Statistical Society of Australia - News and media releases

News from Science and Technology Australia

31 Mar 2023 1:08 PM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

Dear Marie-Louise,

This week, enacting legislation for the new $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund secured passage through the Australian Parliament. The fund will be a powerful new investment in our country’s future. It will spur and scale Australia’s economic development and diversification - and be powered by home-grown science. Science & Technology Australia warmly welcomed this historic moment.

This new fund will help to deepen Australia’s scientific and technological innovation – which is key to strengthening our national prosperity, creating jobs and securing new income streams. And it significantly boosts Australia’s pool of investment capital for next-generation materials development, value-adding and advanced manufacturing – the foundations of a strong, modern economy. In turn, this helps to turbo-charge sovereign capability and economic complexity.

A constellation of stars from the worlds of science, technology and policy converged on Canberra for Science Meets Parliament 2023: On the Hill. More than 400 scientists packed into Parliament House for a day of inspiration and engagement with decision-makers.

It was a record-breaking success. More than 40 per cent of the Parliament took part - with 87 meetings across eight hours and a strong turnout of Parliamentarians at the gala dinner. And this was achieved amid one of the busiest legislative fortnights in living memory. Such strong support is a testament to the respect for science among Parliamentarians - and the esteem for Science Meets Parliament. And it is made possible by the stellar support of the foundation partners - the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and the Office of the Chief Scientist.

What a powerful program. A diverse array of Australian science leadership greats - led by Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley AO and Nobel Laureate Professor Brian Schmidt AC - shared insights, working up to a superb National Press Club address by Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic.

Powerful speeches about the power of science also centred the gala dinner - with inspiring words from Minister Husic, Parliamentary Friends of Science co-chairs Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Shadow Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, and Shadow Science Minister Paul Fletcher. Paul Girrawah House warmly welcomed us to Country, and gala dinner partner ANSTO CEO Shaun Jenkinson reminded us of the power of sovereign science expertise, following a welcome reception hosted by AbbVie. Photo highlights are here. A huge thanks to everyone who made it such a success.

Got a clean tech concept to boost sustainability in agriculture and food production and processing? Then enter our SparkLabs Cultiv8-STA competition to win up to $100,000 of investment and a place in a prestigious 6-month accelerator program. Entrants must be a Science & Technology Australia member. The winner will get mentoring, networking and business development support to help bring the next generation of clean agri-food technologies to market. SparkLabs Cultiv8 will run an information webinar on Wednesday 5 April at 2pm AEDT. Register here.

Don’t miss the chance to share your ideas on what should be in Australia’s next set of official national science and research priorities. This is a chance for Science & Technology Australia’s membership to offer insights on the complex challenges that Australia can tackle by taking a more coordinated and concerted science and technology focus, and the opportunities Australia should seize. The consultation deadline has been extended to next Thursday - 6 April. You can make a submission here.

Finally, Science & Technology Australia is drafting a submission to the Universities Accord review. To feed any short, sharp, tight content into this process, please email STA’s Policy Director Sarah Tynan by COB Monday to feed ideas into our submission, which is due before Easter. More detail on the Accord is here.

Until next time,

Misha Schubert
CEO, Science & Technology Australia

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Royal Society Publishing has recently published special issue of Philosophical Transactions A "Bayesian inference: challenges, perspectives, and prospects"

30 Mar 2023 11:41 AM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

Royal Society Publishing has recently published special issue of Philosophical Transactions A entitled "Bayesian inference: challenges, perspectives, and prospects", compiled and edited by Christian P Robert, Judith Rousseau and Michael I Jordan. The articles can be accessed directly here.

You can purchase the print issue at the reduced price of £40 per issue by contacting sales@royalsociety.org.

Royal Society Publishing is also looking for new theme issues. If you are interested in submitting, please visit their website or contact the Editorial Office.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUSTRALIA BACKS VOICE TO PARLIAMENT

6 Mar 2023 2:21 PM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

The nation’s peak body representing 115,000 Australian scientists and technologists strongly supports an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and will advocate for a resounding yes vote in the upcoming referendum.

With support from across our grassroots membership network including STA’s three Indigenous member organisations, Science & Technology Australia has declared its formal backing for the historic movement for a constitutionally-recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

STA has more than 135 member organisations representing more than 115,000 professionals working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics across Australia.

“History has its eyes on us,” said Science & Technology Australia CEO Misha Schubert.

“The call for Indigenous constitutional recognition and a Voice to Parliament has been made by generation after generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and campaigners across the past century, including in the generous invitation to the Australian people in the Uluru Statement From The Heart.”

“Now all Australians will have a chance to answer that historic call when we get to vote in the referendum later this year.”

“Science & Technology Australia will advocate for a resounding yes vote in a profound moment of national unity – and will support our members to engage the nation’s science community in this historic opportunity.”

