Author Archives: Tom Carruthers

Nominate an Unsung Hero for 2022

Posted on by
Reply

The Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication is an initiative of the Australian Science Communicators. The award recognises our heroes in science communication who have not yet had the recognition they deserve.

Nominations are now open for the 2022 Unsung Hero Award of Australian Science Communication.

Nominate a peer via this form.

UPDATE: Nominations close at 9 AM AEDT on Monday 06 February 2023.

The award will be announced at the ASC Conference in Canberra, 16 February 2023.

Previous recipients have been Jen Martin (2019), Kylie Andrews (2017), Geoff Crane (2016), Kylie Walker (2015), Frankie Lee (2014) and Craig Cormick (2013).

The award was relaunched by the 2011 National Executive, realigned from the previous ‘Unsung Hero of Science’ award (read some background here).

Criteria

The criteria for nomination for the Unsung Hero Australian Science Communication are:

  1. Nominees (an individual or group) must be currently residing in Australia and actively engaged in the Australian science communication sector, interpreted broadly to include, but not limited to, pursuits such as:
    • teaching or outreach (in science or science communication),
    • broadcasting or reporting on science,
    • script and book writing on science or science communication,
    • science promotion,
    • policy advice or program development in the sciences,
    • health or climate communication,
    • research into science communication, and
    • interpretation of science within cultural institutions.
  2. The work the nominee must have been carried out and had an impact in Australia. Impact can be relevant to a range of areas, including but not limited to:
    • contributing to the public or decision-makers’ understanding of science, 
    • increasing the science sector’s value or quality of science communication,
    • improving the practice of science communication,
    • improving policy within the science or science communication sector via advocacy or advice, or
    • increasing the appreciation decision makers have for science communication expertise.
  3. Nominees should have not yet received significant recognition for their contribution to science or science communication. 
    • Minor awards or scholarships are not considered significant recognition, but recognition such as the Eurekas awards, OAMs, honorary doctorates, fellowships, being published in collections such as the ‘Best Australian Science Writing’, or having a large national public profile for their specialist topic would be considered exclusionary.
    • This will intentionally rule out many popular science communicators or journalists. 
    • This will also mean the nominee may be largely unknown within the Australian Science Communicators membership. 
  4. The nominee’s contribution has been so significant over a period of time (at least several years) that they should by now have been recognised. 

Notes:
The award may be made to a nominee whose work is across many fields, but the science communication component of their work must be highly significant.

Nominators should give careful consideration to what counts as impact in science communication and demonstrate that in their nomination. For example:

  • A science communication professional working for a Government or Government-funded entity may score better if it is demonstrated that their strategic leadership led to positive change for the sector (e.g. changes in public or decision-maker attitudes or behaviours).
  • A prolific communication researcher may score better if it were demonstrated that they conducted outreach within the sector to facilitate the translation of their work into practice.
  • A scientist who communicates may score better if it were demonstrated that their contribution to science communication as a practice was significant and unrecognised.

Benefits of the award

Ideally, the award will assist the recipient in their work by publicising their unseen efforts in the field and leading to broader awareness within the Australian Science Communicators and the public. The award may also focus attention on the importance of their endeavour, give them greater credibility or help them overcome barriers. The award may also assist career progression or facilitate further recognition via other awards, fellowships, etc.

Recipients will have their citation presented at the Gala Dinner, receive a certificate, and be recorded on the Australian Science Communicators website. Past recipients have also received press coverage of their award.

Selection Process

Selection is based primarily on the written information provided on the nomination form by the nominator. The committee may access the public record to verify whether a nominee is eligible (e.g. have they already been recognised by another award), but will not consider projects or impacts not included in the nomination form.

A selection committee of representatives convened by the Executive Committee from the Australian Science Communicators will assess all nominations and determine the award recipient. In rare instances, the selection committee may request further information from nominators before making their final decision.

The Australian Science Communicators reserves the right to make no awards should the judges consider that the quality of candidates does not warrant awards, or should the nominated candidate(s) not satisfy the selection criteria.

Requirements for Award Nomination

The nominator must be a financial member of the Australian Science Communicators, but the nominee need not be a member. While not essential, the nominator should first consult with the nominee and any referees prior to the application.

Each nomination must comprise a fully completed award nomination form.

Science meets Parliament

Posted on by
Reply

As part of being an STA member organisation, we have the opportunity to send delegate representatives to Science Meets Parliament. We are looking for expressions of interest from members interested in participating.

Express your interest

Science Meets Parliament is Australia’s most powerful vehicle for deep engagement between the STEM sector and policymakers.

