ABOUT S & T AUSTRALIA
About Science & Technology Australia
Science & Technology Australia represents 68,000 scientists and technologists, and promotes their views on a wide range of policy issues to government, industry and the community.
The organisation was formed in late 1985, following substantial cuts to science in the 1984 Federal Budget. The then Minister for Science, Barry Jones, had at the time accused the science and technology community as being ‘wimpish’ in it’s lobbying and blamed the budget cuts accordingly.
Science & Technology Australia represents a vast array of professional interests within the field across Australia, with members including organisations such as the Australian Neuroscience Society, Australian Society for Biophysics, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, the Australian Council of Deans of Science and the Women in Science Enquiry Network, amongst others.
The organisation contributes to discussions at the highest levels in policy-making in Australia and communicates with the highest level of government.
Science & Technology Australia has three formal objectives:
- to encourage scientific dialogue between industry, government, and the science and technology community,
- to promote public understanding of science, and
- to foster close relations between member societies.
The organisation was formerly known as the Federation of Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) until June 2011.
