Pursuit of Excellence
2012 Review of Government Funding to the
Learned Academies
© Commonwealth of Australia 2012
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Table of Contents
Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... 4
Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 6
Summary of recommendations ............................................................................................. 8
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 9
Australia’s Learned Academies ........................................................................................ 9
Higher Education Research Promotion ............................................................................ 9
Regular reviews .............................................................................................................. 11
Recent developments ..................................................................................................... 11
The current review .......................................................................................................... 12
Review panel .............................................................................................................. 12
Learned Academies Reference Group ....................................................................... 12
Terms of Reference .................................................................................................... 13
Consultations and submissions .................................................................................. 13
Snapshot of the Learned Academies and ACOLA ......................................................... 14
Australian Academy of the Humanities ........................................................................... 14
Australian Academy of Science ...................................................................................... 15
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.................................. 16
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia .................................................................. 17
Australian Council of Learned Academies ...................................................................... 18
Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 20
Appropriateness .............................................................................................................. 20
Effectiveness ................................................................................................................... 23
Key Achievements ...................................................................................................... 23
Supplementation ......................................................................................................... 31
Value for money.......................................................................................................... 32
Summary .................................................................................................................... 35
Efficiency ......................................................................................................................... 35
Integration ....................................................................................................................... 36
Indigenous Post-Graduate Summer School and Mentoring program ........................ 37
International Science Linkages................................................................................... 38
Other government programs ...................................................................................... 42
Summary .................................................................................................................... 42
Performance assessment ............................................................................................... 42
Strategic policy alignment ............................................................................................... 43
Findings and Recommendations ..................................................................................... 47
Enhancing the strategic role ........................................................................................... 47
Encouraging researchers in all fields .............................................................................. 49
Working together ............................................................................................................. 49
Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 51
A - Expenditure Review Principles ...................................................................................... 51
B - Review Panel Members ................................................................................................. 52
C - Reference Group Members ........................................................................................... 53
D - Terms of Reference ....................................................................................................... 53
E - International Science Linkages ...................................................................................... 54
F - Consultations ................................................................................................................. 55
G - Main elements of the Learned Academies and ACOLA’s strategic plans .................... 56
Abbreviations
AAO - Administrative Arrangements Order
AASSREC - Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils
AAH - Australian Academy of the Humanities
AAS - Australian Academy of Science
ANAO - Australian National Audit Office
ATSE - Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
ABS - Australian Bureau of Statistics
ACARA - Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority
ACCSP - Australian Climate Change Science Program
ACOLA - Australian Council of Learned Academies
ARC - Australian Research Council
ASSA - Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
CAETS - International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences
CASS - Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences
CEO - Chief Executive Officer
COST - European Cooperation in Science and Technology
DCCEE - Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
DEST - Department of Education, Science and Training
DEEWR - Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
DFD - Department of Finance and Deregulation
DFAT - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
DIISR - Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
DIISRTE - Department of Innovation, Industry, Science, Research and Tertiary Education
ERA - Excellence in Research for Australia
FASTS - Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies
HASS - Humanities, arts and social sciences
HE - Higher Education
HERP - Higher Education Research Promotion
HESA - Higher Education Support Act 2003
HESA-HERP - Higher Education Support Act 2003 - Higher Education Research Promotion
HTF - Humanities Travelling Fellowships Scheme
IGBP - International Geosphere-Biosphere Program
ICSU - International Council for Science
ISL - International Science Linkages program
ISL-HCA - International Science Linkages - Humanities and Creative Arts program
JSTCC - Australia-EU Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee
LASP - Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects fund
Learned Academies - AAH, AAS, ATSE, ASSA
MOU - Memorandum of Understanding
NAF - National Academies Forum (now ACOLA)
NC - National Committees
PBS - Portfolio Budget Statements
PC - Primary Connections
PMSEIC - Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council
RQF - Research Quality Framework
RWS - Research Workforce Strategy
S&T - Science and technology
SCOPE - Science Connections Program
SCOR - Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research
SET - Science, Engineering and Technology
SFA - Supplementary funding agreement
STELR - Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance
STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
WCRP - World Climate Research Program
Executive Summary
The Learned Academies are important national assets which provide a unique and valuable
contribution to the pursuit of excellence in Australia’s innovation system and in the provision
of advice to government on issues of national and international significance. They play a
distinctive role in promoting and fostering research and scholarship in all disciplines, enabling
innovation. While each academy is different in scale (in level of funding and in the disciplines
it represents), nonetheless they share many common goals, including representing their
disciplines; recognising the preeminent scholars in their fields through the election of Fellows;
contributing to the broader policy debate; exploring issues of national and international
importance and collaborating internationally within their disciplines.
The Learned Academies and Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) are
provided with Australian Government funding to support activities to foster understanding of
the importance of, or promote research and scholarship in, science, technology, social
science and/or humanities in Australia.
This review of Australian Government funding to the Learned Academies and ACOLA under
Higher Education Support Act 2003 – Higher Education Research Promotion (HESA HERP)
and Learned Academies – Supplementation covers the period 1 January 2006 to 31
December 2010.
Funding to the Learned Academies is regularly reviewed, the last review being held in 2005.
The scope of these reviews has varied over the years. In 2005, the review scope was wider
than the current review and looked at the role and effectiveness of the Learned Academies
and National Academies Forum (now ACOLA). The 2005 Review recommended major
strengthening of the role and activities of the Learned Academies and led to a substantial
increase in funding, through Learned Academies - Supplementation, for their core operations.
This review, the 2012 review, is a standard evaluation of an ongoing government program. It
is not a review of the performance of either the Learned Academies or ACOLA.
The current 2012 review has assessed expenditure of HESA-HERP and Learned Academies
- Supplementation against the Department of Finance and Deregulation’s expenditure review
principles and finds in summary:
Appropriateness — the Learned Academies have provided improved access to information
due to the knowledge, research and scholarship of their members. It was therefore
appropriate to use public funds to support them as they provided an important national public
good as well as contributing to the achievement of social inclusion objectives. The national
innovation system is underpinned by Australia’s capacity to undertake high quality research
that addresses national challenges and opens up new opportunities. The Learned Academies
bridge all disciplines and play a critical role in fostering excellence in research and in
contributing to public policy debates on issues of national importance.
Effectiveness — the objective of the Higher Education Research Promotion (HERP) and
Supplementation funding is to foster understanding of the importance of, or promote research
and scholarship in, any discipline. The Learned Academies have effectively met this objective
through both their domestic and international activities, including through hosting fora,
providing advice to government reviews, supporting researchers and publishing major expert
reports on a wide range of issues. Specific advantages of the Learned Academy include low
overheads, the voluntary nature of the work provided by Fellows, the breadth of skills and
expertise, and the alignment of the Learned Academies to the national policy and the science
research and innovation system. Moreover, as the Learned Academies have the capacity to
tap into the breadth of skills and expertise of Fellows and to marshal contributions (including
voluntary contributions) from their networks of researchers, other stakeholders and
international connections, the grants they receive can leverage significant resources that help
deliver the government’s policy objectives.
Efficiency — the Learned Academies vary in terms of their size, their level of funding, their
structure and their administrative arrangements. The review found that the Learned
Academies and ACOLA had used the increased HERP support and Supplementation funding,
flowing from the 2005 review, to boost the capacity of their organisations to contribute
independent, expert, evidence-based advice to inform policy debates and deliver international
activities. The increased funding has not acted as a disincentive for the Learned Academies
to engage with the government through other programs. The Learned Academies continue to
receive income from a range of government and non-government sources and are highly
effective in leveraging the HERP funding.
Integration — HERP funding provides certainty which underpins the Learned Academies’
core functions and enables them to seek project specific funding from other sources to pursue
strategic objectives. HERP funding acts as an enabler for the Learned Academies to
successfully apply for funding from other government programs to deliver additional activities
that complement the overall HERP objectives and government priorities.
Performance assessment — The Learned Academies met all reporting and compliance
requirements for HERP funding, the review noted however that the conditions of grant under
HESA HERP do not currently include specific performance measures, nor do they specify the
format or direct content for annual reporting. As a result there is considerable variation in the
style and content of the Learned Academies’ annual reports. To be consistent with better
practice grant administration, there is merit in the government working with the Learned
Academies and ACOLA to develop a consistent annual reporting process to assist in
performance assessment and accountability purposes.
Strategic policy alignment — the Learned Academies and ACOLA play a unique and critical
role in promoting and fostering excellence in research which underpins the national innovation
system. The Learned Academies are also uniquely placed to continue to provide
independent, evidence-based advice to government and thereby contribute to a broad range
of the government’s strategic longer term policy priorities.
Summary of recommendations
In the context of HESA-HERP and Learned Academies - Supplementation, the review panel
made the following recommendations regarding key issues for the Learned Academies,
ACOLA and the government to take forward:
1. The government continue to provide ongoing support to the Learned Academies and
ACOLA to enable them to foster understanding of the importance of, and/or promote
research and scholarship in, science, social science or the humanities in Australia for the
national benefit.
2. The government consider options to enhance the strategic role of the Learned Academies
and ACOLA in providing the Australian Government with independent, evidence-based
advice on issues of national importance.
3. The Learned Academies and ACOLA meet individually with senior officials (at least twice
a year) to exchange views on strategic priorities and emerging issues of national
importance.
4. The Learned Academies maintain their strong connections with stakeholders, including
the public sector, industry, non government organisations and international organisations.
5. The Learned Academies continue to make efforts to communicate their capabilities and
activities which advise the community of the issues on which they can provide
independent advice.
6. Within available resources, the Learned Academies maximise their domestic and
international activities to enhance collaboration opportunities within and across
disciplines.
7. The Learned Academies continue to encourage the promotion of early and mid career
researchers, including in new and emerging fields; and continue to engage with
researchers in under represented disciplines or groups, including women and Indigenous
researchers.
8. The Learned Academies should share experiences to continually improve their practices
and procedures.
9. The government work with the Learned Academies and ACOLA to streamline reporting
requirements, including consideration of relevant performance indicators.
10. Government support for ACOLA should continue to focus on managing and maintaining
appropriate inter- and extra-academy communication linkages and encourage
collaboration between the Learned Academies.
Introduction
Australia’s Learned Academies
Australia’s four Learned Academies (the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the
Australian Academy of Science, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering) are dedicated to promoting
and enhancing the contribution of the humanities, the social and natural sciences and
engineering to the community through a range of activities, such as contributing to policy
debates, awareness raising and education, establishing and maintaining relations with their
counterparts overseas and the pursuit of excellence. The Australian Council of Learned
Academies (ACOLA) is the forum through which the four Learned Academies work
cooperatively and harness expert knowledge from multiple disciplinary perspectives in
support of national objectives.
The Learned Academies provide the Australian community and the Australian Government
with a valuable source of expert advice on key national issues, and are important partners in
the development and implementation of research and innovation policy.
Higher Education Research Promotion
The Australian Government provides funding to the Learned Academies and ACOLA through
the Higher Education Research Promotion (HERP) under the Higher Education Support Act
2003 (HESA). During the review period, the Learned Academies and ACOLA also received
additional funding through the Learned Academies – Supplementation. This allowed them to
undertake activities consistent with HERP objectives. The Supplementation funding has been
provided to the Learned Academies since 2008 and is due to end in 2012.
The objective of HERP is to foster understanding of the importance of and/or promote
research and scholarship in, science, social science or the humanities in Australia.
In addition to this overarching objective, the four Learned Academies also have specific
objectives under HERP to:

provide secretariat and other administrative support to enable the Learned Academies
and their Fellows to contribute advice and assistance on issues of national importance

conduct workshops, fora, symposia and similar events so that the Learned Academies
and their Fellows can engage on issues of national importance

manage the development and conduct of policy, education and other programs

support relationships with international communities including exchange programs and
joint research programs.
The specific objectives under HERP for ACOLA are to:

support cooperation between the four Learned Academies

provide a common point of access to the Learned Academies for outside organisations
and individuals