This event offers a program of bespoke training to forge deeper connections between federal Parliamentarians and those working in science, technology and, now, science communication. This is an opportunity to build relationships and bring scicomm expertise more deeply into the service of the nation.

Science Meets Parliament will be delivered in two ways: 

  • ONLINE: a three-day online training program to equip attendees with advanced skills in policy engagement, communications, advocacy and influence; and
  • ON THE HILL: a high-energy ‘Science Meets Parliament 2023: On The Hill’ one-day in-person event in Canberra featuring a National Press Club address, National Gala Dinner in the Great Hall of Parliament, scientist meetings with MPs and Senators, an exhibition and advanced training.

ASC is able to send 3 delegates to represent the organisation and scicomm with a potential opportunity to have a meeting with a Member of Parliament in person on the day. On top of this, we’re able to send further ASC members as ‘general delegates’. With early bird registrations closing on Jan 27, we want to select members by Jan 25th to ensure people can purchase at the early bird discount. If we have further submissions after this date, we will review them case-by-case to provide support to the event.

The ASC delegated positions will be chosen based on: 

  1. Interest in representing the ASC and its key messages during the event
  2. Diversity
  3. Financial need

There is a fee associated with attending that the ASC are currently not in a position to cover, however there are discounts for early birds, early career researchers (<9yrs post PhD) and scholarships for First Nations, LGBTIQA+, Regional and remote, Technology, Disability and Neurodivergent.

ASC Delegated prices: 

  • Early Career Researchers ONLINE  – $650
  • Early Career Researchers ONLINE & ON THE HILL – $1200
  • STA Members ONLINE – $850 
  • STA Members ONLINE & ON THE HILL – $1400

General delegate:

  • Early Career Researchers ONLINE  – $650
  • Early Career Researchers ONLINE & ON THE HILL – $1200
  • ONLINE – $1050 
  • ONLINE & ON THE HILL – $1600

If you are interested in participating, please fill in this form as soon as you can.

THE FORM

2023 conference tickets now available

Posted on by
Reply

Tickets for the 2023 February conference are now available on the membership website. Now’s the time to grab that early bird ticket – they automatically run out on 31 December.

Keep an eye out for the abstract submission form in the coming days. There will a range of talk, panel, workshop and other engagement options. Note that for an abstract to be considered for the program, the presenters will need to have a valid, full program conference ticket.

For more details, head to the event page.

The ASC is now an STA Member

Posted on by
Reply

As part of our strategic review, we have been seeking opportunities to increase the public value and relevance for ASC membership.

Over several conferences and meetings across the past 3 years, the ASC has considered becoming a member of Science Technology Australia (STA). Earlier this year we again discussed this at a National Council meeting, where we considered the benefits and sought to identify the costs associated.

This process has been finalised and we can now announce that the Australian Science Communicators is now a full member of STA.

This brings with it benefits to our members in terms of having access to expert briefings on government budget and legislation implications for the sector, further connection to the STEM network in Australia, and, importantly, representation at the table to raise communications issues that we as an organisation feel are important.

There are also direct member benefits, such as having access to Science Meets Parliament or other STA-run programs.

One such program is available now to members – but expires Monday 7 so if you wish to engage, hurry and put in an application.

We will provide more update on the STA membership at the AGM.

STEP UP AS A STEM AMBASSADOR

Want to serve Australia’s scientific community and deepen your knowledge of how science can engage effectively with policymakers? Get your application in to STA now for the prestigious STEM Ambassadors program.

Applications close 9am AEDT Monday 7 November 2022.

This innovative program was created by STA in 2019, and has since trained 41 STEM Ambassadors matched with MPs and Senators.

In this new program intake, another 25 MPs and Senators from across the breadth of the Parliament have asked for a STEM Ambassador for 2023-24.

The STEM Ambassadors are drawn from Science & Technology Australia’s member organisations and come from a diverse range of academic backgrounds and interests.

STEM sector professionals who are members of STA member organisations are encouraged to apply for the program directly via the application link above.

Join the inaugural ASC Honours and Masters Research Symposium

Posted on by
Reply

We would like to invite members and non-members to join us for the inaugural Masters and Honours Research Symposium on 16 November, featuring students researching science communication presenting their work.

The Symposium

This online symposium will see students present their research to the SciComm community, with the opportunity for moderated questions and discussion afterwards.

Check out our program below and register now to secure your spot in the audience.

A careers networking event

The symposium will conclude with a networking event where attendees will hear from people who might answer the ‘What’s next?’ question that poses many students as they finish their degree. Featuring four professionals across a range of careers, this event will offer practical advice and tips for progressing your career.

