Science & Technology Australia

25/03/2025

Australia’s scientists and technologists have warmly welcomed the Federal Budget’s practical measures to ease immediate cost of living pressures and support those recovering from natural disasters, but warned the country’s long-term prosperity depends on future deep investment in the budget-boosting power of STEM research and development.

“The many practical measures to help Australians announced this evening by Treasurer Jim Chalmers are welcome. In tough economic times Australians need government to step up and put in place measures which will help them. This is a Budget understandably focused on tackling cost of living pressures for Australians,” said STA CEO Ryan Winn.

“The Treasurer rightly spoke of the five seismic changes shaping the world – shifts from globalisation to fragmentation, hydrocarbons to renewables, IT to AI, a young population to an older one and in industrial bases, and noted these challenges put a premium on resilience. The answer to all these challenges is deep investment in Australia’s STEM capability.”

Read our full Federal Budget analysis on our website - follow the link in our bio ⬆️.

05/03/2025

Saturday 8 March marks International Women’s Day – a global celebration of the achievements of women and a call to action for gender equality: https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/marchforward-for-all-women-and-girls/

This year’s theme, “March Forward: For ALL Women and Girls,” marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the world’s most ambitious roadmap for women’s rights. While progress has been made, systemic inequalities, rising violence, and economic disparities continue to hold women and girls back.

The world cannot afford to step back. Now is the time to turn promises into progress.

Join us as we to accelerate change, empower future generations, and build a more equal world for all women and girls. On our website, you can find a list of where you can catch our and the events put on by our member organisations.

Friday 7 March marks International Women’s Day – a global celebration of the achievements of women and a call to action for gender equality.

02/03/2025

Australia’s science and technology sector urges the Coalition to rethink swingeing cuts to the size of the Australian Public Service workforce and commit to protecting the many STEM professionals employed by government: https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/aps-cuts-threaten-australias-future/

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has signalled a scaling back of tens of thousands of public service workers in order to bank savings to expand Medicare bulk billing.

“We rely on a strong public service with subject matter expertise and depth to drive effective policy for Australia’s prosperity, and delivery on the proposed Coalition agenda will require a science embedded and informed APS,” said STA CEO Ryan Winn.

“Cutting public service workers is a false economy. Any cut to the public service’s over 20,000 skilled scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians (STEM) or the policy specialists who engage with expert advice would have a devastating on impact the nation’s push towards future prosperity as well as the services that all Australians rely on.”

“STEM professionals in the APS are ensuring that Australians get the nuclear medicine they need to fight cancer, developing climate predictions to help reduce insurance premiums, ensuring our medical treatments are safe, supporting our Defence forces to have effective technologies in a volatile world, ensuring that the country is tackling biodiversity loss, and much more.”

“Australia cannot afford to lose that expertise.”

“In four years’ time Australia’s annual budget expenditure is expected to be $826 billion. The comparatively small short-term savings that might come from cutting essential public service roles will come at a huge cost to the country’s future. We urge the opposition to find the savings they think they need elsewhere.”

Australia's science and technology sector urges the Coalition to rethink swingeing cuts to the size of the Australian Public Service workforce and commit to protecting the many STEM professionals employed by government.

19/02/2025

Over two days and four spectacular venues, Science Meets Parliament 2025 brought together parliamentarians from across the political spectrum and STEM professionals of all disciplines for a silver jubilee celebration of 25 years of Science Meets Parliament.

We saw 397 delegates attend – the largest number of in-person delegates ever – with 55 per cent of delegates being women, 31% early- to mid-career researchers and 3 per cent First Nations STEM professionals.

In addition to our 397 delegates, more than 69 Parliamentarians participated in 68 meetings, underscoring that STEM expertise is essential to shaping national policy. A record-breaking 500 people attended the 25th anniversary gala dinner to celebrate science with a night at the National Museum of Australia.

