Tag Archives: National

ASC National Conference 2012 – Update & session overview

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The ASC National Conference will be at Sydney Masonic Centre from 27-29 February 2012. The program is coming into shape and looks enticing. Here’s a quick overview (some sessions may change, not all are listed, and titles and details of sessions will be refined):

Day 1

  • Opening keynote: Professor Ian Chubb, Australia’s Chief Scientist will open the conference and be the first plenary speaker.
  • After lunch: State Chief Scientists will feature in a plenary and then in parallel sessions.

Day 2

  • Plenary: Careers in science communicating – hear about career possibilities and resources.
  • Plenary: New media – continuing insights into how to use a range of rapidly evolving communication channels to communicate science (and maybe make a buck?).
  • Plenary: The NBN and how to use it –  a science communication perspective of  nation changing technology.

Day 3

  • Plenary: The Nobel experience – in an exclusive for the conference, Brian Schmidt, the 2011 Nobel Prize winner for Physics, is interviewed on video by Rod Lamberts. The discussion will interweave winning a major science prize with effective science communication of astronomy.
  • Plenary: Science and Art – a star-studded illustrated talk by David Malin and a conversation about beauty and science communication.
  • Plenary: Heads of Science Agencies – the big wigs will be prodded to tell all as they are quizzed about the role and funding for science communication in their patches.
  • Plenary: Advocacy – explore how heads of science advocacy groups represent their members’ interests to politicians and government departments.

Other parallel session topics include (partial listing; PD means session has a professional development focus):
*       Speed mentoring (PD)
*       The consultancy game – a follow-on from the careers plenary
*       Communication strategies
*       Philanthropy, fundraising and science communication
*       Beyond evaluation (PD)
*       Science as theatre
*       Putting the ‘confer’ back into conferences (PD)
*       The latest in research in science communication
*       Science and art sessions and exhibitions
*       War on science

Website: The conference website is http://2012conf.asc.asn.au/.
Online registration is active. See http://2012conf.asc.asn.au/register/.

Jesse Shore
National President

Seeking an assistant treasurer – advertisement on its way

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With the ASC Conference approaching, the coming months will be a great time to get training in a range of financial skills. David Ellyard, our long serving and excellent national treasurer, will be taking someone under his wing as Assistant Treasurer.

An advertisement for the position will be sent soon to the membership. This will be a good professional development opportunity for the right person.

This new position is part of our succession planning for senior ASC Management positions.

Jesse Shore
National President

ASC Corporate Members

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The ASC now has five corporate members which is an increase on last year. I welcome the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), the Powerhouse Museum (NSW), Scitech (WA), the CSIRO Energy Group, and one other CSIRO group of communicators.

Each corporate member nominates 10 people as part of their membership group and designates one of these people as their voting delegate.

I will encourage our corporate members to talk about their particular science communication challenges. Grappling to explain a challenge may help to clarify it, and sharing it with the membership may provide useful feedback and insights into corporate science communication.

The corporate members bring new members to the ASC, which in turn offers value to all concerned. It’s great to have them on board and I look forward to hearing about their collective corporate thoughts.

Jesse Shore
National President

Official notice of Australian Science Communicators’ Annual General Meeting, Perth, WA

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30 November 2011
6:00 pmto9:30 pm

This is the official notice of the Australian Science Communicators’ Annual General Meeting, to be held in Perth, Western Australia, on 30 November 2011. The AGM is being hosted by the ASC WA Branch. The AGM will be followed by an interactive science quiz night hosted by compere extraordinaire David Ellyard.

 Date: Wednesday 30 November 2011
Time: 6.00pm-7.15pm (ASC AGM), 7.30pm – 9.30pm (Science Quiz Night)
Venue: Rosie O’Grady’s, Cnr James & Milligan St, Northbridge, WA
ASC members: free (Only currently financial ASC members are eligible to attend the AGM)
Non-members: $10
Non member students: $5

Registration: http://ascnationalagm2011.eventbrite.com

The ASC AGM will run from 6.00-7:15pm in the Cab Bar and is open to ASC voting members only. The quiz night for all registered participants will begin at 7:30pm sharp in the Cab Bar.

