Academy Newsletter May 2026

Welcome to our new look newsletter — a quick, curated snapshot of what’s happening across our community. Inside, you’ll find updates from leadership, opportunities to get involved, upcoming events, featured stories, and a selection of things to read, watch, and listen to.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear Fellows and friends,

I am thrilled to announce the launch of a refreshed Academy website as well as this new-look newsletter. Both have been developed to improve the Academy’s communication and connection with Fellows and friends of the social sciences. We welcome any feedback about these changes to info@socialsciences.org.au.

April has been a busy month. I chaired a roundtable convened by the Academy for the Department of Education to provide context and evidence-based research into the development of a First Nations Education Policy. This included presentations from Fellows Professors Marcia Langton, Tom Calma, Bronwyn Fredericks, and Julie McLeod among others.

The Australian Government’s National Science and Technology Council has released a report on the role of democratic and cultural institutions on combatting mis- and dis-information that was prepared as advice to government by a working group of Academy Fellows and other experts that I co-chaired with Fellow Professor Lynette Russell. You can find the report along with other reports in this series on our new-look website.

The Academy continues to provide input into discussions about Australia’s future research and development strategy, and I was invited to a sector roundtable with Minister Tim Ayres and Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton on the recent Ambitious Australia report.

The recipients of the Academy’s Indo-Pacific Strategic Environmental Grants program have been announced, and congratulations to Dr Olga Kokshagina, Dr Teesta Prakash, Dr Boram Lee and Dr Olga Oleinikova, who have secured funds for collaborative research projects.

Do keep an eye out for the May edition of the Academy’s bi-annual Socium magazine. A digital version will be sent to all Academy Fellows and newsletter subscribers in coming weeks.

And finally, a reminder to all Fellows to provide your views on the current and future directions for social science research and education via a survey sent this week. This is part of the consultation undertaken for The State of the Social Sciences Report 2026, to be launched in August. If you did not receive an email inviting you to complete this survey, please contact honae.cuffe@socialsciences.org.au.

POLICY NEWS

Policy Submissions

The Academy brings together Fellows and other world-leading experts to consider and advise government on a range of social and economic policy issues, including education and research policy. Our submissions to government inquiries and reviews provide authoritative advice on matters of national importance, support evidence-based policy development and advocate for social science education and research excellence.

Recent Academy submissions include:

· Submission to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee inquiry into the Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025. Read a summary of the Academy submission to the Education and Employment Committee inquiry.

· Submission to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources request for information on Australia’s possible association with Horizon Europe. Read a summary of the Academy submission to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

The cover of the Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50K Arts Degrees) Bill 2025 submission document. It has a blue background with a star motif.

The cover of the Possible association to Horizon Europe: request for information submission document. It has a blue background with a star motif.

VIEW ALL POLICY NEWS »

LATEST EVENTS

Book launch: Landslide – The 2025 Australian Federal Election

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia hosted the launch of new book, Landslide - The 2025 Australian Federal Election, at the National Library of Australia on 16 April with an in-person and online audience of more than 300 people coming together for an engaging discussion between ABC Radio Host Nick Bryant and political scientist Dr Jill Sheppard.

This book is the latest in a series of post election books that have been supported by the Academy since 1996.

Two women and a man stand in front of an ANU banner. The man holds a copy of the book "Landslide: the 2025 Australian Federal Election"

Pictured: Landslide editors (L to R): Professor Marian Sawer, Dr Jill Sheppard, and Professor John Warhurst

Upcoming event

The Academy of the Social Sciences welcomes you to join Professor Marcia Langton AO for the inaugural Rechnitz Memorial Lecture.

5.30-6.45PM 14 July 2026

University of Melbourne

Book tickets for the Rechnitz Memorial Lecture.

Professor Marcia Langton speaks in front of a lectern with the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia banner.

Pictured: Professor Marcia Langton AO receiving the inaugural Rechnitz Memorial Award in 2025.

VIEW ALL NEWS »

CELEBRATING FELLOWS

Academy Fellow and distinguished legal scholar Professor Carolyn Evans has been appointed the 22^nd Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Professor Evans moves from Vice-Chancellor of Griffith University and will commence on 5 October.

Fellow Professor Pauline Grosjean has been appointed one of three new Editors of The Economic Journal, published by the Royal Economic Society.

VIEW ALL FELLOWS NEWS »

OPPORTUNITIES

Workshops Program Grants

The Academy Workshops Program will open for applications on 18 May.

Spark Grants - open for applications

Apply now for grants of up to $1,000 to support Social Sciences Week events.

Applications close 5 June 2026.

Apply for Spark Grants.

National Archives of Australia: Survey

The National Archives Strategy 2025–2030: Evolving National Archives aims to ensure their services and programs continue to meet the needs of the communities they serve, now and into the future.

To support this important work, the NAA have commissioned Whereto Research to undertake independent research. As part of this, NAA users are invited to share their experiences, perspectives and ideas through a short online survey.

VIEW ALL OPPORTUNITIES »

RECONCILIATION SPOTLIGHT

Upcoming Reconciliation Events

Mark your diary for Reconciliation Week 2026 and upcoming events featuring Academy Fellows.

2026 National Reconciliation Week Seminar

10.30am – 12.00pm 2 June 2026

University of Queensland

As part of National Reconciliation Week the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health is hosting a seminar featuring some of Australia’s most respected leaders in reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights including Fellow Professor Tom Calma AO.

Book in for the UQ Reconciliation Week event.

One Mind, One Heart

7.00pm – 9.00pm 28 May 2026

National Film and Sound Archive, ACT

Film screening and Q&A with Fellow Professor Larissa Behrendt AO.

An advertisement for the 2026 National Reconciliation Week Seminar, featuring headshots of Professor Jackie Huggins, Professor Tom Calma and the Hon. Dame Quentin Bryce

A promotional image for the One Mind, One Heart film screening and Q&A session. The image features a woman with brown skin and long grey hair looking at a framed piece of writing. There are Aboriginal art designs around the frame.

A promotional image for National Reconciliation Week featuring the slogan All In for Reconciliation, and multiple small pink, green and blue stickers bearing the words “I’m In”.

VIEW #NRW2026 WEBPAGE»

FEATURED FELLOW

Professor Kate McGregor

Meet Fellow Professor Kate McGregor from the University of Melbourne and discover how the social sciences shape her research in the politics of memory within and beyond Indonesia.

VIEW PREVIOUS FEATURED FELLOWS »

READ, WATCH, LISTEN

Read

Retiring in a New Age: Life after Paid Work. What kind of retiree are you (or what kind are you planning to be): a stayer, a leaver, a blender or one of the disengaged? This book by Fellows Russell Lansbury and Marian Baird is based on surveys with thousands of retirees in Australia and Sweden along with in-depth interviews. It identifies the four retiree ‘archetypes’ and examines what they mean for physical and psychosocial wellbeing, as well as policy considerations for AI-related workforce changes and an ageing population.

Cover of Retiring in a New Age book. The background features abstract lines and colours in shades of blue, pink, yellow and purple

Listen

A history of Australian fathers and their families

Fellows Michelle Arrow, Alistair Thomson and Sean Scalmer join other experts to explore the changing nature of fatherhood in this ABC Radio National Big Ideas episode.

The forgotten achievements of the Colombo Plan

Fellow David Lowe discusses the history of the Colombo Plan of mutual development and aid across multiple countries on the episode of the ABC’s Late Night Live.

Have news to share?

Reminder to all Fellows: if we don’t know about it, we can’t share it!
Fellows are encouraged to send information about events, publications and news articles to info@socialsciences.org.au for inclusion in upcoming newsletters!