A special thanks to the First Nations panellists and leaders for their invaluable insights, and Ngunnawal custodian Serena Williams and the Yukkumbruk Dreaming dancers who welcomed us to Country.
A huge thank you to all the delegates, speakers/panellists, parliamentarians, venue staff, our Superstars of STEM and the exceptional CSIRO volunteers who made this event the most successful yet! Your passion, expertise, and dedication to science in service of the nation is inspiring.

We had more than 60 speakers, including scientists, parliamentarians, and some of Australia’s best science communicators and changemakers. Our speakers covered a broad range of topics across 12 sessions. They included sessions on science and evidence in public policy, putting First Nations communities at the centre, and how to tell your science stories in the media. Over 59 per cent of our speakers were women, 15 per cent identifying as First Nations persons, and 16 per cent identifying as CALD.

The spectacular Gala Dinner at the National Museum of Australia, saw speeches by the Governor-General – Her Excellency the Hon Sam Mostyn AC, Minister for Industry and Science Hon Ed Husic MP, Australia’s Chief Scientist Emeritus Professor Tony Haymet, and Shadow Minister for Science Senator Claire Chandler.

A sincere thank you to all MPs and Senators, including Minister Husic and Shadow Minister Chandler, for their generosity in taking meetings with our STEM professionals during a busy sitting week.
In addition to the many parliamentarians who showed their support for by taking part in the program, SMP delegates were present in the House of Representatives gallery on Day 2 of the event when Speaker of the House Milton Dick welcomed them to question time and noted the 25th year of Science Meets Parliament.

Here’s to another 25 years of championing science in Parliament! We look forward to seeing you all at .

A huge congratulations to the Science & Technology Australia staff team for pulling off such a fantastic event – the logistics, the moving parts, the people, the jam-packed program, the list goes on. Thanks to Dr Sandra Gardam, Lucy Guest, Dr Sarah Tynan, Martyn Pearce, Jodie Haigh, Tristan Scotcher, Carly Davey, Hari Konchada, Evelyn Fetterplace, Shannon Wong and Louise Fleck. And a big thanks to STA CEO Ryan Winn and STA President Sharath Sriram and the rest of the STA executive team, STA President-Elect Jas Chambers, Mark Stickells AM, Professor Chris Matthews, Dr Kathy Nicholson, Dr Lila Landowski, Dr Jiao Jiao Li, Professor Stephen Rodda, Professor Renae Ryan, and Maria Di Gregorio – for all your support of the STA staff team and this event.

A massive thanks to all the Science Meets Parliament Partners who made this event possible, including Foundation Partner – Inspiring Australia.

Science Meets Parliament (SMP) 2025 was our biggest yet – with the largest number of in-person delegates ever – for a silver jubilee celebration of 25 years of Science Meets Parliament.

18/02/2025

Have your say on pay and conditions in the STEM workforce and have your voice heard in advocacy in our sector – the Professional Scientists’ Remuneration Survey 2025 is open now: https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/have-your-say-scientists-remuneration-survey/

The Survey is Australia’s largest and most significant snapshot of the employment conditions of scientists and technologists. It is run by Professionals Australia in partnership with Science & Technology Australia.

The survey results provide a clear picture of pay, conditions and employment practices for Australia’s STEM professionals, and are used to advocate for better outcomes for those working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Against the backdrop of a once-in-a-generation R&D review that is seeking to turn around plummeting Australian R&D levels, which are half the OECD average, and a failure to translate local research into local productivity, we know we need a strong, engaged and supported workforce. This survey will inform that review.

The survey is open and can be completed now: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WJVXWJL

“I strongly encourage everyone working in STEM to take 15 minutes and complete the Professional Scientists’ Remuneration Survey 2025,” said STA Chief Executive Officer Ryan Winn.

“Your participation is crucial for shaping the future of Australia’s scientific workforce. By sharing your experiences, you provide essential data that will inform advocacy to Government to support the STEM sector and guide policy that affects our community.”