Seats are limited so registration is essential.  The seating is 6 people per table. To confirm the members of your table, please email asc.events.wa@gmail.com.

 

The AGM is an opportunity for members to hear about the year’s events at the national level, and also to have their say about what should happen in the year to come. It also includes reports from the President and Treasurer, and news of the upcoming national conference. Members also have the chance to elect a new National President. Proposed agenda items, notices of motion and presidential nominations must be received by Wednesday 23 November.

Note that notices of motion require a proposer and a seconder, and nominations for President need to be agreed by the nominee.

Members unable to attend the AGM in person are able to give proxies to other members attending the meeting, or alternatively, send them to Sarah Lau, National Secretary (slau@chemcentre.wa.gov.au) before 5.00pm AWST on Wednesday 30 November 2011.

Minutes from the ASC AGM 2010, Adelaide, SA

AGENDA (as of 9 November 2011)

1. Confirmation of members attending, apologies
2. Notification of proxies
3. Minutes of 2010 AGM
4. President’s report
5. Treasurer’s report
a) presentation of statement of accounts
b) determination of annual membership fee
c) determination of capitation to be returned to branches
d) determination of honoraria
e) appointment of auditor
f)  appointment of public officer
g) preview of 2011 budget
6. Election of 2012 ASC President
7. Motions to amend the Constitution
8. Any other business

Motion to change the ASC Constitution – for ASC AGM 2011

1. Motion to change the Constitution – Motion made by Jesse Shore and seconded by Rob Morrison. We propose the constitution is amended as follows:

 [The proposed change to the wording in the revised clause is underlined.] [Definition from clause 2.9: “Association” means Australian Science Communicators Incorporated.]

Section 5.4 of the constitution – ‘BRANCHES’

Current wording:

5.4.2 Branches may have their own constitutions, but wherever any discrepancy exists, the Constitution of the Association shall prevail.

 Proposed new wording

5.4.2 Branches may have their own rules or constitutions, but wherever any discrepancy exists, the Constitution of the Association shall prevail.

Reason for proposed amendment:
This minor change in wording acknowledges that the ASC branches, which are unincorporated bodies, are more likely to have their own rules than constitutions.
We want the branches to be aware they have the right to have rules and to encourage them to adopt rules if they haven’t done so already. The new wording still allows for branches to have constitutions and makes it clear that whether they have rules or constitutions, the Constitution of the Association is the overriding document.

National Science Week Feedback Event – Adelaide

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Do you want to have a say about National Science Week in South Australia? Do you have feedback or suggestions from this year or a great idea for 2012 and beyond? Are you keen to meet others involved in science-related outreach? You are invited to a Planning Session on Monday 31 October at RiAus (The Science Exchange, off Pirie St, City) from 1.00pm to 4.30pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend this session where we will be looking at ideas for the future direction of National Science Week in SA. These ideas will then be considered by our Coordinating Committee at a meeting in November, and a Strategic Plan set in place.

Some of the topics to be discussed include:

  • What does your organisation want to get out of National Science Week?
  • How can National Science Week be used to support and develop programs throughout the year?
  • What outcomes from National Science Week should we be measuring?
  • Who currently participates in National Science Week and how can we encourage more individuals and organisations to be involved?

Can’t attend in person? You can contribute to digital discussions by signing up to www.saffia.org and going to the dedicated National Science Week forum at:  http://www.saffia.org/index.php?/forum/13-national-science-week-2011-and-beyond/

If you can join us on the day, please RSVP to Rona: rona.sakko@csiro.au

Rona Sakko
On behalf of SA National Science Week Coordinating Committee

Note – National Science Week is planning for the 2012 National Science Week grant round to be open for applications from 7 to 28 November 2011.

