Over the 12 months, ACOLA has continued to adapt and respond to the needs of the changing policy landscape. This has led to new projects, stronger relationships, greater awareness and increased impact in policy discussions. This has come from a concerted effort from ACOLA, and also strong demand from a variety of stakeholders.
Professor Richard Holden FASSA FES
Chair, Board of Directors
ACOLA
ACOLA STRATEGIC STATEMENT
The scale and complexity of the challenges facing communities across the world, especially with COVID-19, calls for fresh, robust and authoritative thinking, and new approaches if our legacy is to secure a better world for future generations, economically, socially and environmentally. ACOLA’s aim is to advance discussions on complex issues through trusted, independent, and interdisciplinary evidence-based advice to solve real world problems. In doing so, we are unique in the Australian landscape – we seek to place research and trusted experts at the core of policy making.
In an era of misinformation and multiplicity of views, the need for ACOLA and the Learned Academies is never more critical, to raise research-based policy advice above opinion and institutional, discipline and political biases.
Through our members, Australia’s five Learned Academies, ACOLA brings together over 3,500 of Australia’s leading academic and industry experts spanning science, the humanities, social science, health and medical sciences, and technology and engineering. This powerful resource allows us to deliver leading, comprehensive and interdisciplinary evidence-based advice to shape public policy, inspire innovation and deliver solutions to complex issues.
ACOLA’s interdisciplinary approach and access to the nation’s top researchers across all fields sets it apart from other research and policy organisations in this country. It is grounded in the recognition that complex challenges are mostly effectively addressed by bringing together specialist expertise from across domains, which are more than ‘the sum of the parts’. This ensures that policies, technologies and considerations are practical and implementable from the lab to the real world. It also allows deeper understandings of real or potential social, economic, cultural and environmental unintended consequences and barriers.
With research programs including the Securing Australia’s Future series and more recently the Horizon Scanning series, ACOLA has nearly seven decades of demonstrated experience as a trusted and influential source of expert advice for governments, industry and the public. Over recent years ACOLA has also become a trusted partner for Commonwealth agencies and various Parliaments for: 1) expert briefings on topics, and 2) convening and running workshops on policy issues and reviews. These has solidified ACOLA’s role as a key source of high-quality, robust, and independent interdisciplinary advice for Australia’s decision-makers.
Chair’s Report
As for many organisations, 2021 and 2022 were challenging for ACOLA. The coronavirus pandemic continued to impact the focus, availability, and resources of governments with whom who we largely work, as well impacting our own staff and experts.
Despite those challenges, I am proud that work to expand the awareness of ACOLA and to reshape our role has paid dividends and we end the year in a very positive situation, both in terms of impact and finances. It is thus with pleasure that I present ACOLA’s Annual Report 2021–22.
Over the 12 months, ACOLA has continued to adapt and respond to the needs of the changing policy landscape. ACOLA has demonstrated its unique value to Governments and Parliaments, and has amplified the value of Australia’s Learned Academies, individually and collectively, as their convenor for interdisciplinary activities. This has led to new projects, stronger relationships, greater awareness and increased impact in policy discussions. This has come from a concerted effort from ACOLA, and also strong demand from a variety of stakeholders.
In late 2021, it was with great respect that the Academies, led by ACOLA, released a response to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. As a research sector, we also have work to improve how we recognise and engage with Indigenous Australians. This builds upon our relationship with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), which was formalised in 2020 21. Since then, AIATSIS and its members are invited to be involved in all ACOLA projects, and we are exploring opportunities to further grow our joint activities.
Notably, ACOLA had its busiest, most successful and diverse 12 months again, building on recent years of renewed strategic focus and engagement activities.
This included:
- progressing four sponsored projects
- coordinated Learned Academy engagement and response to a number of activities, such as:
- COP26 (Conference of the Parties 26)
- international inquiries, such as the UK and French reviews of government science-advice processes, and
- the invasion of Ukraine
- running numerous briefings and workshops for state, territory and federal governments on a range of topics: e.g. critical technologies, the National Interest Test, agtech and regulation
- delivering six Parliamentary briefing seminars
- refining our research priorities for engagement with the new Federal Government, and
- supporting the Australian Government to promote the 2021 Prime Minister’s Awards for Science.
ACOLA appreciates and recognises that many of its successes result from the special contributions and support of Australia’s Chief Scientist; Member Academies and their Fellows; the Department of Education; and our project sponsors throughout this year.
Finally, I would like to thank the ACOLA management team and research and policy staff, led by Ryan Winn, for their tireless commitment and professionalism throughout this challenging year, and without whom ACOLA’s members could not deliver our high-quality advice.
Professor Richard Holden FASSA FES
Chair, Board of Directors
ACOLA