“Your input will help us understand Australia’s STEM workforce and the challenges it faces. Please take a moment to complete the survey – your response matters.”

All responses are confidential, and survey participants could win a $500 JB Hifi voucher.

Have your say on pay and conditions in the STEM workforce and have your voice heard in advocacy in our sector – the Professional Scientists’ Remuneration Survey 2025 is open now. The Survey is Australia’s largest and most significant snapshot of the employment conditions of scientists and tech...

05/02/2025

From research to reality and advocacy with impact.

In these sessions at Science Meets Parliament 2025, two stellar panels explore the role of policy advisors in decision-making and how to turn your ideas into action.

How do policy advisors influence the decisions that shape our nation? How do Australia’s top advocates turn proposals into real policy change?

Join Catriona Jackson, former CEO of Science & Technology Australia and former Chief Executive of Universities Australia, as she leads a powerhouse panel of current and former advisors. They’ll share firsthand insights on what works (and what doesn’t) when presenting information to decision-makers.

Panellists include:
💡 John Byron – Principal Policy Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor of QUT (Queensland University of Technology)
💡 Brooke Curtin – Senior Adviser for Science to the new Shadow Minister for Science
💡 Fiona Scott – Chief of Staff to Independent Senator David Pocock

STA Policy Chair and Operations Manager at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) Dr Kathy Nicholson leads a dynamic session, where top advocacy leaders will share their insights into effective advocacy, building influence, and making an impact where it counts.

Hear from:
💡 Feyi Akindoyeni – Founding Partner, SEC Newgate Australia, strategic communications expert and influential changemaker
💡 Matthew Cossey – CEO, CropLife Australia and strategic industry advocacy expert
💡 Craig Ritchie – Chair, Lowitja Institute, and former CEO, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)

What does it take to turn a great idea into a policy shift? How can you craft messages that resonate with decision-makers? And how do you cut through the noise to ensure your voice is heard? We’ll find out at this must-attend session of !

The full speaker list and program is here: https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/science-meets-parliament/

We thank our Gold Partners – National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA), QUT (Queensland University of Technology), and Curtin University.

Science Meets Parliament 2025 received grant funding through Inspiring Australia – An Australian Government Initiative.

Department of Industry, Science and Resources

05/02/2025

Creating a National Prototyping Facility would tackle the ‘missing middle’ of product development, keeping Australian ideas, innovation and entrepreneurs onshore, and securing the country’s future prosperity: https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/budget-a-chance-to-tackle-the-missing-middle-of-aus-innovation/

In its Pre-Budget submission on behalf of more than 225,000 scientists and technologists, Science & Technology Australia has called for strategic investment in industry development to create a prosperous Australia made from Australian ideas.

While Australia has world-class STEM-skilled research expertise to innovate, too many great ideas never become economy-boosting products because of the challenge of developing early-stage prototypes prior to scale-up. The proposal put forward by STA would see the creation of a nationally-coordinated network of facilities to support pre-market development, testing and scale-up.

“Prototyping products to give business the confidence to invest is the missing middle of Australia’s manufacturing capability,” said STA Chief Executive Officer Ryan Winn.

“Because the country doesn’t have this, our best innovators and entrepreneurs are forced to develop and test their products overseas, or worse, great ideas are simply shelved.”

“Australia’s early-stage business ventures and researchers looking to translate and commercialise work need access to a national facility to test product viability, trial designs and optimise manufacturing processes.”

“This proposal would ensure that more Australian ideas and innovations are turned into the products, services and jobs of tomorrow. It would fill a significant gap in the country’s capability, and ensure that Australia’s businesses have the support they need to help transform our economy.”

Spanning the ‘valley of death’ stages of innovation, the National Prototyping Facility would deliver crucial government support to de-risking the proof-of-concept and early scale up stages of product development, enabling industry to invest with greater confidence.

