ACDS update from the President – December 2024 Posted in News, Research, Teaching and Learning on December 12, 2024 by Glenda Key. Below is a summary of the latest update from the President of the Australian Council of Deans of Science (ACDS) including several congratulations, a summary of relevant national issues, ACDS highlights including outcomes of the ACDS Annual Conference and our plans for next year, a call for new members of the ACDS executive, and a final message from Melissa Brown as the outgoing President: Congratulations Emma Johnston AO FAA FTSE FRSN, past Dean of Science at UNSW (and active contributor to ACDS) and current DVCR at The University of Sydney, has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Lucy Marshall, current Executive Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University has been appointed as the inaugural Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Community and Leadership, at the University of Sydney Kiaran Kirk AM FAHMS has been appointed as the Dean of the new ANU College of Science and Medicine, a merger of the ANU College of Science (which he currently leads) and the ANU College of Health and Medicine. Fran Sheldon, Head, School Environment & Science, Griffith University and regular delegate at ACDS meetings, for being elected as the next President of the Australian Council of Environmental Deans and Directors Our two new ACDS Teaching and Learning Fellows: Sarah-Jane Gregory (CQU) and Elizabeth Angstmann (UNSW) and our 2024 ACDS Teaching and Learning grant recipients. Welcome Professor Samuel Muller, for being appointed as the new Executive Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University. National scene Australian Universities have been thrown into further turmoil in recent weeks with the Coalition rejecting the proposed amendments to the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act and delaying these being considered by Parliament, along with ongoing uncertainties regarding the future of Ministerial Directive 107. This presents a very challenging time for universities and our incoming students. The Terms of Reference for the Strategic Examination of Research and Development, recommended through the Australian Universities Accord process, have been released. These include enabling innovation and industry engagement, supporting the achievement of Australia’s national priorities and, pleasingly, improving the coordination of research funding opportunities across government. Of relevance to the above, Minister Husic recently released the 2024 Australian Innovation Statistics. With the 2025 federal election approaching, Science & Technology Australia (STA) has unveiled its election priorities, many of which align closely with key issues identified by ACDS. The full document is available at STA-2025-Federal-Election-priorities.pdf. Key priorities include: STEM R&D Investment: Increase R&D investment to 3% of GDP by 2035, establish an Innovation Future Fund, and launch a 10-year Strategic Moonshot Program. Indigenous Knowledge: Elevate Indigenous Knowledge and ensure genuine First Nations engagement in education, research, and policy. STEM Education: Strengthen STEM education, improve teacher training, and integrate Indigenous Knowledge into curricula. Research Infrastructure: Secure stable funding for critical research infrastructure, including advanced computing and AI capabilities. Workforce Development: Support a diverse and equitable STEM workforce with enhanced mobility and targeted programs for First Nations researchers. Commercialisation: Incentivise business R&D, support early-stage commercialisation, and establish facilities for prototyping and manufacturing. ACDS news ACDS highlights in 2024 Online AGM with Alan Finkel as our guest speaker Teaching and Learning Leaders Forum in Sydney ACSME conference in Canberra Award of T&L Grants and T&L Fellowships Assessment Webinars and Community of Practice A position statement of First Nations ways of knowing in Science ADR Leaders Group Webinar Series National Research Forum in Melbourne Member Roadshows in WA, Victoria, NSW, SA and Queensland Two issues of our magazine: Australian University Science A significant increase in our social media presence and our visibility in Canberra (thanks Tony!) Annual Conference in Canberra (see below) Partnering with the Councils of Deans of Engineering, Environmental Science and Education to discuss the importance of mathematics education Submissions to the government and other organizations on a range of important issues. Initial planning for the 30th anniversary and the ACDS ACDS Annual Conference Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the ACDS Annual Conference at ANU in October! It was fantastic to see so many of you in person and to hear from some stellar speakers, several great panel discussions with colleagues from across the higher education and science sectors, a fireside chat with Senator Pocock and a fabulous conference dinner, with Doug Hilton, CEO of the CSIRO, delivering a thought-provoking and engaging after-dinner speech. It was also a wonderful opportunity to hear from you about the big issues for Deans, Associate Deans and others, all of which have been taken into account in our planning for next year (see below). Further information on the conference, including the program and areas of focus, can be found here. ACDS in 2025 Strategic priorities We are currently in the process of finalizing our priorities for 2025, which have been