promote a unified national vision, helping to enhance interactions between Learned
Academies without compromising their individual priorities or activities.
The HESA-HERP and Supplementation funding are administered by the Department of
Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIISRTE). They were
previously administered by the former Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and
Research (DIISR) between 2007 and 2011 and the former Department of Education, Science
and Training (DEST) up to 2007.
During the review period, the Learned Academies also received Australian Government
funding under the International Science Linkages (ISL) program. While this review is not an
evaluation of the ISL program, the scope included identification of the contribution to
Australian Government objectives of activities funded under ISL during the review period.
The total calendar year funding under each of these programs is summarised in Table 1. The
disaggregated figures for each academy are provided in Table 2 (HESA-HERP and
Supplementation) and Table 3 (ISL). Over the review period, 2006 to 2010, funding to the
Learned Academies increased by $2.8 million (110%) in total. This increase is mainly due to
the introduction of Supplementation funding, in 2008. The level of ISL funding fell every
second year – 2007, 2009 and 2011.
Table 1 HESA-HERP, Supplementation and ISL funding to the Learned Academies and ACOLA,
calendar year, $ million.
Programs
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
HESA-Grant in Aid (a)
1.98
2.02
3.06
–
–
–
HESA-HERP (b)
–
–
–
3.10
3.15
3.19
Supplementation (c)(d)
–
–
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
ISL
2.71
0.83
2.24
1.69
4.44
0.93
TOTAL
4.70
2.86
6.30
5.80
8.60
5.12
Notes for Table 1:
a) Grant in Aid data between 2006 and 2008 were sourced from DEEWR and DIISRTE
records.
b) Grant in Aid funding was renamed HESA-HERP funding in the Other Grant
Guidelines (Research) 2009.
c) Supplementation funding was announced in 2007-08 budget, following
recommendations of the 2005 Review of the Learned Academies.
d) In 2008, the Commonwealth signed a single year supplementary funding agreement
with each of the Learned Academies and the National Academies Forum (NAF) to
supplement funds received through HESA Grant in Aid. In 2009, the Commonwealth
signed a single year supplementary funding agreement with each of the Learned
Academies and NAF to supplement funds received through HESA-HERP. In 2010 the
Commonwealth signed a three-year supplementary funding agreement with each of
the Learned Academies and NAF to supplement funds received through HESAHERP.
Source: DIISRTE 2012, Portfolio Budget Statements.
Regular reviews
The Australian Government is committed to transparency, accountability and good practice in
grant administration. The use of conditional grants has increased over recent years as a
mechanism for transferring funding to external parties for the purpose of achieving particular
Australian Government policy objectives.
In 2008, the Australian Government undertook a review of its processes and practices of
providing grants and accepted the recommendation that a whole-of-government, principlesbased policy framework for the administration of grant programs be established under the
Financial Management and Accountability Regulations 1997, which are made under the
Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997.
Under this framework, a set of expenditure review principles (see Appendix A) are used to
evaluate all government programs or activities. When assessing programs or activities
against the principles, evidence is used to demonstrate whether or not the grant was the most
appropriate, efficient and effective way to achieve the government’s outcomes and objectives.
Australian Government funding of the Learned Academies has been reviewed approximately
five-yearly. The most recent major review was undertaken in 2005 and its recommendations
were addressed through the 2006-07 and 2007-08 Budgets.
The period covered by the 2012 review is between 2006 and 2010. The scope of the 2005
review was wider than this current review. The 2005 review was undertaken by an external
expert committee and looked at the role and effectiveness of the Learned Academies and the
National Academies Forum (NAF) (now ACOLA) and the overall level of funding necessary to
support core public good activities. The 2012 review is a standard evaluation of an ongoing
government program.
Recent developments
The policy environment in which the Learned Academies operate has changed significantly
since the last review in 2005. Following the change of government in 2007, research and its
role underpinning the national innovation system has become more prominent.
The Australian Government conducted a review of the national innovation system in 2008 and
created a new department that aligned innovation, industry, science and research. The
government recognised the need for a long term strategy to encourage innovation in Australia
and released Powering Ideas in 2009. This ten-year reform agenda is designed to enhance
Australia’s productivity and competitiveness.
The government has also changed the position of the Chief Scientist of Australia from parttime to a full-time role and, in 2012, restructured Australia’s peak science advisory body, the
Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC). The new PMSEIC
will have a more dynamic and contemporary focus while consideration of long-term issues,
requiring a scientific response will be referred to the Learned Academies. On behalf of the
Learned Academies, this process will be managed via ACOLA and then reported to
government through the Chief Scientist.
In April 2012, in recognition that to remain competitive, Australian research must underpin
industry and innovation and drive adaptation, a three year $10 million funding grant was
provided to Australia’s four Learned Academies to undertake new research projects, under
the direction of PMSEIC and the Chief Scientist. ACOLA will engage Australia’s top scientists
and researchers to work with the Chief Scientist and the Australian Research Council (ARC)
to address the complex and diverse challenges in shaping the Australian economy and
society for the future.
This opportunity for the Learned Academies to work through ACOLA to undertake longer term
research for PMSEIC complements and builds on one of the key objectives of HESA-HERP,
to provide the government with advice on issues of national importance. It also demonstrates
the value of the government’s ongoing investment in the academies and ACOLA under
HESA-HERP.
The current review
The current review covers the period 2006-10 and was carried out during 2011 and the first
half of 2012 in accordance with the Terms of Reference at Appendix D.
Review panel
The Learned Academies and ACOLA receive funding from a range of Australian Government
programs besides HESA-HERP. To reflect the diversity of government funding, the review
panel comprised representatives from several Australia government agencies that have
provided the Learned Academies and ACOLA with funding during the review period, 2006 to
2010, including the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and DIISRTE. The panel chair (being the
Manager, Evaluations and Strategic Planning, Corporate Division, DIISRTE) is a specialist in
evaluations and is independent of any funding decisions for the program under review.
The chair and panel members from the ARC and DEEWR were appointed for the length of
the review. The DIISRTE panel members from the HESA HERP and International Sciences
Linkages (ISL) program areas were appointed on an ex-officio basis. The members of the
review panel are listed at Appendix B.
Learned Academies Reference Group
The panel was assisted by an independent Reference Group comprising four eminent
scholars with relevant expertise. The reference group provided advice on key aspects of the
review including comments on the draft terms of reference, consultation process and review
report. The panel acknowledges the invaluable contribution of the reference group in
undertaking this review. The members of the reference group are listed at Appendix C.
Terms of Reference
Under the terms of reference (see Appendix D), the review of Australian Government funding
to the Learned Academies and ACOLA under HESA-HERP and Learned Academies –
Supplementation covered the period 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2010 and:
1. assessed the effectiveness of the use of HESA-HERP and Supplementation funding by
the Academies and ACOLA in supporting activities to foster understanding of the
importance of, or promoting research and scholarship in, science, technology, social
science or humanities in Australia
2. examined the effectiveness of implementation of the recommendations of the 2005
review of the Learned Academies
3. examined whether HESA-HERP and Supplementation funding had assisted the
academies and ACOLA to participate in other Australian Government programs
4. identified the contribution to Australian Government objectives of activities funded under
Learned Academies Supplementation and the ISL programs (See Appendix E for further
information on ISL), and
5. assessed whether government funding provided to the Academies and ACOLA through
the HESA-HERP and Learned Academies Supplementation funding was being used in
accordance with the Department of Finance and Deregulation Expenditure Review
Principles (i.e. appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, integration, performance
assessment and strategic policy alignment).
Consultations and submissions
The review panel invited submissions from and interviewed the Learned Academies. The
panel also invited submissions from their key stakeholders and then interviewed a
representative sample, including senior officials from both Australian and state government
agencies or organisations, non-government organisations, and international organisations.
The organisations that submitted questionnaires and/or were interviewed during the review
are listed at Appendix F.
Snapshot of the Learned Academies and
ACOLA
Australian Academy of the Humanities
The Australian Academy of the Humanities (AAH) was established by Royal Charter in 1969
as an independent, not-for-profit organisation. As at 31 December 2010, the academy
consisted of 529 Fellows who were elected by their peers in recognition of their distinguished
and sustained academic achievement in the various disciplines that constitute the humanities,
including: Asian Studies, Archaeology, Classical Studies, Communication and Cultural
Studies, English, European Languages and Cultures, History, Linguistics, Philosophy,
Religion and the History of Ideas, and the Arts.
As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, the academy seeks to fulfil several key roles
including as:

a Fellowship of scholars who serve their disciplines and the nation by promoting the
contribution of the humanities for the public good

a learned society which promotes the diverse range of disciplines which constitute the
humanities

an advocacy and advisory organisation which provides authoritative and independent
advice to governments, industry, the media and the public on matters concerning the
humanities

a grant making body which supports excellent scholarship in the humanities

a national focal point to promote the value of the humanities and to support and sustain
the next generation of humanities researchers and teachers.
The academy is governed by an elected council which provides strategic direction, policy
guidance and management oversight. The council consists of the President and two VicePresidents, the International Secretary, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, Immediate
Past President and four other members. There are four annual meetings of the Council and
the last meeting of the year coincides with the academy’s annual symposium and annual
general meeting.
The academy is also provided with advice from several committees which are comprised of
members with expertise in the humanities and in higher education and drawn from both within
and outside the Fellowship. The Policy Committee supports the development of academy
policy and develops content for submissions to government; the Language Studies
Committee provides advice for the academy’s policy agenda in support of the development of
Australia’s language capability; and the Awards Committee oversees the Academy’s grants
and awards program.
The academy is supported by a secretariat comprising 4.95 FTE, of which 4.25 is funded
through HESA-HERP. The secretariat structure consists of an Executive Director, Policy and
Projects Manager, Office Manager, Fellowship Officer and Program Manager.
The academy is a member of the Union Académique Internationale (UAI) (International Union
of Academies), an international federation of Learned Academies. The UAI promotes
collective research work and supports numerous projects of a collaborative nature in a wide
range of academic disciplines. This support is provided through collaboration with member
academies and UNESCO, several involving Australian researchers. The Academy's
membership of the UAI dates from 1961.
Academy activities are directed by a strategic plan, the current version of which covers the
period 2011-2015. Appendix G contains a summary of the academy’s strategic plan.
Australian Academy of Science
The Australian Academy of Science (AAS) was founded in 1954 by Australian Fellows of the
Royal Society of London with physicist Sir Mark Oliphant serving as founding President. It
was granted a Royal Charter which established the academy as an independent body but
with government endorsement. Fellows are elected through a rigorous peer reviewed process
and numbered 427 in December 2010.
The academy’s mission is to champion Australian scientific excellence, to promote and
disseminate scientific knowledge, and to provide independent scientific advice for the benefit
of Australia and the world. The key objectives of the academy are to:

promote excellence in scientific research nationally and internationally

develop and sustain a national scientific culture

provide valued independent scientific advice to assist policy development and program
delivery.
The academy promotes science through a range of activities in areas such as: recognition of
outstanding contributions to science, education and public awareness, science policy and
international relations.
The Fellows of the Academy elect a 17 member council which manages the business of the
Academy. The decisions of council are carried out by the secretariat in Canberra, supervised
by the Executive Committee which comprises the President, Treasurer, Secretaries for
Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Science Policy, Education and Public Awareness and
the Foreign Secretary. The Council meets at least four times a year and the Executive
Committee meets approximately 10 times per year. A Finance Committee, which includes
external experts, meets two to three times a year.
The academy has 21 National Committees for science which each aim to foster a designated
branch of natural science in Australia. While National Committees are usually chaired by a
fellow, their membership comprises scientists from across the discipline, sometimes
nominated from professional bodies or associations, providing the academy with broad
access to Australia’s research community.
The academy is Australia’s representative on the International Council for Science (ICSU),
and administers subscriptions for 21 of ICSU’s International Scientific Unions and 10
interdisciplinary bodies on behalf of government. These organisations convene scientists
across disciplinary boundaries to coordinate research and address issues of global
significance, and the academy has important, formal national responsibilities arising from
these memberships in which council is advised and supported by the national committees for
science and the National Committee for ICSU coordination. These include nominating
Australian candidates for ICSU executive positions and voting delegates within the unions’
General Assemblies and Congresses, and issuing invitations to host these events in Australia
(for which membership of the parent union is a pre requisite).
The academy operates two heritage listed buildings: Ian Potter House for administration and
a dedicated conference facility known as the Shine Dome. The Secretariat comprises 24.4
FTE made up of the following: Communications and Outreach (includes media, publications,
events, web administration, the Adolph Basser Library and the Nova: Science in the News
and Interviews with Australian scientists projects); Fellowship and Awards; Finance and
Human Resources (includes facilities management); International (includes National
Committee support); and Science Policy (includes early career researcher support).
The academy operates on a five-year strategic planning cycle with a mid-term review that
initiates the process for the next period. The current strategic plan period is 2010-2015.
Appendix G contains a summary of the academy’s strategic plan.
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and
Engineering
The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) was founded in
1976 as an independent, non-government organisation and in 2010 11 comprised some 800
Fellows. The academy’s mission is to foster excellence in technological sciences and
engineering to enhance Australia's competitiveness, economic and social well-being and
environmental sustainability. The academy provides a national forum for discussion and
debate on the impact of technology, science and engineering on quality of life.
Key strategies of the academy are to:

selectively provide robust, independent, and valued technological sciences and
engineering based advice to government, industry and community

improve education in the technological sciences and engineering

promote technological sciences and engineering linkages globally and foster technology
transfer

champion excellence in technological sciences and engineering.
The academy maintains a strong interest in major policy areas including education, energy,
health and technology and water. It also has working groups discussing a number of key
themes including climate change impact, the built environment, infrastructure and information
and communication technology (ICT).
The academy’s elected governing board meets at least six times a year. The board consists
of the President and Chair, four Vice-Presidents, five Directors and the Chief Executive
Officer.
The academy also has an assembly which meets at least twice a year to consider policy and
strategy and receive and consider reports of the academy. The assembly consists of the
President, four Vice-Presidents, four Directors, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), 13 Division
Chairs and Representatives and four Topic Forum Chairs.
The academy has regional division committees which organise and coordinate academy
activities and networks throughout Australia.
The academy office is supported by 12 FTE staff including the: CEO; Deputy CEO/ Executive
Director – Communications; Executive Director – Technical; Executive Manager – Operations;
Governance Officer; Administrative Officer – Divisional Support; Senior Policy and Projects
Officer; Executive Manager – International Program; Project Officer – International Program
and Australasian Industrial Research Group Coordinator, STELR Project Team and a
Manager Events and Sponsorship Coordinator.
The academy strategic plan for the period 2009-2012 outlines its key activities. Appendix G
contains a summary of the academy’s strategic plan.
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) was established in 1971, replacing
its parent body the Social Science Research Council of Australia, itself founded in 1942. The
academy is an autonomous, non-governmental organisation devoted to the advancement of
knowledge and research in the various social sciences. Some key objectives of the academy
are:

to promote excellence in and encourage the advancement of the social sciences in
Australia

to act as a coordinating group for the promotion of research and teaching in the social
sciences

to foster excellence in research and encourage the publication of studies in the social
sciences

to promote international scholarly cooperation and to act as an Australian national
member of international organisations concerned with the social sciences

to comment where appropriate on national needs and priorities from the perspective of
the social sciences

to collaborate with other national bodies for the purposes of research and the production
of knowledge.
The academy is directed by an executive committee, consisting of the President, the
Executive Director, the Treasurer and seven other Fellows elected at a general meeting,
normally held annually.
The academy operates a policy and advocacy committee which seeks to include the
knowledge and expertise of the academy and its Fellows into the formation and review
processes for public policymaking. It also operates a finance committee which manages and
supervises the general financial affairs of the academy, and a number of additional
committees oversee the various programs of the academy. These additional committees
oversee the substance and direction of ASSA’s programs.
The overall management of the academy is undertaken by the secretariat led by its Executive
Director. ASSA is supported by a secretariat that has averaged 4.5 FTE positions during the
review period. Other members of the secretariat include: Elections Manager; Accounts
Officer; Project Manager (Workshops, Public Forums); International Science and Linkage
Officer; Payroll/HR/Banking Officer; Policy and Advocacy and International Programs
Manager; Executive Manager/Submissions Manager; Editor-Dialogue.
The academy’s strategic plan is currently under development.
Australian Council of Learned Academies
The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) is the successor to, and continuation
of, the National Academies Forum (NAF). Between 1995 and 2010, the forum provided
access to academy members for advisory bodies, statutory authorities, selection panels,
councils and committees in government, industry and the not-for-profit sector. The Learned
Academies made submissions to inquiries, studies and reviews both independently and,
when appropriate, through ACOLA.
ACOLA is the forum for the four Learned Academies to work cooperatively to harness expert
knowledge from multiple disciplinary perspectives, to inform national policy and to develop
innovative solutions to complex global problems and emerging national needs.
The Learned Academies conduct scholarly research in their independent fields of expertise.
The unique role of ACOLA has been to act, when required, on an inter-academy basis, to
initiate and coordinate a multi-disciplinary approach to solving complex societal issues for the
benefit of Australia’s social, cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing.
In 2010, NAF reconstituted itself as ACOLA in response to the recommendations of a 2005
Review of the Australian Learned Academies and the National Academies Forum, undertaken
by independent experts engaged by DEST.
ACOLA is an unincorporated association supported by the ACOLA Secretariat Ltd, a
company limited by guarantee and owned jointly by the Learned Academies, which has their
Chief Executives and Executive Directors as its Board of Directors. ACOLA Secretariat
Limited is supported by a General Manager and has 0.7 FTE.
The General Manager conducts the day-to-day administrative work of the ACOLA Secretariat
Ltd which seeks to:

provide an efficient and effective flow of information between the four Learned Academies

develop and manage proposals for multi-academy programs relevant to national issues

raise public awareness and the media profile of the council’s work and that of the four
Learned Academies

develop a networking mechanism between the council and the next generation of leading
scientists, scholars and researchers.
ACOLA has prepared a strategic statement for the period 2010-2012 and an annual work plan
for 2011-2012. Appendix G contains a summary of the council’s strategic plan.
Assessment
The terms of reference for the review include assessment of the HESA-HERP and Learned
Academies Supplementation against the Department of Finance and Deregulation’s six
expenditure review principles (see Appendix A). The principles are: appropriateness,
effectiveness, efficiency, integration, performance assessment and strategic policy alignment.
While the assessment is structured around the six expenditure review principles, it
incorporates consideration against all of the terms of reference for the review including, in
general terms, the effectiveness of the Learned Academies implementation of the
recommendations of the 2005.
Appropriateness
The principle of appropriateness refers to the case for government intervention by funding
activities that address market failures or will contribute to the achievement of social inclusion
objectives.
The review found that the Learned Academies provided nationally important public goods
through the knowledge, research and scholarship of their members. The Learned Academies
bridge all disciplines and play a critical role in fostering understanding of, and promoting
research and scholarship in, science, social science or the humanities in Australia. The use of
public funds to maintain the core capacity of the Learned Academies to harness the expertise
of their Fellows for public purposes is appropriate and highly cost effective.
As articulated in the Australian Government’s Innovation Agenda – Powering Ideas, an
innovation agenda for the 21st century – the innovation system is underpinned by the
capacity of Australia to undertake high-quality research that addresses national challenges
and opens up new opportunities 1. This is critical public good function of government to which
the Learned Academies make a unique and valuable contribution.
The Learned Academies are independent, non-commercial, non-government, not for profit
organisations that are committed to the pursuit of excellence and the advancement of
knowledge for the benefit of Australia. The Fellows of the Learned Academies have been
elected by their peers in recognition of distinguished and sustained academic excellence and
impact (including industry leaders in the case of ATSE, leaders from the social sciences in the
case of ASSA, and representatives of the cultural industries and arts practitioners in the case
of AAH). Through the Learned Academies, the government has access to over 2,000 of the
brightest minds in Australia.
Together, the four Learned Academies encompass all disciplines and are in a unique position
to provide the government with independent, multi disciplinary advice on issues of national
and international importance. In addition, the activities of the Learned Academies and their
Fellows enable them to contribute to public policy and community debates that are based on
the latest research and scientific evidence.
1
Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research 2009, Powering Ideas: An Innovation
Agenda for the 21st Century, Canberra.
Science Technology Education Leveraging Relevance
Science Technology Education Leveraging Relevance (STELR) was developed in 2008 and
is a national secondary school science education initiative. It was designed to address the
decreasing number of students choosing to further their studies in the enabling sciences and
mathematics. STELR focuses on key contemporary issues - global warming and climate
change - to teach the science curriculum within a relevance framework of renewable energy.
The program is a hands-on, inquiry-based, in-curriculum program designed for Year 9 and
Year 10 students.
ATSE developed the STELR program in order to improve the level of science literacy and
understanding in the community, raise awareness of opportunities in technology-related
careers, increase the number of students choosing science, technology and engineering
careers to address the shortage of graduates in these fields and improve the quality of
science classroom teaching practices.
STELR’s proof-of-concept and pilot testing and evaluation were funded by ATSE, state
governments, donors and corporate support. The roll out of STELR program was funded by
the federal Government with support from the corporate and university sectors and from
donations by ATSE Fellows. By the end of 2011, the program had reached more than 50,000
students and trained some 1,000 teachers nationwide.
STELR has been independently evaluated and it was found that undertaking STELR led to:

