Meets Parliament is on 1 and 2 March 2016, giving scientists an insight to policy and Canberra.

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.

Tickets are available to the Science Meets Parliament dinner. It’s one of my annual highlights, a surprisingly honest event where science speaks truth to power, and sometimes power speaks truth to science.

More at: http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/focus-on/science-meets-parliament-2016

Stem cell research prizes – 2 x $50,000 Metcalf Prizes

Applications now open, closing 21 March.
The Metcalf Prizes are open to mid-career researchers, five to 10 years past their PhD or MD (research based), working in stem cell research in Australia.

Last year’s winners were Christine Wells of the University of Queensland and Ryan Lister of the University of Western Australia in recognition of their leadership in stem cell research.

Christine has created an online encyclopaedia of detailed scientific information on how our thousands of different genes shape us, which has led to the discovery of a new kind of stem cell.

Ryan has discovered how adult stem cells retain a memory of what they once were. He believes he can make them forget their past lives, so that their history doesn’t limit their new potential.

Applications close Monday 21 March 2016. We encourage last year’s unsuccessful applicants to apply again this year if they are still eligible.

The Prizes are an initiative of the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia.

For more information head to the Foundation’s website: www.stemcellfoundation.net.au/researchers/metcalf-prizes

Eureka Prizes open for nominations – $160,000 across 16 prizes

The ‘Oscars of Australian science’, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, celebrate research, science communication and journalism, leadership, and students.

This year, two new prizes recognise innovation in medical research and innovation in citizen science. The total prize pool is $160,000.

The 16 prizes will be announced and presented at a gala dinner on 31 August.

Nominations close 6 May. More at: http://australianmuseum.net.au/eureka

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science

Nominations open soon

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science reward excellence in scientific research, innovation and science teaching. The prizes include:

  • $250,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science
  • $250,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation
  • $50,000 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year
  • $50,000 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year
  • $50,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools
  • $50,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools

More at: www.science.gov.au/pmscienceprizes

L’Oréal For Women in Science Fellowships: for outstanding, young women scientists

Open 22 February

These Fellowships recognise outstanding early-career, female scientists; helping them consolidate their careers and rise to leadership positions in science. They are incredibly competitive with 240 nominations last year for the four $25,000 Fellowships for Australia and New Zealand.

L’Oréal Australia are coordinating the prizes in-house this year. We wish them well and thank them for the opportunity they gave us to help them create and grow these Fellowships over the past nine years. They’ll have a new website soon but for now visit www.loreal.scienceinpublic.com.au.

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.
Kind regards,
________

Niall Byrne

Creative Director
Science in Public

82 Hudsons Road, Spotswood VIC 3015
PO Box 2076 Spotswood VIC 3015

03 9398 1416, 0417 131 977

niall@scienceinpublic.com.au
twitter.com/scienceinpublic
www.scienceinpublic.com.au