Academy of Social Sciences in Australia
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President's Report
Professor Sue Richardson
Through the National Academies Forum, we have joined with the other Learned Academies to seek implementation of the funding recommendations of the Review of the Learned Academies, in the 2007-2008 Commonwealth budget.
In October, the four Presidents dined at Parliament House with Minister Julie Bishop, to press our case. The relatively informal environment gave us an opportunity to describe some of the more important examples of what the Academies do that is of value beyond our membership. The Minister was interested in the examples that I gave of our work with the Australian Mobile Telephone Association, and our new arrangement with the Australian Bureau of Statistics to tell stories based on the 2006 Census. These are two examples of the ability of the Academy to identify what the social sciences could do to assist the other party, and identify skilled social scientists to do it. They are good examples of the dimensions of the Academies that we wished to emphasise - that between us we represent 2000 of 'Australia's leading experts at the service of the nation', to quote a brochure produced by NAF for the occasion. The brochure highlights the public interest role played by the Academies, including providing expert members for advisory bodies, making submissions to inquiries and conducting public interest research. We argued that the Academies are invaluable for 'collecting, validating and disseminating the critical knowledge that the public and the nation need for wise decision-making'. The Minister said she appreciated learning more of what the Academies do, that she supported the Academies, and that she would do what she could to see the funding recommendations of the Review were implemented. She advised us that the Academies were not as well understood or known as they should be, and we should take steps to brief other key ministers and departmental leaders.
Following this advice, we arranged dinner with the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Dr Peter Shergold. Dr Shergold was elected a Fellow of our Academy in 2005, and has a former life as an economic historian. He thus knows more than most about the social sciences and the Academies. Nonetheless, he indicated that it was helpful to have a more systematic briefing on the capacities and programs of the Academies. He expressed support and gave some helpful advice on steps that we could take to advance our case. These steps have been implemented. If nothing else, these two meetings have been valuable in having the Academies better understood, and I believe, better appreciated, at the highest level of government.
For 2006-07, our Academy has to manage a cut in our grant-in-aid of $115,000, being the former Higher Education Innovation Program grant that came to an end last year. The Executive has decided to keep our main programs at their current levels, and to budget for a deficit of about $50,000 in order to do so. We have reserves to cover such a contingency. We remain hopeful that our grant-in-aid will be increased in the next budget. If it is, we look forward to the opportunity to implement the creative ideas for advancement of our contribution to the public interest that we detailed and explained in our submission to the Review.
As Fellows will be aware, the precise boundaries between the roles of the Academy and the roles of the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) are still evolving. The Academies of Social Sciences and of Humanities have no automatic place on the 10-person board of CHASS, although representatives of our disciplines are included. The foundation President of CHASS, Malcolm Gillies, is a former President of the Academy of Humanities. In September, a new CHASS board was elected. Stuart Cunningham, from Queensland University of Technology, is the new President. I was pleased to accept a position on the Board, both to promote the activities of CHASS and to assist if I can, in producing harmonious and mutually beneficial relations between CHASS and our Academy.
This is my last Dialogue report as President, my three year term coming to an end with the AGM in November. It has been a privilege to serve and to represent the social sciences and the Fellows over the past three years. It has also been a great pleasure to work with the many Fellows who have responded to the call to contribute to the work of the Academy. It is indeed the Fellowship that is our strength. But the work of the Fellows can only be realised because of the outstanding efficiency and talent of the Secretariat. I am indebted to you all.
Sue Richardson
2006
Last modified: 2 November 2009.