a clear capacity to increase students’ participation and engagement in science classes

an obvious strengthening of the perception that science was relevant to the students’
lives after their involvement in the STELR program

shifts in the students’ perceptions about the usefulness of the science they learn at school
and

increased engagement in learning science.
Surveys indicate an increase in students’ awareness of science careers beyond school after
completing the STELR program.
Much of the improvement in engagement and interest in science by those undertaking STELR
has been attributed to the increased relevance of the renewable energy topics being covered
and the increased amount of ‘hands-on’ learning the students undertook as part of the
program. The key innovative learning elements of STELR include:

a shift away from the predominant use of text books to learn science

a marked increase in the number of experiments and ‘hand-on’ investigations

an increase in purposeful tasks involving students solving real world problems

an increase in the use of Information and Communication Technology to learn science

more scope and freedom for students to have a say in what they investigate in science
and a new focus on answering students’ questions emerging from their inquiry

more productive class discussions and group work in STELR and less reliance on
didactic methods of teacher-delivered theory

the teacher being seen by students as a co-investigator who participated in the inquiry.
A major challenge for Australia is to be prepared for the knowledge economy. There is a need
for improved skill levels and training to feed future research, industry and business needs. To
meet this we must enhance the uptake of STEM (science, technology, engineering and
mathematics) studies at the tertiary level. STELR aims to ensure a sustainable research
workforce by lifting both the quantity and quality of students entering tertiary sciences and
engineering courses, and them having a greater awareness of research as a professional
career. Following participation in STELR student surveys showed a strong shift towards
recognition of science offering interesting and rewarding careers, including as researchers.
Courtesy of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Interviews with Australian Scientists
The Australian Academy of Science’s oral history program, Interviews with Australian
scientists, records the biographical stories of Australian scientists. 38 new interviews were
filmed between 2006 and 2010, 85% of which were co-sponsored by university or research
institutions associated with the subjects.
Interview subjects and their interviewers were selected by Council’s Video Histories Advisory
Committee. In addition to a focus on recording interviews with older Academy Fellows, a
number of female early-career researchers were included in the filming schedule each year in
view of the historical gender imbalance in the Fellowship.
A full-time project officer was appointed in late 2007 to manage the program. This included
seeking sponsorship for interview expenses, conducting background research, arranging the
filming, editing the interviews, and compiling teachers’ notes to accompany the finished
DVDs.
A key aspect of the Academy’s role as a learned society is to preserve Australia’s scientific
history and to educate the Australian public about science and scientists. The Interviews
program achieved both these goals. By presenting scientists and their science in a way that is
accessible to people of all ages and educational backgrounds, they have generated an
insightful record of the inspirations, motivations and aspirations of Australian scientists.
Interviews have been used by schools, universities and the general public to learn more about
scientists and science. The freely available transcripts, teacher’s notes and short excerpts
from a range of interviews were frequently accessed on the Academy’s website, receiving
around 3,700 page views per week. In addition, requests for copies of interviews were
received from filmmakers, publishers, writers and students and both the national and
international organisations link to the Interviews website. Many organisations have used
segments of these transcripts on their own webpages, for example, CSIROpedia uses them
extensively to illustrate its own history.
The Interviews and their accompanying teacher’s notes help students and teachers achieve a
deeper understanding of the content. The program enriches science teaching, promotes
public understanding of scientists and science, and inspires students to pursue careers in
science.
Courtesy of the Australian Academy of Science.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness principle requires that activities have clear and consistent objectives and be
effective in achieving their objectives and represent value for money for expenditure of
taxpayer’s funds. The review also considered how effectively the Learned Academies have
implemented the recommendations of the 2005 Learned Academies Review and utilised
Supplementation funding order to achieve HERP-related objectives.
In meeting the effectiveness principle, the Learned Academies and ACOLA have provided
advice and assistance on national issues. They have conducted workshops, fora, symposia
and events to increase the community’s understanding of the importance of science and to
advance research in areas of national importance. They have developed and expanded their
international influence by strategically targeting their interactions with international
organisations in key geographic locations to engage in areas of joint importance. They have
also contributed to the development of domestic policy by providing submissions and advice
for government enquiries.
As noted above, the objective of HERP is to foster understanding of the importance of, or
promote research and scholarship in any discipline. The key achievements of each of the
Learned Academies under this objective are summarised below.
Key Achievements
Australian Academy of the Humanities
The academy has demonstrated the effectiveness of its utilisation of HERP and
supplementation funding during the review period in a variety of ways. The additional funding
provided since the 2005 Review allowed the academy to fund two new staffing positions: a
dedicated Policy Analyst position and a Project Officer position. This provided capacity within
the Secretariat to source advice from the Fellowship (and beyond) to inform the academy’s
advice to government, and resulted in 22 submissions to government consultations, enquiries
and reviews between 2008 and 2010 ranging from the Review of the National Innovation
System to the National Human Rights Consultation. The academy also provided expert
advice to government on issues such as Australia’s international cultural obligations under
UNESCO Conventions, and advice on high-level disciplinary expertise for selection
committees and assessment program for major competitive funding program such as the
Cooperative Research Centres Program.
The academy has expressed its support for the funding and development of research
infrastructure that addresses the needs of humanities researchers, over the review period,
conducting an ARC-funded research study into current ICT use and future requirements of
humanities researchers; hosting a national symposium on new methods and technologies for
humanities research; conducting a scoping study on the development of a national digital
archive; and participating in a project to develop better electronic access for researchers to
the collections of the nation’s museums. It provided leadership and policy advice during the
development of the Government’s research infrastructure roadmaps.
The academy was also involved in the development of policy initiatives relating to measuring
research quality by helping to shape the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative,
and its predecessor the Research Quality Framework (RQF). In this context it provided key
expert advice to government on appropriate assessment metrics for the humanities research
sector and contributed its expertise to national debate and discussion on the impact of the
ERA initiative in the 2009 National Academies Forum (NAF).
During the review period, the academy promoted the intellectual, cultural, strategic and
economic importance of language education with a view to revitalising language policy in
Australia. It conducted two major ARC-funded research projects; sponsored three national
public fora to focus national attention on languages, including the National Languages
Summit (2007); assisted with the formation of a major national network for teachers,
academics and educators of languages across Australia; and sponsored and led a languages
roundtable at HASS on the HILL in 2009 at Parliament House.
Over the review period, the academy’s international activities funded under the HERP
program focused primarily on facilitating international collaborative opportunities for the
broader humanities research community. The Academy administered an international
research and exchange program for humanities researchers. Within the international arena
the academy has acted as the key point of contact for international organisations such as
Taiwan’s Academica Sinica, the Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences (CASS), and the
Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei enabling the exploration of collaborative activities with
Australia’s humanities community. It acted as the Australian correspondent for international
award organisations such as the Nobel Committee of the Swedish Academy. The academy
also participated in the Australia-EU Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee
(JSTCC).
To support the next generation of humanities researchers and Australia’s research workforce
the academy has a number of programs which encourage and reward excellence, build
research capacity and facilitate the careers of early and mid career scholars, including the
Max Crawford Medal, the Hancock lecture, the McCredie Musicological Award, the
Publication Subsidy scheme and the Humanities Travelling Fellowships (HTF) scheme.
The Academy utilised HERP funding to award 51 publication subsidies to assist researchers
to publish their work during the review period; funded 49 Humanities Travelling Fellowships
(HTF) to assist early careers researchers access vital research depositories overseas or
participate in collaborative research activities; and awarded 34 grants to support researcher
exchange with key overseas counterpart academies.
The Academy produced and disseminated humanities research and scholarship in a variety of
forms over the review period. It published two edited collections and three Academy editions
of Australian Literature (AEAL). In 2009, the Academy launched a new flagship journal,
Humanities Australia, which showcases the depth and breadth of work of Australia’s
humanities researchers. The annual journal, whose first edition was released in 2010, is
targeted at a public audience and is distributed to universities and secondary schools, to
Qantas Club lounges, and to Australian embassies around the world.
Languages Policy
During the Review period, the AAH took a national leadership role in promoting the
intellectual, cultural, strategic and economic importance of language education and research
for Australia. The 2006 Academy Symposium, ‘Gift of the Gab: Languages and Australia’, and
the 2007 National Languages Summit, provided key opportunities for researchers, teachers,
industry representatives, members of Australia’s defence forces, and representatives of
ethnic communities to communicate directly with parliamentarians, and senior policy makers,
in a frank and open exchange, showcasing ideas and research.
These events informed two further Academy research projects into provision of languages
education at Australian universities, and their role in enhancing the nation’s language ability.
Such research is vital in informing national debate. A key outcome of these projects was the
establishment in 2010 of the Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities
(LCNAU) which aims to develop a coordinated national approach to language education and
research.
Maintaining a strong languages capacity in Australia and an understanding of the complex
cultural and language systems that operate around the world has both intrinsic and applied
benefits for the nation. These are evident across the gamut of Australia’s international
engagement activities, including multinational and global business endeavours; disaster and
humanitarian assistance missions; international diplomacy; the global climate change effort;
and international migration management. Building capacity within the Australian research
sector in language and cultural understanding is critical to Australia’s participation as a
member of the global community.
Courtesy of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
Australian Academy of Science
The academy drew upon the expertise of its Fellows and National Committees for Science to
inform discussion and assist evidence-based decision making on issues of importance to
Australia. This included 57 submissions to reviews, inquiries and reports on innovation policy
and research funding and infrastructure priorities. Amongst the most significant were two
Productivity Commission reviews on public support for research, the Review of the National
Innovation System, the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, the Uranium
Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy (UMPNER) review, and the Lockhart review of
human cloning and stem cell legislation.
The academy was able to demonstrate to this review its utilisation of Supplementation funding
to increase the administrative assistance provided to the National Committees. For example,
the academy was able to support more frequent meetings, conferences and workshops, and
the development of four decadal plans and two mid-term reviews for specific disciplines that
involved broad interaction with the research community. The academy also outlined that with
access to Supplementation funding it was able to establish a competitive seed fund which
further enhanced National Committee activities.
The academy provided 29 public presentations, and presented Science at the Shine Dome,
an annual three-day event designed to inform debate and increase public understanding of
the importance of Australian science. In 2006, the academy also introduced a series of
monthly public lectures on science topics, and Supplementation funding in 2008 allowed the
extension of the series over a full year, enabling a more thorough exploration of issues.
The academy produced expert reports on a range of emerging technologies, as well as the
acclaimed Climate Change Science: Questions and Answers document and, with HERP
program support, produced Nova - Science in the News, a web-based program aimed at a
non-technical audience that offers pertinent and current context for teaching all three strands
of the Australian Curriculum: Science.
To improve teacher quality and enhance student learning the academy progressed the
development of two successful school science education programs, Primary Connections for
primary and Science by Doing for early secondary, with funding from the Department of
Employment Education and Workplace Relations.
In addition to supporting 38 research conferences, symposia and workshops on a diverse
range of discipline areas, the academy used HERP program funding to engage many young
scientists through its High Flyers Think Tanks. The think tanks are held around Australia and
bring young researchers together from a range of science disciplines to participate with a
working group comprising Fellows and other experts to explore key issues of national interest.
The Frontiers of Science is another initiative created by the academy to engage early to midcareer researchers. These biennial events are organised by a committee of early to midcareer researchers with administrative support provided by the Secretariat.
The academy’s Basser Library and journal, Historical Records of Australian Science,
represent a unique resource for information on the development of Australian science.
The Academy supported the implementation of the ISL program by accessing its bilateral
links with sister academies and the national and international networks of Fellows to organise
20 bilateral workshops to identify collaborative opportunities in priority countries, and to
administer exchange programs between Australia and Europe, North America, China, Japan,
Korea and Taiwan that enabled almost 1,000 researchers to build relationships between
countries and institutions. See ISL vignette.
HERP and Supplementation program funding for Australia’s memberships of ICSU
organisations has enabled Australia’s science credibility and influence to be enhanced
globally through the high levels of representation achieved on 75 per cent of the executives,
strong involvement of Australian researchers in planning and priority setting at the operational
level, and the hosting of four General Assemblies that attracted well over 3,500 delegates,
most of whom came from overseas (conservatively estimated to have generated over $15
million for the economy). Australia’s reputation for constructive contribution in the region is
demonstrated by the Academy’s election to the chair of ICSU’s Regional Committee for Asia
and the Pacific, the Executive Committee of the InterAcademy Panel, the Board of the
InterAcademy Council and the Presidency of the Federation of Asian Scientific Academies
and Societies.
Primary Connections
Primary Connections (PC) builds confidence and competence of primary school teachers to
teach science well so that young students’ interest in the natural world can be harnessed and
an enjoyment of science learning can be fostered at an early age.
PC is led by the Australian Academy of Science and links the teaching of science with the
teaching of literacy in Australian primary schools. PC consists of rich curriculum resources,
integrated with teacher professional learning that develop students’ interest in, and
knowledge, skills and understanding of, science.
PC is a high quality, innovative science education program based on contemporary education
research. It has proved effective in developing teachers’ skills and encouraging students’
interest in and learning of science. PC will support the introduction of the new Australian
Curriculum for science from Foundation to Year 6. The development and implementation of
the Australian Curriculum is one of the government’s key education objectives. The interest in
science which PC will promote will, longer term, also contribute to the achievement of the
Government’s goals for a more highly skilled and productive workforce that can sustain
Australia’s economic performance. The interest and commitment of state and territory
education authorities in the PC approach will contribute to its ongoing sustainability. Around
300,000 PC curriculum units have already been purchased, with over 55 per cent of
Australian primary schools having purchased at least one unit. Over 8000 PC-centred
professional learning workshops have been run by trainers trained in the PC approach.
The PC concept was developed and championed under the leadership of then AAS
President, Dr Jim Peacock, and he and successive Presidents and Education Secretaries
have strongly promoted the program nationally and internationally. This demonstrates the
effective contribution that academy fellows can make on issues of national importance.
Courtesy of the former Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
High Flyers Think Tanks
High Flyers Think Tanks focussed on topics of national interest central to current policy
concerns, with the goal of producing a relevant and timely report that contributed to evidence
-based policy and program development. Think Tanks were held across Australia from 2006
through to 2010. Each involved approximately 60 outstanding early to mid-career researchers
from a range of science disciplines working with a group of Fellows and other experts to
explore key issues.
Participants gained insights into the policy process, refined their understanding of the
contributions that can be made by their own and other disciplines, and established networks
for future collaborations. Rapporteurs from amongst the early to mid-career researchers
worked together with an expert discussion leader to produce a summary of their group’s
outcomes to inform a general discussion, following which the final conclusions and
recommendations were published in the Think Tank proceedings.
The Think Tanks provided a unique platform in Australia for generating fresh thinking from
some of the nation’s future research leaders. Early and mid- career researchers across a
range of disciplines, from applied social science to theoretical physical sciences, learnt within
a structured and proven methodology how to work productively together to address issues of
social, environmental and economic importance to the nation.
In highly positive feedback Think Tank participants reported their understanding of the use of
research in a policy context and ability to communicate and network effectively across
disciplines had been significantly enhanced.
The results of the Think Tanks have fed directly into policy development processes at both
the State and Federal levels. For example, the 2010 Think Tank Searching the Deep Earth,
resulted in a collaborative project between leaders of the Australian mineral and resource
research, government and industry sectors to address the challenges of next generation
exploration beneath the highly weathered surface of the Australian continent.
Scientific advances and the understanding of complex systems increasingly require the
concerted efforts of teams of scientists from different disciplines. By improving the
interdisciplinary skills and perspectives of leading early and mid-career scientists, the Think
Tanks increase Australia’s pool of talented researchers capable of contributing to such work.
Courtesy of the Australian Academy of Science.
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
The academy engaged government, industry and the wider community on issues of national
importance such as the role of innovation and the importance of science and technology
(S&T) by conducting some 50 symposia, seminars, workshops, lectures and other events.
Some examples include the 29th ATSE National Symposium: New Technology for
Infrastructure – The World of Tomorrow; an Energy Options for Western Australia seminar;
the Crawford Parliamentary Conference on Water for Irrigated Agriculture and the
Environment; three public lectures on Bird Flu (in the ACT); a Global Change and DNA
Research workshop; the ATSE Clunies Ross Awards and Dinner; and engagement with the
government on the Clean Energy Program.
The academy has provided advice and assistance on matters of national importance through
the publication of 12 major scientific and technical reports; provision of 29 parliamentary
briefings, the publication of 28 editions of Focus which have encouraged debate on specific
science and technology issues, and preparation of 57 submissions to government on key
national science and technology issues.
Activities the academy has organised to address challenges in science education include the
participation of 1,450 Year 10 students and their teachers from some 285 schools in the
Extreme Science Experience program; delivery of four schools outreach programs and other
educational activities showcasing careers in technological sciences and engineering; and the
establishment of the Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance (STELR)
program in 183 schools from all states and territories, involving more than 24,000 students
and 750 teachers.
The academy utilised its international networks and collaborative relationships through the
ISL program when organising 153 activities including workshops, missions, delegations,
conferences, exchanges and training programs with international partners. The academy also
led an international seven country cooperative research project on low carbon energy, the
conclusions of which not only provided critical data for Australian policy considerations but
which were adopted by the International Council of Academies of Engineering and
Technological Sciences (CAETS) as their policy statement on low carbon energy.
More recently, the academy completed six workshops, two missions, one delegation, and a
Sir Mark Oliphant conference and developed next step programs for the China Australia
Symposium series under the ISL-Science Academies Program in conjunction with AAS. It
also managed an Australian-Indian Emerging Leader Science and Technology Excellence
Award for the Australia-India Council, continued to run the young scientist/emerging leader
exchange program with China and Korea, and developed a new emerging leader’s exchange
program for Singapore. The academy has been an active member of CAETS, including
through attendance by an ATSE delegation to the CAETS meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark
in July 2010. The academy also led a seven country cooperative research project on low
carbon energy under the auspices of CAETS.
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
A key objective of the academy over the review period was to respond to the 2005 review and
ASSA’s extensive self-review, and meet the requirements attached to the HESA-HERP and
Supplementation funding. In doing so, ASSA bolstered its Policy and Advocacy Program, with
the aim of strengthening the social sciences' contribution to the policy debate and the
academy’s capacity to act as an advocate for the contribution of the social sciences to issues
of national importance. Fourteen policy roundtables (dialogues between researchers and
policy makers) were held on subjects such as Skills Development Scenarios for Australia,
Racism and the Student Experience, Addressing Indigenous Disadvantage and Federalism.
The findings from these events are recorded in academy publications which are widely
distributed.
Policy and Advocacy activities over the review period also included submissions to
government and parliamentary reviews on issues including: the Student Visa Program,
Research Workforce Strategy, National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and
Australia’s Urban Water Sector.
The academy’s Workshop Program funded 34 workshops on topics including the: Federal
elections in 2007 and 2010; Consolidating Research in Australian Teacher Education; Energy
Security in an Era of Climate Change; The Future of Australian Anti-discrimination Law; and
Positive Pathways for Families and Couples. Workshops bring together leading scholars,
early career researchers, and policy-makers where relevant, to focus specialist attention on
issues of national concern in the social sciences. Reports of workshops are published in the
academy’s journal and on its website. Most workshops also result in major publications
including books and special journal issues.
The academy also pursued an active research program. ASSA’s commissioned research
program over the period 2006-2008 resulted in the production of a number of published
papers including: Wages Policy in an Era of Deepening Wage Inequality; Learning to Read in
Australia; and Population and Australia's future labour force. ASSA’s Census project
(overseen by ASSA and using funds and customised Census data from the ABS) applied the
expertise of leading social scientists to the Australian Census in order give a series of
snapshots of the Australian populace in 2006. Five Census papers, including Lives of
diversity: Indigenous Australia, were published and distributed and are available for download
from the Academy’s website. With funding from the ARC Linkage Program, academy Fellows
also completed four research projects and embarked on the academy’s first three year
research project.
ASSA’s International program maintains scholarly, research and institutional links between
the social sciences in Australia and overseas counterparts, with research grants on topics of
importance to Australia and collaborating countries being pursued by leading early-career
academics. ASSA Fellows often act as the coordinator for these joint activities, or are
attached to the research grant as a senior partner.
Internationally, the academy was an active member of the Association of Asian Social
Science Research Councils (AASSREC), the principal social scientific organisation of the
peak academic and professional bodies in the Asia-Pacific region, with ASSA invited to
assume the role of secretariat of AASSREC over the review period. ASSA also gained a seat
at the executive of the peak world body, the International Social Science Council, and now
has a position of considerable influence within key international social sciences fora.
Over the period of this review the International Exchange program was re invigorated, with
partner countries over the period including China, Vietnam, India, France, the Netherlands
and the United Kingdom. Reforms to the program placed an even greater emphasis on early
career research, so as to promote the next generation of scholars.
The academy significantly expanded its public lecture program, which now comprises three
named lectures annually (compared with one annual lecture in 2007), including the Paul
Bourke Lecture by an early career award winner and the Fay Gale Lecture for which a senior
female researcher is selected. For these and the Keith Hancock Lecture, presentations are
made in the lecturer’s home institution and two interstate locations. Video recordings of all the
lectures are made available on the academy’s website, in keeping with the academy’s
outreach objective.
Over the review period, the academy also held five symposia, open to the public via
registration. Participants at ASSA symposia regularly include representatives of the Australian
and other governments and of non-government organisations, as well as students and
academic researchers. The topics were:

