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22 April 2017

Open Letter for Science

As Australian scientists and technologists and their champions, we write to express our strong support for our international colleagues in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Collaboration with international counterparts, in all countries and from all backgrounds, is vital to the work of STEM. The common language of STEM serves as a bridge across cultural divides; enables cross-fertilisation of new ideas from different perspectives; and it serves to make the world healthier and more resilient through a period of global change.

It is incredibly important that we as a society support independent research, free of political interference. The scientific method is robust, and through it the sum of human knowledge has been advanced incrementally through the laser lens of objective testing and observation, contestability, replication of results, and intense scrutiny. The growth of ‘alternative facts’ and the rise internationally of misrepresentation and disregard for science is, at best, troubling. At worst, it’s life threatening on a monumental scale.

Climate change, antibiotic resistance, food and water security and other global threats will not be solved by ‘alternative facts’ but through the steady and logical application of science and technology. In our privileged Australian society, our communities and individual lives are extended, enhanced and made more fruitful every day by science and technology. The achievements of science and technology research have been enabled through successive governments’ support for the work of those in the STEM sectors.

We the undersigned call on leaders around the world to recognise and reinforce the value of unencumbered support for the work of scientists and technologists. We call on those with power and influence to work towards a society based on reasoned and substantiated decision making.

We call for a world that supports, celebrates, and learns from science.

Full list of signatories

Professor Kathy Bevlov President, Genetics Society of Australasia
Professor Atilla Brungs Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Technology Sydney
Anthony Chariton President, SETAC AU
Mr Anthony M Cichello Australian Psychological Society, President
Jennifer Clark ASPAB Secretary
Peter Derbyshire Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations
Associate Professor Alan Duffy ECR Representative, Science & Technology Australia
Neville Exon AMOS International Ocean Discovery Program
Professor Simon Fleming Australian Optical Society, President
Cathy Foley Chair of Policy, Science & Technology Australia
Professor Ian Frazer Former AOTY, Head, Cancer Immunology Program, UQDI
Professor Dominic Geraghty President, ASCEPT
Professor Barney Glover Vice-Chancellor and President, Western Sydney University
Professor Michael Good Former Chair of NHMRC
Kirsten Heimann ASPAB Vice President
Associate Professor Grant Wardell-Johnson Director, Australian Council of Environmental Deans and Directors
Professor Emma Johnston President-Elect, Science & Technology Australia
Menna Jones Australian Mammal Society
Professor David Karoly University of Melbourne – School of Earth Sciences
Professor Lisa Kewley Director, ARC Centre for Excellence in All-Sky Astrophysics in 3D
Professor Virginia Kilborn President, Astronomical Society of Australia
Professor Graham Lamb President, Australian Physiological Society
Dr Francine Marques ECR Representative, Science & Technology Australia
Tim Minchin Australian comedian, actor, composer, songwriter, pianist and director
Professor Alistair Moffat President, Computing Research and Education Association of Australasia
Professor Tanya Monro Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice President: Research and Innovation, University of South Australia
Professor Gustav Nossal Former Australian of the Year and former Chair of the World Health Organisation’s Vaccines and Biologicals Program
Chris O’Neill Society for Reproductive Biology
Professor Lin Padgham CORE, former president
Dr Damien Pearce National Youth Science Forum, CEO
Professor Andrew Peele Australian Institute of Physics, President
Professor Jim Piper President, Science & Technology Australia
Sam Popovski CSIRO Staff Association
Professor Hugh Possingham Chief Scientist of The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
Professor Peter Quinn Executive Director of ICRAR
Jeannie Rea President, National Tertiary Education Union
Professor John Rice Australian Council of Deans of Science, Executive Director
Professor Brian Schmidt Nobel Laureate
Samir Samman President, Nutrition Society of Australia
Todd Sampson Australian adventurer, award-winning documentary-maker, television presenter and businessman
Professor Scott Sisson President, Australian Statistical Society
Professor Kate Smith-Miles President, Australian Mathematical Society
Adam Spencer Australian radio personality
Professor Michael Stowasser President, High Blood Pressure Society of Australia
Professor Ross Thompson Director, Institute for Applied Ecology at UC
Leann Tilley President, Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Kylie Walker CEO, Science & Technology Australia
Chris Walton CEO, Professionals Australia
Professor Andrew White Director, Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQuS)
Robyn Williams ABC Broadcaster
Professor Brian Yates Australian Council of Deans of Science, President
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