“Australia has the research smarts, and it has government initiatives working to support advanced manufacturing. This year’s Budget is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring those things together by tackling what’s missing,” said Mr Winn.

In its Pre-Budget submission on behalf of more than 225,000 scientists and technologists, Science & Technology Australia has called for strategic investment in industry development to create a prosperous Australia made from Australian ideas.

29/01/2025

We are thrilled to announce Minister for Industry and Science Hon Ed Husic MP will deliver the centrepiece National Press Club address at , where he will share a vision of how science, technology and industry can power Australia's economy and our nation's prosperity.

National Press Club address: https://npc.org.au/events/the-hon-ed-husic-mp-minister-for-industry-and-science

Science Meets Parliament 2025: https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/science-meets-parliament/

SMP2025 received grant funding through Australia – An Australian Government Initiative.

National Press Club of Australia, Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Australian Government, Inspiring Australia - National Networks

29/01/2025

STA congratulates the many scientists and technologists recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours, and is thrilled that Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal scientist Dr Katrina Wruck was awarded 2025 Young Australian of the Year: https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/australia-day-awards

Dr Wruck is a chemist developing green solutions for industrial and environmental challenges. She is the inspiring founder of Nguki Kula Green Labs, a passionate advocate for inspiring people into STEM, and on STA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

STEM professionals recognised in the Australia Day Awards include Superstar of STEM Anna Barwick, Australian Academy of Science CEO Anna-Maria Arabia, UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor and former CSIRO Chief Scientist Professor Bronwyn Fox, circular economy pioneer and STA Bench to Boardroom committee member Professor Veena Sahajwalla, Curtin University’s Professor Josh Byrne, clinical neuropsychologist Professor Sharon Naismith, TechnologyOne founder Adrian Di Marco, solar panel pioneer Professor Andrew Blakers, the co-founders of equipment manufacturer ANCA Pat Boland and Patrick McCluskey, and CleanTech innovator Sylvia Tulloch.

Awards also went to physicist Emeritus Professor Keith Nugent, space communications expert John Saxon, marine ecologist Dr Hugh Kirkman, entomologist Dr Lawrence Mound, engineer Dr Graeme Gwilliam, infectious diseases expert Professor Allen Cheng, microbiology and infectious diseases expert Professor Thomas Gottlieb, and sustainability star Professor Stuart White.

"We are so delighted to see Dr Wruck recognised for her incredible work as 2025 Young Australian of the Year, and thrilled to see so many STEM superstars receive awards in the Australia Day Honours," said STA CEO Ryan Winn.

"The numbers of scientists and technologists receiving these awards, out of the 457 total recipients, highlights the crucial role that those working in STEM play in society, and the impact that work has."

"On behalf of the science and technology sector, I congratulate everyone who received awards and honours and thank them for their service to the country."

"As we reflect on these names, it is important to note that you can nominate someone for an Australian Honour and Award at any time, and the process is remarkably straight forward and easy. Please consider your amazing colleagues, and let’s make sure STEM professionals get the recognition they deserve!"

STA congratulates the many scientists and technologists recognised in this year's Australia Day Honours, and is thrilled that Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal scientist Dr Katrina Wruck was awarded 2025 Young Australian of the Year.

29/01/2025

The nation’s scientists and technologists have welcomed the appointment of Emeritus Professor Tony Haymet FTSE as Australia’s new Chief Scientist: https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/welcome-new-chief-scientist/

Emeritus Professor Haymet is Australia’s tenth Chief Scientist. He is a globally significant oceanographer and entrepreneur who has held senior roles in CSIRO, a former university Vice-Chancellor, was the Chair of the Oceans Council at the World Economic Forum and founded a company that makes in-ocean robots.

The nation’s scientists and technologists have welcomed the appointment of Emeritus Professor Tony Haymet FTSE as Australia’s new Chief Scientist.