Emma Johnston AO, President, Science & Technology Australia

In the lead up to the federal election, Science & Technology Australia (STA) surveyed the major parties to gauge their support for science and technology. Encouragingly, the Coalition, Labor Party and the Greens all had clear and ambitious visions for research and development in Australia.

Though there is universal support for science and technology, the approaches to supporting it vary between the parties. With the re-election of the Coalition Government, we are keen to engage them on the promises they have made, which include:

• A Science Minister in Federal Cabinet (this has been confirmed as the Honourable Karen Andrews MP).
• The establishment of a new National Science & Technology Council.
• Consideration for a Translational Research Fund to complement the work of the Australian Research Council.
• $500 million to improve vocational education and training.

Obviously there is a lot more that we will continue to campaign for, but the election has provided the Coalition Government with a mandate to continue its work to prioritise strategic research directions and research infrastructure in the science and technology sector. It is our job to hit the ground running in our efforts to shape the way this is done, and to keep science and technology on the national political agenda.

The 2019 Election Message released by the ESA was a bold and important step towards impacting environmental policy in Australia. As a united group, it’s important that you maintain the momentum sparked by this Message and continue to regularly engage with decision makers to reinforce these ideas.

One of the urgent actions listed in this Message was a call for government to “implement evidence-based development of policy and decisions, informed by best available ecological science”. STA echoed a similar message, albeit discipline agnostic, and wants to help you achieve this. As a member of the ESA and a STEM professional, you can engage in this process in a few ways:

Science meets Parliament.

We are waiting on the parliamentary sitting dates to finalise the timing, but the first day of our “Science meets Parliament” program prioritises training to understand political dynamics, communicate science, and manoeuvre within the political landscape, before delegates meet face-to-face with Parliamentarians on day two. For 20 years, this event has acted as a catalyst for some fruitful relationships between decision makers and STEM professionals

STEM Ambassador Program.

Launched last year, the STEM Ambassador program matches scientists and technologists with their local representatives, providing training and support to connect with them and serve as a conduit between MPs and their local STEM community. The second round of the program will launch in August, so keep an eye out on social media or sign up to the STA newsletter for more information

Reaching out to your representatives.

As a member of your electorate or state, we encourage you to reach out to your elected representatives in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Provide them with the opportunity to meet, invite them to your workplace, and share insights about your research, field and the STEM sector in Australia. If you need guidance on how to do this please contact us.

I invite you to reach out to the STA team via email or visit our website to find out more about our work. It is important that we continue to confidently and effectively advocate for Australian science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and actively participate in the government’s work to shape the future of our sector.

STA also provides a range of services that are useful to our member organisations, so be sure to connect with the STEM Ambassador Program, Science meets Parliament, the Superstars of STEM, and STEM Communication workshops. Members can also access How-To Guides, policy templates, equity and diversity resources, and a range of member benefits that provide discounted access to governance support, insurance, communications, video production, car hire and hotel accommodation.

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