• Professor Dame Linda Partridge imagines a future in which we take a pill that reduces the impact of ageing. She’s the real deal and will be in the country in July.
• How do kids’ brains cope with disaster, disease and disability? An international conference starts in Brisbane on Sunday.
• Square Kilometre Array speculation — there could be a decision Saturday on whether Australia hosts the $2b radio telescope.

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Do you know any exceptional early career researchers with peer reviewed papers and potential to be a media star?

If so, consider nominating them for Fresh Science – a competition where we train them and throw them to the media lions – generating hundreds of stories.

More info on that below, and also:

• Put your science in front of pollies and journos
• 30 travel grants to Europe for PhD students via EMBL Australia
• Never miss a prize deadline – check our science prize calendar
• Forever young – growing old gracefully with science
• ‘The Sound of Breaking Glass’ – women in science news
• Women in Science Parliamentary Friendship Group
• Media training for scientists – Melbourne, Sydney (and maybe Adelaide)

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And what are the benefits for Australian research?

Today in Washington DC, the Australian Ambassador Kim Beazley will open a four day workshop with more than 60 US defence researchers and 33 Australian nanotechnology scientists.

The meeting, organised by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), will explore opportunities for collaboration in nanotechnology and nano-manufacturing.

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• Time to apply for the 2012 L’Oréal For Women in Science Fellowships – and now New Zealanders are invited to apply too;
• Prof Ingrid Scheffer receives her award at UNESCO HQ in Paris;
• last year’s Fellows – diving on the Great Barrier Reef, studying climate change in France and being recognised in The Age’s top 100   influential people; and
• A Women in Science and Engineering social group and a Women in Science Parliamentary Friendship Group

This is an occasional bulletin about L’Oréal’s For Women in Science program. [continue reading…]

Know a top scientist whose contribution hasn’t been recognised? Or an emerging leader in science? A couple of major science prizes are closing next week:

• the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, including the $300,000 main prize, two $50,000 prizes for early to mid-career scientists and two $50,000 prizes for science teachers
• the L’Oréal Australia & New Zealand For Women in Science Fellowships, worth $25,000 for three early-career women scientists
• next week – EMBL Australia will open a travel grant scheme to send our best young PhD students to an EMBL campus in Europe
• the Eureka Prizes, for research, scientific leadership and communication

[continue reading…]

Know a top scientist whose contribution hasn’t been recognised? Or an emerging leader in science? A couple of major science prizes are closing next week:

• the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, including the $300,000 main prize, two $50,000 prizes for early to mid-career scientists and two $50,000 prizes for science teachers
• the L’Oréal Australia & New Zealand For Women in Science Fellowships, worth $25,000 for three early-career women scientists
• next week – EMBL Australia will open a travel grant scheme to send our best young PhD students to an EMBL campus in Europe
• the Eureka Prizes, for research, scientific leadership and communication

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From time to time I write to highlight Australian science stories with an international angle.
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Vaccines to change the world – Australia’s role in a critical global health mission – immunising against deadly diseases

This forum marks the launch of Australia’s Role in the World, a partnership initiative between The Australian Institute of International Affairs, The University of Melbourne and UN Youth Australia to engage young people, academia and the wider public in debate about major global issues.

6:30-8:00pm, Thursday 22 March 2012 in the Spot Basement Lecture Theatre, 198 Berkeley St.

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See a $1.2 million high-containment laboratory opening tomorrow at 11 am in Sydney before they lock it up forever and start work with live TB.

The lab will speed up efforts to understand and fight back against tuberculosis (TB), a bacterium that lives inside two billion people worldwide and kills three people every minute. More below.

Also this week

• more on TB in Australia, Vietnam and China;
• the head of the global campaign to vaccinate 250 million children and save 4 million deaths (from a virus first discovered in Melbourne);
• And what does Nature think of Australian science? Are we number one in the Asia Pacific – probably not, but find out on Thursday – more below.
• L’Oreal Laureate to receive prize in Paris next week.

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