Each year the Australian Government honours Australia’s best scientists, innovators, and science teachers through the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science.
The 2018 winners were announced at a prize ceremony in Canberra on Wednesday 17 October.
Media materials for the PM’s Prize winners are available below. Contact Niall on 0417 131 977 or via email at niall@scienceinpublic.com.au to arrange interviews with the winners.
Read more about the history of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science and all past recipients at the Australian Government’s Science website.
Rick Shine (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Northern Australia’s peak predators—snakes and lizards—are more likely to survive the cane-toad invasion thanks to the work of Professor Richard Shine. [continue reading…]
Michael Aitken (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Global stock markets are fairer and more efficient thanks to the work of Professor Michael Aitken. Now he’s applying his information technology and markets know-how to improve health, mortgage, and other markets. He says there are billions of dollars of potential savings in health expenditure in Australia alone, that can go hand in glove with significant improvements in consumers’ health. [continue reading…]
Colin Hall (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Dr Colin Hall and his colleagues have created a new manufacturing process that will allow manufacturers to replace components made from traditional materials like glass, in cars, aircraft, spacecraft, and even whitegoods—making them lighter and more efficient. [continue reading…]
Richard Payne (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Richard Payne makes peptides and proteins. He sees an interesting peptide or protein in nature, say in a blood-sucking tick. Then he uses chemistry to recreate and re-engineer the molecule to create powerful new drugs, such as anti-clotting agents needed to treat stroke. [continue reading…]
Kerrie Wilson (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
What is the value of the services that ecosystems provide—services such as clean air, water, food, and tourism? And what are the most effective ways to protect ecosystems? Where will governments get the best return on their investment in the environment? These questions are central to the work of Associate Professor Kerrie Wilson. [continue reading…]
Suzy Urbaniak (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Geoscientist Suzy Urbaniak combined her two loves—science and education—by becoming a science teacher 30 years after finishing high school. But she couldn’t believe it when she saw how little the teaching styles had changed over the years. [continue reading…]
Gary Tilley (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Gary Tilley is mentoring the next generation of science and maths teachers to improve the way these subjects are taught in the classroom. [continue reading…]
Announced Wednesday 21 October 2015
This post includes: media call information, summary of recipients and links to the full profiles, photos and videos.
Prizes were announced at a press call: 12.30 pm Wednesday 21 October 2015, Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra with the winners, and the Chief Scientist.
Dinner: from 7 pm 21 October, Great Hall Parliament House
The winners are:
Read on for more about the 2015 winners.
22 October 2015
Parliament House, Canberra
Prime Minister
E&OE
Address to Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science Dinner | Prime Minister of Australia
Well, thank you very much, Christopher, and can I say right at the outset, before I embark on the extravagant praise that is due to Ian Chubb, can I second the remarks that Christopher made about his predecessor in the industry and science portfolio, Ian Macfarlane.
L-R: Graham Farquhar, Ken Silburn, Chief Scientist Ian Chubb, Rebecca Johnson, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Minister Christopher Pyne, Jane Elith, Graeme Jameson, Cyrille Boyer (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science)
Graham Farquhar (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Graham Farquhar
Life on land depends on plants. Every plant balances opening its pores to let in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis; and closing its pores to retain water. [continue reading…]
Professor Graeme Jameson
Graeme Jameson (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Graeme Jameson’s technologies use trillions of bubbles to add billions of dollars to the value of Australia’s mineral and energy industries. [continue reading…]
A/Prof Cyrille Boyer
Cyrille Boyer (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Cyrille Boyer uses light to make new and complex polymers.
It’s the latest in a series of techniques that have enabled him to create materials which are being applied in areas as widespread as non-stick coatings, anti-fouling technology, precision drug delivery, medical diagnosis and imaging. [continue reading…]
Jane Elith
Jane Elith (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Jane Elith is one of the most influential environmental scientists in the world, though she rarely ventures into the field. [continue reading…]
Ken Silburn
Ken Silburn (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Fifteen years ago Casula High School was just an average state school in Sydney’s south-western suburbs with just eight students doing science at year 12. But something extraordinary has happened. Two-thirds of Year 11 and 12 students now choose science subjects and they are performing well above the state average. [continue reading…]
Rebecca Johnson
Rebecca Johnson (Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
Fifteen years ago Rebecca Johnson, from Windaroo State School, initiated a new method for teaching science more effectively in primary schools without costing the government anything extra. [continue reading…]
The prize videos are available here from 12.30 pm on Wednesday 21 October 2015.
They use just the voice of the winner plus overlay of them and colleagues at work. Videos are available for download via FTP (with and without music) and are also available on YouTube.
21 October 2015
Prime Minister
Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
The Hon. Christopher Pyne MP
An Australian National University professor whose work has transformed our understanding of the world’s most important biological reaction – photosynthesis – is one of the recipients of the prestigious Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, announced today.