May 31, 2022
.
Improving Australians’ understanding of the benefits of immunization is one of the many highlights of the Academy’s 2021 annual report recently published.
To support vaccination and other COVID-19-related health messages, in collaboration with the Australian Government, the Academy created information for a wide audience through print, video, online articles and infographics through of websites, media and social media, and supported the international collaboration of experts through a series of webinars. It also called for RNA manufacturing capacity in Australia and convened a national roundtable of RNA experts.
The Academy’s strong focus on climate change included drawing attention to the risks to Australia from a warmer world and the publication of a resource center ahead of international meetings on climate change in the United States. October.
It also focused on improving diversity and inclusion in science, remained very active in international and bilateral scientific activities, and prepared a ten-year plan for space science ready for its launch in early 2022.
Its three innovative school education programs received multi-year funding from the Australian government to develop and expand educational resources and the scope of the program.
“All the important problems that affect our society today depend on the scientific contribution. We are a community that promotes international and national commitment to science, supports and celebrates scientific excellence, and is an increasingly prominent voice in Australian science, “said Professor John Shine, President of the Academy. , in its introduction to the report.
We are an increasingly prominent voice in Australian science.
Academy Executive Director Anna-Maria Arabia said the annual report shows “how the Academy strives to have science strategically valued and positioned to drive our economy and inform decision-making within and between the government, our parliaments, our courts, our classrooms, in meeting rooms and in the public square ”.
Both leaders thanked the Academy Fellows for their contributions to science and support for the Academy.
“In November, Professor Eddie Holmes, a fellow at the Academy, received the Prime Minister’s Award for Science for his outstanding contributions to virology, and especially its impact on our understanding of COVID-19. Congratulations to Professor Holmes for this award and for his tireless commitment to pandemic research, and to all of our fellows who received external awards and honors, “said Professor Shine.
Other achievements shown in the annual report include:
- host a panel discussion on the World Heritage Convention and Climate Change
- a call for forgiveness from Kathleen Folbigg based on recent scientific evidence
- the launch of a champion program to support the implementation of the ten-year nutrition plan
- a call on the NSW government to remove all wild horses from Kosciuszko National Park
- the launch of the STEM Women database to increase the profile of women in STEM
- celebrating or participating in 37 events in many scientific fields
- welcoming more than 4.4 million visitors to the Academy’s websites and posting more than 70 videos, many of which were embedded in conventional media stories.
- making major improvements to the Academy’s heritage buildings.
In 2021 the Academy published:
- a climate report on the risks to Australia of a warming world
- an updated immunization brochure for a wide audience
- a 10-year strategy for sustainable oceans and coasts
- a report that identifies opportunities for advancing data-intensive research in Australia
- a summary for policymakers about Australia’s digital future
- results of two expert roundtables
- a report on gender inequality in the STEM workforce in Asia and the Pacific
- a Deloitte Access Economics report that supports the acceleration of the discovery and documentation of the remaining biodiversity in Australia.
“The work of the Academy continues to be an immense source of pride for me, made possible by the guidance and support of our fellows and the generosity of our donors,” Ms. Arabia.