I’m in Tokyo talking about the Japanese collaborations we collected earlier this year. The result was a series of fact sheets for the Australian Embassy in Japan. This weekend we’re presenting them at Science Agora in Tokyo.

We’re talking about saving coral, predicting earthquakes, fighting malaria, exploring Antarctic oceans with elephant seals, sharing neutrons, new drugs for malaria, and the prehistory of tsunamis. More below.

Today I’m keen to hear of:

1. Japan – any new Australia-Japan achievements – where the research has or is making a real difference.
2. Indonesia – ways in which Australian science has changed Indonesia and vice versa. For example, Australian vets helped eradicate foot-and-mouth disease in Indonesia – benefiting agriculture in both countries.
3. Highlights of your best research in Australia and around the world for our 2016 Stories of Australian Science collection.

Also last night, and on breakfast TV and radio this morning, we’ve heard that exercise can reverse dementia and recover spatial memory – in mice so far, but human trials are due to start next year.

Perry Bartlett, the founding director of the Queensland Brain Institute, received the $50,000 CSL Florey Medal for his discoveries that have transformed our understanding of the brain.

The award was presented by Minister Sussan Ley at the AAMRI dinner in Parliament House. More below.

Kind regards,
Niall [continue reading…]

Tonight in the Great Hall of Parliament House, six of Australia’s best scientists and science teachers will receive the 2015 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science.

They are:

• Feeding the world, and asking where the wind went: Graham Farquhar (Australian National University)—Prime Minister’s Prize for Science.
• How trillions of bubbles earned billions for Australia: Graeme Jameson (University of Newcastle)—Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation.
• Making polymers with light: Cyrille Boyer (University of New South Wales)—Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year.
• Where are the plants and animals we want to conserve, and the invaders we want to control?: Jane Elith (University of Melbourne)—Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.
• Bringing students to science and space: Ken Silburn (Casula High School)—Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools.
• Improved primary science teaching at no extra cost: Rebecca Johnson (Windaroo State School)— Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools.

We’ll tweet photos and comments from the dinner this evening from @inspiringaus and @scienceinpublic.

2015 Prime Minister’s Prize winners with Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb (far left). L-R Ken Silburn, Rebecca Johnson, Cyrille Boyer, Jane Elith, Graham Farqhuar and Graeme Jameson

Brief citations below. For full citations, photos and videos go to www.scienceinpublic.com.au
Also in this bulletin:

• National Science Week 2016 – grants close Friday
• Clunies Ross Awards close 30 October
• New Early-Career Fellowship – Club Melbourne – $10,000 funding and networking opportunities to for future research leaders
• Melbourne Knowledge Week – 19 to 25 October – Back to the future, urban connectedness, speeddate a leader, the human library and more.
• Science in Public – planning, mentoring, communicating

Kind regards,

Niall

[continue reading…]

We can tell you all about the work of the Eureka Prize winners today – from tiny crystals shining a light on diseased cells, to salt batteries for renewable energy, and more.

The winners were announced at a fantastic dinner last night at the Sydney Town Hall, with hundreds of guests from science, business, government, and media.

Nicknamed the ‘Oscars of Australian science,’ these awards recognise researchers, leaders and communicators breaking new ground in their fields and inspiring those around them to follow suit.

There are also prizes for budding scientists or science communicators in the primary and secondary school sections. You can see the winner of the secondary prize Paige Bebee with her grandfather… on the front page of the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald this morning.

Also look out for the amazing winners and finalists of the Eureka Prize for Science Photography.

Press releases, videos and photos are all online and on twitter: @eurekaprizes @scienceinpublic, and #eureka15.

More below.

Also in this bulletin:

• Four $25,000 L’Oréal-UNESCO Fellowships announced – 8 September in Sydney
• Growing Science-Minded People – 14 September 2015
• Planning, mentoring, communicating: our services

If you’d like to find out more drop me a line.

Kind regards,

Niall

[continue reading…]

If you missed Neil deGrasse Tyson’s dance-moves on Q&A on Monday night and his insightful commentary on all things science, there’s still a chance to catch him at events in Melbourne tonight, or in Brisbane, Sydney or Canberra.

He’s here in Melbourne doing events for National Science Week – with other highlights including: astronaut Chris Hadfield; the woman who survived an overdose of 50 homeopathic sleeping pills; a live croc dissection; 40 remarkable women in science and more. And the RiAus has a special offer on Hadfield tickets.

There are already over 1,500 events registered for the week which kicks off Saturday 15 August. South Australia’s launch was last night, and there’s details on the other state launches below, and the national launch at dozens of schools nationwide.

More below.

[continue reading…]

A million Australians got involved in Science Week last year.

