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May is budget month, and many will be watching closely as the Albanese Government considers a number of recent reports that have involved Academy Fellows. These include the review of the Reserve Bank of Australia (Renee Fry-McKibbin), the report of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee (Peter Whiteford, Jeff Borland and Bob Breunig) and Australia's Migration System review (Martin Parkinson; more on these reports in the newsletter below).
The Academy will be retweeting and featuring analysis and commentary from Fellows over the next week and on budget evening. Please tag us @AcadSocSci on Twitter or let us know of any articles or appearances at media@socialsciences.org.au.
27 May–3 June is National Reconciliation Week (NRW), with all Australians encouraged to Be a Voice for Generations in tangible ways. We encourage all Fellows and the broader social science community to visit the NRW website which outlines practical actions for reconciliation. There is also a calendar of events happening around the country in-person and online.
The Academy strongly supports the proposal for constitutional recognition of Australia's First Nations people and has committed to collecting and collating resources that help inform the debate. In our latest Seriously Social podcast episode Dr Harry Hobbs and Wiradjuri scholar James Blackwell explain how the referendum will change the status of 65,000+ years of First Nations sovereignty, which currently has the same non-existent legal standing as self-declared 'micronations' such as Hutt River and the Principality of Wy. Well worth a listen.
Beyond that, applications for the Academy’s inaugural Rechnitz Fund grants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social science researchers close on 15 May (please spread the word). And our national office team have been hard at work on a review of social science research infrastructure, on establishment of our new school education program, refreshing the Academy and Social Sciences Week websites, and coordinating the program and logistics for the biennial congress of the Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils in Seoul, among many other activities.
Dr Chris Hatherly |
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Grant opportunities |
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Rechnitz Fund
Applications for the Academy’s Rechnitz Fund grants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social science researchers close on 15 May. This fund supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars in the social sciences, and fosters knowledge and understanding of the society, languages and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Workshops Program opening soon
Want all the experts in one room for a ground-breaking conversation in your area of interest? Apply for the 2024 Academy Workshops Program and host one of eight funded workshops (up to $9,000 each, excluding GST) for a conversation that advances research or policy agenda on important national issues. Applications open 15 May and close 25 August. More information on the application and assessment process is available here.
Taiwan Studies Program
A mentorship grant, early career tenure track support and an endowed chair of Taiwan Studies for up to $1 million are among the Taiwan Studies Program (TSP) for international researchers being offered by the Taiwanese National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). TSP reviews applications on a rolling basis—find details here. |
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Seoul of social sciences |
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The Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils (AASSREC), supported by the Academy, is holding its 25th biennial general conference Social Sciences in Asia: Past, Present and Future from 14–16 June at Yonsei University, Seoul. More information here. |
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Get your SSW2023 hat on! |
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Turn the spotlight on an initiative you’ve been working on or draw a wider audience to the social science activities at your organisation (university, school, TAFE, library, museum, research institute or business).
Social Sciences Week 2023 runs from 4–11 September and is a great opportunity to celebrate social science contributions across all walks of life and every part of our society: Social Sciences are Everywhere! Register your event or sign up for Academy updates here.
Explore sponsor and partner options here. |
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Fellows Lynette Russell (left) and Marilyn Fleer (right) appointed Sir John Monash Distinguished Professors at Monash. |
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Priorities, ideas and inclusion |
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ARC Review
The ARC Review Panel’s final report is now available and adopts many of the calls from the Academy and others for legislative clarity on role, a strengthened Board, independence from ministerial intervention and streamlined processes. Find the review here.
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Review of the Reserve Bank of Australia
The most significant review of the Reserve Bank to be undertaken in 50 years has been finalised and the report, completed by Fellow Renee Fry-McKibbin and colleagues, is available at this link. |
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Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee report
Before every Federal Budget the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee releases its report on inclusive policy settings, systems and structures. The committee includes Academy Fellows Peter Whiteford, Bob Breunig and Jeff Borland and its recent report has some big recommendations. Find more here. |
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Migration system review
Fellow Martin Parkinson lead a review of Australia’s migration system that delivered its final report in March. The government’s response—A Migration System for a More Prosperous and Secure Australia—was released last week.
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Academy submissions
To see Academy submissions to government (e.g. National science and research priorities, the Australian Universities Accord) follow the link to our submissions page. Find more reports and publications on the Academy homepage under Policy + publications. |
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National and collectable |
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Why don’t we have a national approach to Australia’s research collections? The Academy in partnership with the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of the Humanities is looking to consult with key stakeholders to better understand existing research collections ecosystems and communities. If you are interested, please email isabel.ceron@socialsciences.org.au before 15 May, with a few lines on your current role and relationship to Australia’s research collections. |
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Save the date and come together |
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The 2023 Australian Social Policy Conference: Social Policy for Social Change takes place from 11-13 September. Abstracts are due by8 May. For details click here. |
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Vale |
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We were saddened to learn that Academy Fellow and economist Bob Wallace died on 10 April. Bob was elected to the Academy in 1978 and became a Jubilee Fellow in 2018. You can find his reflections on academia and being part of the Academy at this link. |
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Read, Watch, Listen, Attend |
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Read
Imagined racial laboratories: colonial and national racialisations in Southeast Asia, co-edited by Fellow Warwick Anderson and including a chapter co-authored by Anderson and Fellow Hans Pols.
Explore a hot topic—‘The systematic implications of housing affordability for the teacher shortage: The case of NSW, Australia’—with Prof Scott Eacott (convenor of a 2022 Academy Workshop on the same topic), published in The Australian educational researcher. Or try Economies of virtue: the circulation of ‘ethics’ in AI—another publication arising from an Academy-funded workshop in 2021.
Watch
In case you missed it, Sophie Howe, Wales’ first Future Generations Commissioner gave the 2023 John Menadue oration at the Wheeler Centre in April and was joined in conversation by Fellow Fiona Stanley. Click here for the oration video and transcript.
With so much pre-Budget focus on equity and support, catch up on Fellow Deborah Stevenson’s recent webinar Engendering culture: accumulating capital in the gendered household.
Or watch the Academy's video of Fellow Professor Megan Davis reading the Uluru statement from the heart. This video is part of the Academy's new suite of education resources, and has been viewed more than 6,000 times.
Listen
Did you know Australia has the highest number of micronations of any country in the world? In the latest episode of Seriously Social—The weird and wonderful world of micronations—Harry Hobbs (2022 Paul Bourke Award winner) talks about what it takes, why people do it and what it means for First Nations peoples. Or listen to Fear & Wonder at this link, a new podcast from The Conversation delving into the UN’s climate report with the scientists who wrote it.
Find all the Academy’s high-quality podcasts on the ‘listen’ tab at Seriously Social.
Attend
The Academy is pleased to offer 10 free registrations to Fellows interested in attending the International Congress on evidence-based family support, 6–8 June 2023. This is a global online event with program and speakers available from the conference homepage.
Please email policy@socialsciences.org.au if interested in this opportunity.
From 27 May–2 June, Congress 2023 is happening in-person and online at York University in Toronto. Join one of of the largest academic gatherings in the world as they explore this year's theme 'Reckonings and Re-Imaginings'. Open to all members of the community, this exciting event will feature a thought-provoking mix of panels, presentations, speakers, workshops and a multitude of open events addressing pressing challenges for Canada and the world. |
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Podcasts
Listen to the latest Seriously Social episodes. |
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The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia.
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land on which our national office is located, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, and
to their elders past, present and future. |
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