CEO Update

2024 is in full swing and it’s been an eventful month for the Academy. Last week we were pleased to work with convenors of the Parliamentary Friends of Social Sciences Dr Carina Garland MP, Julian Leeser MP and Academy Fellow Senator Barbara Pocock to host an insightful discussion on sustainable and inclusive full employment: what it means, what’s required of our care system to support full employment, and how it manifests in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Looking ahead we’ve got a number of exciting events over the coming months: the launch of the Academy’s Decadal Plan for Social Science Research Infrastructure next week, economist and former President Obama advisor Professor Betsey Stevenson delivering the Cunningham Lecture on 11 April, and policy roundtables on early childhood education and care and open research, among others.

In addition, we’re pleased to have opened applications for the second round of the 

Rechnitz Fund, providing $20,000 grants to early- and mid-career Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social scientists (please do spread the word). We’re also working with the Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils to host an inaugural regional summit on social science funding and collaboration in the Indo-Pacific in Thailand from 9-10 May.

Thanks as always to the Fellows and the many friends of the Academy who contribute their time and expertise to supporting this important work.

Chris Hatherly

CEO 

2024 Cunningham lecture with Professor Betsey Stevenson

Join us in Sydney on Thursday 11 April for the free 2024 Cunningham Lecture with guest speaker Professor Betsey Stevenson on Marriage, family and work in an age of rising gender equality.

Professor Stevenson is professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan. She served as a member of the Council of Economic Advisers from 2013 to 2015 where she advised President Obama on social policy, labour market and trade issues. She served as the chief economist of the U.S. Department of Labor from 2010 to 2011, advising the Secretary of Labor on labour policy and participating as the secretary's deputy to the White House economic team. 

Strategic dialogue: Academy's engagement with Parliamentarians

Parliamentary Friends of Social Sciences co-convenors Mr Julian Leeser MP (pictured far left) and Senator Barbara Pocock (pictured far right) with panellists (left to right) Dr Elise Klein, Fellow Professor Jeff Borland and Fellow Professor Deborah Cobb-Clark AO with host Fellow Michelle Grattan.  

On 27 March the Academy coordinated a panel discussion Delivering sustained and inclusive full employment for the Parliamentary Friends of Social Sciences, co-convened by Dr Carina Garland MP, Julian Leeser MP and Senator and Academy Fellow Barbara Pocock. Our speakers included Academy Fellows Professors Jeff Borland and Deborah Ann Cobb-Clark alongside Dr Elise Klein who shared their research and insights on the Employment White Paper, the impact of quality early learning services on workforce decisions and the unrecognised efforts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities. Thank you to all who attended and our host, Fellow Michelle Grattan. 

ACT Branch Convenor Fellow Linda Botterill with Senator Barbara Pocock 

Academy Fellow Senator Barbara Pocock was the guest speaker at our ACT Fellows dinner on 19 March discussing what the Big 4 consulting firms have done wrong and what it means for social science researchers. Save the date: The next ACT Fellows dinner is on Tuesday 21 May.  

Australian Research Council Amendment Bill passes

Last month the Senate passed the Australian Research Council Amendment (Review Response) Bill 2023. This important reform establishes an ARC board that will have responsibility of approving funding for the majority of research projects, enshrining the key principle of peer review. 

We are proud to have contributed to this process and believe it is a positive outcome for the research community with changes including: 

- support for Australian universities to attract and retain academic researchers 

- transparency on the nature of employment for researchers funded by the ARC 

- diverse representation on the ARC Board 

- an independent review of the ARC Board after significant changes. 

These changes are consistent with our submissions to the Review consultation and will set a strong foundation for the ARC to better support Australia’s world-class research effort. 

As we celebrate this progress, we also acknowledge the ongoing work needed to address under-funding, job insecurity and ensure fair pay and working conditions for researchers. We will continue to advocate for a thriving research sector with democratic governance and academic freedom. 

2024 Fay Gale Lecture announcement

Next month, in conjunction with the University of Adelaide Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender, we are hosting the 2024 Fay Gale Lecture Youth, Masculinity and the Far Right in Australia with Professor Pam Nilan in Adelaide. Register now for this free event either in-person or online on Friday 10 May from 5.30pm as Professor Nilan discusses project findings from the Australian Research Council Discovery-funded research project titled Far Right in Australia: Intellectuals, Masculinity and Citizenship, supplemented by examples from far-right groups in Australia that specifically target young (white) men for recruitment.

