News & Events

Workshop Reports • 14 September 2026

Building a Social Science Agenda for Challenge-Led Science, Research and Innovation Policy in Australia

This report summarises the proceedings and key insights from the workshop Building a Social Science Agenda for Challenge-Led Research and Innovation in Australia, held in Melbourne on 21–22 April 2026. The workshop was convened by Prof. Rob Raven (Monash University), Prof. Xuemei Bai (Australian National University), Dr. Christoph Brodnik (Monash University), and Dr. Heinz Schandl…

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Media Releases • 14 September 2026

Academy recognises four outstanding early career social science scholars  

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia has announced the winners of the 2026 Paul Bourke Awards, recognising four of the nation’s most exceptional early career researchers in the social sciences.  Academy President Professor Kate Darian-Smith congratulated the awardees for their contributions across diverse disciplines and the role their work plays in advancing our…

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Annual Symposia • 10 September 2026

Rethinking Working Time: Productivity, Fairness and Wellbeing

Australia’s leading academics, policymakers and sector leaders will gather at the University of Melbourne on 12 November 2026 for the conference Rethinking Working Time: Productivity, Fairness and Wellbeing. Bringing together experts across economics, history, industrial relations, sociology and law, the event will create space for timely and practical conversations between research, policy and industry on the…

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Fay Gale Lectures • 09 September 2026

Representational Harm: Advertising and the Gendered Drivers of Violence Against Women

2026 Fay Gale Lecture | 29 October 2026 | Adelaide University Decades of feminist advertising scholarship has found the same representational patterns: rigid gender roles and stereotypes, narrow beauty ideals and pervasive sexualisation, reproducing a monolithic gender order. Yet despite sustained criticism, campaigning by activists and even concessions from industry, we are routinely faced with…

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Submissions • 09 September 2026

Submission: Review of Research Requirements: ‘Australian University Category’ Consultation Paper

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia made a submission to the Australian Tertiary Education Commission’s Review of Research Requirements: ‘Australian University Category’ Consultation Paper. The Academy supports a more differentiated university system and recognises the potential benefits ofresearch specialisation. However, reforms must be evidence-based, context-sensitive and be designedwith appropriate safeguards to strengthen rather…

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Media Releases • 07 September 2026

SSW2026 showcases power of social science to address Australia’s biggest challenges

This year’s Social Sciences Week program reflects a growing recognition of an important reality: social sciences are central to understanding and addressing the most pressing issues facing the world today. As demonstrated by the recent Why Science Needs the Social event, held as a collaboration between National Science Week and Social Sciences Week, solving complex issues such…

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Events • 07 September 2026

2026 Annual Dinner

2026 Annual Dinner | Wednesday 11 November | 6.00 – 10.00pmNational Library of Victoria, Melbourne The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia warmly invites you to join us for our 2026 Annual Dinner. The dinner will be held in the Conversation Quarter at the State Library of Victoria, with arrivals from 6.00pm and formalities…

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Events • 07 September 2026

2026 New Fellows Presentations

Each year, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia elects the most distinguished social scientists in Australia as Fellows. These New Fellows will join the ranks of over 700 of Australia’s leading researchers and professionals across the social science disciplines. This event will provide an opportunity to welcome the 2026 New Fellows and to…

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Newsletters • 04 September 2026

Academy Newsletter September 2026

In the September issue, we welcome our new CEO, celebrate Social Sciences Week, and meet the AFIPS Visiting Fellowship Grant recipients. View the September 2026 newsletter.

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Fellows’ Featured Books & Articles • 31 August 2026

Living Futures

Living Futures: Shortcuts to a Big Idea Living Futures offers a fresh and exciting perspective on how people imagine and make futures as part of their everyday lives. It addresses important questions about who is included in futures thinking and futures making, and who is excluded. Bringing together historical, anthropological, sociological, geographical and arts-based perspectives, this…

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International News • 25 August 2026

AFIPS Visiting Fellowship Grant recipients announced

Three international researchers are the recipients of the 2026 Australia-France Indo-Pacific Visiting Fellowship Studies grants. The Visiting Fellowship program supports early-career academic or professional researchers from Indo-Pacific Nations, France and French overseas territories, with support from the Australian Government. Each fellowship runs for up three months with one or more research organisations in Australia. The program enables visiting fellows to…

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Media Releases • 18 August 2026

Academy appoints Dr Jodie Trembath as Chief Executive Officer

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia has appointed experienced leader, policy strategist and organisational anthropologist Dr Jodie Trembath as its next Chief Executive Officer. Dr Trembath will commence in the role on 9 September. Dr Trembath joins the Academy from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), where she served as Director…

