Canberra, 1 December 2025 – Two new nationally significant reports released today by the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA), deliver a multifaceted view on the research needed for Australia to ensure fairness and inclusion are embedded into policy and industry practice for Australia’s energy transition. These reports form a critical part of ACOLA’s Australian…
Canberra – The Australian Government has today announced a $18 million national initiative to break down barriers, shift attitudes, and build a more inclusive Australia for people with disability, with ACOLA receiving $3 million to lead one of the key programs. Commissioned by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the Australian Council of Learned…
The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) congratulates Senator the Hon Tim Ayres on his appointment as Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science and welcomes the Hon Dr Andrew Charlton MP as the new Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy. With the Albanese Government’s strong mandate, Australia has a…
Media Statement: December 2024 Statement on funding cuts to New Zealand Marsden Fund – Humanities and Social Science Research While it is not usual practice for ACOLA or the Australian Learned Academies to comment on the policy and funding decisions of other nations, we note with great concern, last week’s decision by the…
Media Release: August 2024 The Board of the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) is delighted to announce the appointment of Prerana Mehta as its next Chief Executive Officer. After joining CSIRO as Head of Global in 2022, Prerana became Head of Strategic Partnerships Group in 2023, where she was responsible for growing the organisation’s…
Wednesday, 20 March 2024 Today, the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) announces the departure of our Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Winn. After nearly five years of dedicated service, Ryan is leaving to take up another opportunity. During his tenure, Ryan has significantly contributed to ACOLA’s mission of advancing interdisciplinary research, and promoting collaboration among…
With the energy transition well underway, it is pleasing to see increased and substantive actions by governments, industry and individuals across Australia. But there is still much uncertainty, including in our research needs, from critical technologies to social and cultural change. The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) is pleased to announce a refresh of…
Constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is long overdue. The research sector, alongside the wider community, should progress and support recognition, truth telling and reconciliation. The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA), the convenor of Australia’s five Learned Academies, is proud to publicly state its support for the referendum to give the Government…
The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) welcomes the release of the Australian Government Discussion Paper on Safe and responsible AI in Australia today by the Minister of Science, Ed Husic. The last six months have seen the development of new artificial intelligence (AI) products and services, especially those known as Generative AI, accelerate at…
Media Release: October 2022 We can do better: training Australian workers to be more responsive to disability With 18 per cent of Australians living with disability, sectors including education, healthcare, justice and social services are being challenged to respond better to their clients and customers. Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth MP said the Albanese…