The Voice referendum won’t affect Indigenous sovereignty – a fact confirmed by constitutional law experts – and Treaty negotiations will continue across the country. Indigenous leaders have campaigned for decades and decades for a constitutionally-enshrined Voice.

In its Reconciliation Action Plan, Science & Technology Australia honours the long tradition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges in science, technology and engineering – the oldest continuing cultures anywhere on the planet.

Science & Technology Australia President Professor Mark Hutchinson said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are Australia’s first scientists, technologists and engineers.

“Our vision is for a reconciled and united Australia. A nation which faces the truth of our past with honesty and courage. A nation which works to rectify injustice and bring healing to those who live with pain and trauma, and a nation that stands together against racism and discrimination,” he said.

“We want all Australians to see the inspiring first cultures of this land as a great source of shared national pride – and a Voice will bring us another step closer to that goal.”

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

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Last call for nominations - 2023 Horizon Lectures

27 Feb 2023 2:12 PM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

This is a friendly reminder that nominations for the inaugural Horizon Lectures, to be given at the Australian Statistical Conference (ASC2023) in Wollongong, 10^th- 15^th December 2023, will close tomorrow.

The Horizon Lectures aim to recognise emerging leaders in Australia’s statistics community and their contributions to advancing statistical practice across academia, government, and/or industry. Lectures will be awarded to mid-career statisticians working in any discipline who have made an impact within their field(s) of expertise and have demonstrated leadership in building capacity in statistical expertise within Australia.

Up to three (3) Horizon Lectures will be awarded for presentation at ASC2023. All Lectures will be presented together as a plenary session to all conference delegates. Lectures can be on any area of statistics in line with the awardee’s expertise. Each awardee will receive up to $2,500 to cover conference and travel costs.

Nominations involve a written statement (up to 1,000 words) summarising how the nominee meets the award selection criteria. Nominees must be a member of the SSA and be employed as a statistician in Australia. Nominations must be supported by another member of the SSA.

Full details on eligibility, award selection criteria and submission are available in the nomination form, available on the conference website. Nominations must be submitted by 5 pm AEST, 28^th February 2023. Late nominations will not be accepted.

Questions about the Horizon lectures can be sent to ASC 2023 Scientific Programming Committee at asc.ozcots2023@gmail.com.

Kind regards

The ASC23 Scientific Program Committee

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Have your say!

27 Feb 2023 12:36 PM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

Are you a statistician or data scientist? If so, we want to hear from you. We need your assistance in helping us shape the future of our organisation.

The Statistical Society of Australia (SSA) is committed to being the leading voice in statistics in Australia. To help us prioritise our activities, we need to understand the needs and interests of our members and the wider data science community. To that end, we have created a survey that will inform our strategic planning process. Would you please take a few moments to fill it out by 5pm AEDT on Monday 13 March.

The survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete and will help us to gain valuable insights into what our current and future members need and expect from the SSA. Your responses will be confidential, and the results will be used to guide the development of our strategy for the next 3-5 years.

To access the survey, simply click on the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y9V66JF

To make this a successful process, we need to hear from as many people as possible.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important initiative. We look forward to receiving your feedback and working with you to shape the future of our organisation.

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Expression of Interest in Survey and Data Science Courses in 2023–24

27 Feb 2023 12:34 PM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

1 Jun 2023 (AEST) – 31 Oct 2024 (AEDT), online-weekly one hour classes-this is 6 courses offered over the next year

Due to the high demand for the Sampling Course in 2022 and strong interest in other courses from the International Program in Survey and Data Science (IPSDS) Masters program the Social Research Centre and Statistical Society of Australia have partnered again to expand IPSDS course offerings in Australia.

If you are interested in the Item Nonresponse, Sampling, Big Data/Machine Learning for Surveys and/or Weighting courses please register your interest so that we can determine whether there is sufficient demand.

To show your interest click here.

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ASC 2023: Call for Abstract Reviewers

27 Feb 2023 12:33 PM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

The ASC 2023 Scientific Programming Committee (SPC) is currently seeking expressions of interest from SSA members interested in undertaking the peer review of abstracts for the conference. All areas of statistical expertise are welcome. The Australian Statistical Conference, partnered with the Australian Conference on Teaching Statistics (OZCOTS), will take place in Wollongong from 10^th-15^th December 2023.

Each reviewer will be responsible for blind reviewing up to 20 abstracts of up to 300 words aligned with their area of expertise and each abstract will have 2 reviewers. Review criteria and information on how to review the abstracts will be provided once the call for reviewers closes. Reviewers must be available to review abstracts between April and May 2023.