This will be relevant for students starting their professional career in SciComm, as well as those who are early in their career and potentially considering a future role change. Get to know our panellists in the section below.

Register for one or both sessions on Zoom

About the Honours and Masters Research Symposium

There are not many opportunities for students completing science communication research to present, and even less if you’re not a PhD student. Over the coming years, we are going to change this with symposia like this one, so as to support the community by providing an opportunity for these students to present to peers in both Australia and Aotearoa, New Zealand. It is our view that while a student gains valuable skills in the process of conducting a research project, it is the whole SciComm community who benefits most by having access to up-to-date data to inform our practice. We encourage more individuals to engage with SciComm research.

We intend to make this an annual event that encourages students to develop confidence in presenting and provides the community with a yearly snapshot of current research in ANZ. We will record all presentations and upload them to the ASC YouTube page with the intention that students are able to use these videos as examples of their presentation ability, something we’ve noticed has become more and more valuable to have.

Please encourage and inform your networks and any interested individuals to engage with this free event.

Program

4:00pm AEDT Symposium begins
4:15pm AEDT Ventures in the vocabulary of viral variation
Lucy Campbell (Bachelor of Science (Honours), Australian National University)

This presentation will explore how SARS-CoV-2 variants were named and framed in news media communication, in the time surrounding the introduction of the Greek letter variant labeling system.
4:50pm AEDT Identifying obstacles to remove them: Including people living with a disability
Tam Pinkerton (Bachelor of Science, Honours in Science Communication, University of Western Australia)

We know that multiple barriers exist that frustrate people living with a disability who are participating in citizen science. Identifying these obstacles is important for designing inclusive projects that have better outcomes.
5:25pm AEDT ‘It’s Kind of Alienating’; Queer relationships with science
Clare Boon (Masters of Science Communication, University of Western Australia)

Science communication has a diversity problem. Despite doing its best to address this, there is one group they have failed to include; the queer community. This research looks at the lived experience of queer people at university and how their experiences with science has led them to their area of study. It aims to unpack the ways science feels unwelcoming to queer individuals.
6:00pm AEDT Career Night begins
MC’d by Jenni Metcalfe, we will hear a short snippet from of the individuals, detailing their career story:
– Dr Cobi Calyx, postdoctoral fellow
– Mike McRae, freelance science writer
– Tanaya Joshi, impact and communications
– Duncan McIntyre, energy and policy
6:30pm AEDT Open Q&A
6:50pm AEDT Opportunity for more personal interactions via breakout rooms
7:30pm AEDT Event ends

About our Career Night panellists

Jenni Metcalfe, our MC for the night, is a science communicator who loves to: find, tell and share people’s stories; help scientists use the right communication strategies to truly engage people; and train and mentor scientists and others involved in science to communicate. She is passionate about facilitating positive changes to people’s lives and the environment they live in. She has been working as a science communicator since she joined CSIRO in 1989. From late 1995 Jenni has been operating the science communication consultancy, Econnect Communication. Jenni is a foundation member of Australian Science Communicators and was President 2006-2007, when she co-chaired the World Conference of Science Journalists in Melbourne. Jenni’s vision is to ‘bring science to life’.

Dr Cobi Calyx joined the Centre for Social Impact at UNSW as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 2019, after graduating from her ANU PhD in science communication and deliberative democracy in 2018. She has earlier qualifications in health promotion, international studies and journalism, as well as experience with Australian Aid-funded projects in Asia and the Pacific. During her PhD she was a Visiting Scholar at Melbourne Law School and taught in Masters courses in the University of Melbourne on interdisciplinarity, environment and global governance. Dr Calyx has more than a decade of experience working at the intersection of environmental governance, science communication, health promotion and disaster response. She has been employed in governance organizations ranging from the UN in Geneva to state environment and disaster response agencies.

Mike McRae has been writing science for over a decade, working with CSIRO, the ABC, and the Australian Museum to educate, inform, and entertain. His interest in the social side of science features in his books Tribal Science: Brains, Beliefs, and Bad ideas, and Unwell: What makes a disease a disease?

Tanaya Joshi is the Impact and Communications Officer at Earthwatch Australia, an international research charity which focuses on using citizen science to empower people for climate action. Holding a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) and Masters of Environment and Sustainability, she is passionate about creating positive impact through the effective communication of science. Tanaya has worked as a media manager with national science festival Pint of Science, a science communicator for boutique agencies, and is a freelance science and culture writer at SAARI, a South Asian publication creating diverse media.