internal migration in Australia

urban water services and human behaviour

fostering creativity and innovation; the application of Spatially Integrated Social Science
(SISS) methods to issues of national public policy

the impact of the global financial crisis on Australian families.
Each year the academy published 2-3 issues of its journal, Dialogue, and distributed them
widely to research and policy organisations and parliamentarians. Dialogue contains reports
on all ASSA activities and commissioned articles on a range of issues of importance to social
science.
Australian Council of Learned Academies
During the current review period, ACOLA was responsible for 12 different projects, including
workshops, public lectures, conferences and reports, as well as the publication of conference
proceedings and academic papers. Topics covered included a number of areas that were
particularly appropriate to the development of national policy such as sustainability (2004-05),
tsunami management (2005), water regimes (2005), nanotechnology (2006), innovation
systems (2008), risk management (2006), research evaluation (2009), and nuclear power
(2010).
ACOLA also collaborated with organisations such as the ARC (ERA workshop, 2009),
Universities Australia (inaugural Canberra conference 2009); Youth ANZAAS (Melbourne
conference, 2009), and National and State Libraries Darwin’s Ape lectures (2009) to deliver
additional public outcomes. Internationally, ACOLA has regularly supported Australian
representation at the conferences of the International Human Rights Network of Academies
and Scholarly Societies (UK, 2005; Sri Lanka, 2007; Morocco, 2009).
Supplementation
The 2005 review recommendations regarding funding of the Learned Academies were largely
implemented in the 2007-08 budget with the introduction of Supplementation funding for the
Academies and ACOLA through to 2011-12. The 2005 review recommended an increase in
funding to generate significantly enhanced outcomes. The 2005 review stated that the nation
will gain and the Government will benefit proportionately from the additional infrastructure
support provided to the Academies.
Supplementation funding has enabled each of the Learned Academies and ACOLA to
enhance the capacity of their secretariats to coordinate and effectively project manage the
provision of policy advice. It enabled new activity such as the employment of dedicated policy
officers and, in some cases international coordinators, who have enabled the Learned
Academies to provide more considered policy advice on a wider range of issues and to more
effectively engage with government, early career researchers and other key stakeholders.
The key outcomes of this additional funding are described below.
Australian Academy of the Humanities
The increased funding through core HERP and Supplementation enabled the academy to
fund a dedicated policy position in the secretariat. Commencing in 2008, two new positions –
a Policy Analyst position and a Project Officer position – provided the capacity within the
secretariat to source advice from the Fellowship (and beyond) and to contribute to various
submissions to government, consultations, enquiries and reviews.
Australian Academy of Science
The increased funding through HERP and Supplementation enhanced the capacity of the
secretariat to provide support for international activities and National Committees,
engagement with early and mid-career researchers, and events organisation. It also enabled
the appointment of a dedicated science policy officer to facilitate close working relationships
with Fellows to respond to reviews, inquiries and consultations, and generate and administer
project funding to produce expert reports relevant to Government priorities.
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
The increased funding through HESA-HERP and Supplementation has funded not only oneoff reviews on governance and membership and ongoing improvements to ATSE operations,
as well as, most notably, ongoing appointments of three staff (a senior-level Chief Executive
Officer, a Communications Manager and a Senior Policy Officer). Thus supplementary
funding is vital in resourcing ongoing core staffing so as to better allow the full engagement of
its Fellows in current national policy challenges in science, technology and innovation. This in
turn enhances the academy’s effectiveness, outreach and influence.
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The combined funding available through HERP and Supplementation allowed ASSA to
significantly expand its program of policy roundtables, and to bolster its workshops program
(with increased levels of support), to re-invigorate its international exchange program and to
introduce two new series of public lectures. The increased funding also enabled the academy
to engage staff to assist with policy submissions and other initiatives, to conduct an internal
review and implement its recommendations, and to re-develop the ASSA website so that it
provides a rich resource of information on academy programs, activities and publications.
Value for money
Value for money is an important component of the Effectiveness Principle. It is used to assess
whether or not an organisation has obtained the maximum benefit from the goods and
services it both acquires and provides, within the resources available to it. Judgement is
required when assessing value for money in the government context especially as to whether
it has been satisfactorily achieved or not. It not only measures the cost of goods and services,
but also takes account of the mix of quality, cost, resource use, fitness for purpose,
timeliness, and convenience to judge whether or not, together, they constitute good value.
In this context, the review looked at ongoing HESA-HERP funding and Supplementation
funding to the Learned Academies and ACOLA (see Table 2). There was a large increase in
HESA HERP funding that flowed to the Learned Academies and ACOLA after the 2007 08
budget that picked up several recommendations to increase funding after the 2005 review.
In the 2007 08 budget, the government announced an increase in funding of $8 million over 4
years for the Learned Academies and ACOLA. The ongoing HESA HERP funding which is
indexed was increased by around 50 per cent and the Supplementation funding of $1 million
per annum was introduced. It will terminate in 2011 12.
The Learned Academies provide ready access to independent advice from some of
Australia’s and the world’s brightest minds, including not only their Fellows but expanded
networks of researchers, end-users and international connections. For government, access to
quality, independent advice informed by the latest research and scientific evidence is
immeasurable. The cost contributed by the government to support the operations of the
Learned Academies is greatly leveraged and value for money maximised because the
expertise of the Fellows is provided on a pro bono basis (also refer to the Efficiency principle
below).
Fellows contribute their time and advice to the Learned Academies on an entirely voluntary
basis, and do so in a myriad of ways including:

serving on academy committees

contributing to the preparation of policy submissions and reports

serving on government advisory panels, selection panels and review committees,
participating in bilateral government meetings, and attending parliamentary hearings and
committees

accepting voluntary roles on governance and management boards

participating on inter-Academy committees

organising and participating in national and international consultative workshops