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Media Releases • 14 August 2026

Save the date: Social Sciences Week 2026

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia welcomes social science enthusiasts to explore the program for Social Sciences Week (SSW) 2026, taking place from 12 to 20 September 2026. Events will be held online and in-person across Australia, exploring a diverse range of topics including social cohesion, loneliness, AI, First Peoples’ Knowledges, housing, crime,…

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News • 14 August 2026

Census highlights the vital role of social science in Australia

Millions of people will complete the national Census tonight, including Australians at home and visitors from overseas. In doing so, they contribute to one of the most important exercises in public knowledge that our nation undertakes. Every five years, the Census provides a detailed picture of who we are: where we live, how we work,…

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Newsletters • 14 August 2026

Academy Newsletter August 2026

In this issue, the Social Sciences for Australia’s Future report is launched, plus get the latest on upcoming events, Fellows’ accolades and recent publications.  View the August 2026 newsletter.

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Fellows • 13 August 2026

Featured Fellow: Emeritus Professor Bruce Scates

Emeritus Professor Bruce Scates Affiliation: The Australian National University Discipline: History, heritage and archaeology Year elected: 2014 How would you describe your work at a dinner party?  My work centres on painful pasts and how we live today with their legacies. As a social and cultural historian, I delve into the archives to reveal stories of resilience and resistance, and seek to empower those often displaced…

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Media Releases • 11 August 2026

New report highlights vital role of social sciences in Australia’s future

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia today launched its landmark Social Sciences for Australia’s Future report, calling for renewed investment in education, research and capability-building to ensure Australia can meet the complex challenges of the decades ahead. Released on Census Day, the report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the strengths, challenges and opportunities…

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Fellows • 06 August 2026

Featured Fellow: Dr Linda Botterill

Dr Linda Botterill Affiliation: UNSW Discipline: Political Science Year elected: 2015 What initially drew you to your field of study?   I spent nearly 15 years in policy practice – in the APS, Ministerial offices, and industry associations – and I wanted to research why policies often fail to achieve their goals.  I was particularly interested in the failure of a program, the Farm…

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Fellows’ Featured Books & Articles • 03 August 2026

Australia Fair?

Australia Fair?: Democracy, Bureaucracy and the Making of Modern Australia Who advises politicians about the issues that impact our daily lives, and how has their advice changed over time? In Australia Fair? authors James Walter and Carolyn Holbrook explore the world of departmental officials and political advisers who wield significant influence in shaping our society and assess…

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Fellows’ Featured Books & Articles • 03 August 2026

Being Patient

Being Patient: Close Encounters in a Cancer World Na’ama Carlin, Louise Chappell and Siobhan O’Sullivan all received the diagnosis people dread – cancer. Working in universities, these three women knew how to speak up. But in Cancer World, their voices were often unheard. As they negotiated medical hierarchies, ‘scanxiety’, gender bias, ongoing treatments and confronting…

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Fellows • 30 July 2026

Featured Fellow: Professor Kim Dovey

Professor Kim Dovey Affiliation: University of Melbourne Discipline: Built Environment & Design Year elected: 2022 How would you describe your work at a dinner party?  I study cities at multiple scales from the sidewalk to the metropolis, but mostly I am interested in urbanity – the intensive, creative and productive buzz of urban life, which is the…

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Fellows’ Featured Books & Articles • 28 July 2026

A World of Resistance

A World of Resistance: India and the Global Antibiotic Crisis The discovery of antibiotics was one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of the twentieth century, dramatically increasing human lifespans. Yet today, with antibiotic-resistant superbugs implicated in as many deaths as HIV/AIDS and malaria combined, the limits of these miracle drugs have become alarmingly clear. …

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Fellows • 24 July 2026

Featured Fellow: Emeritus Professor Cheryl Dissanayake

Emeritus Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM FINSAR FASSAAffiliation: Olga Tennison Autism Research CentreDiscipline: PsychologyYear elected: 2022 What initially drew you to your field of study? A film, seen on daytime TV during a semester or term break while I was a student, that profiled a young autistic child, motivated my interest in autism; this field engaged…

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Academy Statements • 22 July 2026

Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia supports proposed changes to the Australian Research Council’s National Competitive Grants Program

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia welcomes the proposed changes to the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) and supports the overall direction of the review. The Academy particularly welcomes the recognition of the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) critical role as the primary funder of early-stage research in Australian universities, the strengthened support for…

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