national science week
Australia’s biggest grassroots science celebration
Each year, National Science Week brings together an army of champions. Its success relies on widespread community and STEM sector support, with the majority of activities or events being independently created, managed, resourced and delivered. We’ve been the festival’s main publicist since 2015.
2025 highlights
10 years of science stories
In 2025, a record 2,594 registered Science Week events reached 3 million people, making it one of Australia’s largest festivals, supported by the Australian Government, CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association, and the ABC.
As the festival’s national publicist since 2015, Science in Public is privileged to help Science Week event organisers, big and small, find and tell their stories. Read a selection below.
Space farmers wanted!
ARC Centre for Excellence in Plants for Space enlists public help to grow extreme-environment microgreens…
Where are all the Christmas beetles?
Plight of beloved backyard critter turns a children’s theatre production into a headline-grabbing story. Giant…
Frog saunas and spa treatments fight deadly fungus
Green and golden bell frogs, renowned for a mating call that sounds like a motorbike…
Star Trek fan drives ‘positive space films’ festival
Filmmaker Masoud Varjavandi found strength watching Star Trek while growing up in a Baha’i family…
Can you save the world from a parasite pandemic?
Close to 1,000 members of the public entered a parasite escape room in a race…
About National Science Week
National Science Week is the annual opportunity for Australians to meet scientists, discuss hot topics, do science and celebrate its cultural and economic impact on society – from art to astrophysics, chemistry to climate change, and eco-forensics to future food.
First held in 1997, National Science Week has become one of Australia’s largest festivals, celebrated as a community-owned, grassroots initiative.
The festival’s backbone is coordination and a multi-strand funding program from the Australian Government, with state-based coordination and administration from eight state/territory National Science Week Coordinating Committees, and special initiatives run by partner organisations – CSIRO, ABC, and the Australian Science Teachers Association.
National Science Week 2026 runs from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 August
For news and updates, including how and when to register your National Science Week 2026 events, apply for grants and more, click below.