ASC National Conference 2012 – update

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The conference will be at Sydney Masonic Centre from 27-29 February 2012. Here’s a quick overview on progress so far:

  • Opening keynote: Professor Ian Chubb, Australia’s Chief Scientist will open the conference and be the first plenary speaker.
  • Hail to the Chiefs: Several state Chief Scientists have accepted invitations to speak at the conference. We anticipate they will feature in a plenary and perhaps parallel sessions.
  • Nobel presence: In a special video interview made for the conference, Australia’s 2011 Nobel Prize winner for Physics, Professor Brian Schmidt, will talk about the role of science communication in his work both before and after being awarded the Nobel. Rod Lamberts and Sue Stocklmayer will be asking him the hard questions. This special session will include a broad discussion of the role of science communication for science prize winners. Brian will be speaking in Washington during our conference and was sorry that he couldn’t be in two places at once.
  • Program progress: The program committee is digesting the submissions from the recent call for session producers and their proposals.
  • Pre-conference kick-start: There have been discussions with key people about the pre-conference event. If all goes well it will be fun and thought-provoking, and be a great way to lead into the conference proper.
  • Research stream: Rod Lamberts has nine reviewers lined up to scrutinise submitted research papers. Some of them may help with a subsequent monograph of a selection of edited papers to be produced after the conference is over.
  • Website: The conference website has gone live. Have a look at http://2012conf.asc.asn.au/.
  • Lots of infrastructure is being set in place and there are a few hurdles to get over. Online registrations will be activated any day now.

Jesse Shore
National President

AGM in Perth, 30 November 2011

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The WA branch of the ASC has agreed to host this year’s National AGM in Perth. The official announcement will be posted soon. We keep the AGM short and to the point, yet provide opportunities for some lively discussion.

The AGM will be followed by David Ellyard presenting his Science Quiz. Around 100 people enjoyed this competitive challenge at last year’s end of year meeting in Adelaide.

Only financial members can attend the AGM and the quiz will be open to all.

See you in Perth in November.

Jesse Shore
National President

Learn the ropes – seeking an Assistant National Treasurer

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David Ellyard is our long serving and excellent National Treasurer. To preserve his corporate knowledge and to plan for the future we will be inviting members to express interest in becoming Assistant National Treasurer. David will teach you the ropes of our financial procedures and build your financial acumen. This will be a good professional development opportunity for the right person.

I will be issuing the invitation soon which will have a list of the duties of the treasurer and which tasks the assistant treasurer can expect to deal with.

Jesse Shore
National President

Unsung Hero of Science Communication Award

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For a number of years the ASC presented an award called the ‘Unsung Hero of Science’ to worthy recipients. This award acknowledged a scientist for their body of work that we felt wasn’t given the spotlight the work and the person deserved.

We last presented this award in 2007. As we prepared the background information to ask for nominations, we reconsidered the nature of the award in light of e-list discussions during the year.

We feel that the ‘unsung hero’ concept is valid but that we should be acknowledging excellence in science communication rather than science. We are now preparing the criteria for the realigned award and will be issuing a call for nominations soon.

On a related and sad note, I am sorry to report the passing of our 2004 Unsung Hero of Science. Associate Professor Alan Norman Wilton from the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at The University of New South Wales passed away on 14 October 2011 after a 20-month battle with cancer. He was 56.

Jesse Shore
National President

SCREN: Science Communication Research and Education Network

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Special thanks to Sean Perera from ANU for this contribution.

SCREN is a network of science communication researchers and educators in Australia, and aims to enable members to take part in collaborative science communication research and share best practices in science communication training at tertiary institutions.

Inaugurated in June 2007 under the auspices of the Director of the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at The Australian National University in Canberra, SCREN’s current membership includes academics from thirteen Australian universities. The Network has been successful in attracting participation from The University of Auckland and the University of Otago in New Zealand.

In April 2011, a collective body of members met over two days at the SCREN Symposium in Canberra to deliberate future directions for science communication research and tertiary training, further to outcomes of the Inspiring Australia Conference (more about that later).

If you would like participate in SCREN or have any question please e-mail here.

Dr Sean Perera

Associate Researcher
Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science
The Australian National University