Author Archives: memberpost

Event review: The Future Project: iMind – The Evolving Brain

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Thanks to Brad Papworth from The King’s School for writing this event review.

The Future Project:  iMind – The Evolving Brain

The Future Project recently held a public forum discussing the effects of digital technology on the brain at The King’s School in Sydney. The expert panel included Prof Ian Hickie, Executive Director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute, and Assoc Prof Jane Burns, CEO of the Young and Well CRC.

This event was well attended by over 400 secondary students, parents, teachers and mental health workers from Western Sydney. Students from The Future Project compiled videos to provide background information on the science of neuroplasticity and the pervasion of digital technology in our lives as well as compering the event and Q&A session.

The next forum on 21st August will see Derek Muller presenting a live Veritasium show and is set to be popular with students and science buffs alike.

The Future Project is a collaboration of schools, universities and industry to provide secondary students with real opportunities to collaborate with scientists, in order to solve real-world problems, and to communicate this knowledge to the wider public. The two key strands include student interns working alongside scientists on research projects as well as a strand where students learn the craft of science communication.

Social media traffic on The Future Project Facebook page since the event has been high (2,400 people reached).

For anyone looking for research space and interested in joining this collaboration, visit www.thefutureproject.com or contact Brad Papworth, brad.papworth@thefutureproject.com.

From the President – Rod’s update

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Howdy folks,

Well aren’t these exciting times to be an ASC-ist? This month marks the beginning of the formal process we hope will lead the ASC down the path to professionalisation.

Professionalisation will lift the value of everyone’s ASC membership to the next level. Being a member of a professional ASC association should be a peer-endorsement of competence (hell, let’s say excellence) in whatever aspect of science communication that member operates. I personally would love to see a time where people who want to engage science communication services actively look for membership of the ASC as a badge of trustworthiness and expertise that is second to none.

The call for initial submissions went out from Will Grant to the ASC list on March 27, and already a solid handful of responses has come back. We have received interesting and useful thoughts, and also some offers of help to move us ahead. There is a very enthusiastic vibe surrounding this process so far, and I hope any and all of you who are interested will get on the band wagon.

Of course, this is not a trivial exercise, and the ramifications are not trivial either. If you have any ideas or comments, concerns or reservations, please contact Will or me.

We are also now in the build-up to the Big Science Communication Summit in June, an event that will have a strong ASC presence woven throughout (stay tuned for more via the list). For me, this really marks the beginning of the countdown to the ASC conference in February 2014, and I expect that issues, ideas and relationships from the Summit will inspire us in building our own conference.

And speaking of the 2014 ASC national conference … would you like to be part of the conference team? We need a few dedicated and idea-rich folks to play with us starting ASAP. Please contact me if you want to explore the wonder that is the ASC conference committee!

Cheers for now,

Rod

Dr Rod Lamberts

National President

Australian Science Communicators

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

 

Profile – Anna-Maria Arabia, Questacon

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Interview with Anna-Maria Arabia, General Manager, Strategy and Partnerships, Questacon
Words: Sally Miles

Anna-Maria Arabia has recently taken on the role of General Manager, Strategy and Partnerships, at Questacon. She has hit the ground running and is using her passion for science education to build on Questacon’s world class science engagement activities.

While Questacon’s science centre is aimed mainly at primary and early secondary students, the approach to make science fun and interesting appeals to all ages. In fact, staff pay close attention to ensuring each exhibit can be enjoyed by all. The exhibits are produced and delivered by a team of very talented, creative people who are responsive to feedback from everyone who interacts with the exhibits.

But Questacon is a lot more than one great science centre.  From national initiatives as part of the Inspiring Australia strategy, to on-tour programs and exhibitions, the organisation does its fair share of community outreach.

This even extends to international partnerships with science centres around the world. Questacon engages with many countries by sharing ideas, developing skills and overall capacity building. This includes training their staff in science communication and even bringing exhibits across the seas.

Domestically, Questacon maintains relationships with both the public and private sectors.  Anna-Maria emphasises the benefits of strategies such as those of Inspiring Australia.

“Inspiring Australia is a bridge to many initiatives. It is a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts”. Inspiring Australia offers many things, including national leadership, partnership opportunities across the country, and a great array of activities to get involved in.

Anna-Maria recognises science centres as an important part of our overall science education. Informal out-of-school science learning at Questacon complements formal education that happens in the classroom.

