Researchers rally over $400m cuts

Posted on 13 April 2011 by George Aranda

Yesterday in Melbourne and Sydney, rallies were held to protest against the possible $400m (20%) reduction in the National Health and Medical Research budget. Thousands gathered outside Parliament house in Melbourne, scientists, students and professors stood alongside those who were the recipients of the medical research scientists had conducted.

From a student at the rally:

I am a student at La Trobe University studying double science. The budget cuts in medical research threaten my future job posibilities and those of my friends and colleagues…Australian medical research provides treatments and cures for millions of people around the world and govement funded research often funds research that big pharma companies would not fund as it does not have a high return, such as treatments and cures for third world diseases like malaria.

And from a neuroscience researcher at the rally:

I am an early career researcher whose salary is funded by the NHMRC. I will be conducting brain imaging research to investigate the neurobiological basis of psychosis and schizophrenia.

The changes will have a direct impact on the funding available to conduct medical research. This will have a direct effect on the ability for me to obtain competitive research grants (which are already very competitive with a success rate of about 15-20%) and ultimately to conduct research.

>What was the atmosphere like?
It was a static rally involving some speakers talking about the importance of medical research, a lot of chanting (no cuts to research! etc etc), a lot of cheering and clapping. Many people came down in their white lab coats which was great to see. There were a lot of people holding banners with various slogans (I didn’t have one unfortunately). There were students to Professors there, so it wasn’t just a ‘young’ rally. The atmosphere was alive, you could tell people there felt very passionate about the proposed cuts, not only because of their jobs being at stake but because people are passionate about their area of research and ultimately want to understand and provide better treatments for patients.

A rally is going to be held in Perth. So get out their and communicate about these expected budget changes!

George also blogs as PopSciGuy

Communication – it’s a Science too? SciComm Officers Forum 2010

Posted on 16 December 2010 by gillaan

Outside of events organised by and for ASC members, it seems that professional development opportunities specifically targeted at active science communicators are an emerging area. I was lucky enough attend the National Science Communication Officer’s Forum in Melbourne last month, as the recipient of an ASC-supported free pass.

The focus of this two-day forum presented by Liquid Learning was to provide attendees with the opportunity to share tools and approaches for the development of communication strategies within the workplace and greater community. The majority of invited speakers held senior communications roles, predominantly in public institutions, and the focus of the talks was on themed case studies. The lengthy presentation format (45 mins for talks, 15 mins for questions) leant itself towards meatier detail. The forum also provided an excellent opportunity for scicomm officers to network on a national level, where the majority of attendees appear to face similar problems in their roles and workplaces. Networking was a strong focus of the conference setup, with a generous amount of time provided.

It was interesting to note that several talks, as well as the roundtable discussion on the final day, brought up issues that the majority of science communicators are grappling with on a day to day basis – noting that there is little data on the effectiveness of scientific communication and that the need for meaningful evaluation of scicomm outcomes is a driver for the discipline as we understand it.

This forum provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to engage with peers as well as to hear a little about the practice of science communication research and the implications it may hold for the field in the future. It would be interesting to see if future Forums alter their format slightly and focus more strongly on specific examples of the effectiveness or otherwise of new campaigns or novel strategies outside of the currently understood mainstream comms approaches. I would strongly recommend this Forum to early career science communicators working in public institutions, although others may also find it valuable.

More info about this conference can be found at:
http://www.liquidlearning.com.au/documents/SCO1110/SCO1110_I.pdf
or I’d be happy to field any questions (as a random attendee!) – gillaan [at] gmail dot com

National Science Communication Officers’ Forum, Melbourne

Posted on 30 September 2010 by Jesse Shore

ASC is supporting Liquid Learning’s National Science Communication Officers’ Forum to be held 29th & 30th November 2010 at Marriott Hotel, Melbourne.

This is a well structured professional development event with networking opportunities and has an impressive range of speakers including several ASC members. Dr. Rob Morrison, ASC vice-president is delivering a half-day work-shop on the 1st of December 2010.

Liquid Learning offers a 10% discount off standard registration fee to all current ASC members.

Also there is one free delegate pass to the event for a current ASC member. To apply for the free pass write in 25 words or less why you want to attend the event and email it with your full contact details to Kali Madden at office@asc.asn.au by 21 October. The ASC Executive will make the selection and I will inform the winner promptly.

For full information and registration information see http://liquidlearning.com.au/llg08/November/

Cheers, Jesse

Jesse Shore

President, Australian Science Communicators, 2010

http://www.asc.asn.au/

Australasian Medical Writers Association annual conference

Posted on 21 July 2010 by leohman

27 August 2010

28 August 2010

The 27th Annual Australasian Medical Writers Association Conference, Writing in Our World will be held from 27–28 August in Melbourne at the State Library of Victoria.
Conference highlights include:
• Keynote and opening speaker: Victorian Governor Professor David de Kretser, endocrine researcher and founder of Andrology Australia.
• Sessions on: exploring the environment and our health, taboos, ethical issues in writing and an insider’s view of how the media covered the separation of the conjoined twins Trishna and Krishna.
• Professional Development workshops are offered on: social media, writing for the general public and making the most of the Cochrane library.
• Margaret Simons will speak at the conference dinner.
The entire program and registration form are on the AMWA website www.medicalwriters.org. Don’t miss the 6 August earlybird registration deadline.