Funding innovation: Grant updates

Reminder: Rechnitz Fund Grant Opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researchers 

Applications are open (until 13 May 2024) for the Academy’s Wilhelm, Martha and Otto Rechnitz Memorial Fund which supports early- and mid-career Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social scientists. 

This grant aims to foster research excellence and innovation across the social sciences with grants of up to $20,000 available. The Rechnitz Fund reflects our commitment to supporting diverse voices and perspectives within academia. 

Visit our website for more information on eligibility criteria and application details.  

2024 Australia-France Collaborative Research Program

Four teams of social scientists have been selected to receive funding for the 

2024 Australia-France Collaborative Research Program. The teams will share in $20,000 funding provided by the Embassy of France in Australia and the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. The program aims to foster interdisciplinary research endeavours that address critical societal challenges and strengthen the bonds between Australia, France and the Pacific region. 

Congratulations

Congratulations to Fellow and Academy Executive Committee member Fleur Jones who has been appointed Head of School and Dean of Sydney Law School, commencing in 2025.  

Fellowship opportunity  

Applications are now open for 2025 Fellowships of the National Library of Australia. Available to researchers who require onsite access to the Library’s uniquely held or extensive collections to advance their research towards publication or other public outcomes, there are several new Fellowships available this year, including a Fellowship in Asian Studies and a Fellowship in Australian rural, regional or environmental history. 

Generative AI and mental health 

Fellow Helen Christensen and Academy of Science Fellow Svetha Venkatesh have developed novel AI-driven research platforms to accelerate personalised mental health treatment approaches. These new research platforms enable the deployment of AI-powered adaptive trials, which aim to identify the best treatment fit for individuals while minimising the number of individuals assigned to ineffective placebo interventions. Their recent trial demonstrates the efficacy of AI-driven trials to identify which mental health interventions work for individuals with different symptom profiles. Academy Fellows are invited to join the Advisory Board to advise on the next phase of the Black Dog institute’s work in this space by contacting wuyi.zheng@blackdog.org.au by 26 April 2024.  

Editor opportunity

Australian Historical Studies (AHS) is recognised as Australia’s leading journal of Australian history. The AHS Board is seeking Expressions of Interest for new editor(s) of the journal for a three-year term. Applications close 31 July.  

Read, Watch, Attend

Read

An important outcome of a 2021 Academy-funded workshop, Australian Urban Policy: Prospects and Pathways by Academy Fellows Robert Freestone and Bill Randolph with co-editor Wendy Steele explores the achievements, failures, and challenges of an assemblage of public policy areas unified by their urban context. 

Step into the intriguing world of waste with Fellow Warwick Anderson's latest book, Spectacles of Waste. From wastewater epidemiology to exploring the realms of excremental art, Anderson uncovers how our societal aversion to bodily waste has deeply influenced our philosophies, social theories and even the evolution of high-tech science. This book exemplifies the power of ethnographic history to illuminate the hidden connections shaping our understanding of humanity. 

Watch

Fellow Lynette Russell featured on ABC's Compass program The Lost Families, a tale of love and adventure that highlights the little-known cultural, religious and genetic links between Australia and Indonesia, dating back centuries before the arrival of the British.

Attend

Join us in Adelaide on Friday 10 May for the annual Fay Gale Lecture with Professor Pamela Nilan, discussing Youth, Masculinity and the Far Right in Australia.

Explore the intersection of AI, ethics, and the future, and discover actionable solutions for a positive and responsible AI development at the AI, Ethics and the Future: Can the Arts and Humanities Save Us? debate with Australian Catholic University on Thursday 18 April in Sydney or online, chaired by joint Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences and the Australian Academy of Humanities Joy Damousi AM, featuring Fellows Lisa Given and Anthony Elliott AM as panellists. 

Join us for a two-day symposium on AUKUS strategic partnership from 15-16 August 2024 in Canberra. Since its inception in 2022, AUKUS has received bipartisan political support, shaping crucial discussions on national security and international relations. 

Our symposium will feature expert analysis and discussions on the political, legal, strategic and economic aspects of AUKUS. This event provides an opportunity for academics and professionals to deepen their understanding of this significant alliance. View the full program now and access early bird registration rates until 31 May.  

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 and present.