Science is a key driver of economic and cultural change. But our leaders seem to have forgotten that in 2014. So we need a big push in 2015.

Here in my last note for the year are a few of the tools you can use in 2015 to promote Australian science to Australians and to international audiences.

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Last night in the Great Hall of Parliament House, six of Australia’s best scientists and science teachers received the 2014 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science.

The recipients of this year’s prizes are:

• Sam Berkovic and Ingrid Scheffer, Prime Minister’s Prize for Science – The genetics of epilepsy: bringing hope to families
• Matthew Hill, Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year – Australian crystals set to take over industry
• Ryan Lister, Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year – Regulating genes to treat illness, grow food, and understand the brain
• Geoff McNamara, Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools – A taste of real-world science to take to the real world
• Brian Schiller, Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools – Combining play, science and language

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The Prime Minister will present his 2014 Prizes for Science this evening in Canberra.

The winners are from Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra.

There is an embargoed media briefing at 12 noon today in the Great Hall at Parliament House and the embargo lifts at 5 pm.

Full details at www.scienceinpublic.com.au/prime-ministers-prize. But you’ll need to call or email me for the password on 0417 131 977 or niall@scienceinpublic.com.au

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This is my latest occasional bulletin of useful bits and pieces for the science world.

Firstly, a bunch of opportunities for early-career researchers.

A $25,000 prize will be awarded to an early-career biomedical researcher who is contributing in a unique and creative way to their chosen field. Applications close 20 October 2014. More below.

Jobs for our future leaders are also available at the ARC Centre for Advanced Molecular Imaging which is being launched today. This partnership between five Australian universities and an impressive list of infrastructure partners will provide a new way of looking at the immune system. More below.

The jobs at the Centre are among seven new EMBL Australia Group Leader positions currently open at Monash, UNSW and SAHMRI – offering early-career researchers up to nine years funding and allowing them the security to tackle the big questions. [continue reading…]

Today: discover the Eureka Prize finalists

Tonight: Eureka winners announced – if you’re not at the dinner follow us for the announcements (@eurekaprizes and @scienceinpublic)

Saturday: listen to Suzanne Cory’s ABC Boyer Lecture on science and a health society

Monday through Wednesday: using the Year of Light to promote science – briefings in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane

Monday night: Join Q&A with Tony Jones and a science panel

Also in this bulletin:

• Selling science: Nature, Q&A, Boyer lectures and Research America
• Up to nine years secure funding – EMBL Australia Group Leaders wanted in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide
• Genes, flies and crystals: introducing the 2014 L’Oréal Fellows
• Science in Public – planning, mentoring, communicating

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• Today: a singing prayer bowl has inspired an ANU scientist to re-think the way that solar cells are designed.
• Today to Wednesday evening: Eureka Prize finalists available for interview.
• Wednesday night: the 2014 Eureka Prize winners are announced at a grand dinner at Sydney Town Hall.
• Also revealed on Wednesday: the top science photograph for 2014, available for publication along with all the highly commended photos, including this one: The face of a Moth, by Ralph Grimm.

And finally, a quick thank you to everyone at Radio Australia for your interest in our stories over the years. We were shocked by the scale of the cuts and wish everyone leaving the best. Our friends in CSIRO have also taken big cuts including some 40 communication jobs.  [continue reading…]

A mixed bag of things this week.

Clunies Ross nominations are open to 29 August for superstars of applied science and technology.

Research Australia’s annual philanthropy conference kicks off in Melbourne on 19 August. Hot topics will include: the fundraising impact of debate on the medical research trust fund; how Cancer UK raised $830 million in a year.

Tomorrow in Melbourne you can meet the Science Editor of The Economist at an informal lunch I’m hosting at the University of Melbourne. Geoff Carr is here for AIDS2014 and has time on his last day in town to chat about science and The Economist.

You can also meet leaders of AIDS2014 at a public forum at the Melbourne Town Hall tomorrow. The panel is Nobel Laureate Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, Salim Karim, Sharon Lewin, Matt Sharp and Leslie Cannold. More at the venue’s website.

A woman in the USA recently had a growth of mucus-producing nasal cells removed from her spine – the result of failed stem cell therapy. It’s a reality-check on where we’re at with stem cell science, but also feeds our imagination about its possibilities. Two stem cell pioneers will be speaking in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne about the potential, the reality, and the dangers of stem cell therapy. They are Irv Weissman, who discovered human blood-forming stem cells, and Ann Tsukamoto, a leader in the commercial development of stem cell medicine.

Also PhD top-up grants in physics, chemistry and biology at the new ARC Imaging Centre of Excellence.

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“This award is the single best thing that has happened in my career – if you are eligible, I strongly encourage you to apply.” Angela Moles, winner of the 2013 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.

It’s the final week of nominations for the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science including the two early/mid-career prizes. Each is worth $50,000, but they contribute much more than cash to the careers of the winners.

Angela says, “I have gone from being a relatively anonymous person both on campus and within Australian science to being very widely known. It is hard to quantify the benefits of this sort of exposure, but I can tell you that there is a certain peace of mind associated with knowing that your head of school, dean, and even people in the Australian Research Council and Australian Academy of Sciences know who you are, what you do, and are pleased with what you are doing.”

Read more from Angela, as well as details on nominating for the Prime Minister’s Prizes below.

Other prizes open now include:

• Research Australia’s $80,000 Prize for Research Excellence and Research Awards closing 1 July
• $50,000 Western Australian Premier’s Science Award and prizes for leaders, early-career, students, and science engagement closing 13 June
• The Victoria Prize for Science & Innovation with two $50,000 prizes for leaders closing 5 June
• The Victoria Fellowships with twelve $18,000 early-career travel grants closing 5 June
• Prizes and medals from the Australian Institute of Physics for leaders in science, industry, education and service closing 31 May
• Twelve chemistry awards in academia, education, distinction and young chemists from RACI closing 30 June.

More details on all of these below.

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Are you or your researchers keen to speak up for science? Now more than ever we need to hear stories of science, how science has made an impact and changed our lives. We need to see and hear from passionate researchers who are making a difference.

In this bulletin I’m focussing on training, prizes and showcasing science.

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