2026 board elections
In 2026 the following positions are open for elections to the STA board:
- two (2) board directors (3-year term)
- the President-Elect position - this person will serve one year as President-Elect, then transition to President at the 2027 AGM and serve for 2 further years.
Key dates
1 October: Board nomination open
1 November: Board nominations close
11 November: Online voting opens
18 November: AGM - Election results announced
Advice from the nominations committee
The nominations committee has conducted a thorough review of the Board’s skills matrix and STA forward work program. The committee has identified the following key skills as highly desirable to complement the existing capabilities on the Board and guide the organisation into the future:
- Science policy and advocacy, experience working on sector wide policy issues is desirable
- Business development
- Design and delivery of professional development programs
Candidates are asked to clearly articulate in their applications which of these skills and experiences they can bring to the Board.
In addition to these priority areas, the following core skills and knowledge are valuable in nominees: strategic thinking and planning, financial literacy and acumen, human resources management and leadership, risk management and compliance, and legal expertise.
It is not expected that any single nominee possesses all the identified skills.
The Board recognises the importance of diversity in its composition, including gender, cultural background and professional experience. We encourage applications from individuals who can contribute to this diversity.
Eligibility
To be eligible to serve as an STA Board Director, you must be a member or employee of an STA member organisation. A full list of eligible organisations is here.
Candidates must receive support from two nominators. Nominators must be a member or employee of an STA member organisation. It is preferable if your nominators are from different organisations. We encourage candidates to seek nominators who are senior leaders in the STEM community.
Candidates must have a valid ABRS Director ID at the time of application and have no legal or other impediment to serve as a director. STA Board Directors are required to reaffirm their continuing eligibility to serve as a director at each Board meeting.
STA Board Directors make an active, thoughtful, skilled and principled contribution to STA. STA Board Directors have responsibilities they are required to fulfil in support of STA – the ACNC provides guidance on the duties of responsible people, and we suggest you make yourself familiar with this standard. Board directors are elected for a three-year term.
In line with our Reconciliation Action Plan commitments, STA makes proactive efforts to ensure its Board includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and people from other traditionally under-represented groups, as well as ensuring excellent skills, experience and geographic coverage.
All nominations will be subject to review before acceptance into the candidate pool. Your nominators may be contacted as part of this process.
Nominations process
In 2026 we are seeking nominations for two (2) board directors and the position of President-Elect.
If you seek to nominate, please read the position descriptions thoroughly and consider the advice of the nominations committee to ensure you have the required skills and experience.
A sample nomination form is available below. All candidates are asked to prepare a 1-minute video addressing the STA members. Details and guidance is provided on the application form.
To nominate please complete the nomination form which you can access via the link below. Candidate responses will be published on the members only area of the STA website and circulated to members prior to the AGM. All candidates will be invited to the STA AGM where election outcomes will be announced.