“Science Centres play a critical role in engaging children in science education.” Anna-Maria says. Questacon, one of Canberra’s most popular tourist attractions, uses hands-on interactive exhibits and a philosophy of ‘science by doing’ to motivate and inspire many thousands of students every year.

Questacon is a great vehicle to switch people on to science. It will continue to play an important role in the future of science education, and Anna-Maria looks forward to contributing towards a future of greater science engagement and inspiration.

Thank you, Anna-Maria, for taking the time out of an already hectic schedule to talk about science communication. We look forward to hearing more about the fantastic initiatives at Questacon. 

Executive Update: ASC Communication Initiatives

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As 2013 ramps up, the ASC executive is sharpening its focus on kicking a few big goals. One of these is greater emphasis on communication and profile, building on the great work of many over the last few years. As Vice President I have this project/mindset/approach mapped to my role (very excited by that); but we as an executive team have this very close to our collective hearts.

We need to get more of a picture on what the ASC means to members. In branch surveys in years past, two main preferences have emerged: professional development and networking/social activities. But with hundreds of members from many parts of the country and with many different professions, it’s important we get an accurate picture of what you want and what role you see for the ASC. A members’ survey is coming soon.

We are also looking outwardly. The world around us, the context in which we work to communicate science has changed a lot. From the evolution of the Inspiring Australia strategy* to the burgeoning of social media, the landscape has changed a great deal in the almost 20 years of ASC. So what role should ASC play, what voice should we have in this changing landscape and into the future?

Some key priorities for the executive and me particularly is improving the opportunities for members to communicate with each other to enable better networking – some of this is through online platforms – and also encouraging a stronger and more coherent profile of ASC aimed at those in the ‘outside world’ who aren’t familiar with us.

 

As always, please contribute your ideas about communication and marketing priorities. Or, better still; contribute your skills and energy. If you’re keen, please get in touch.

Claire.Harris@csiro.au

Read Tim Thwaites’ blog post from August 2009 for a blast from the past or check out the Inspiring Australia feed on the ASC website.

 

 

Big Ideas event in the ACT – Is Australia producing too many PhDs?

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Thanks to Toss Gascoigne and Ian McDonald for providing this information. 

Long hours, short-term contracts, uncertain employment, and cut-throat competition for grants, fellowships and positions. The work may be on interesting and important issues and the company stimulating, but for many the reality of a career in research isn’t so rosy.

This event was held yesterday – we look forward to hearing the reviews.

ABOUT the event

Paul Barclay, presenter and series producer of Big Ideas on ABC Radio National.

Paul Barclay, presenter and series producer of Big Ideas on ABC Radio National.

In 2012, the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education commissioned the Australian Council of Learned Academies to investigate the career pathway for researchers in Australia.

Science communication consultant Mr Toss Gascoigne was asked to conduct the survey and draft the report, Career support for researchers: Understanding needs and developing a best practice approach [external link, 997 KB PDF], which highlighted job insecurity as the number one problem facing Australian researchers.

Join our panel of experts as they discuss the pros and cons of getting a PhD, and explore a best practice approach to how the career pathway of researchers might be improved.

Mr Paul Barclay, the host of ABC Radio National’s Big Ideas program, will be facilitating the panel discussion.

Our speakers include:

  • Mr Toss Gascoigne – Author, Australian Council of Learned Academies report, Career Support for Researchers
  • Professor Aidan Byrne – CEO, Australian Research Council
  • Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea – Chair, Early-Mid Career Researcher Forum (an initiative of the Australian Academy of Science)
  • Ms Melanie Hand – PhD student, Dairy Futures Cooperative Research Centre (CRC).

Report findings

The 1203 researchers who participated in an online survey and focus group discussions say the best thing about a career in research is working on interesting and important issues, and working in a stimulating environment.

Respondents say that best thing about a career in research is working on interesting and important issues, and working in a stimulating environment.

They appreciate the PhD program, which supports students as they work through their training; they feel encouraged to take up post-doctoral appointments; and they value the mentoring provided formally or informally by their institutions or their workplace.

Questions regarding the adequacy of salaries and assistance available to women re-entering the workforce draw mixed responses, rather more negative than positive.

On the less positive side are job security, uncertainty of funding and workload.

