In its submission to the Government’s Pathway to Diversity in STEM Draft Recommendations, Science & Technology Australia has urged bold thinking to tackle a lack of diversity in Australia’s workplaces. A new tax incentive to drive diversity in Australia’s largest companies could powerfully shift the dial on equality in the country’s workforce – including its pivotal STEM sector.

As the nation’s peak body representing 115,000 Australian scientists and technologists, Science & Technology Australia now calls our community to action to support an Indigenous Voice!

The Universities Accord panel should recommend setting a bold R&D investment target of 3% of GDP by 2035, and a doubling of ARC, NHMRC and university Research Block Grants funding from 2024 in its final report.

STA enthusiastically welcomes the appointments of science and research leaders to its sector-leading Policy and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committees.

A three-fold return on public investment from ARC-funded research highlights “strong economy-powering returns” for taxpayers from university research – and makes the case to double the ARC grants budget.

“These changes will strengthen Australia’s research system – on which our country’s health, wealth and safety rely – and put in place guardrails to prevent political interference in awarding research grants,” says STA CEO Misha Schubert.