Science stakeholder bulletins

Fresh Science is open; National Science Week; prize reminders; events; and more

Fresh Science 2017 is seeking early-career researchers with a story to tell.

This national competition will offer 10 up-and-coming scientists in each state a day of media training, and the skills they need to present their work to the media, the public, schoolkids and at the pub.

If you know a colleague who you think could benefit from Fresh Science, encourage them to nominate.

Then join us later in the year to hear their stories and celebrate 20 years of Fresh Science.

More below.

National Science Week is almost upon us

1,800 events and activities are now registered for National Science Week, coming up from 12 to 20 August. That means that there’s plenty to choose from, but it’s also a great opportunity to promote your science.

Make sure you register your event, and let us help you shout about it. More below.

Also in this bulletin

And our upcoming media and engagement training dates

Do 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 our scheduled one-day courses around the country or talk to us about a customised course.

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

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Grants, prizes and funding worth $3 million+; where is chemistry going?; and what are your Science Week highlights?

More than $3 million worth of science prizes, fellowships, grants and awards are open for nominations over the next couple of months, from $5K for young engineers to two CSL Centenary Fellowships worth $1.25million each.

This week, the Metcalf Prizes for Stem Cell Research open—two $50,000 prizes for outstanding mid-career researchers working with stem cells in medicine, agriculture or any other field.

Read on for more.

We can help you make the most of Science Week

Last year, 1.3 million Australians got involved in 1,800 registered National Science Week events around the country. We’re the national publicists for Science Week, providing communication support for event organisers and briefing media outlets with tasty story leads.

If you have an event or topic you think has strong media potential, let us know and we’ll consider including it in our media releases and briefings. Email us at scienceweek@scienceinpublic.com.au.

And it’s not too late to create an event, or to register an existing event via www.scienceweek.net.au/event-holder-registration.

More below.

New media and engagement training dates

Do 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 our scheduled one day courses around the country or talk to us about a customised course. More below.

  • Sydney – 31 August
  • Melbourne – 1 August, 12 September
  • Canberra – 5 September
  • Adelaide – 19 September
  • Perth – 21 September

Also in this bulletin:

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What are you doing with China? Explore big data and open source publishing at Nature Springer events; a taste of Science Week; and more

Are you working with industry or university collaborators in China?

We’re creating a list of China-Australia research collaborations. We’re interested in everything from pure research collaborations to industry collaborations. We’ll share the results with the Australian Embassy in Beijing. More below.

Big data: big deal?

Big data, open data and open access publishing are hot topics. Beyond the buzzwords, what is the value for serious research? Springer Nature are holding a series of free symposia and networking events next week in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Hear from their Chief Publishing Officer Steven Inchcoombe, who believes science should be social and research should be read. Read on for details.

Get a piece of the Science Week action in August

Last year, 1.3 million Australians got involved in 1,800 registered National Science Week events around the country. It’s the prime time for open days, events and broad science engagement.

This year marks Science Week’s 20th birthday. International visitors include theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss, astronaut and ‘space oddity’ Chris Hadfield, and Simone Giertz, YouTube’s queen of ‘crappy’ robots.

Plus, IMPACT7 will see innovators compete to present the brightest ideas. There’s still time to nominate. And ‘Blood’ will be the inaugural exhibition at Melbourne’s new Science Gallery.

More below.

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Last chance to push your colleagues for the PM’s Prizes and others; Nature promoting Melbourne…

The deadline for this year’s Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science is next Wednesday. The first stage is relatively painless so please push your unsung heroes of science and innovation forward.

We know that most nominations happen because a peer or supervisor nudges the nominee forward. So nudge away. We’re especially keen to see a strong field for the early-career prizes. The Prize for New Innovators is great for young researchers who have science/engineering credibility and have made a commercial outcome possible.

And for the up-and-coming researchers with the gift of the gab, consider the Top 5 under 40 competition organised by the ABC and UNSW.

Here’s a list of dates for you:

More on all of these below.  [continue reading…]

The big one: $750,000 for science/innovation/teaching—nominations for the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science now open

Also in this bulletin: from the Academy to the ABC, a host of prizes; join Nature’s promotion of Australia’s science capital; and Alan Duffy on our training

Power and wealth untold—not quite—but the Prime Minister’s Prizes do wonders for your altmetrics. It’s time to put forward your unrecognised leaders and your rising stars.

Nominations are sought from industry and academia for the two major prizes worth $250,000 each and the $50,000 early to mid-career awards. It’s easy to nominate online and winning one of the awards really can be transforming.

“Winning this award is the single best thing that has happened in my career, and it clinched the success of my application for promotion to Professor,” says Angela Moles from UNSW of winning the 2013 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.

For Rick Shine, winning last year’s Prime Minister’s Prize for Science helped raise public awareness of his work protecting native animals from cane toads and helped him to secure more funding. And for Ingrid Scheffer, who won the top prize in 2014 along with Sam Berkovic, the award secured her place as a sought-after speaker on her research into epilepsy and on the topic of women in science.