Science Centric 2010 in Melbourne

Posted on 9 July 2010 by imthinking

10 August 2010
6:30 pm	to	9:30 pm

Australian Science Communicators, Victoria is pleased to present:
Science Centric 2010.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Three Degrees Bar, Melbourne

Do you explain, teach, present, write, blog, twitter, film, illustrate, animate or otherwise communicate science or technology, news, ideas, concepts or research?

This will be great chance for some face to face networking. Bring along your colleagues and friends for a social evening and a chance to meet other science communicators in Melbourne. Also find out about future ASC activities and plans in Victoria.

The event will take place in the heart of the CBD at modern city bar Three Degrees. The first drink is free and free canapés and nibbles are also included!

Free for ASC members, $10 non ASC members.

The first 30 ASC members to register can bring a non-ASC mate for free!

Bookings: http://sciencecentric.eventbrite.com/

Download the event poster here.

Ian Muchamore
ASC Victoria Branch President

Are you connected with other Australian Science Communicators?

Posted on 15 April 2010 by Laura Miles

Missing out on the latest news from around the country? Here’s a quick reminder of the ways to stay connected with ASC:

Sign up to the ASC-list and/or ASC-media lists – as immediate e-mails or digests
Browse the ASC website
Ask your membership officer for an invitation code, to post and comment on the ASC website
Get involved with your branch committee

Note that anyone can join the lists as observers, but only current, financial ASC members can post messages. Membership to ASC does not automatically register you to the ASC email lists. You must register through the separate system as described here.

ASC-list is the mailing list for discussing science communication issues and promoting events. The ASC-media list is for press releases and self promotion. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) including details on unsubscribing, converting your list preferences and accessing the archive can be found here.

What do the public really think? + Victorian AGM

Posted on 22 March 2010 by ASC Webmaster

20 April 2010
6:00 pm

Date: Tuesday 20 April 2010
Location: The Clare, 421 Rathdowne St Carlton VIC 3053

part 1: ASC Victorian Branch AGM
6pm for 6.15pm. Free drink for all members in attendance.

The Victorian branch is due for an annual general meeting to renew and refresh our committee. Please come along and so help to shape the ASC locally. We’d love more passionate communicators to get involved.

The Committee’s main function is organising networking and professional development events for ASC members in Victoria. Often we invite speakers on current issues relating to science communication and it is an opportunity to share our thoughts and experiences in an informal atmosphere. We have had a range of speakers such as Fred Mendelsohn, Director of the Howard Florey Institute talking about the biochemistry of depression; Peter McGauran, the Federal Science Minister at the time; science comedians; science artists; museum exhibitors and more. Recent sessions have included:

Lawrence Krauss on The Physics of Star Trek
Scott Sampson on The Dinosaurs of West America
A designer, a publisher and a typographer discussing Brochures, banners and budgets. Oh my!
Our networking evening Science Centric at the three degrees bar and brewery

Current committee positions and office bearers are:
- President: Niall Byrne
- Secretary & Treasurer: Jason Major
- ASC national committee representative: Meg Rive (not seeking re-election)
- General committee members: L.E. Ohman, Ian Muchamore, James Hutson, Maia Sauren, and Laura Miles

part II: Polls and surveys what works?: Finding out what the public really think 6.45pm for 7pm.

We write for the general public, we talk to the general public. But who exactly are the general public? And how do we know what they think? Or even whether they are interested in science in the first place?

Join us for a discussion on public surveys, polls and focus groups.

How easy is it to conduct a survey? What can surveys reveal? And how can we use them to better direct our communication efforts.

Our panel includes a representative of polling company Roy Morgan, who will explain what’s involved in creating and running a poll; and two users – one from state government, one from federal government – who will talk about their experiences in conducting large public surveys, what worked, what didn’t and what people really think about science.

The speakers are:

Craig Cormick, Manager of Public Awareness for the federal government’s National Enabling Technologies. Craig has used public surveys and focus groups to track community attitudes over time to biotechnology, genetically modified foods, cloning and more recently, nanotechnology. He is a regular spokesperson on public attitudes and has written several reports and books on the topic.
Wendy Williams, Manager of Science and Community for the Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development. Wendy coordinated a major study in 2007 on adult attitudes to science and technology and looked at whether attitudes to science mirrored attitudes to new applications of science and whether attitudes an indicator of behaviour?
Bruce Packard, National Customised Research Director for Roy Morgan Research. Roy Morgan is the company that can tell you exactly how many people read Cosmopolitan magazine, the Herald Sun or The Australian. They specialise in market research and public opinion surveys and cover all aspects of market research from personal interviews, to telephone, self-administered and the Internet. Bruce has undertaken a wide range of qualitative research for both public sector and private sector clients, ranging from in-depth interviews with indigenous leaders in remote communities in the Northern Territory to focus group discussions with gamblers in Melbourne. He currently looks after the company’s social and government research.

