Young Tall Poppy Science Award Campaign and the ASC

I am pleased to announce that the ASC has signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS).

AIPS runs the nationwide Young Tall Poppy Science Awards. Selection criteria for these awards include outstanding research / academic achievement as well as excellence in communication and community engagement to promote an understanding of science. For more information about these awards visit http://www.aips.net.au/tall-poppies/tall-poppy-campaign/.

The winners of these awards participate in education and community outreach programs. The ASC has been looking for ways to involve the award winners in our branch events and national conference. The LoA will help this to happen as it states that a Tall Poppy’s participation in an ASC event will count towards their obligation to particulate in at least two outreach activities in the year following their award.

I will encourage ASC branches to develop events involving the Tall Poppy winners. Such events could explore the stratagems used by these early career scientists to communicate their work and what tools they seek to improve their skills.

The main points of the LoA follow:

“ASC and AIPS recognise:

  • the need to build connections between scientists and science communicators;
  • the need for professional development for both scientists and science communicators in science communication;
  • the importance of partnerships to further science communication objectives; and
  • the need to reward and celebrate science communication excellence.

ASC and AIPS agree that:

  • A Tall Poppy forum or other joint event will be held annually where possible in each State and Territory of Australia as a professional development initiative for ASC members and for the young scientists involved;
  • The Tall Poppy Campaign will liaise with relevant State & Territory chapters of ASC to make this happen; and
  • A Tall Poppy’s participation in such an event will count towards their obligation to participate in at least two outreach activities in the year following their Award

In addition, efforts to cross promote our mutual objectives will be made in any such initiatives, and our achievements will be reviewed after one year of operation of this agreement.”

Jesse Shore

National President

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About Jesse Shore

Jesse Shore is passionate about engaging the community with science and in looking for ways to weave together the arts and sciences. He has been developing science based exhibitions and events since 1984, and was President of the Australian Science Communicators from 2010-2012. His business, Prismatic Sciences, produced five travelling exhibitions for the Royal Australian Chemical Institute for the 2011 International Year of Chemistry and he manages the ongoing national tour. He previously worked at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney as an exhibition project leader and Senior Curator of sciences. While at the museum he was one of the founders of the Ultimo Science Festival, a major National Science Week activity. He is currently collaborating with an artist to create artworks which have a science slant.

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