We’re working with the Inspiring Australia team to build the impact further over the next four years.

And we want to share the stories of exciting happenings around the country with the science world, the media, and the general public.

So, if you’re doing things and/or want to do more, please come to one of our briefing events in the coming weeks in:

• NSW on Tuesday 21 July at Business Events Sydney
• ACT on Friday 24 July at Canberra Innovation Network
• VIC on Thursday 30 July at the Royal Society of Victoria
• And we’ll do other States and Territories by demand.

If you’re holding an event, don’t forget to register it: www.scienceweek.net.au/event-holder-registration. Also tell your local media what you’re up to – they love local stories.

If there’s a national media angle let me know. And keep in touch with your state Science Week committee – contacts details at: www.scienceweek.net.au/contacts.

Also over the next two months:

We’ll be introducing you to our 2015 Fresh Scientists, and the Eureka Prize finalists.

We received over 170 nominations for Fresh Science this year, and you can meet our finalists at pub events around the country – more below.

The finalists for the 2015 Eureka Prizes will be announced next Friday. Keep an eye on Twitter #Eureka15 or @eurekaprizes for the announcement.

Also in this bulletin:

• 2015 Stories of Australian Science – out now
• Science prizes for women in science, inventors, innovators and more
• Media training dates – Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney

Kind regards,

Niall

[continue reading…]

More Fresh Science: We’re pleased to announce Fresh Science events in New South Wales and South Australia. They join Victoria, North Queensland, South Queensland and Western Australia.

So we have sixty places around the country. Please consider nominating any early career researchers you know who have a peer reviewed result and little or no media coverage.

We’re extending the deadline to Wednesday 1 July to give those in NSW and SA a bit more time.

Also aimed at early-career scientists are 12 Victorian Fellowships each worth $18,000. And the two $50,000 Victoria Prizes are also open for one more week.

Most science prize winners say they never would have considered nominating until pushed to do so by a colleague. So I encourage you to consider who deserves a push. Prizes can make a real difference to the careers of our best researchers.

Coming up: National Science Week – how will you celebrate science?

Also scholarships for health researchers, and a prize that recognises scientific courage: standing up for good, evidence-based science. It’s a UK prize open to Australians.

Kind regards,
Niall [continue reading…]

It’s time to push your best early-career scientists into Fresh Science 2015 for a wild ride of training, pub talks, and press. We’re holding the competition in most states and we’re ready for your nominations. More below.

And if you’re a little later in your career, don’t despair—we can teach you new tricks too. We are running media training courses in Melbourne and Sydney in the next month, with dates below.

Victorian Fellowships are open for early-career scientists and researchers. There are 12 available, each worth $18,000. And the $50,000 Victoria Prizes are available for established researchers whose work has benefited the community. And the ACT is looking for nominations for the first ACT Scientists of the Year. More below.

We’re injecting a bit of science into Melbourne’s celebration of the winter solstice, as part of the International Year of Light. Join us for luminous discussion and a focussed debate about LEDs, lasers, and the loss of the night, with two events at Fed Square in June. See more details below.

I’ll be in Canberra next week for the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Conference, celebrating 25 years of innovation since CRCs were established, and looking forward to the challenges of the next 25 years.

Kind regards,
Niall [continue reading…]

We’ll be calling for Fresh Science nominations next week. We want up-and-coming Aussie scientists with a story to tell.

We’re locked in for WA, Victoria and North Queensland and are hunting for support for Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Darwin. More below.

In other prize news:

Thanks to the 240 women who applied for a L’Oréal ANZ Fellowship. We’ve now selected the 19 finalists and will announce the final four Fellows in Sydney on Tuesday 8 September.

Now we’re looking for Australia’s next global L’Oréal-UNESCO Laureates—help us find and nominate female science leaders for 100,000 Euro and international prestige. More below.

Also:

• AMP wants more scientists to take a share in $1 million of grants
• Research Australia is looking for heroes of health and medical research
• The ACT now has its very own $30,000 science prize
• Recognition for leaders in physics
• And the two winners of the Metcalf Prizes for Stem Cell Research will be announced on Wednesday.

[continue reading…]

In this note:

• The $50,000 Metcalf Prizes for Stem Cell Research close on Monday
• The PM’s new $250,000 prize for the Commercial Application of Science is open; as are the other PM’s Science Prizes
• L’Oréal is looking for four women in Australia and New Zealand for their $25,000 Fellowships
• Science Meets Parliament gala dinner – tickets are still available
• Early-career researchers are meeting in Adelaide in April
• The world’s first printed jet engines – a fun story we helped Monash and their partners with
• And I’m looking for the best Australia-Japan science collaborators for a secret project (more on that below)

[continue reading…]