convening symposia and fora

writing directly for the media and offering commentary

delivering policy papers

brokering partnerships between the academy and other organisations – including
government and industry.
No other network or commercial organisation has the same access to such a high calibre pool
of experts, let alone the capacity to mobilise significant voluntary contributions or this level of
independence. Furthermore, advice from any of the Learned Academies carries with it
prestige and credibility, due to the recognised esteem of its Fellows. ACOLA adds an
additional level of value, given its multi disciplinary emphasis and privileged access to the
resources of all four Learned Academies.
The increased funding that the Learned Academies and ACOLA have received through both
HESA-HERP and the Supplementation Learned Academies program has assisted the
Learned Academies to expand their work particularly in providing the government with expert
advice on issues of national importance, international representation, building the capacity of
Australia’s current and future research leaders, and raising the community awareness of the
contributions made by research.
The Supplementation funding has represented about a quarter of the funding the Learned
Academies use for their continuing activities. In reviewing the implications of the scheduled
end of Supplementation funding in mid 2012, the Learned Academies have highlighted that
their work programs will have to be scaled back in areas of policy advice and international
research and engagement.
Table 2 HESA-Grant in Aid (a), HESA-HERP and Supplementation funding to the Learned
Academies and ACOLA, by calendar year ($ million)
2006
2007
2008
HESA Grant in Aid - Academy of the
Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA)
0.340
0.346
0.546
HESA Grant in Aid - Australian Academy
of Science (AAS)
0.873
0.890
1.129
0.367
0.375
0.715
HESA Grant in Aid - Australian Academy
of Technological Science and
Engineering (ATSE)
2009
2010
2011
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2006
2007
2008
HESA Grant in Aid - Australian Academy
of the Humanities (AAH)
0.340
0.347
0.546
HESA Grant in Aid - Australian Council of
Learned Academies (ACOLA)
0.063
0.065
0.125
1.983
2.023
3.061
HESA-HERP funding - Academy of the
Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA)
-
-
-
HESA-HERP funding - Australian
Academy of Science (AAS)
-
-
-
HESA-HERP funding - Australian
Academy of Technological Science and
Engineering (ATSE)
-
-
-
HESA-HERP funding - Australian
Academy of the Humanities (AAH)
-
-
-
HESA-HERP funding - Australian Council
of Learned Academies (ACOLA)
-
-
-
Total HESA-HERP funding
-
-
-
Supplementation funding - Academy of
the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA)
-
-
Supplementation funding - Australian
Academy of Science (AAS)
-
-
Supplementation funding - Australian
Academy of Technological Science and
Engineering (ATSE)
-
-
Supplementation funding - Australian
Academy of the Humanities (AAH)
-
-
Supplementation funding - Australian
Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA)
-
-
Total Supplementation funding
-
-
Total HESA-Grant in Aid, HESA-HERP and
Supplementation funding
1.983
2.023
Total HESA Grant in Aid
2009
2010
2011
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.546
0.555
0.560
1.222
1.241
1.254
0.674
0.684
0.691
0.546
0.555
0.560
0.117
0.119
0.120
3.105
3.154
3.185
0.178
0.185
0.185
0.185
0.369
0.296
0.296
0.296
0.234
0.284
0.284
0.284
0.178
0.185
0.185
0.185
0.041
0.050
0.050
0.050
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
4.061
4.105
4.154
4.185
Notes for Table 2:
a)
b) Supplementation funding was announced in 2007-08 budget.
c) In 2008 the Commonwealth signed a single year supplementary funding agreement
with each of the Learned Academies and NAF to supplement funds received through
HESA Grant in Aid. In 2009 the Commonwealth signed a single year supplementary
funding agreement with each of the Learned Academies and NAF to supplement
funds received through HESA-HERP. ) In 2010 the Commonwealth signed a threeyear supplementary funding agreement with each of the Learned Academies and
NAF to supplement funds received through HESA-HERP.
Summary
The objective of the HERP and Supplementation funding is to foster understanding of the
importance of, or promote research and scholarship in, any discipline. The Learned
Academies have effectively met this objective through both their domestic and international
activities, including through hosting fora, contributing to processes to develop research
infrastructure roadmaps, making submissions to government reviews, supporting researchers
and publishing major scientific and technical reports on issues such as energy security. While
some other organisations may be able to undertake similar activities, it is not clear that any
other body could deliver them across all disciplines, with the same level of independence or
expertise.
The increased funding that the Learned Academies and ACOLA have received through both
HESA-HERP and the Supplementation Learned Academies program has assisted them to
leverage their existing work to build the capability of Australia’s current and future research
leaders within the national innovation system.
In addition, as the Learned Academies have the capacity to marshal contributions (including
voluntary contributions) from their Fellows, their networks of researchers, end-users and
international connections, the grants they receive can leverage significant resources that help
deliver the government’s policy objectives. Additionally the Learned Academies have low
overheads, can draw on the voluntary nature of the Fellows, their breadth of skills and
expertise, and the alignment of the Learned Academies to the national policy and the science
research and innovation system.
Efficiency
The efficiency principle requires that government funding be administered and delivered in the
most efficient way achievable and consideration of whether funding is distorting resource
allocation by operating as a disincentive for the recipient to seek other funding or pursue other
appropriate activity.
The review assessed whether the Learned Academies and ACOLA operate efficiently to
deliver HERP objectives, including how well they leverage HERP funding to attract new
funding and deliver greater outcomes. The review also considered whether there were any
unintended effects or distortions in resource allocation as a result of HERP funding. While
grants provide a financial incentive to undertake specific activities, they can also act as a
disincentive to pursue alternative income and activities. In submissions provided by the
Learned Academies it is clear that they have sought and obtained additional funding from a
wide range of portfolios and some Learned Academies have extended their services to
include consultancies in the private sector.
The Learned Academies and ACOLA have used the increase in HERP support, including
Supplementation, to boost the capacity of their organisations to contribute independent,
expert, evidence-based advice to inform policy debates and to deliver international activities.
For the Learned Academies, HERP support is seen as enabling in that it provides certainty to
core functions which allows the Learned Academies to then pursue project specific funding to
further their strategic objectives. The Learned Academies continue to receive income from a
range of government and non-government sources and have been effective in leveraging
HERP support.
The Learned Academies vary in terms of their size, structure and administrative
arrangements according to their level of funding. Each of the Learned Academies and ACOLA
have reviewed their governance and administrative arrangements since the 2005 review and
have either developed or are in the process of finalising strategic plans. Appendix G contains
a synthesis of the main elements of the Learned Academies and ACOLA’s strategic plans
including their key strategies and actions. At the time of developing this report, ASSA was still
in the process of drafting its strategic plan2. Within the strategic plans examined, ATSE has
focussed on prioritising its work to focus on key emerging national issues, such as climate
change, energy and water; AAS has improved the interaction with the broader science
community through its National Committees to stimulate discipline development and
international research collaboration; and the AAH focused on developing further strategic
links with international organisations and on the particular needs of early career scholars as
future leaders in humanities research and teaching.
To further the Learned Academies’ and ACOLA’s aims and objectives, regular meetings with
government agencies would ensure they are aware of government’s short and long term
priorities. These regular updates could then flow into discussions within and between the
Learned Academies and ACOLA, and decision making processes. For example, providing the
government policy advice on critical issues, and workshops, seminars and other fora they
could host which would inform this advice.
Integration
The integration principle refers to the ability of government agencies to work together to
consistently deliver policy objectives with clearly defined lines of responsibility. The review
assessed whether funding to the Learned Academies and ACOLA under various government
programs was complementary, consistent with policy objectives, and delivered with clear lines
of responsibility. As noted above, HERP supports the operations of the Learned Academies
and their key activities. It acts as an enabler for the Learned Academies to successfully apply
for funding from other government programs to deliver additional activities that complement
the overall HERP objectives and overall government priorities.
Through their cooperative association, ACOLA, the four Academies are uniquely able to
catalyse multidisciplinary efforts needed for innovation and to address emerging national
needs. ACOLA, which replaces the former National Academies Forum, was established in
recognition of the value of bringing multiple disciplinary perspectives to bear on the complex
challenges facing the nation and the world. This approach complements the integration
principle.
2
The Australian Academy of Social Sciences strategic plan is expected to be finalised in mid-August
2012. It will then be taken to the Annual General Meeting in November 2012 for formal adoption by the
academy.
Indigenous Post-Graduate Summer School and Mentoring
program
In 2002 the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia embarked on a program to assist
Indigenous postgraduate students and their supervisors in their joint aspirations to ensure the
timely progress to completion of Masters, PhD, and other professional qualifications. The
Summer School involves a week of residential, intensive activity. This initiative attracted
support from private foundations and individuals and has completed three very successful
summer schools with ASSA Fellows generously volunteering their services.
Originally the program operated with funding support from ASSA and DEEWR for 5 years
from 2004, subsequently Melbourne University assumed full financial and other responsibility
for the program, which now forms past of its credit course offerings.
The ASSA Indigenous Summer School and Mentoring Program filled a conspicuous void in
the postgraduate education of Indigenous students in Australia. Efforts to increase the
numbers of post-graduate Indigenous students, a clearly under-represented group began
more than three decades ago, and while Indigenous entrances to universities increased there
were concerns that their progress through to degree was not as high as it might have been, or
ought to be. In 2001 ASSA approached Government for trial funding to improve completion
rates and degree satisfaction by Indigenous post graduate students. ASSA funded a pilot
program in 2001, and then government joined with ASSA in 2004 to continue the program for
three years. ASSA funded the first summer school at Melbourne University, bringing students
and their mentors together with senior ASSA academics and others to ascertain the views of
Indigenous students and their mentors and to set out some plans to improve the factors that
led to difficulties for Indigenous students.
Most importantly, the program continues at the University of Melbourne and now has course
credit. It is now run out of the Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit. Thus ASSA founded an
ongoing unit that provides direct and effective support for Indigenous postgraduate students.
In the years (2004-8) that the government assisted ASSA in this initiative, eighty three post
graduate took advantage of the course. In that time seventy-nine faculty mentors volunteered
their time and thirty eight staff were engaged to manage the summer school at Trinity College,
U. Melbourne. The extraordinary contributions of faculty (Indigenous and non-Indigenous)
measures the commitment of academics to the summer school’s principles and provided a
very strong indicator to the students of the kind of mentoring they should expect at their
institutions. Tracking the success rates of the students has proved to be problematical as
many have pursued their course of study part-time and are thus not yet finished. ASSA plans
to work with Onemda to track students through their ten-year post-graduate and early
professional experience.
ASSA is currently advertising for a second start-up opportunity for an Indigenous post
graduate mentoring program in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia, New
South Wales the Northern Territory. ASSA is doing this with funds raised outside of
government sources.
Many, if not most of the students are engaged in very practical theses, with research areas
such as, Indigenous history, trans-generational trauma, public health, foetal alcohol
syndrome, policy and curriculum, Indigenous education, Aboriginal people and mental health,
applied epidemiology, health administration and Aboriginal studies, trans-generational loss
and grief, social epidemiology in HIV/AIDS, Indigenous health capacity building, international
and Indigenous studies, and violent death, drug misuse and community fracturing.
Importantly, these subjects are extraordinarily difficult for non-Indigenous researchers to
tackle. Problems of trust, entrée to communities and reporting are matters that Indigenous
scholars can best, perhaps uniquely, address. Ironically, their credibility in doing so (viz. in the
broader research community) is dependent on the investigator having bona fide university
qualifications. The ASSA Summer School and Mentoring Program is aimed at precisely this
intersection – simultaneously building both the capacity and credibility of the post graduate
student. The research sector is strengthened in capacity by a project such as this, and the
flow on effects to further generations of Indigenous students can only be imagined.
Courtesy of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
International Science Linkages
Another area of obvious complementary objectives is international activities, with the Learned
Academies simultaneously receiving support under HERP and ISL (see Table 3) to foster
international relationships, include exchange programs and joint research programs. Under
ISL, the Science Academies Program and the Humanities and Social Sciences Academies
Program provided funding to the Learned Academies to undertake activities including
international exchanges and Fellowships and workshops. Under ISL, the academies also
received funding through contracts for specific projects with international partners. The ISL
program commenced in 2002 and terminated on 30 June 2011. See Appendix E for further
information on ISL.
AAS and ATSE received ISL funding over all five years in the review period and, when the
ISL program was extended to incorporate humanities, arts and social sciences, AAH and
ASSA were able to access funding from 2009. ACOLA did not receive funding through the ISL
program. Over the review period, between 2006 and 2010, ISL funding increased to $4.4
million (up by 64 percent). The total level of ISL funding fell every second year when
compared with the previous year – 2007, 2009 and 2011. While the ISL program has now
ended, DIISRTE continues to work with the Learned Academies in identifying opportunities for
promoting international collaboration.
Table 3 International Science Linkages funding to the Learned Academies and ACOLA, calendar
year ($ million)
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Academy of the Social
Sciences in Australia (ASSA)
-
-
-
0.165
0.325
0.084
Australian Academy of Science
(AAS)
1.717
0.259
1.794
1.030
3.268
0.615
Australian Academy of
Technological Science and
Engineering (ATSE)
0.996
0.573
0.449
0.332
0.478
0.145
Australian Academy of the
Humanities (AAH)
-
-
-
0.165
0.375
0.084
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Australian Council of Learned
Academies (ACOLA)
-
-
-
-
-
-
Total
2.713
0.832
2.243
1.692
4.446
0.928
The International Science Linkages Program
The International Science Linkages Program supported Australia’s science and research
engagement with key partner countries and contributed to the national goal of increasing
international collaboration in research, articulated in Powering Ideas: An innovation agenda
for the 21st century.
The academies played an important role in the International Science Linkages Program,
including through their participation in Australian delegations at government bilateral science
and technology meetings, assisting in strategic planning exercises, serving on expert advisory
groups and identifying members with relevant expertise for peer review panels for a range of
competitive grants programs under ISL. The academies also undertook or administered a
range of projects and programs under the auspices of the ISL program, including international
exchanges and fellowships, missions, workshops and conferences.
These activities advanced Australia’s interests in engaging with the global science, arts and
humanities systems by supporting the building of relationships and networks between
Australians and their leading international peers.
Courtesy of Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.
Australian Academy of the Humanities
For AAH, ISL funding allowed the academy to allocate substantially more resources to
supporting collaborative international relationships for the humanities and creative arts
research sector in Australia, through a competitive grants scheme which funded exchanges,
visiting Fellowships and collaborative workshops. Prior to receiving ISL funding in 2009, AAH
had already been running its own small-scale Fellowship program from within HESA-HERP
funding to support humanities researchers to engage internationally, recognising not only the
importance of international collaboration but the gap in the market in terms of support for
humanities scholars in this area. The introduction of ISL offered a multiplier effect to existing
activities and enabled the academy to capitalise on the international network of its Fellows.
Australian Academy of Science
AAS has undertaken an extensive range of international engagement activities, including
representation in international forums and extensive exchange networks with Europe, the US
and Asia. For example, AAS negotiated a reciprocal agreement with the European
Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) program, supported by the ISL program, to
provide Australian researchers with access to European expertise and facilities to support
their research. Australia extensively participates in COST Actions in Europe and the
academy’s role in negotiating and project managing this interaction has enhanced the
reputation of Australian science abroad.
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
ATSE’s international engagement activities, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (DFAT) as well as the ISL program, have focused on and enabled accelerated
science and technology engagement with Asia, including support for mid-career researcher
exchanges with China, Japan, Korea and Singapore. These engagements have had lasting
outcomes and benefits, including long-term joint research collaborations and publications.
International Collaboration
ATSE has enhanced international collaborations through the engagement of mid-career
researchers in exchanges with China, Japan, Korea and Singapore. Between 2006 and 2010,
ATSE had administered four rounds of the Australia China Young Scientist Exchange
programs (ACYSEP); the Australia Korea Early Career Researcher Exchange program; one
round of Australia Japan Emerging Researcher Leaders Exchange program (AJERLEP) in
2010 and one round of Australia Singapore Emerging Research Leaders Exchange program
(ASERLEP) in 2009 and 2010. This has led to long-term personal and institutional linkages,
joint publications and staff and student exchange. Each two-way exchange consists of a
delegation undertaking a two week placement (usually eight researchers per country
delegation with strong research linkages in a topic area which is a national priority to both
countries), in which the delegates complete a tailored program to ensure the most productive
meetings are held, thus allowing for international research linkages to progress.
The importance of these linkage building activities is to position our future research leaders
and their institutions into environments that yield sustained high levels of collaboration,
research funding and influential research findings. The acceleration of the collaboration
process within national priority research areas leads to enhanced innovation capacity that
benefits the Australian economy.
International collaboration in science and engineering is needed because:

Australia contributes some 3 per cent of research and its success as a technology price
setter depends on leveraging off, and participating in, the international efforts

Research has shown that international collaboration results in high quality research (as
measured by citation index), as opposed to those not collaborating

Researches with international collaborators win more grants to fund the proposed
research.
Australia must leverage its investment in science and innovation. The aim of the ATSE
activities is to accelerate global research relationships by providing greater and more effective
access to international science relationships. Traditionally collaborative networks are formed
very slowly, characterised by working through a senior mentor and gradually building
networks through attending overseas conferences. This approach is slow and haphazard.
There is a need for accelerated network formation in a strategic manner, if Australia is to
perform strongly in innovation. Collaborative relationships are proven to produce better
research and optimise the environment for innovation breakthroughs.
The strategic outcome is the accelerated development of a competitive edge in the research
capability and quality of participating Australian technologists, scientist and engineers, who
are thus more likely to innovate and therefore contribute to Australia’s competiveness and
prosperity. A secondary outcome is the capacity of this group of researchers and, importantly,
their Institutions, to link the next cohort of Australian researchers into established international
research collaboration frameworks - all in research areas of national importance. These
activities also result in Australian researchers who are more effectively able to contribute to
policy debate on priority science and technology issues.
For example, the Australia-China exchange program has seen significant collaboration
centres established such as the Australia China Centre for Phenomics Research (ANU); the
Australia China Centre for Excellence in Stem Cells (Monash, Peking Universities) and the
CSIRO China Thermal Power Research Institute.
Cooperation in science and technology at the international level is a key element in national
science and innovation systems and is vital in supporting economic growth. The many direct
and indirect economic benefits of international collaboration include:

Bringing Australia key skills, capabilities and access to research infrastructure

Facilitating the participation of Australian experts in research activities of global
significance

Enhancing reputation of Australian science and technology

Increasing quality of research publications, as measured by citation impact, with
Australian authorships

