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Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS)

Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS). Bradley Smith Executive Director fasts@anu.edu.au www.fasts.org. National Taxonomy Forum Who cares? Taxonomy, realpolitik , funding and student expectations. Who should care?.

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Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS)

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  1. Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) Bradley Smith Executive Director fasts@anu.edu.au www.fasts.org

  2. National Taxonomy Forum Who cares? Taxonomy, realpolitik, funding and student expectations.

  3. Who should care? • Every discipline is unique and special but can’t assume that infers a ‘right’. Making the case • End-users Government and industry • AQIS – bio-security • Agricultural sector – primary producers, aquaculture industry, GRMPA, veterinary labs for domestic and wild animals, pest management • Biodiversity – EPBC Act, mining sector, environmental monitoring programs • Public health system • biologists

  4. Taxonomy’s case is partially made • SoE2006 is unambiguous: “ One very important issue that continues to get worse is a national decline in capacity in biological taxonomy. The situation in this field has become critical”. • PMSEIC Biodiscovery, 2005 • CERF – Taxonomy Hub May 2007 • NCRIS - ALA

  5. Structural change – is this what you had in mind? • Redistribution away from ‘science’ • Decline of GOVERD – increase to BERD and HERD • What does this mean for taxonomy – RQF, academic drivers • What role PFRAs? • Govt science links with public policy and implementation – EPBC Act • Issues around small subjects/niche areas • Funding – clusters to mission based ‘compacts’ • Student load – sustainability – what interventions? • Pathways - postdocs • Attracting and engaging students • Visibility – decline of majors - mainstreaming • mentoring • How to engage students in intrinsically difficult or detailed areas • Globalised science • 1% - how to access other 99% • Southern Hemisphere science – comparative advantages/intrinsic global interest • Geo politics

  6. STRUCTURAL CHANGE • R&D increased in real terms by 42% between 1996/7 – 2004/5. • Change uneven across sectors and broad fields of research

  7. What is going on? • Shift from GOVERD to BERD & HERD • Changing profiles of universities • What role PFRAs? • SEO move away from industry development in GOVERD • Casualisation of scientific labour force

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