More below.
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Saving lives by the million; improving cities with Al Gore; and a truckload of prizes, funding and other opportunities

There’s a host of opportunities to recognise and support your researchers this month, including:

World public health and Ecocity meetings coming up in April and July

Australians have gained 25 years, and China’s life expectancy has doubled. Public health has transformed millions of lives. But Australia is a hotspot for lifestyle-influenced diseases such as diabetes, alcohol-related liver damage, obesity, stress, and mental health challenges. We’re also facing an ageing population and a changing climate.

The World Congress on Public Health will be held in Melbourne from 3 to 7 April, bringing together academics and policy makers from universities and institutions around the world, including the World Health Organisation. Read on for details.

And from 12 to 14 July, Melbourne will host the Ecocity World Summit, focusing on sharing the best knowledge, research and practical solutions to ensure urbanisation meets the needs of current and future generations. Topics include climate change adaptation, smart cities, food and water security, energy, infrastructure and urban health. Read on for more information.

And there are opportunities to help share your science…  [continue reading…]

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

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:

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Going for gold – UK’s women in science experience; put your research in front of politicians diplomats, journos…

Women

Half of Australia’s science university students are women. So why are only 21 per cent of the professors teaching them women?

Forty Australian universities and other research organisations are signed up and working towards bronze Athena Swan accreditation for supporting women in science. What can they learn from the UK’s ten-year experience of addressing the ‘leaky pipeline’?

UK chemist Professor Tom Welton is in Australia to share how his team at the Imperial College London Chemistry Department achieved a gold Athena Swan Award for promoting gender equality.

His tour of events and workshops kicks off in Melbourne tomorrow. Next week he’s in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.

The tour is organised by the Science in Australia Gender Equity as part of their efforts to help their members tackle inequality and achieve Athena SWAN accreditation.
More below.

Stories

Has your team got an exciting discovery, invention, or other news you’d like to celebrate? Consider taking part 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. More below.  [continue reading…]

Tell us your stories of Australia-US collaboration; get your science noticed by those who matter; $4 million for citizen science; and media training

We’re looking for stories of Australia-US research collaborations for a collection for the Australian Embassy in Washington DC. Our focus will be on innovations that are close to a commercial application and/or has achieved a practical outcome for both nations. More below.

Earlier this year we asked for Indonesia and Japan story leads. Our collection of Stories of Australia-Indonesia Innovation has been published online. It features a better vaccine for rotavirus, the latest in the discovery of the Hobbit, and stories on how Australian research is supporting the transformation of Indonesia. It’s now available online. More below and read the stories here. Our 2015 Japan stories are here. And look out for Japan collaboration videos in the New Year.

We’re also calling for great stories to include in our 2017 publication of Stories of Australian Science. It’s an annual print and online publication, bringing together discoveries, prize-winners and top achievers in Aussie science, which we distribute all over the country and overseas. Prices start from $1,200. More below.

As funders start to incorporate altmetrics, good communication will become more important than ever. We now offer a range of communication, pitching and media training services. Our first dates for 2017 are out now. More below.

Grants for citizen science are now available from the Australian government. They’re handing out $4 million. The deadline is 17 February. More below.

We close this Wednesday 21 December and re-open on Wednesday 4 January.

Have a lovely Christmas and we look forward to more brilliant Australian science next year.

Kind regards,

Niall  [continue reading…]

Universities getting innovation right – the printed jet engine flies into Paris deal; replacing the needle and syringe; celebrating your innovation

Innovation successes for Australian universities.

Today I want to share with you news of some great examples of Australian universities getting innovation right.

Monash’s 3D printed jet engine technology has flown into a manufacturing collaboration in Toulouse – with their spin-out company Amaero making aerospace components for Safran Power Units. The Australian Ambassador to France launched the deal in Paris last night. More below.

And UQ researcher Mark Kendall is on track to replace the 160-year-old needle and syringe. He will be recognised in Parliament House in Canberra tonight with the CSL Young Florey Medal. His Nanopatch  uses a fraction of the dose, puts the vaccine just under the skin, and doesn’t require a fridge.

Spin-out company Vaxxas is running human trials in Brisbane and the WHO is planning a polio trial in Cuba in 2017. The Gates Foundation and Merck are also backing Mark.

Last week I was in Tokyo filming more successful innovations:

  • Griffith University is partnering with three Japanese companies in the search for malaria drugs.
  • The University of Melbourne’s Recaldent is repairing teeth worldwide thanks to their long term collaboration with Japanese dental company GC Corp.
  • Solar furnace technology from CSIRO and a South Australian company is being trialled by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Yokohama.
  • And Komatsu’s CEO told me about the giant robotic trucks that they’re developing with Rio Tinto for the ‘mine of the future’.

Talk to me if you’d like help telling your organisation’s stories of innovation:

  • We offer pitching, engagement, presentation, and media training.
  • We have the national and global connections to put your stories in front of the right audiences.
  • Our 2017 Stories of Australian Science is opening for submissions soon.

In this bulletin:

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