Almost universally, respondents to the survey like their work but not the employment system in which they work. For many the reality is seen as a frustrating round of chasing grants and fellowships while trying to write papers and (for some) manage a heavy teaching load.

Respondents say solutions to these matters require:

  • a greater investment in the system
  • more funding for fellowships and grants
  • more funding for universities so they can ‘carry’ researchers over the lean times between winning grants
  • more time to allow early career researchers to publish and establish themselves
  • more support to reduce work loads in the mature stages of a career.

This event is proudly brought to you by Australian Science Communicators [external link] and Inspiring Australia – a national strategy for engagement with the sciences[external link].

 

 

From the President this month …

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As 2013 starts to accelerate, I’m noticing that these are increasingly interesting times to be involved in the wide world of science communication. Doubly so if you’re a member of the ASC.

In 2012 the association was regularly invited to confer with other science and science communication related bodies, and if the first two months of 2013 are anything to go by, this is just going to continue. I take this as a sign of a growing ASC public profile, and also of an increasing awareness ‘out there’ of science communication more broadly. It also highlights to me that professionalising our organisation has never been more timely.

On that, we have confirmed and installed our two VPs now and have a clearer idea of their main portfolios (though the names of these may still need a tweak). Will Grant has agreed to take the lead on running the processes that will lead us down the professionalization road. I was tempted to call his portfolio VP (Black Ops), but something more like “Charter and membership” will probably better provide the necessary gravitas the process and position  warrants.

Claire Harris has confirmed she will take on the other VP position overseeing communication and marketing, a role for which she has a huge amount experience, drive and commitment. I’m delighted these two fine people agreed to step up: this will be great for us all!

Moving to my other ASC hobby-horse, one of my missions as president is to get the ASC more firmly entrenched in the public arena as an organisation. We have many high profile members, but the organisation itself is not yet the ‘go to’ place for sci comm related mattes that I suspect it could be.

To help realise this, I’d like to ask all of you to keep your eyes open for current or impending issues you think might be suitable grist for media releases and comment from the ASC. If you see anything, please send me a heads-up, a link, or a short polemic. Of course I can’t promise that the things people send through will automatically go out under the ASC moniker: some matters will be more suitable than others. But the more material and ideas you send, the more opportunities we will have to positively embed the ASC in minds of those beyond the science communication community.

Onward, upward and outward!

Rod

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Dr Rod Lamberts

National President

Australian Science Communicators

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

Member Profile: Niall Byrne

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Niall Byrne

Niall is a science writer and publicist based in Melbourne. The focus of his work is helping scientists bring their work into the public space through the media, events and festivals.

He also guides science organisations in the development of communication strategies to reach their stakeholders, customers and the public.

Some highlights of his work include:

  • a parliamentary forum on biosecurity (September 2008)
  • conference director, 5th World Conference of Science Journalists, Melbourne 2007
  • story-telling and publicity for the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes (2004 to 2008), for the Eureka Prizes (2003-2006) and the Clunies Ross Foundation (1998-2004);
  • science communication advice and media relations for the Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation (2006-2007);
  • development and management of the Fresh Science program (1998-);
  • a series of supplements for Nature (2003 to 2006);
  • re-building the public profile of CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory (1988-1998);
  • CSIRO’s communication response to disease emergencies such as equine morbillivirus, bat lyssavirus and pilchard deaths;
  • CSIRO’s communication response to the escape of rabbit calicivirus from Wardang Island.

Brought up in Hadleigh, Suffolk in the UK, Niall completed a biology degree at Durham University before running away to the Antipodes.

Thanks Niall for providing this information

 

Update from the National President

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From Rod Lamberts, ASC National President …

The commencement of 2013 has been filled with a flurry of activity for me, most of which involves getting my head around the nuances of the presidential seat.

The start of the year has also marked the start of some exciting initiatives for the Australian Science Communicators, some of which I can reveal here.

First, we are working away in the background to prepare our advertising campaign for the General Manager Position. Of course, once this is ready, information will flow through the ASC list, website and all our other communication channels.

Second, both thanks to and in concert with Jesse, I have been injected into the Inspiring Australia conversations on behalf of the ASC. There are many wonderful opportunities in this partnership and I look forward to exploring them more.

I am also hoping to announce two Vice Presidents soon. Of course, I need to make sure the people I’ve spoken with are still keen before naming names and labels!