Enhancing access to international expertise and networks of researchers that facilitate
major programs of global and national significance to be addressed

Providing a stimulating environment which triggers new ideas, technologies and
innovations

Sharing of costs and risks

Facilitating access to new funding opportunities

Providing access to data, samples for testing and analysis, cutting edge technology,
equipment and infrastructure

Increasing opportunity for the cultural and professional development of Australian
scientists.
Courtesy of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
ASSA utilised ISL funding to initiate a Joint-Action Bilateral Collaborations Program with key
international partners, including building new relationships with Australian Government priority
countries and engaging early career researchers in mentoring relationships with established
scholars.
For both ASSA and AAH, the heightened level of international engagement also delivered
benefits in terms of international recognition of Australian capabilities in the humanities, arts
and social sciences.
Other government programs
Some of the other major government programs which the Learned Academies received
support in the review period under the Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects (LASP)
administered by the Australian Research Council, including Primary Connections, Science by
Doing and STELR initiatives (through DEEWR) and the Australian Climate Change Science
Program (ACCSP) administered by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
(DCCEE).
The role of AAS in the development and implementation of the Primary Connections was a
key initiative during the review period. This demonstrates the critical role that the Learned
Academies can play in contributing to issues of national importance, noting that AAS is
continuing to provide resources and training to Australian primary schools under this project.
The Learned Academies have also undertaken research projects and prepared papers
commissioned by various Australian Government agencies. All these additional activities
complement the overall objective of the HERP and Supplementation funding to promote
understanding of the importance of science and foster research and scholarship in any
discipline.
Summary
HERP funding acts as an enabler for the Learned Academies and ACOLA to successfully
apply for funding from other government and non-government sources to deliver additional
activities that complement the overall HERP objectives and government priorities.
Performance assessment
The performance assessment principle relates to the assessment and measurement of the
impacts of the activities supported by the funding arrangements.
Under the conditions of the grant the Learned Academies and ACOLA are required to report
each year on the activities undertaken and how the outcomes of the grant have met the
program objectives. The annual report must also include an audited report confirming the
grant was expended in accordance with the grant conditions. The Learned Academies and
ACOLA were compliant in providing the requisite annual and financial reports over the review
period.
The annual and financial reports have met the reporting requirements for these programs and
demonstrated that the Leaned Academies and ACOLA have successfully undertaken
activities in all the areas that were specified in the financial agreements over the review
period.
The review noted that the conditions of grant under HESA-HERP do not currently include
specific performance measures. The review further noted that the conditions of grant under
HESA-HERP do not specify the format or direct content for annual reporting. As a result,
there is considerable variation in the style and content of the Learned Academies’ annual
reports to government. To be consistent with better practice in grant administration, as well as
the government’s agenda to improve openness and transparency, DIISRTE is also
encouraged to develop a consistent annual reporting template for the Learned Academies
and ACOLA to assist in performance assessment. Further the development of the new annual
reporting template should be a collaborative activity between the government, the Learned
Academies and ACOLA.
Strategic policy alignment
The strategic policy alignment principle refers to whether the activity is consistent with the
government’s strategic long term policy priorities, in particular to areas that help sustain
economic growth through improved productivity and participation.
The 2005 Review of the Australian Learned Academies and the National Academies Forum
made 25 recommendations in total to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the Learned
Academies in deploying their unique capability in support of the full range of national long
term policy priorities. Overall, the review panel is satisfied that the Learned Academies have
made great progress in implementing the recommendations of the 2005 Review on the basis
of the substantial increase in core funding that flowed from that review (Table 1). In particular,
the 2005 review acted as a catalyst for the Learned Academies and ACOLA to more
effectively and efficiently structure their governance and secretariat arrangements, and
greatly enhance their external communication with a wider range of stakeholders.
The 2005 review further recommended that ACOLA advance its role of facilitating interactions
among the four Learned Academies. The current review notes the substantial progress made
in this regard, with ACOLA now established and well placed to maximise these interactions.
Indeed, this capability has recently been recognised by the government in the new PMSEIC
arrangements.
The 2005 review recommended that the Learned Academies and ACOLA ensure that
appropriate strategic planning and policy processes were in place. Similarly, the current
review makes a number of recommendations about the need to promote the strategic role of
the Learned Academies and ACOLA. Notwithstanding a high volume of work in the public
interest, the existence of the Learned Academies is relatively little known in the general
community.
The present review noted that the Learned Academies had made progress in implementing
measures to improve the gender balance within their Fellowships and commends the Learned
Academies initiatives in this area. The review also noted progress in engaging with other
under-represented groups (such as ASSA’s Indigenous Post-Graduate Summer School and
Mentoring Program initiative) and the incorporation of an Indigenous perspectives framework
into AAS’ School Science Education programs, and efforts to build networks with early career
researchers and recognise and work with new and emerging fields (such as the digital
humanities and earth systems science). Such efforts are effective means for the Learned
Academies to enhance their capabilities to provide advice to the government and the
community on a wider range of issues in the short term and to elect Fellows from a more
representative pool of researchers in the longer term.
The Learned Academies have also demonstrated continued and enhanced engagement
internationally, including a focus on engagement in Asia. The current review was satisfied
with the progress of the Learned Academies in this area, noting that they have appropriately
focused on building relationships in China and India consistent with government priorities.
As noted above, the Learned Academies play a unique and critical role in promoting and
fostering excellence in research, which itself underpins the national innovation system. The
Learned Academies are also uniquely placed to provide independent, evidence based advice
to government and contribute to a broad range of the government’s strategic short and long
term policy priorities.
The strategic value of the Learned Academies and ACOLA to the national innovation system
derives partly from their capacity to initiate, guide, translate and harness research - basic ,
strategic and applied - and partly from their unique capacity to collaborate and connect
among the various disciplines, with industry and internationally.
For example, with the support of the Australian Government’s ACCSP, the AAS has worked
to ensure Australia’s involvement in international science programs, such as the International
Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP), the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) and
enabled Australian delegates and representatives to influence strategic planning and priority
setting and increase collaborative research activities. Funding under the ACCSP has also
supported the work of the National Committee for Earth System Science, including the
consultative, interdisciplinary process to define this emerging field. The Department of
Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (DCCEE) supported the development and extensive
dissemination of the AAS’ highly regarded 2010 Climate Change Science: Questions and
Answers publication. This report delivered to an important objective of DCCEE to inform
debate and advance community understanding of climate change science. It also strongly
complemented the overall objective of HERP to foster understanding of the importance of
science.
The review period covers a changing strategic landscape with the implementation of the
outcomes of the review of the national innovation system and the development of national
innovation priorities which are complemented by the national research priorities.
Both directly and through the role of their individual Fellows, the Learned Academies have
played a central role in the development of the national innovation system and there is, in
general, close alignment of the Academies’ and appropriate national priorities.
There would, however, be great benefit from continuing to expand structured mechanisms for
interaction between the Learned Academies and key government, industry and academic
figures in order to continue to provide independent, evidence based advice and thereby
contribute to a broad range of the strategic longer term policy priorities.
Restructure of NAF to ACOLA
The Council is the successor to, and continuation of, the Association of the Learned
Academies formerly known as the “National Academies Forum”. During 2008-09 the National
Academies Forum (NAF) and the four Learned Academies, with the assistance of
Supplementation funding, began taking extensive legal advice on the creation of an
appropriate structure for the Australian Council of Learned Academies. This process involved
nine months work, significant legal costs and considerable time input from the four Academies
to achieve the desired outcome.
The restructure of NAF to ACOLA was important as it has created a mechanism that
facilitates the four Learned Academy’s interactions and collaboration and in turn has
enhanced ACOLA’s role.
The establishment of ACOLA, with a professional Secretariat, has resulted in a body which is
dedicated (since March 2012) on a full-time basis to achieving the objectives of ACOLA, in
the areas of policy advice, research and development. Rather than the ad hoc, volunteer
approach that NAF was obliged to take, ACOLA continually coordinates those of the activities
of the four Learned Academies that are appropriate to a multi-disciplinary perspective, it
actively encourages research and scholarship across the disciplines and it helps to share
information and resources.
This coordinating role has meant that ACOLA is particularly well positioned to coordinate
complex, cross-disciplinary projects such as the Research Workforce Strategy Careers in
Research report (2011-12) and, most recently, the program of work entitled Securing
Australia's Future: Building a Resilient Economy and Society, developed in consultation with
the Chief Scientist.
Courtesy of the Australian Council of Learned Academies.
International Collaboration
During the review period 2006 to 2010, the Australian Academy of the Humanities continued
to be recognised internationally as the authoritative organisation for the humanities in
Australia. It acts as the Australian correspondent for international award organisations such
as the Nobel Committee of the Swedish Academy, and as a key point of contact, and broker,
for international organisations such as the British Academy, the Chinese Academy of the
Social Sciences and Italy’s Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei – that wish to explore
collaborative activities with Australia’s humanities researchers.
The Academy also participates in Australian Government delegations and bilateral meetings
including the Australia-EU Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC). It
is a member of the Union Académique Internationale (UAI) which supports numerous projects
of a collaborative nature in a wide range of academic disciplines.
Utilising HERP funding, the Academy administers an international research and exchange
program for humanities researchers which involves targeted support for early-career
researchers through the long-standing Humanities Travelling Fellowship (HTF) scheme. The
Academy administered a suite of international programs under the International Science
Linkages program when the scheme was opened to humanities researchers in 2009.
The international collaboration fostered through the Academy’s strong bilateral relationships
and researcher exchange programs has contributed to the national research interest by
expanding the strategic knowledge of the societies and cultures of key interest to Australia,
including near neighbours, trading partners, and the nations of historical importance to
Australia.
The Academy’s programs have directly supported the Australian research sector by providing
vital opportunities for researchers, including early-career scholars, to access international
expertise and research teams, and apply to international funding schemes. Over the review
period, the Academy supported 83 international Fellowships and exchanges for humanities
researchers through HERP program funding. In addition, between 2009 and 2011, the ISL
HCA (Humanities and Creative Arts) program funded 49 international collaborative workshops
and exchanges. Bilateral relationships developed during the Review period have laid strong
foundations for Australian humanities researchers to collaborate with Chinese and European
researchers through several high-level workshops and symposia currently in planning.
Courtesy of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
Findings and Recommendations
Overall the review concluded that the Learned Academies continue to be important national
assets which provide a unique and valuable contribution to the pursuit of excellence in
Australia. The value of the Learned Academies resides not only in their critical role in
recognising, rewarding and promoting the pursuit of excellence per se, but also in their
capacity to mobilise this talent to contribute independent, evidence based advice on issues of
national and international importance. As such the Learned Academies are a valuable
resource for governments and for the nation.
The review makes a number of recommendations, each of which is discussed below under
broad headings.
Enhancing the strategic role
Recommendation 1
The government continues to provide ongoing support to the Learned Academies and
ACOLA to enable them to foster understanding of the importance of, and/or promote
research and scholarship in, science, social science or the humanities in Australia for
the national benefit.
The Learned Academies make a unique contribution to the public good of Australia. The
government should provide ongoing support to the academies and ACOLA for their core
operations, to effectively harness the expertise of their Fellows in the national interest and to
advance research and scholarship in all disciplines.
The government should engage with the Learned Academies and ACOLA to enable them to
use HESA-HERP as a platform from which they can identify other stakeholders (government
and non-government) willing to collaborate on short and long term initiatives on issues of
national and international importance.
Recommendation 2
The government consider options to enhance the strategic role of the Learned
Academies and ACOLA in providing the Australian Government with independent,
evidence-based advice on issues of national importance.
The review has demonstrated the strategic value of the independent, evidence-based advice
that the academies provide to the government on issues of national importance. The Chief
Scientist and PMSEIC have also recognised the strategic role of the academies. The
government should consider whether there are other opportunities for the academies and
ACOLA to enhance their strategic contribution to the public good of the Australian community.
Recommendation 3
The Learned Academies and ACOLA meet individually with senior officials (at least
twice a year) to exchange views on strategic priorities and emerging issues of
national importance.
The strategic role of and potential contribution by the Learned Academies and ACOLA would
be enhanced if they had regular strategic meetings with senior government officials. These
meetings would provide the Learned Academies and ACOLA with a platform to:

discuss short and long term government, Learned Academy and ACOLA priorities

provide advice about horizon scanning and fore-sighting activities

explore linkages within the National Innovation System

identify common interests, in particular, in multi-disciplinary issues

provide clearer coordinated communication with government

discuss opportunities for current and future government funding of activities.
Recommendation 4
The Learned Academies maintain their strong connections with stakeholders,
including the public sector, industry, non government organisations and international
organisations.
The Learned Academies and ACOLA should continue to build strategic networks and to
identify or create collaborative opportunities. In particular, they should further develop their
strategic plans, planning and communications tools. These provide the Learned Academies
and ACOLA with the opportunity to highlight the critical issues they are focussing on and, in
the case of multidisciplinary issues, where they are collaborating with other Learned
Academies or other Australian and international organisations. The Learned Academies are
ambassadors of Australian research and, to the extent that their resources permit, should
expand their international activities in their pursuit of excellence. In increasing their
international engagements, networking and outreach activities the academies could expand
their capabilities and increase their contribution to Australia’s public good.
Recommendation 5
The Learned Academies continue to make efforts to communicate their capabilities
and activities which advise the community of the issues on which they can provide
independent advice.
The Learned Academies and ACOLA should develop publicly available statements that
explain their capabilities and include examples of their achievements. These statements
should include details of the strategic issues on which they can provide short or long term
advice. The statements would be used to provide information or as a promotional tool to
expand the range of organisations able to engage with them. ACOLA should also focus on
providing a common point of access to the Learned Academies for outside organisations and
individuals consistent with the HERP objectives.
Recommendation 6
Within available resources, the Learned Academies maximise their domestic and
international activities to enhance collaboration opportunities within and across
disciplines.
The Learned Academies and ACOLA should release a statement identifying key multidisciplinary issues on which they wish to build or strengthen existing domestic and/or
international collaborative networks. This would:

provide a clear signal to potential researchers and other potential stakeholders

improve the opportunities that the Learned Academies and ACOLA have to promote
collaborations on domestic and international research projects that could enhance both
their visibility and reputation and increase their capacity to improve productivity in
Australia.
Encouraging researchers in all fields
Recommendation 7
The Learned Academies continue to encourage the promotion of early and mid
career researchers, including in new and emerging fields; and continue to engage
with researchers in under represented disciplines or groups, including women and
Indigenous researchers.
The Learned Academies should continue to maintain their commitment to identify potential
Fellows from under-represented groups (including women and Indigenous Australians) or
emerging disciplines to enhance the academies and ACOLA’s capacity to provide informed
advice on critical current and emerging issues.
The Learned Academies and ACOLA should also develop and expand activities to engage
with and promote early to mid career researchers, including facilitating collaboration between
early-career researchers and Academy Fellows.
Working together
Recommendation 8
The Learned Academies should share experiences to continually improve their
practices and procedures.
The Learned Academies and ACOLA should maintain their commitment to best practice
program administration and continuous improvement. The Learned Academies must ensure
that they keep pace with the latest procedures and practices to improve their efficiency and
effectiveness.
Recommendation 9
The government work with the Learned Academies and ACOLA to streamline
reporting requirements, including consideration of relevant performance indicators.
The government should work with the Learned Academies and ACOLA to develop a
consistent and streamlined reporting framework (including relevant key performance
indicators) that will enable effective assessment of their capabilities and delivery of
government funding. The new reporting framework should be based on the Australian
National Audit Office’s (ANAO) latest guide on Better Practice Grant Administration.
Recommendation 10
Government support for ACOLA should continue to focus on managing and
maintaining appropriate inter- and extra-academy communication linkages and
encourage collaboration between the Learned Academies.
The Learned Academies and ACOLA should consider how best to encourage further
collaboration between the academies to promote a unified national vision. For example, the
exciting new opportunity for ACOLA and the Learned Academies to undertake longer term
research for PMSEIC complements the key objectives of HESA-HERP, including:

enabling the academies and their Fellows to provide the government with advice and
assistance on issues of national importance