Duncan McIntyre heads the Energy Division at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). He is responsible for the oversight and development of Australian Government energy and energy efficiency programs and policies, and the advancement of Australia’s energy interests through international engagement. Duncan has held senior leadership positions in the Australian Government for more than twenty years, in agencies including: Industry, Science, Energy and Resources; Prime Minister and Cabinet; Communications; and Finance. He has tertiary qualifications in science, communications, and public administration and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). Duncan has a long association with science communication and Questacon, as an Explainer at Questacon from 1987, in the Questacon Science Circus in 1996, and acting as Deputy Secretary responsible for Questacon in 2021. He has a passion for science, communication, and balls of flaming cornflour.

The strategic review: where we’re up to

Posted on by
Reply

If you’ve kept up with our SCOPE newsletters and other communications activity over the past 9 months, you’d know that the ASC Executive have been running a structured discovery-led strategic review process. This has been the primary purpose of our work in 2022, and we’ve made some significant progress.

We wanted to share an update of where we are up to with this piece of work, what’s next, and a short outline of where we hope to be in the coming months.

Discovery

Initially envisioned as a series of working groups, this shifted into a series of facilitated open and closed roundtables with members and friends of the ASC. Through this process we’ve been addressing questions on what the core value of the ASC is to members, what kind of role we should play in the sector more broadly, and how to better support local activity.

We further supplemented these sessions with a suite of interviews of key stakeholders, some directed surveys, and desktop-research into our archives to understand past efforts.

While we feel we have a reasonably good grasp of the member sentiment currently, we recognise that not everyone was able to attend the roundtables or a personal interview. It is still fundamentally important to this process that we capture as many views on what the ASC could and should be into the future.

To that end, the team have put together a survey to ensure that there’s the opportunity to capture your thoughts. The survey touches on the general themes covered by the roundtables, along with some additional concepts prompted by our archive investigations.

We are keen for as many members and stakeholders of the ASC to fill in the form. Note that if you’ve already attended the roundtables, we’ve included the ability to skip over parts where you’ve already had your say.

Click here to go to the form.

The form is not limited to ASC members, so please share it with any who you think have an interest in the ASC.

The form will close on 1 November 2022, so get your responses in by then.

Development

Through October to December, the Executive team will be digesting all of the insights gained via discovery, and formulating our point of view on the future direction of the organisation. Building on that, we expect we will have a drafted guiding strategy document, with recommendations for a suite of constitution changes by the end of the year.

We’re also hoping to document a suite of overviews on the various discovery phase outcomes. By creating this archive, we hope that this will help simplify the role for future executive committees in their strategy development.

It is worth noting that the AGM will be held in November, and with that we are expecting some minor changes in the executive team. As such, we expect the the strategic development phase will be handed over November/December, informed by the outgoing members where appropriate. Of course, we thank all the energy that former executive members have put into the organisation.

Implementation

We hope to call a Special General Meeting in February/March 2023 to formally adopt the forward-looking strategy and the first round of any required changes to the constitution. As per constitution rules, we will be giving a formal notice to the membership prior to the changes being adopted.

After the Special General Meeting, the strategy will be considered either approved, provisionally approved (with some exceptions or amendments required), or rejected.

Changes to the Constitution will be considered approved or rejected.

Pending the outcome of these votes, the implementation phase will commence supported by the National Council.

Review

Critical to any strategy is a structured review process to ensure that it remains fit for purpose. Minor annual revisions will be scheduled as part of the AGM process, with a formal revision to be published every 5 years. The Constitution will be reviewed as required.

And that’s it

Both of us want to thank the whole membership for your valuable support through this year so far. It has been a journey and will continue to be into next year, and we thoroughly appreciate all the energy and time members have invested in this process.

If you’ve any questions or want to further engage in this process, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at presidents@asc.asn.au

Jirana & Tom

The inaugural ASC Honours and Masters symposium

Posted on by
Reply

The Australian Science Communicators would like to invite all Masters and Honours students researching science communication who will be completing their degrees in 2022 to present their research at our online symposium between 14-19 November 2022.

There are not many opportunities for students completing science communication research to present, and even less if you’re not a PhD student. We’d like to support the community by providing an opportunity for these students to present to peers in both Australia and Aotearoa, New Zealand, and where feasible, encourage more individuals to engage with research.

This online symposium will see students present their research to the scicomm community, with the opportunity for moderated questions and discussion afterwards. The symposium will end with a networking event where attendees will hear from people who might answer the ‘What’s next?’ question that poses many students as they finish their degree.

At present, we are looking for submissions from students who are interested to participate. 

Register Here. 

Submissions are due on the 14th October 2022. 

We encourage all students who are researching science communication, even if their program doesn’t formally have science communication in the title, and are finishing their degree this year to register. From the interested cohort we will confirm the symposium date before then advertising publicly to the wider community.

