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 |