ACOLA promoting a unified national vision and helping to enhance interactions between
the four Learned Academies without compromising their individual priorities or activities.
Appendices
A - Expenditure Review Principles
The following principles are for application when reviews of government programs or activities
are undertaken. When assessing programs or activities against the principles, evidence must
be used to demonstrate whether or not they are the most appropriate, efficient and effective
way to achieve the Government’s outcomes and objectives.
The Principles
1
Appropriateness
i)
Activity is directed to areas where there is a role for government to fill a gap left by
the market:
a) social inclusion – government activity should address social inequity by
redistributing resources in ways that improve opportunity and support for
individuals, families and communities, allowing them to participate in the
economy and society consistent with the government’s social inclusion agenda;
or
b) market failure – government activity should address market failures by improving
social and economic welfare through improved resource allocation, where the
benefits of government intervention outweigh its cost (including in the provision of
public goods, for example, in environmental sustainability, national security and
defence); and
ii)
2
3
Activity is undertaken by the most appropriate level of Australian Government –
whether expenditure is better undertaken by the government or another level of
government.
Effectiveness
i)
Activities to have clear and consistent objectives and be effective in achieving their
objectives and represent value for money for the expenditure of taxpayer funds; and
ii)
Activity involving tax expenditures or financial instruments (for example, guarantees,
loans or investments) to demonstrate why an outlay program is likely to be less
effective in achieving the activity's objective(s).
Efficiency
i)
Government programs to be administered and delivered in the most efficient way
achievable, taking into account both short and long term economic and fiscal
consequences;
ii)
Activity targeting market failure in one market to not unnecessarily reduce economic
efficiency in other markets; and
iii) Consideration to be given as to whether part or all of the cost of a government activity
should be recouped directly from the beneficiaries of that activity.
4
Integration
i)
5
Performance Assessment
i)
6
Government agencies to be able to work together effectively to consistently deliver
the government’s policy objectives within clearly defined lines of responsibility.
Government activity to be subject to robust performance assessment and
measurement.
Strategic Policy Alignment
i)
Proposals to address whether the activity is consistent with the government’s
strategic long term policy priorities, in particular to areas that help sustain economic
growth through improved productivity and participation.
B - Review Panel Members
Martine Rodgers, Chair
Simon Sedgley, Australian Research Council
Scott Lambert, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Ex-officio - Dr Caroline Perkins, General Manager, Compacts and Coordination Branch,
Research Division
Ex-officio - Lisa Schofield, General Manager, Compacts and Coordination Branch, Research
Division
Ex-officio - Dr Nick Yazidjoglou, Acting General Manager, Compacts and Coordinations
Branch
Ex-officio - Toni Dam, Manager, Asia Pacific and Africa Section, International Science Branch
Ex-officio - Dr Julie Glover, Manager, Strategic Partnerships Section, Compacts and
Coordination Branch
Ex-officio - Dr Alex Aitkin, Acting Manager, Strategic Partnerships Section, Compacts and
Coordination Branch
Ex-officio - Prue Torrance, Acting Manager, Strategic Partnerships Section, Compacts and
Coordination Branch
Ex-officio - Sharyn Sturgeon, Manager, Strategic Partnerships Section, Compacts and
Coordination Branch.
C - Reference Group Members
Dr John Bell FTSE
Professor Emeritus Sir Gustav JV Nossal AC CBE FRS FAA FTSE
Professor Graeme Turner FAHA
Professor John W Zillman AO FAA FTSE
D - Terms of Reference
Review of funding to the Learned Academies under the Higher Education Research
Promotion Program (HERP) and Learned Academies – Supplementation Program
Terms of Reference
Australia’s four Learned Academies (the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the
Australian Academy of Science, the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering) are dedicated to promoting
and enhancing the contribution of the humanities, social and natural sciences to the
community through a range of activities, including by contributing to policy debates,
awareness raising and education; establishing and maintaining relations with their
counterparts overseas; and recognising the pursuit of excellence.
The academies also provide the Australian Government with a valuable source of expert
advice and comment on key issues, and are important partners in the development and
implementation of research and innovation policy.
The Australian Government provides funding to the academies and the Australian Council of
Learned Academies (ACOLA), formerly the National Academies Forum, through the Higher
Education Research Promotion program (HERP) under the Higher Education Support Act
2003 (HESA). Supplementary non HESA funding is also provided to the academies and
ACOLA through the ‘Learned Academies – supplementation’ program that is due to end on 30
June 2012. The HESA-HERP and Supplementation funding programs are both administered
by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR).
The objective of the HESA-HERP and Learned Academies –supplementation programs is to
foster an understanding of the importance of, or promote research and scholarship in science,
social science or the humanities in Australia.
Funding of the academies and ACOLA through HESA-HERP is subject to periodic review.
The last review in 2005 resulted in a significant increase in public funding to these
organisations. DIISR will undertake a review of the ongoing HESA-HERP and non ongoing
Learned Academies - Supplementation funding to the academies and ACOLA taking into
account the 2005 review findings.
The outcomes of this current review will assist in informing the department on future funding
levels for the academies and ACOLA.
Scope of Review
The review of Australian Government funding to the academies and ACOLA under HESAHERP and Learned Academies – supplementation will cover the period 1 January 2006 to 31
December 2010 and will:
1. assess the effectiveness of the use of HESA-HERP and Supplementation funding by the
academies and ACOLA in supporting activities to foster an understanding of the
importance of, or promoting research and scholarship in, science, technology, social
science or humanities in Australia;
2. examine the effectiveness of implementation of the recommendations of the 2005 review
of the Learned Academies;
3. examine whether HESA-HERP and Supplementation funding has assisted the academies
and ACOLA to participate in other Australian Government programs;
4. identify the contribution to Australian Government objectives of activities funded under
Learned Academies supplementation and the International Science Linkages programs;
and
5. assess whether Government funding provided to the academies and ACOLA through the
HESA-HERP and Learned Academies supplementation programs is being used in
accordance with the Department of Finance and Deregulation Expenditure Review
Principles (appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, integration, performance
assessment and strategic policy alignment).
During the period 2010 to 2012 a review panel comprising representatives from the
Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR), the Australian Research
Council and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will
undertake this review. The review panel will be lead by DIISR and assisted by an independent
reference group comprising members with relevant expertise that will be formed to provide
the review panel with advice on the review and the draft review report.
The review report will be submitted to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and
Research in early 2012.
E - International Science Linkages
From 2001 to 2011, the International Science Linkages (ISL) program was the Australian
Government’s leading mechanism for:

increasing Australia’s participation in international research

strengthening strategic partnerships between the Australian and international research
communities

facilitating access by Australian researchers to global technology and science facilities.
The ISL program played an important role in supporting overarching government to
government science and technology relationships. In addition, it fostered a range of science
collaborations that could be sustained through ongoing funding from mainstream research
funding programs. The program concluded as scheduled on 30 June 2011. In April 2011, the
Australian Government announced a new Australia-China Science and Research Fund, to
complement Australia’s largest bilateral science fund - the Australia-India Strategic Research
Fund - as a platform for building long-term, collaborative science and research relationships in
the Asian region. The Australian Government also continues to engage the Learned
Academies to assist with identifying priorities and opportunities for international collaboration,
including mobility programs with key partner countries.
The Australian Government’s broader approach to supporting international science
collaboration has involved implementing a number of significant changes to the funding
policies of key research agencies and flagship programs to better deliver support for
collaboration. For example, support for international collaboration is incorporated within all
funding schemes of the Australian Research Councils’ National Competitive Grant Program.
The National Heath and Medical Research Council offers awards to support international
collaboration and assist Australian researchers to build their international capacity and
competitiveness and build international networks. CSIRO’s Flagship Collaboration Fund is
open to applications from overseas research organisations, and Cooperative Research
Centres are encouraged to engage globally and co-invest with international partners. See
http://www.innovation.gov.au/Science/InternationalCollaboration/ISL/Pages/AbouttheISL.aspx
F - Consultations
Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Australian Academy of Humanities
Australian Academy of Science
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
Australian Association for the Digital Humanities (aaDH)
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian National University, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Australian Research Council (ARC)
British Academy
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Council of Australasian Museum Directors
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education
Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
Fellows of the Learned Academies
The Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology Cooperation (FEAST)
Geoscience Australia
Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST)
Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE)
Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA)
La Trobe University
National Library of Australia
Science and Technology Australia (STA)
South Australian Department of Education and Children Services (SADECS)
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia, Science and Technology division (TECO)
UK Energy Research Centre
University of Melbourne
University of Western Australia
Western Australian Government, Western Australia Chief Scientist
G - Main elements of the Learned Academies
and ACOLA’s strategic plans
Australian Academy of the Humanities (AAH)
Vision
A tolerant, vibrant and innovative public culture in Australia enriched and enabled by a thriving
humanities sector.
Mission
The Australian Academy of the Humanities exists to advance knowledge of, and the pursuit of
excellence in, the humanities in Australia for the benefit of the nation.
Priorities/Objectives
To promote and develop excellence in the humanities in Australia and
abroad.
Key Strategies
The Academy supports excellent humanities research by holding public lectures and
symposia; awarding travelling fellowships and the prestigious Max Crawford Medal to earlycareer researchers; and convening major special research projects.
KPI/Actions

advocate for appropriate research infrastructure to enable new avenues of inquiry and to
support innovative research and teaching;

facilitate access to international researchers and research material held overseas;

promote the world-class work of Australia’s humanities scholars internationally;

acknowledge excellence in the humanities through awards such as the Crawford Medal;

host public events that showcase excellent humanities research;

provide career development opportunities for promising early career scholars through
mechanisms such as the Travelling Fellowships scheme;

convene special research projects, particularly under the Australian Research Council’s
Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects scheme; and

establish a new program of workshops and/or symposia to further advance humanities
scholarship and understanding.
To foster collegiality within the fellowship and provide a focal point for
the wider humanities community in Australia.
Key Strategies
The academy recognises that the extraordinary breadth and accomplishment of its fellowship
is its greatest asset, and seeks to involve the fellows and the wider humanities community in
all of its activities.
KPI/Actions

present an annual symposium as the premier humanities scholarly event in Australia, in
order to draw together the fellowship and the wider humanities community;

organise other forums and events for discussion and debate, such as the named bequest
lectures;

maintain and expand its fellowship services;

develop its avenues for engaging the participation of fellows and other humanities
scholars in the work of the academy;

ensure that distinguished humanities scholars are elected to the academy regardless of
geography and institutional affiliation;

maintain a watching brief on the configuration and relevance of its ten electoral sections,
with a view to adding new sections if appropriate as well as reconfiguring or renaming
existing sections; and

consider ways of continuing to improve the gender balance within the academy.
To support the dissemination of humanities research to demonstrate the
value of the humanities to the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of
the nation.
Key Strategies
The academy helps to broaden access to excellent humanities research through its
publication subsidies scheme for Australian researchers; producing publications that
disseminate Australian humanities scholarship; collaborating with other organisations on joint
publications; and promoting the achievements of the humanities across Australia through
various media.
KPI/Actions

produce high-quality publications of occasional talks and papers from academy events
and collaborate with other organisations on joint publications, taking advantage of new
media and electronic dissemination;

produce an annual journal to showcase the work of Australian humanities scholars to a
broader public audience;

seek to expand the subsidisation of scholarly publishing in the Australian humanities;

seek to develop a public events program to demonstrate the relevance and value of the
breadth of humanities scholarship;

promote the achievements of the Australian humanities through different channels of the
media; and

plan an outreach program to schools, other educational organisations and the wider
public.
To providing independent and expert advice to improve public debate
and public policy.
Key Strategies
The academy provides independent and expert advice to government, industry, the media,
cultural organisations and community groups by: advocating for, and supporting, the
appointment of humanities experts on select committees; providing reports and submissions
to government reviews and inquiries; giving evidence at hearings on policy matters; providing
ad hoc advice on matters within its expertise; and responding to solicitations for expert input.
KPI/Actions

support and develop its advisory role to government, industry, the media, cultural
institutions and community groups;

seek additional avenues for the provision of expertise, particularly in the media and to the
public at large; and

convene specialist committees on matters of particular public policy concern, inviting the
participation of fellows and non-fellows willing to contribute their expertise, influence and
skills.
To providing leadership in the humanities community in Australia.
Key Strategies
The academy currently fills an important leadership role in the humanities in Australia,
providing advocacy, policy development, independent advice, and strategic guidance to and
on behalf of the community of humanities scholars in Australia.
KPI/Actions

convene symposia and workshops to engage humanities expertise, contribute to policy
debate and formulation, and provide a focal point for the wider humanities community;

monitor developments in the humanities in Australia and provide advice and leadership
regarding potential opportunities and threats to the health of the disciplines in Australia;

monitor international developments in the humanities to strengthen its capacities in
current roles; and

continue to address the particular needs of early-career scholars as the future leaders in
humanities research and teaching.
To advancing national cultural prosperity through collaboration with
allied Australian organisations and other bodies.
Key Strategies
The academy currently works productively with peer organisations in Australia, as well as
complementary bodies from other sectors, including many cultural institutions in Australia.
Additionally, it provides leadership roles or supporting services for other allied bodies, such as
the National Scholarly Communications Forum (NSCF) and the Australian Council of Learned
Academies (ACOLA).
KPI/Actions

collaborate closely with the three other Learned Academies in Australia - the Australian
Academy of Science (AAS), the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and
Engineering (ATSE), and the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) and
the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) towards common ends;

collaborate with complementary bodies in Australia such as the Australian Chapter of the
Consortium of Humanities Centres and Institutes (CHCI), the Australian National
Commission for UNESCO, the Australasian Council of Deans of Arts, Social Sciences
and Humanities (DASSH), the Australia-China Council, the Australia-India Council and
the Council for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) to achieve common
goals;

engage with Australia’s cultural and collecting institutions as members of the wider
humanities community and as institutions which both draw from and enable research in
the humanities; and

offer assistance where possible for organisations representing new and emerging
humanities disciplines in Australia.
To strengthening the humanities in Australia and abroad through
collaborations with allied Australian organisations overseas.
Key Strategies
The academy plays an active role in its global organisation, the Union Académique
Internationale (UAI), and is a significant participant in other international humanities networks.
It fosters scholarly exchanges between humanities scholars of many nations through its
bilateral exchange programs with other Learned Academies and scholarly organisations. It
also serves as a key point of contact in Australia for international organisations that wish to
explore collaborative activities with Australia’s humanities scholars.
KPI/Actions

contribute an Australian perspective to international debates and discussion regarding the
humanities;

develop its active membership of the UAI and other multilateral humanities initiatives;

enhance its bilateral International Exchange Programs by seeking funding to forge more
alliances with new organisations and to extend existing alliances;

create new partnerships for its other international activities, such as workshop series and
the Humanities Travelling Fellowships (HTF) scheme;

develop ways of utilising its network of overseas fellows to enhance relationships; and

strengthen its ties to its regional counterparts and other humanities bodies within the
region.
To supporting excellent teaching of the humanities at all levels of
education in Australia.
Key Strategies
The academy recognises that humanities teaching and learning across all levels of education
is vital to promoting understanding of our own nation and other societies and cultures. A
humanities education gives students the imaginative, interpretive and critical tools to make
sense of a complex world. Disciplinary expertise is essential to the development of humanities
curricula and standards.
KPI/Actions

promote rigorous humanities training;

contribute to national curriculum developments and policy, to strengthen the continuity
between all levels of education, particularly between secondary and tertiary education;

monitor and advise on issues of disciplinary capacity across the humanities, especially in
core areas of identified need;

develop a career development workshop program for early career scholars;

seek to develop disciplinary support mechanisms for primary and secondary teachers of
humanities subjects; and

plan a program of educational and outreach activities for school students.
Australian Academy of Science (AAS)
Vision
The vision of the academy, as Australia’s primary representative of natural and applied
science is Excellence in Australian Science.
Mission
To champion Australian scientific excellence, to promote and disseminate scientific
knowledge, and to provide independent scientific advice, for the benefit of Australia and the
world.
Priorities/Objectives
Promote excellence in scientific research nationally and internationally.
Key Strategies
To identify priority areas of research, training and infrastructure support for discipline
development in conjunction with the National Committees (NC) for Science.
KPI/Actions

Continued increase in level and effectiveness of activity:
o
Clarify role of national committees, increase resource availability and develop policy
for allocation
o
Monitor composition of national committees, with regard to Fellows representation
and diversity
o
Improve interaction between committees and council
o
Monitor NC activities with particular regard to evolution of discipline areas nationally
and internationally.
To provide career development and network building opportunities for young
researchers.
KPI/Actions

Number of Young Scientists in programs.