Selection of reviewers will be based on SSA membership and area of expertise, with the number of reviewers based on the number of abstract submissions. If you are able to review abstracts, please complete the online registration form. Abstract reviewer registrations will close on 31^st March 2023

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SSA Society Awards

27 Feb 2023 12:32 PM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

The Society awards a gold medal, the Pitman Medal, at most once annually, in recognition of outstanding achievement in, and contribution to, the discipline of Statistics. Honorary Life Membership honours outstanding contribution to the profession and the Society, while a Society Service Award may be awarded to a Society member in recognition of sustained and significant service to the Society.

An Awards Committee, chaired by the President of the Society, makes recommendations to the Society’s Central Council as to appropriate Award recipients. Pitman Medals and Honorary Life Memberships are usually announced at the Society’s Conference.

Members of the Society are encouraged to propose suitable recipients of the Pitman Medal, Honorary Life Membership or a Society Service Award. Suggestions, with brief supporting information, should be emailed to the undersigned.

Doug Shaw, Secretary

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Election of SSA Executive Members

27 Feb 2023 12:31 PM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

Members are advised that the Executive position of Vice President will become vacant at the Society’s Central Council Annual General Meeting in 2023. The SSA Rules provide for a Nominating Committee, consisting of the current Executive and the Branch Presidents, to solicit nominations and submit a list of nominees to Central Council. Should an election be required, Central Council will then arrange a ballot of all financial members of the Society.

Details about the role of SSA Vice President can be viewed here.

Members of SSA are invited to submit nominations for the position of Vice President. Nominations must be in writing and signed by the nominator(s), and must be accompanied by a written and signed statement from the nominee accepting the nomination. Nominations should be submitted to the SSA President or to a Branch President before 31st March, 2023.

Doug Shaw, Secretary

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Write here, write now! Our 2023 writing competition is open for entries

16 Feb 2023 1:54 PM | Marie-Louise Rankin (Administrator)

Are you an early-career statistician or data scientist with a talent for telling data-driven stories in an entertaining and thought-provoking way? If so, we invite you to enter the 2023 Statistical Excellence Award for Early Career Writing.

Jointly organised by Significance and the Young Statisticians Section of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), the competition forms part of the RSS Statistical Excellence Awards programme.

“Early career” means students or anyone within the first 10 years of their statistical career – so whether studying, recently graduated or already working, this competition is open to you.

No topic is out of bounds. Surprise us! Last year's winning article, by Lee Kennedy-Shaffer, explained how statistics can help us evaluate rule changes in baseball. The previous year, Conner Jackson wrote about his investigation into whether a colleagues’ pet tortoise really could predict the weather. Over the years, we’ve also honoured articles about the role of statistics in organ transplant medicine, World War Two bombing raids, the reduction of food waste, millennials’ political views, and much more. The article could be based on your own work, or that of others. But to stand the best chance of winning, your article really needs to demonstrate the power that statistics has to challenge myths, shape decisions and explain the world around us.

Significance is published for a broad audience of readers, with varying levels of statistical expertise. This means technical terms and mathematics should be kept to a minimum and explained clearly where used. The tone should be engaging and easy to read – think magazine rather than academic journal.

Entries are judged by a panel made up of the Significance editorial team and editorial board members.

Winners and runners-up are announced at the RSS Statistical Excellence Awards in the summer, and invited to present their articles at the 2023 RSS Conference in Harrogate (4-7 September 2023). The winning article will be published in Significance.

Rules of entry

Entrants must be either (1) students currently studying for a first degree, master's or PhD in statistics, data science or related subjects, or (2) graduates whose last qualification in statistics, data science or related subjects (whether first degree, master's or PhD) was not more than five years ago.
Articles must be between 1,500 and 2,500 words in length.
Articles can include tables and figures – though, for space reasons, there should be no more than five tables/figures in total.
Writing style must be accessible and engaging.
Technical terms and mathematics must be used sparingly, and suitably explained where used.
End references should be limited to 10.
Footnotes must not be used.
Only submissions in English will be considered.
Manuscripts must be original and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. You may submit articles based on work in theses or in papers that have been submitted to, or accepted by, academic journals, provided that the competition submission is sufficiently different in style and structure.
Winners, finalists and entrants from previous years of the competition are not excluded from participating in this year’s competition.
All entries must be accompanied by an entry form – download yours from significancemagazine.com/writingcomp.
Email submissions as a text/Word file, or as a PDF, to significance@rss.org.uk.
Articles will be reviewed by a judging panel featuring representatives of both the RSS Young Statisticians Section and Significance.
Up to three finalists will win a full registration to the 2023 Royal Statistical Society International Conference in Harrogate, UK. Please note that travel and accommodation costs will not be covered.
The winning article will be published in Significance magazine.
Runner-up articles may be published on the Significance website or in Significance magazine at the editor’s discretion.
·Closing date is 31 May 2023.

Further details, as well as winning articles from previous years, are online at significancemagazine.com/writingcomp.

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