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. 

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. 

The peak body proposes one powerful way to do this would be to broaden the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s remit to collect data from large employers on broader workforce diversity, then offer a tax incentive to those organisations that meet staff diversity thresholds. 

“Giving Australia’s big employers a financial incentive to drive stronger staff diversity would be a powerful motivator to turbocharge equality in the country’s workforce,” said Science & Technology Australia CEO Misha Schubert. 

“Strong progress is typically made when you focus minds and metrics in the C-suite. Incentivising the nation’s senior business leaders to drive diversity in their workforces can accelerate the pace of change.” 

The Pathways to Diversity in STEM Review was set up to recommend how to deepen diversity in Australia’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics sector. 

“The recommendations the expert panel make to Government in their final report could have a crucial impact across Australia’s entire workforce,” said Ms Schubert. 

“The Prime Minister has called for a future “powered by science”. To achieve it, we’re going to need to call on diverse expertise and talent from across society. A strong focus on incentivising diversity in workplaces will mean our big employers are casting their net wider in the country’s talent pool.” 

Read the full STA submission to the Pathways to Diversity in STEM Review draft here. 

About Science & Technology Australia 
Science & Technology Australia is the nation’s peak body representing more than 115,000 scientists and technologists. We’re the leading policy voice on science and technology. Our flagship programs include Science Meets Parliament, Superstars of STEM, and STA STEM Ambassadors.   
Media contact: Martyn Pearce, STA: 0432 606 828 

Comment from Science & Technology Australia CEO Misha Schubert on the Australian Government’s acceptance or acceptance in principle of all ten recommendations of a major review of the Australian Research Council Act.

“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.”

“Curbing the temptation for Ministers to meddle in complex research is a powerful positive reform.”

“These thoughtful changes will also safeguard discovery research funding, start a transformative shift to a two-stage application process, and foster deeper partnerships with Indigenous researchers and communities.”

“A two-stage application process will be a win for productivity, wellbeing and morale in Australia’s brilliant research workforce. It can free up researchers who spend hundreds of hours writing full funding applications – when only around one in five of those applications gets funded.”

“These legislative and regulatory changes will strengthen the ARC’s operations and independence - a powerful legacy to help secure our country’s future prosperity.”

We thank Education Minister Jason Clare and the Australian Government for adopting the comprehensive thoughtful blueprint for ARC modernisation developed by Professor Margaret Sheil AO, Professor Susan Dodds and Professor Mark Hutchinson.

Read the full Review of the Australian Research Council Act report.

Read the full Australian Government response here. 

About Science & Technology Australia
Science & Technology Australia is the nation’s peak body representing more than 115,000 scientists and technologists. We’re the leading policy voice on science and technology. Our flagship programs include Science Meets Parliament, Superstars of STEM, and STA STEM Ambassadors.  
To arrange interviews: Martyn Pearce, STA: 0432 606 828

Nine in ten Australians want more people and businesses to stand up for and defend science - and think scientists are crucial to solving Australia’s biggest future challenges, the latest 3M State of Science Index finds.

Released to launch National Science Week 2023, the new data from the major study detects very strong levels of public support for science in Australia.

This year, 93% of Australians say positive outcomes can be achieved if more people stand up and defend science and 92% of Australians want to see business take action to defend science.

The Minister for Industry & Science Ed Husic MP will officially launch National Science Week 2023 at an event today delivered by Science & Technology Australia for Questacon and the Australian Government.

The theme for this year’s National Science Week schools program is Innovation: powering future industries.

The 3M State of Science Index measures public attitudes to science in 17 countries. More than 1000 Australians were surveyed for the large-scale global poll conducted by Ipsos.

Science & Technology Australia CEO Misha Schubert said the new data showed Australians overwhelmingly grasp how important science is to our lives, our safety, our economy and our ability to tackle complex threats.

“The very strong message out of this survey data is that Australians really want people to stand up for and defend science, and that includes wanting to see business stand up for science,” she said.

The survey highlighted how strongly Australians grasp the importance of science innovation to help tackle the impact of climate change - and that STEM professionals are key to solving the problems of tomorrow.

“In the last few years, from the Black Summer bushfires to the northern New South Wales floods, we’ve seen stark reminders of the threat that climate change poses to our nation and the world,” Ms Schubert said.

“This survey shows Australians back science and scientists to come up with climate solutions - including clever new ways to reduce waste, solar panels, eco-friendly building materials and more affordable electric vehicles.”

Eleni Sideridis, Managing Director of 3M Australia and New Zealand, said the survey showed the deep respect Australians have and their trust in science to tackle global and national challenges.

“3M’s State of Science research demonstrates that Australians understand and appreciate the connection between scientific innovation and the role it plays in improving their lives.

Encouragingly, about 9 in 10 (89%) believe science has a critical role to play in improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations, with a similar number (90%) believing companies should do more to make it easier on consumers to be more
sustainable.”