Feedback from surveys.
o
Continue to develop Think Tank and Frontier of Science programs
o
Create networks between awardees, event attendees, Science at the Shine Dome
participants etc.
o
Establish mentoring program (including diversity of career options)
o
Examine international models for engagement with young scientists.
To promote support for the best Australian scientific research, including facilitating
access to international scientific organisations and programs.
KPI/Actions

Number of participants and feedback received.

Level of funding from government and other sponsors.
o
Provide international exchange opportunities and travel awards
o
Organise international workshops to promote cooperation and access to technology
o
Evaluate International Science Linkages (ISL) programs and review memorandum of
understanding (MOUs) in preparation for Academies review.
To support the promotion of Australian science capabilities internationally and
contribute expertise and leadership in regional and global collaborative networks.
KPI/Actions

Feedback from delegates and benefits to Australia.

Recognition of and responses to Australia’s contributions
o
Ensure quality of and improve coordination between Australian delegates to
International Council for Science (ICSU) and capture opportunities
o
Review ICSU membership and fee structures, taking into account value for money
and performance
o
Contribute constructively to inter- academy programs and planning
o
Provide leadership in regional academies
o
Encourage reintroduction of Science Counsellors in overseas missions
o
Review corresponding membership provisions
o
Draw on Australian Diaspora.
Develop and sustain a national scientific culture.
Key Strategies
To ensure that the academy and the Fellowship are fully representative of the best
scientists in Australian and, through competitive awards, promote community
recognition of the contributions of high quality science to health, well-being and
national prosperity.
KPI/Actions

Election of outstanding Fellowship representative of the research community and the
practice of science

Enhanced accessibility and outreach

Competitive field of applications for awards and enhanced profile for recipients

Improved administrative funding base
o
On an ongoing basis, critically review and revise selection processes, membership
structure and the Academy’s discipline groupings
o
Improve academy’s awareness of prospective Fellows
o
Upgrade Fellows database to enhance knowledge of expertise international activities
and willingness to provide expert commentary
o
Encourage regional committees to identify prospective nominations and publicise
local successes
o
Review funding structure and enhance profile of academy awards
o
Promote applications to international awards and publicise successes of Fellows and
NC members.
To support the teaching of science at all levels (primary, secondary and tertiary),
elevate national standards, enhance teacher competencies and encourage students’
consideration of science and technology based careers.
KPI/Actions

Uptake of education materials that demonstrably make a difference
o
Engage in ‘Education Revolution’ initiatives, including close connections with
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (previously
National Curriculum Board), DEEWR and states and territories
o
Plan for future of Primary Connections to maximise national uptake and enable
International expansion
o
Continue development of Science by Doing, including consideration of later
secondary
o
Monitor positioning in context of Scientists in Schools (CSIRO) and STELR (ATSE)
programs
o
Address the transitions from primary to secondary to tertiary education
o
Support the activities of Australian Mathematical Science Institute
o
Examine broadening of Science Education to include Business basics
o
Examine the provision of ‘science for non-scientists’ courses and materials.
To provide forums for discussion and debate, publications and balanced, expert
information on scientific issues of national significance and/or community concern.
KPI/Actions

Level of interest in events and outputs
o
Separate public awareness and education responsibilities
o
Mount topical public lecture series
o
Engage Science Communications Officer
o
Review funding for AAS sponsored conferences
o
Seek sponsorship and involvement from appropriate groups for forums and
publications
o
Engage with other Learned Academies when scope of activity warrants
o
Maintain quality diversity and balance of Nova and seek sponsorship for new topics
and support for updating
o
Produce 50th Anniversary book on Shine Dome
o
Upgrade academy website and maintain branding.
Provide valued independent scientific advice to assist policy
development and program delivery.
Key Strategies
To develop networks and alliances with relevant stakeholders to provide conduits for
input of insights and expertise on scientific matters.
KPI/Actions

Engagement of relevant Ministers and officials

Changes in policy emphasis

Number of requests and take up of suggestions

Third party adoption of academy objectives
o
Develop networks in Federal Parliament and relevant public service departments
o
Encourage regional committees to engage in state level activities
o
Create awareness of potential for science as policy tool in DFAT and AusAid
o
Use information from international activities to inform prioritisation of countries for
collaboration
o
Quality nominations to key committees and selection panels
o
Develop alliances with other interest groups to build support for academy objectives.
To provide authoritative advice on matters of research support, education and
training, and science application to inform policy development and decision making.
KPI/Actions

Number of inquiries and/or government policies incorporating influenced by academy
contributions

Contribute to planning for workforce availability and research funding

Monitor and provide input to reviews and negotiations.
To monitor scientific developments in Australia and overseas to anticipate and
communicate potential impediments and opportunities.
KPI/Actions

Effectiveness of issues identification
o
Identify trends (5-25 years’ time) horizon critical to development of science capability
o
Monitor for emerging issues that will require scientific technical advice to formulate
policy response
o
Identify and access funding sources to support advisory activities.
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and
Engineering (ATSE)
Vision
Australia's prosperity, national harmony and role as a responsible global citizen is
underpinned by technological sciences and engineering.
Mission
ATSE fosters excellence in technological sciences and engineering to enhance Australia’s
competitiveness, economic and social well-being and environmental sustainability.
Priorities/Objectives
Within priority topic areas, provide robust, independent, and valued
technological sciences and engineering based advice to government,
industry and community.
Key Strategies
Maintain a high profile in the communities to which it is relevant through proactive
contacts with governments, industry, academia and the media.
Maintain and extend ATSE’s reputation for delivering world quality expert advice and
analysis on technological sciences and engineering that is relevant to Australia’s
national interest.
Enhance science communication to the public.
KPI/Actions

Engage the expertise of the Fellowship in an effective and efficient way – eg: better
alignment of Forum and Divisions 2009 and ongoing)

Ensure industry views are taken into consideration in formulating advice to governments

Secure and enhance ATSE’s financial support from government as an outcome of this
review of Learned Academies

Enhance ATSE presence in Parliaments, including Parliamentary briefings, Science
meets Parliament other opportunities to enhance ATSE's presence (eg Science Week)
(2009/2010 and ongoing)

Refocus the Forum topics to ensure ATSE contributions remain at the cutting edge of
applied science, engineering and technology (SET) to inform policy and public debate

Establish cooperative business models with industry associations/groups

Conduct research projects and disseminate results Prepare submissions and other
advice in key areas of mutual interest

Measure impacts of products and quality of advice eg through feedback and surveys.
Disseminate widely Academy publications, submissions, symposia and conference
details to target audiences and publicise them through the ATSE web site, Focus
magazine and elsewhere.
KPI/Actions

Launch interactive website (2009) and develop targeted distribution lists (ongoing)

Develop and implement industry engagement strategy (2009 onwards)

Develop and implement community engagement strategy (2009).
Establish networks with key government decision makers.
KPI/Actions

Reinvigorate and extend our presence in Canberra (2009)

Through the divisions, reinvigorate linkages and relationships in state and territory
Governments (2009/10)

Actively gather intelligence on national and international policies and priorities (now and
emerging) to feed back into ATSE strategic direction/priority setting process (ongoing)

Develop response to better focus government HASS policy relating to societal and culture
issues for technology (2010 review).
Achievement measures
Government/ industry actively seek and adopt ATSE views; ATSE has an international and
national recognition for high quality, influential products; the community is increasingly aware
of the relevance of technological sciences and engineering to the future development and
prosperity of Australia.
Improve education in the technological sciences and engineering.
Promote a greater interest in science, mathematics and technology related careers in
schools.
Actions

Better promote ESE program outcomes (ongoing)

Review and increase Divisional (state based) extracurricular programs on technological
sciences and engineering and contribute to the coordination of these activities (2010,
2011)

Promote initiatives and enhance coordination as appropriate to improve the quality of
technological sciences, engineering and mathematics teaching (eg S&T Challenge, other
activities)

Enhanced interface with science teachers in Australia (2009).
Ensure the adequacy of science and engineering education and training in meeting
the future needs of employers, giving particular attention to science and mathematics
teaching in schools.
Actions

Establish STELR as a sustainable element of the national curriculum by 2012 by securing
funding to: develop pilot (2009); expand national pilot to all states and territories
(2009/10); expand curriculum vertically to senior years (2011).
Contribute to policy development in the higher education (HE) sectors through
submissions, projects, and studies, as required.
Actions

The Education Forum will ensure constructive debate in science, engineering and
technology (SET) Education in Australia through
o
Review of Government's response to the Bradley Review in relation to technological
sciences and engineering in the higher education sector; (2009/10)
o
Maintain cooperative relationships with relevant professional bodies eg. Tripartite
Group on Engineering 2009; Business-Higher Education Round Table 2009)
o
Work with industry and government to identify skills needs education requirements for
new emerging technology
o
Promote the role of commercialisation of research within HE sector.
Achievement measures
Increasing enrolment in, and uptake in tertiary courses in technological sciences and
engineering subjects Technological sciences and engineering recognised by community as
relevant to daily life; see increase in new “green” jobs creation and workforce education
planning; enhanced retention within TSE disciplines and increased number of postgraduate
students in technological sciences and engineering. Education Forum overview the
performance of ATSE in delivering its strategic direction.
Promote technological sciences and engineering linkages globally and
foster technology transfer/ innovation.
Participate actively in the work of the International Council of Academies of
Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS) and develop relationship with
sister Academies internationally.
Enhance the utility of the National Academies Forum.
Actions

Undertake a strategic review of ATSE engagement in the work of CAETS via ISG and
develop tactics to influence the international debate on Australia’s key topics such as
energy (2009 and ongoing)

Build key relationships with international academies including MOUs and technology
transfer initiatives

Develop new strategic plan and management structure for NAF so as to better address
social, cultural, scientific and technological interfaces of national issues (2009)

Ensure the successful funding outcome of the NAF review 2010.
Support international agricultural research and capacity building.
Actions

Support and promote the work of the Crawford Fund (ongoing).
Remain a key partner for the Government in its international Science and Technology
programs including via DIISR and DFAT.
Actions

Secure ongoing funding agreement with DIISR for the International Science Linkage
Science Academies Program (ISL-SAP) (2010)

Continue to deliver high- quality program outcomes under ISL-SAP (2009, 2010) and
DFAT Councils (India, China, Korea, Japan)

Enhance international science and technology policy advice to government through:

better stakeholder relationship (2009 ongoing)
o
watching brief on OECD Global Science Forum (2010)
o
operational linkages with sister academies (2010)
o
better use of ISL outputs to inform governments and industry.
Facilitate linkages between industry and universities and/or research organisations.

Facilitate technology transfer both nationally and internationally on key priority activity
areas of ATSE (eg Topic Forums, projects, workshops, delegations and SMO
conferences)

Enhance the uptake of S&T courses by international students by promoting excellence in
Australian science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) qualifications

Establish a high level Innovation Think Tank to identify national challenges and
technology transfer and development opportunities (2009/10).
Achievement measures
Renewed and enhanced 3 year International Science Linkage-Science Academies Program
contract; strategic MOUs and cooperation agreements with other academies.
Champion excellence in technological science and engineering.
Elect Australia’s most eminent technological scientists and engineers as Fellows.
Eminent industry and government technological scientists and engineers are well
represented as Fellows.
Actions

Establish and maintain a robust membership nomination and selection process that
reflects the key areas of ATSE technology excellence it seeks in the future, including
industry, academia, government and research

Harness the expertise of the Fellows through increased participation in ATSE activities by
changing the ways in which Fellows can engage, eg: short sharp engagement; focused
activities; better support from the ATSE office, etc 2009 and ongoing

Explore mechanisms to promote the obligation of new Fellows to participate in ATSE
activities.
Recognise exceptional achievement in the application of technological sciences and
engineering.
Actions

Support and promote the national prominence of the ATSE Clunies Ross Awards as the
only national award event that celebrates the confluence of technological scientific and
engineering excellence with business acumen and success (2009)

Explore the development of a recognition program for young achievers (2010).
Support the expansion of both public and privately funded high quality technology
oriented research in Australia.
Actions

Through the work of the ATSE Assembly, Forums and division and priority project areas
routinely include the identification of Australia’s research needs and gaps and promote
this to government, funding bodies, industry, and research organisations (ongoing).
Achievement measures
ATSE Fellows widely recognised as leading experts and high contributors in their fields (as
recognised by peers and degree to which advice is sought and accepted), ATSE’s standing in
the community enhanced through recognition of the excellence of its Fellows ad their work;
ATSE is influential in shaping the research agenda in national priorities in technological
science and engineering research and promoting innovation.
Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA)
Vision
The integrated application of the best thinking in Australian arts, engineering, humanities,
natural sciences, social sciences and technology, to assist the achievement of a healthy,
creative, sustainable, democratic, cosmopolitan and productive nation.
Mission
To provide a forum that brings together great minds, broad perspectives and knowledge, to
help solve complex societal issues for the benefit of Australia’s social, cultural, economic and
environmental wellbeing.
Priorities/Objectives
•To promote policy advice to the wider community and contribute to
public debate.
•To enhance the prestige and visibility of the four Learned Academies.
Key Strategies
Raise public awareness and understanding of the contributions that the arts,
engineering, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and technology make to
Australia’s well being.
KPIs

Distribute 500 copies of ACOLA brochure nationally to key stakeholders and potential
clients.

Create a group of young associates from emerging researchers and scholars.

Develop an interactive website function.
To deliver policy advice to government on specific issues.
To advocate to senior decision makers matters consistent with the
objects of the council on issues of major national policy.
To promote an appreciation of the value of national research and
scholarship.
To promote closer relations among the four Learned Academies.
Key Strategies
Promote mechanisms that facilitate the linkage of research and analysis to policy
formulation and its application in societal practice.
KPIs

Help develop an expanded role for ACOLA in relation to the proposed refreshed PMSEIC.

Continue to deliver the LASP Sustainability Project (phase 3 and 4).
To encourage research and scholarship across the disciplines.
Key Strategies
Encourage fresh, cross-sector ways of thinking about innovation and development
and its relationship with the economy and society, as part of achieving a productive
and sustainable Australia.
KPIs

Host a seminar for emerging researchers and scholars to further extend the LASP project
multidisciplinary research agenda.

Continue to deliver the Growth Project (phase 2).
To promote administrative efficiency through sharing information and
resources.
Key Strategies
Identify ways to better harness the perspectives of all disciplines to solve complex
issues.
KPIs
Link the role of emerging researchers and scholars in ACOLA projects to the Research
Workforce Strategy.
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA)
The Australian Academy of Social Sciences strategic plan is expected to be finalised in midAugust 2012. It will then be taken to the Annual General Meeting in November 2012 for formal
adoption by the academy.