PUBLICATIONS & POLICIES
Submissions & Consultations
2012
- Development of National Research Investment Plan
- STA participated in the AAMRI submission to the McKeon Review on how to increase the levels of
commercially sponsored translation of Australian health and medical research. - Member of Health of Australian Science Report Working Group (under the leadership of the Chief Scientist, professor Ian Chubb)
2011
- Development of Australian Government’s Research Workforce Strategy [2010-11]
- Submission to ARC regarding Members’ concerns about consequences of implementation of ERA [2010-11]
- Development of Strategic Framework for Research Infrastructure Investment [2010-11].
2010
- Submission to Expert Working group on Science and the Media
- Development of the National Curriculum for Science and Mathematics
- Science Discipline Reference Group of the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Project
2009
- FASTS submission to NHMRC Fellowship Consultation Paper (July)
- FASTS submission to ARC Consultation Paper on Centres of Excellence (July 2009)
- FASTS submission to NHMRC Fellowship Consultation Paper (June 2009)
- When is Science Valid: A Short Guide on How Science Works and When to Believe It (October 2009)
2008
- FASTS submission to Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts Inquiry into the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management (Repeal and Consequential Amendment) Bill 2008 (3 November)
- FASTS Submission on the Defence White Paper (1 October)
- FASTS Submission to the ARC on Future Fellowships (27 June)
- FASTS Submission to the House of Reps inquiry on higher degree research training (30 May)
- FASTS submission to the review of the National Innovation System (30 April)
- FASTS Submission on the review of Questacon (30 April)
2007
- FASTS submission to HEEF Advisory Board on the Higher Ed Endowment Fund (7 December)
- FASTS submission to DEST on weighting journals for RQF (30 November 2007)
- FASTS submission to Senate Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Education on Higher Education Endowment Fund Bill 2007 (27 August)
- FASTS Submission to Senate Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Education inquiry on Higher Education Legislation Amendment (2007 Measures No. 1) Bill 2007 (23 April 2007)
- FASTS Submission to ARC review of Federation Fellowships program (January 2007)
Opinions, Briefs, Reports and Speeches (Archive)
2009
Evidence based policy and the Governance of Science (presentation)
Bradley Smith, (28 October)
Governments are a user, funder and producer of evidence based policy and have an interst in ensuring robustness and plirity of evidence. Download slides
Opinion
John Rice and Bradley Smith, Onus Falls On Industry To Put A New Face On Science, Australian Financial Review (7 September). There is a real disconnect between the image of the research scientist and the working life of the 90% of scientifically and technologically trained graduates. Part of the problem is a poorly articulated sense of how the nature of the technical workforce has changed over the past 30 years in the face of globalisation and generalisation of ICT. Download article
Opinion: Ken Baldwin, Risky Business, Campus Review (6 July)
Investment needs to encourage risk-aware not risk-averse research so as to provide the robustness and flexibility to meet future threats and opportunities. Download opinion piece
Opinion: Ken Baldwin, Risky Business, Campus Review (6 July)
Briefing Note: Bradley Smith, Commonwealth Expenditure on Science and Innovation estimated to rise to 0.73% of GDP (15 May)
Budget slides: FASTS Budget workshops (9 June). Slides from FASTS budget workshops conducted in May and June are available here
Briefing note: Commonwealth expenditure on science and innovation estimated to rise to 0.73% of GDP (15 May). FASTS analysis of Commonwealth budget estimates suggest science and innovation expenditure will lift from 0.57% to 0.73% of GDP in 2009/10: A function of real increases in spending and estimated contraction of GDP. Download data table and chart
Transcript: Strategic Leadership in Science: Forum with Professor Penny Sackett, Baroness Susan Greenfield, Dr Megan Clark, Professor Mary O’Kane and Dr Cathy Foley. Parliament House (18 March)
Opinion: Ken Baldwin, Risk and Research: Maintaining a diverse portfolio, OPN, (March)
Opinion: Ken Baldwin, Research Pot Dangerously Low, The Australian, HES, (28 Jan)
2008
Speech: Ken Baldwin, Do we need new models of governance and self-organisation of science? Address to the Australian Institute of Physics Congress (December)
Opinion: Ken Baldwin, FASTS welcomes CRC review, A ustralian R&D Review (September)
Forum Outcomes Statement: FASTS forum on the rights and responsibilities of scientists (June) (This paper summarises key issues arising from the FASTS forum and subsequent discussions on rights and responsibilities (obligations) of scientists and the independence of science and research agencies.
Opinion: Ken Baldwin, FASTS initial response to Budget 2008, HES, The Australian, (13 May)
Letter: Bradley Smith, Support for ‘Hubs and Spokes’, HES, The Australian, (16 April)
2007
Speech: Tom Spurling, Public Policy, Water and Membranes, IMSTEC ’07, (6 November 2007)
Proceedings paper: ABRS/FASTS, Proceedings of the National Taxonomy Forum, FASTS, Canberrra (4-5 October 2007) (nb: this file is 6.5mb)
Opinion: Bradley Smith, Making Science Politically Visible, (Australasian Science, Oct 2007)
Opinion: Tom Spurling, Time to ask the other questions on R&D, (ATSE-Scope, Sept 2007)
Opinion: Mark Matthews, Using Science to Prepare us for the future, (R&D Review, Sept, 2007)
Review: Review of Science meets Parliament comprising report and on-line survey results (August 2007)
Discussion paper: Preparedness (1 August 2007)
Letter: Tom Spurling, The Collaborative Country (BRW, July 12 – 18, 2007)
Letter: Bradley Smith, Not so FASTS (HES, The Australian, 4 July, 2007)
Discussion Paper: Is this what you had in mind? Science and the changing profile of Australian R&D expenditure (18 June 2007) Part 1 and Part 2
Opinion: Tom Spurling, Presentation to Go8 Universities Research Quality Framework (RQF) Forum (8 June 2007)
Opinion: Tom Spurling, Voters want scientists to identify and reduce risks in an uncertain world, Canberra Times, 19 March 2007
Policies
Giving Preparedness a Central Role in Science and Innovation Policy (policy discussion paper)
Mark Matthews, (6 November 2009)
This paper that explores the difference between uncertainty and risk. It sets out five principles for giving preparedness a central role in public policy. Download paper
The Changing Nature of Scientific and Technological Based Work (research report)
Di Mazio Report, (6 November 2009)
A qualitative review into the changing nature of science-based work in industry within Australia over recent decades.
Download paper
Climate Change (policy statement)
(September, 2008)
Global climate change is real and measurable. There is real concern in the scientific community that argy-bargy over an ETS is diverting attention from the real challenge of becoming a low carbon economy. Download statement
FASTS Policy Statement on Science Education (March 2008)
Download our Policy Document here
Download statement
Managing Uncertainty and Risk in Science, Innovation and Preparedness: Why Public Policy Should pay more attention to Geopolitical and Financial Considerations (policy discussion paper)
Mark Matthews (2006)
Preparedness R&D is missing in current polic. There are major social and economic benefits that flow from science which minimise risks and provide options to deal with emerging challenges. Download this paper as a PDF.