“With Australians (94%) recognising the need for more skilled trade workers and a broad recognition that there will be negative outcomes if we cannot find a solution to the skills shortage, it is a vital time for all of us to encourage more school leavers into a science-based career.

“It’s positive to see that Australians recognise the importance to grow the participation rate of STEM education, with 4 in 5 (82%) agreeing that more needs to be done to encourage and keep students from underrepresented groups engaged in STEM education. This in line with 3M’s global goal to create 5 million STEM and skilled trades learning experiences by 2025,” Eleni said.

National Science Week will run nationwide from 12 to 20 August 2023, for more information about events, please visit https://www.scienceweek.net.au/. More information about 3M State of Science Index and the findings from across the globe can be found here.

Key Australian survey findings of the 2023 3M State of Science Index include:

• 93% of Australians believe positive outcomes can be achieved if people stand up for and defend science. 92% want business to take action to defend science.
• 92% of Australians say STEM professionals can help us solve the problems of tomorrow.
• 88% of Australians clearly see the connection between science and its role in improving their life.
• Australians believe innovation can address the future impact of climate change. Top technologies Australians believe can address future climate change impacts include innovative uses of resources to reduce waste (52%), followed by affordable solar panels (48%), planet-friendly alternatives to traditional construction supplies (44%), affordable electric vehicles and transportation (43%), natural disaster-resilient building materials (39%) and air pollution filtration technology (39%).
• 82% of Australians believe the world is better prepared for the next global health pandemic because of science.
• 94% believe the workforce needs more skilled trade workers, and urgently… as 94% see consequences if Australia can’t solve this shortage.
• 90% believe companies should do more to make it easier for consumers to be more sustainable.
• 81% think underrepresented groups are a source of untapped potential in the STEM workforce.

About Science & Technology Australia
Science & Technology Australia is the nation’s peak body representing more than 115,000 scientists and technologists. We’re the leading policy voice on science and technology. Our flagship programs include Science Meets Parliament, Superstars of STEM, and STA STEM Ambassadors.

About 3M and the State of Science Index
3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what's possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities and planet. Learn how we're working to improve lives and make what's next at 3M.com/news or on Twitter at @3M or @3MNews.

The 3M State of Science Index survey explores global attitudes toward science, taking the pulse on how people think and feel about the field and its impact on the world around us. This is our sixth year and seventh survey for SOSI. 2023 SOSI is a 17-country survey fielded September-December 2022 among 1,000 general population consumers in each country.

To arrange interviews:
Martyn Pearce, STA: 0432 606 828 and Charlotte Hartley-Wilson, ElevenPR: 0424 855 835

The Universities Accord interim report has disastrously missed an historic moment to recommend a ramp up of Australia’s research investment, consigning Australia to be out-muscled by our economic rivals in the global race to seize new jobs, industries and national income.

The interim report “squanders a once-in-a-generation chance” to recommend the Australian Government immediately start a visionary scale-up of Australia’s R&D strength to drive stronger job creation and diversify our economy as one of its five immediate priority actions.

The nation’s peak body for science and technology urged the Accord Panel to move swiftly to make bolder recommendations on research investment in its final report to avert a “calamitous own goal that will lose current talent and erode future Australian jobs, income and living standards”.  

It had already missed the opportunity to do so in the current Budget cycle, with the Panel’s final report due in December. New spending proposals for the May Budget typically close in September/October.

The latest official data, published at the end of May, shows Australia’s Government investment in R&D has plunged to its lowest level as a share of our economy since 1978.

Science & Technology Australia CEO Misha Schubert said the peak body would urgently convene research sector stakeholders for emergency talks to ensure the panel understood the gravity of the cost to Australia of missing the mark on research investment.

"The Accord must seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the panel to recommend the Government confirm both a bold target and a timetable to start to scale up Australia’s R&D investment - and to start that scale-up from this year’s Budget cycle."

"The Accord’s interim report has spectacularly missed the mark on research investment - that’s an epic fail. It squibs a once in a generation chance to set our nation on the path to prosperity by stepping up our investment in being first to bold breakthroughs. The final report must fix this fatal flaw."

“The final report should enshrine an ambitious target for Australia’s R&D investment - mirroring the 3% of GDP target the Australian Labor Party promised the Australian people before the last election - and recommend a plan and timetable to achieve it.”

"Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for Australia’s economy to be "powered by science". He’s right to do so. Only with stronger investment in research can science tackle the challenges the future will throw at us - from climate change to the next global pandemic. This interim report fails to chart a path to the PM’s vision."

"The report poses more questions than it attempts to answer. And waiting six months for the final report means any funding measures recommended will miss the cut-off for inclusion in the next Federal Budget."

“As a longstanding champion of equity and diversity, we support the proposals to expand access for equity groups and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”

About Science & Technology Australia
Science & Technology Australia is the nation’s peak body representing more than 115,000 scientists and technologists. We’re the leading policy voice on science and technology. Our  flagship programs include Science Meets Parliament, Superstars of STEM, and STA STEM Ambassadors. 

To arrange interviews: Martyn Pearce, STA: 0432 606 828