strongly influenced by the feedback you provided at the ACDS Annual conference. These include: Science and Mathematics Education Pathways Teaching-focussed academic career pathways AI and assessment Enabling Research Translation Engaging with Industry and Government Researcher development Public confidence in science Amplifying the Voice of Deans of Science and the ACDS A new Strategic Plan for 2026-2030 In 2025, we will commence developing our next 5-year plan for ACDS, which will run from 2026 – 2030. We are fortunate to have a robust strategic planning framework for the ACDS that has guided our activities over the period 2021-2025. The next strategic plan will be developed in consultation with all members of the ACDS. It is an exciting time for the ACDS as we grow our engagement with policy makers, peak bodies and our science schools/faculties/colleges. We look forward to working with everyone on this next year. Celebrating 30 years of the ACDS in 2025 The ACDS began as a humble meeting of Deans of Science and became a constituted organisation in 1995. In 2025 we mark 30 years of our organisation being the voice of university science. Over the years, the ACDS has advocated for the development and recognition of excellent teaching, for the importance of fundamental research, for better funding in science, and for support for leadership in university science. In 2025 there will be several opportunities (activities and functions) to celebrate the achievements of the ACDS, to acknowledge all our members over the last 30 years, and to promote the role and importance of university science through our engagement with government, industry, university leadership and peak bodies. Look out for more news about these events in 2025 and please join in to mark this significant milestone! ACDS events in 2025 Annual General Meeting: 28 April (Online) with a guest speaker TBA T&L Leaders Forum: 1–2 July (Flinders University) Research Network Forum: July/August (University of Tasmania) ACSME: 30 September – 2 October (The University of Melbourne) Annual conference: 21–22 October (Canberra TBC) A call for new members of the ACDS executive The next executive of the ACDS will be elected at the AGM on the 28th of April 2025. Please consider nominating yourself or a fellow Science Dean or equivalent for membership. It is a fabulous opportunity to contribute at the national level, to meet many amazing people from across the sector, and to provide support and opportunities for Deans and Associate Deans of Science. Please do think about this over the holiday period and let me know if you would like to chat about the opportunities in the New Year. A formal call for nominations for the Executive Committee will be distributed in March, with nominations due shortly after. And lastly… After 7 years on the ACDS Executive, including 2 years as Secretary / Treasurer and 4 years as President, I have decided not to nominate for the role of President again in 2025. I have loved every minute of these roles, but it is time to give someone else this amazing opportunity. I am very proud of the activities and achievements of the ACDS executive committee and ACDS Staff over this time, notably including: The 5-year Strategic Plan including a Mission, Vision for ACDS, Goals for 2021-2025 and three annual plans Delivery of multiple conferences, events, webinars, and community of practice sessions on a range of topics relevant to University of Science Dozens of submissions to the government and beyond to represent the views of University Science, including Job Ready Graduates, Australian Universities Accord, and National Science and Research Priorities, with strong input from members Engagement with Councils of Dean of Humanities and Social Science, Engineering, Business, Education and Environmental Science on a range of issues Establishment of quarterly messages from the President Incorporation of the ACDS Reframing of the ACDS Executive Director role and recruitment of Dr Tony Willis Recruitment of Professor Susan Howitt to the role of Director of the ACDS Teaching and Learning Centre Establishment of T&L Grants and T&L Fellowships Articulation of Science Threshold Learning Outcomes Indigenous Science Webinars and Community of Practice and development of a position statement of First Nations ways of knowing in Science Creation of an online resource repository for university science teaching during COVID and beyond Establishment of the role of Director of the National Research Forum and appointment of Professor John Bartlett Establishment of a National Research Forum and an ADR Leaders Group Establishment of the Graduate Innovation Forum in partnership with ANSTO and AINSE Establishment of a Deans Mentoring Program Establishment of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion principles and guidelines Thank you so much to the many executive members and staff over this time, especially Brian Yates, Immediate Past President of ACDS, who has been a wonderful and generous mentor during the time I have been President. Thank you also to all of the Deans, Associate Deans, Chief Scientists, and colleagues at Science Technology Australia, CSIRO, The Australian Academy of Science, the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Presidents of other Councils of Deans and many more whom I have had the absolute privilege of working with over this time. These roles are always all about the people, and you have all been amazing! Kindest regards and thanks again, Melissa.
