The winners of the 2014 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are:
Sam Berkovic and Ingrid Scheffer have changed the way the world thinks about epilepsy. They will receive the $300 000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science. Their discoveries of the links between epilepsy and genes have opened the way to better targeted research, diagnosis, management and treatment for many forms of epilepsy. Laureate Professor Sam Berkovic AC and Professor Ingrid Scheffer AO are associated with the University of Melbourne, the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, and Austin Health. Read citation in full.[continue reading…]
Sam Berkovic and Ingrid Scheffer have changed the way the world thinks about epilepsy, the debilitating condition that affects about 50 million people.
Twenty years ago doctors tended to regard most forms of epilepsy as acquired rather than inherited. In other words, they believed epilepsy was mostly due to injury: the result of things like a crack on the head in a car accident, a bad fall in the playground, a tumour, or something having gone wrong in labour. Parents felt responsible, and the resulting guilt was enormous. [continue reading…]
Genes are not enough to explain the difference between a skin cell and a stem cell, a leaf cell and a root cell, or the complexity of the human brain. Genes don’t explain the subtle ways in which your parents’ environment before you were conceived might affect your offspring. [continue reading…]
Forty per cent of the energy consumed by industry is used to separate things—in natural gas production, mineral processing, food production, pollution control. The list is endless. Each offers an application for Matthew Hill’s crystals. He has demonstrated that the space inside metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)—the world’s most porous materials—can be used as an efficient and long-lasting filter. [continue reading…]
From the moment students step into ‘Mr Mac’s Lab’, they’re greeted by dinosaurs, skeletons, spacecraft and a model galaxy that hovers overhead. Their eyes can’t help but gravitate towards the huge solar system at the back of the room. No matter where they look, Geoff McNamara wants his students learn something about science—whether the students realise they’re learning or not. [continue reading…]
At Seacliff Primary School in Adelaide’s south, Brian Schiller’s students are describing states of matter, mixing of materials, and products of chemical reactions—in Japanese.
It’s just one way that Brian is creatively using science to enhance student learning in a range of curriculum areas.
“Science can be a basis for teaching many different subjects, such as language, music, numeracy, reading and writing,” he says. “Students can play and create, and relate their learning to the world around them.
“When my students are given practical experiences and a chance to learn through being active, they are then motivated to plan their paths of enquiry, present their ideas and then write about their discoveries. A good primary science class develops maths skills, language, and problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. The children and their learning are the focus of the classroom, and they inspire each other to such a great extent.”
Brian nurtures this creativity through student-initiated investigations, where the students bring the questions and Brian guides them in setting up investigations to get the answers.
But it’s not just the answers that Brian wants his students to get. It’s the ability to use their imaginations to ask “what if…?” or “why does…?” and to be able to find their own way to an answer using ‘fair testing’ and experimental controls.
For his contributions to science teaching and for taking it in new creative directions, Mr Brian Schiller has been awarded the 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools.
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Media and communication training
Full day hands-on workshops in small groups. Practise interviews with journalists. Find your key messages. Handle tricky questions. Learn how to ensure your research is reported accurately.
Sarah's structure of the course, specific insight and understanding of science, her contacts and common mistakes made in communication were great and furthered my skills in this area.
Anonymous - Sydney Jan 2020
Science In Public
2020-01-28T15:04:28+11:00
Anonymous - Sydney Jan 2020
Sarah's structure of the course, specific insight and understanding of science, her contacts and common mistakes made in communication were great and furthered my skills in this area.
This is one of the best science communication courses I have ever encountered. It teaches all research to think out of box and really simplify their research in lay man's language. I will highly recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about science communication.
Shwathy Ramesh
Science In Public
2020-02-24T09:29:55+11:00
Shwathy Ramesh
This is one of the best science communication courses I have ever encountered. It teaches all research to think out of box and really simplify their research in lay man's language. I will highly recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about science communication.
Sufficient time given to work one-on-one with each participant. TV, radio and newspaper given sufficient weight. Practical, informative and professional
Anonymous - Gold Coast May 2021
Science In Public
2022-09-05T12:59:42+10:00
Anonymous - Gold Coast May 2021
Sufficient time given to work one-on-one with each participant. TV, radio and newspaper given sufficient weight. Practical, informative and professional
Good mix in terms of topics covered, people invited and media coverage. This course will make me more comfortable and I believe it will improve my confidence about myself and how I talk about my work in front of media.
FEnEX CRC, December 2021
Science In Public
2022-09-05T13:01:49+10:00
FEnEX CRC, December 2021
Good mix in terms of topics covered, people invited and media coverage. This course will make me more comfortable and I believe it will improve my confidence about myself and how I talk about my work in front of media.
Sarah is an amazing instructor. She has looked after each of the participants very well. I really like her style. Thank you to all team for a valuable training session.
Seyhan Yazar, Garvan Institute of Medical Reseearch
Science In Public
2022-09-05T13:02:58+10:00
Seyhan Yazar, Garvan Institute of Medical Reseearch
Sarah is an amazing instructor. She has looked after each of the participants very well. I really like her style. Thank you to all team for a valuable training session.
Pushed me to finesse/develop a pitch, find an edge that will facilitate communicating my research findings. The real world experience/opportunity for interviews was exceptionally helpful
Megan Bater
Science In Public
2022-09-05T13:06:38+10:00
Megan Bater
Pushed me to finesse/develop a pitch, find an edge that will facilitate communicating my research findings. The real world experience/opportunity for interviews was exceptionally helpful
The day was a great balance of topics and presented in an approachable and friendly style that was very inclusive. It was a fantastic and informative session that will really help me day-to-day in the communications work I do.
Ben Westmoreland, 2022
Science In Public
2022-09-05T13:07:28+10:00
Ben Westmoreland, 2022
The day was a great balance of topics and presented in an approachable and friendly style that was very inclusive. It was a fantastic and informative session that will really help me day-to-day in the communications work I do.