Download the pdf poster for prominent public display at your work place.

Free for members.
$10 for non-members. $5 non- member students.
Meals and drinks at bar prices
(+ a free drink for members attending AGM!)

RSVP and enquiries:
Sarah Brooker sarah@scienceinpublic.com.au 0413 332 489

From The President: December 2009

Posted on 3 December 2009 by Laura Miles

In a year of doom and gloom, bushfires, swine flu and climate change, it is great to be able to report some upbeat news of the feats of our ASC colleagues—the resurgence of ASC in South Australia, a major magazine award for a former president, and some excellent public activities organised by local branches.

These vibrant signs of life in ASC are just what we need, leading into a National AGM to be held in Sydney on 16 December, and our National Conference at ANU in Canberra from 7 to 10 February.

Nearly 50 people turned up to an event organised by vice-president Rob Morrison, at the new Science Exchange (re-vamped Stock Exchange) in downtown Adelaide which has become the headquarters of the Royal Institution, Australia (RiAus). Not only did they learn about “The Science of Wind Instruments”, but they began planning an AGM for 14 December and activities for the next couple of years. Many stayed well beyond the proposed ending time playing science board games and making full use of the very fine bar. An appropriate outcome for all Rob’s hard work.

ASC boy makes good! Wilson da Silva’s magazine Cosmos was adjudged Magazine of the Year and won six other awards, including Best Consumer Magazine and Best Publisher, at the annual Bell Awards for Publishing Excellence of the magazine industry association, Publishers Australia. This is the second time in its five-year history the publication has won Magazine of the Year and Best Publisher. It was hailed for its connection with its readers, and its “product extensions”.

A story by deputy editor John Pickrell has won an earth journalism award linked to the forthcoming UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, and is in the running for a global public award. You can read the story and, if you like it, vote for it before 9 December by clicking here.

The local ASC branches have been active, with events happening in most states over the past month. Two that come to mind are a particularly poignant session staged by the Victorian branch (at a new venue) on keeping the human impact in mind when communicating the science of bushfires, and the Stem Cells in the Pub session which the ACT-ASC organised in association with the Australian Society for Stem Cell Research.

See you at the ASC AGM (16 December) and the ASC Conference 2010 (7 – 10 February).

Tim Thwaites
National President

Dinosaur Island

Posted on 17 August 2009 by ASC Webmaster

20 August 2009
6:00 pm	to	8:00 pm

Join palaeontologist and educator Scott Sampson for a guided tour of Cretaceous West America. 100 million years ago it became an island. On this diminutive landmass a spectacular array of giant dinosaurs evolved: from horned, duck-billed, and armoured plant-eaters to meat-eating tyrannosaurs and smaller “raptor-like” predators.

Date: Thursday 20 August 2009
Time: 6pm for 6.30pm
Location: Redback Brewery 75 Flemington Rd North Melbourne

RSVP James Hutson (james@scienceinpublic.com.au or 0405 131 747)

—

Scott is a Canadian palaeontologist who has a dual position at the University of Utah as Research Curator at the Utah Museum of Natural History and Research Associate Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics.

Sampson was the primary scientific consultant and on-air host of a four-part Discovery Channel series called Dinosaur Planet, and is presently serving the same pair of roles in a PBS children’s series called Dinosaur Train, produced by the Jim Henson Company.

Sampson has recently shifted his focus towards science education and is arguing for radical changes in education as a key factor in resolving the current sustainability crisis.

17 November 2009
6:45 pm	to	8:30 pm

Australian Science Communicators

for those who make science accessible

Category Archives: Vic

Researchers rally over $400m cuts

Communication – it’s a Science too? SciComm Officers Forum 2010

National Science Communication Officers’ Forum, Melbourne

Australasian Medical Writers Association annual conference

Science Centric 2010 in Melbourne

Are you connected with other Australian Science Communicators?

What do the public really think? + Victorian AGM

part 1: ASC Victorian Branch AGM
6pm for 6.15pm. Free drink for all members in attendance.

part II: Polls and surveys what works?: Finding out what the public really think 6.45pm for 7pm.

From The President: December 2009

Dinosaur Island

part 1: ASC Victorian Branch AGM 6pm for 6.15pm. Free drink for all members in attendance.

part II: Polls and surveys what works?: Finding out what the public really think 6.45pm for 7pm.

part 1: ASC Victorian Branch AGM
6pm for 6.15pm. Free drink for all members in attendance.