And finally, I’m in the midst of planning a way to progress the development of the the ASC code of conduct.

Many exciting initiatives are slowly taking shape as I dust out the cobwebs of 2012 and begin to lurch properly into 2013.

I appreciate any feedback, thoughts or comments on any of these initiatives.

Cheers,

Rod

Rod Lamberts
National President

 

Inspiring Australia update: Topical, tropical, science communication

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Q. How do you develop a strategy to strengthen science communication across a large region of the country?

A. You engage science experts, develop partnerships and map out a range of recommendations to achieve tangible outcomes.

This is exactly what has been accomplished in the recently released Science Engagement and Tropical Australia: Building a Prosperous and Sustainable Future for the North report.

Tropical Northern Australia faces important challenges alongside incredible opportunities. A unique natural environment, diverse indigenous culture and rapid economic expansion all point to the need for effective science engagement. Topical issues such as climate change, health and community fragmentation need to be addressed.  This report is essential reading for scientists and science communicators, not only in the Tropics, but other parts of the Nation. We encourage you to read the report and contribute your comments.

Here’s the announcement of the report from Inspiring Australia:

Science Engagement and Tropical Australia Report

Inspiring Australia is pleased to announce the release of the Science Engagement and Tropical Australia: Building a Prosperous and Sustainable Future for the North report.

Commissioned by Inspiring Australia, led by the Cairns Institute and developed by experts from the science community in Tropical Australia, the report provides a strategy to strengthen science communications in the nation’s tropical regions. As such, the report is essential reading for those involved in the sciences within Australia’s tropics.

The report provides 20 Recommendations across seven themes:

  • Building science literacy for all tropical Australians
  • Shifting science engagement cultures at the project and publication level
  • Building durable and trusted regional science brokerage and partnership arrangements
  • Forging effective science engagement in the Indigenous domain
  • Building science partnerships at the industry/sectoral level to turbo-charge innovation
  • Ensuring science messages from the tropics engage southern Australia
  • Engaging tropical Australia in national science messages.

Science Engagement and Tropical Australia is the third expert working group report released by Inspiring Australia, following the Science and the Media and Developing an Evidence Base for Science Engagement reports. Over the coming months, Inspiring Australia will be releasing three further expert working group reports into Indigenous, Desert and Marine science communication.

For further information on the tropical expert working group and their report, please email Inspiring.Australia@innovation.gov.au.

This Inspiring Australia initiative is supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education in partnership with the Australian Science Communicators.

Scientists to get “Savvy” with the Media

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By Ian McDonald 

Want advice on how to interact with the media?

ScienceMediaSavvy.org is a website dedicated to training scientists on such issues. With scientific research relying heavily on both private and public funding, this website will be a major tool in increasing scientist’s awareness of how to interact positively with the media.

The Science Media Centre (SMC) launched the website at the CSIRO Discovery Centre on Thursday the 1st of November. The event, co-sponsored by Inspiring Australia, introduced the 1st module of the website designed to help scientists work with media. Robyn Williams, ABC Radio Science Broadcaster, lead the event and said the website will be a tremendous aid to all scientists. CSIRO funded the first module of this website, being an organisation in Australia who rely heavily on emerging relationships with the media and getting their research into the public domain. The SMC are now working on a second module to inform scientists on how to effectively use social media as a communication tool and a third module which will focus on particular hot research topics.

George Negus, Journalist and TV presenter, was a notable speaker at the event who said that hardly a minute goes by where science isn’t used in our existence; however the biggest issue is that the media tends to stay away. He goes on to say that while scientists don’t like to dumb things down, using jargon is a big turn off for the media and using simple language is much more enticing to both them and the public. A message that can sometimes fall on deaf ears when dealing with high profile scientists who don’t like the idea of “dumbing down” their research.

Susannah Elliot, head of SMC, said the site is dedicated to these types of scientists and has tips from those who have had experience working with the media including Laureate Professor Peter Doherty who went to instant fame when winning a Nobel Prize in 1996. As well as tips “from the other side” including George Negus, Robyn Williams and Emily Rice. It is a series of short videos and is designed to build on knowledge developed in courses. It is particularly useful for those wanting to refresh their media skills before an event or interview. It was a general consensus at the launch that the website will be a tremendous aid to scientists in all fields and everyone is looking forward to the second and third modules to be released at a later date.