We intend to make this an annual event that encourages students to develop confidence in presenting and provides the community with a yearly snapshot of current research in ANZ. We will record all presentations and upload them to the ASC YouTube page with the intention that students are able to use these videos as examples of their presentation ability, something we’ve noticed has become more and more valuable to have.

Please encourage and inform your networks and any interested individuals to jump at this free event.

If you are unable to participate, please keep an eye out on our socials and website as the ASC Conference is coming and we look forward to your participation then.

ASC Community – we hope that you’ll be interested in attending to find out what these students have been up to, and supporting these students as they progress through their academic journey, wherever it may take them. Please keep an eye out for the event.

Vale Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Posted on by
Reply

Today, we woke to the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

For 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II reigned as Australia’s Head of State. During her reign, The Queen visited Australia 16 times and saw more of this country than many locals, visiting every state and territory.

We acknowledge the links many of our institutions and organisations within the science and science communication sector had to Her Majesty.

From leading institutions like the Australian Academy of Science (formed under a Royal Charter signed in person by Her Majesty), to the RIAus and the many other institutions that carry the Royal title (both here and abroad), to programs like the National Youth Science Forum and National Science Week with their strong links to the Governor General, many of our science outreach programs have some connection to the crown.

While we know that there are different views on the role of the monarchy here in Australia, it is without question that Her Majesty’s impact on the globe has been monumental, especially in the not for profit and charity sector. The Queen’s position and role has been significant in providing support and public attention to these organisations.

We pay our respects and acknowledge the broad-reaching impact Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II made. Our condolences are with the Royal Family. May she rest in peace.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet are coordinating condolence messages online.

The 2023 Science Communicators’ Conference

Posted on by
Reply

We’re back! After what feels like an eternity, we’re in the throes of coordinating the next ASC national conference.

Held in Canberra, Australia on the 15-17 February 2023, this conference will be in person with some online accessibility options for those unable to travel.

If you’ve an interest in contributing to the organising committee, please let us know by filling in this form. We’re seeking people to assist with a range of roles, from project management and communications, through to on-the-day support chairing sessions.

We’re aspiring to have a full range of content streams and themes to engage our entire community (and some who haven’t engaged with us before).

But perhaps most importantly, we want to create plenty of moments to engage with each other after what has been a very long time apart.

Block out the date in your calendar now, and keep an eye on the SCOPE newsletter for the announcement for when tickets are on sale.

Statement on the Russian war

Posted on by
Reply

From the Co-Presidents

We are a group of science communicators. Many of us act in roles that require impartial observation and conscientiously unbiased reportage. We therefore typically avoid declarations of support for either side in an ongoing debate. A journalist should not advocate. A public servant should not lobby. A scientist should not express subjective opinions.

Regardless of our professional roles, as a community we can agree: war is devastating.

We are devastated by the loss of life and the grievous suffering inflicted upon the Ukrainian people. We are devastated by the pointless death of Russian soldiers, caused at the decree  of their leaders. We are devastated by how this conflict has impacted the global community and will continue to harm humanity for years to come.

The Australian Science Communicators thoroughly condemn this war and the Russian leaders who continue to choose to not end it.

The Australian Science Communicators thoroughly condemn this war and the Russian leaders who continue to choose not to end it.

We call on our members (and those who are not yet members) to join us in finding ways to voice our abhorrence of the unnecessary harm caused to those impacted by this conflict. We call on our friends here and abroad to do whatever they can to support those in need. We call on all international governments to contribute in whatever way possible to end the suffering.

We know a statement won’t suddenly halt the conflict. Other, bigger organizations with greater geopolitical relevance have delivered statements on massive platforms, with sadly little impact, to date. But we also know that words can create powerful bonds between people.

Communication is, at its core, a bridge between people; a way to convey understanding, share perspective, and build compassion.

In Australia, ANZAC day is only a few short weeks away. Lest we forget the horrors caused by conflict, let us not slide into the error of glorifying battle. The true cost of war is not limited to the sum of dollars, hryvnia, ruble, or even the sum of land and material possessions lost. It is the countless lives ruined, the immeasurable pain inflicted upon generations, and the incalculable loss of progress toward a brighter and more prosperous future for humanity.

Finally, we know that many in or coming to Australia have ties to either Ukraine or Russia. Our community sees you. We remind ourselves and encourage others to resist the emotive reaction of blame and hatred towards an entire culture whose current leadership has failed them and harmed us all. The creation of an ‘other’ can only lead to further division and pain. While it will feel too soon for many, communication and compassion is the path to recovery.