Lisa Harvey-Smith has issued a call to action for International Women’s Day for a last minute push for nominations for the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science. Entries close on Tuesday and the initial entry process has been simplified. Lisa is an astrophysicist and Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador. More on this, the Eurekas, France and EU grants below.
Our own team (pictured) is packed with talented female scientists-turned-communicators. Meet them at our media training courses around the country.
Our Director of Engagement Tanya Ha has shared her insights from media training scientists on LinkedIn. Read on for more information about our courses and upcoming workshop dates. We also offer cost effective training packages for larger HDR groups.
Media training coming up in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra or design your own course.
Share your best science writing
NewSouth Publishing and the 2019 editor Bianca Nogrady are looking for the best written science stories from Australia’s writers to enter The Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing and The Best Australian Science Writing 2019 anthology.
A liquid water ‘lake’ on Mars, the oldest fossils, the newest ‘kilogram’, natural disasters around the world, our twisted Milky Way home, Australia on the path to eliminate cervical cancer, and saying goodbye to Stephen Hawking—just a taste of the science stories we’ve seen over the last year.
First prize is $7000. Two runners-up will each receive a prize of $1500.
All the shortlisted entries are included in The Best Australian Science Writing 2019, NewSouth’s annual collection featuring the finest Australian science writing of the year.
Entries can take the form of news stories, features, blogs, opinion pieces, poems, short stories, or book excerpts up to 7000 words. They’re after a mix of lengths, so send your shorts, your longs and everything in-between.
To be considered for the Prize and anthology, pieces must have been published or scheduled for publication in print or online anywhere in the world in 2018 or 2019. Authors must be Australian residents or Australian citizens living overseas. The closing date for entries is Sunday 31 March 2019.
Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science: nominations for the seven prizes are open—they range from the Prize for Science to a prize for New Innovators, and prizes for science teaching excellence. Entries close Tuesday 12 March. More information available on the website.
The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are now open. The categories are research and innovation, science engagement and school science. Entries close Friday 3 May. More here.
France and Europe Early and Mid-Career Research Mobility Grants Program: The Australian Academy of Science is offering mobility grants for Australian researchers to travel to conduct research with a French research organisation in the natural sciences, and European-based research organisations in chemistry and biology. Applications are due 9am Monday 8 April. More info online.
The Royal Society of Victoria Medal for Excellence in Scientific Research: The Medal is awarded to a scientist from one of four fields, which rotate annually. In 2019 the category is Earth Sciences. Opens Sunday 31 March. Read more here.
Rewind the future: Dr Jane Goodall tour this May
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” ― Jane Goodall
Primatologist and anthropologist Dr Jane Goodall has spent nearly 60 years studying the social and family interactions of chimpanzees, research she started at Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania in 1960.
Our science-loving friends at Think Inc are bringing this much-loved icon of animal welfare and conservation back to Australia this May:
Sydney: Wednesday 8 May
Melbourne: Saturday 11 May
Adelaide: Tuesday 14 May
Dr Goodall’s message is that shifts in our global climate are displacing chimpanzees and thousands of other species (including humans), and that we have the capacity, ability and responsibility to make a difference. She will share her perspectives on current environmental issues, what the future looks like for the inhabitants of our shared planet and what we can do to change the course of history.
Need to get your research out there? Find your story and your audience
Terrified of the media? Need to talk about your research but unsure how? Join us for our one-day media training workshop and get some help.
Join us for one of our courses coming up around the country:
Melbourne: Tuesday 9 April, Wednesday 29 May
Sydney: Wednesday 3 April, Tuesday 21 May
Adelaide: Tuesday 4 June
Perth: Tuesday 26 March
Canberra: Tuesday 16 April, Thursday 6 June
Darwin: Thursday 9 May
Hobart: To be confirmed
Other cities on demand.
Conveying the complexity of your research, your life’s work, into a 30-second grab for the media, or one-minute elevator pitch can be hard. The solution is to shape the essence of your science into a story.
We will help you find the right words to explain your research in a way that works for the media, as well as for government, industry and other stakeholders.
Two experienced science communicators will work with you to find the story in your research.
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 practice being interviewed in front of a camera and on tape.
The day’s insights and training will help you feel more comfortable in dealing with journalists when media opportunities arise.
NewSouth Publishing and the 2019 editor Bianca Nogrady are looking for the best written science stories from Australia’s writers to enter The Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing and The Best Australian Science Writing 2019 anthology.
Our science-loving friends at Think Inc are bringing this much-loved icon of animal welfare and conservation back to Australia this May:
We will help you find the right words to explain your research in a way that works for the media, as well as for government, industry and other stakeholders.