Australian Science, Australia’s Future – science 2035.  A call to action

The ACDS congratulates the Australian Academy of Science on the policy report “Australian Science, Australia’s Future”.   The report was released in September and according to the President of the ACDS – Jacqui Ramagge it should be compulsory reading for policy makers and University leaders “not just because it relates to university science but because it is a comprehensive and evidence-based report assessing Australia’s national science capability against future needs and sets out to answer the question – Does Australia have the science capability and the capacity that it needs to meet the challenges faced by the coming generations?”  

The full report is available from the AAS website here.  The methodology, data and key findings underline the importance of supporting University Science – education and foundational research and include :

• The future prosperity and security of Australia depends on science…….  At the core are the fundamental sciences: physics, chemistry, mathematics and biological sciences.
• The report describes the health of science disciplines and highlights areas where there are gaps in capabilities – from education to projected workforce needs, research and development and investment.
• The current pipeline and study choices of students is not aligned with the needs of Australia’s future workforce, with declining STEM participation and teacher shortages threatening relevant capability.
• You need a “reservoir of talent”, infrastructure and knowledge that takes decades to build and the time to take action is now.
• The data and key findings are a call to action to ensure that future generations have a quality of life, with security, and social and economic prosperity and cohesion. 

An abridged version of the report is available here.