Australian Academy of Science
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The Australian Academy of Science (AAS) was founded in 1954 by Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London, the first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy operates under a Royal Charter and as such is an independent body but has government endorsement. The Academy Secretariat is in Canberra, at the Shine dome.
The objectives of the Academy are to promote science, they do so through a range of activities including recognition of outstanding contributions to science by issuing awards, education and public awareness though a variety of media, contributing to the formation of science policy and by creating opportunities for international scientific exchange.
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[edit] Fellows
The Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science is made up of about 350 Australian scientists. Scientists judged by their peers to have made an exceptional contribution to knowledge in their field, may be elected to Fellowship of the Academy. Sixteen new Fellows may be elected every year. No more than two Fellows may be elected every three years on the basis of distinguished contributions to science by means other than personal research. A small number of distinguished foreign scientists with substantial connections to Australian science are elected as Corresponding Members. Fellows are often denoted using the title FAA after their name (Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science).
[edit] Awards
The following medals are awarded annually:
- Pawsey Medal, to a young physicist;
- Gottschalk Medal, to a young medical researcher;
- Fenner Medal, to a young biologist.
Other awards include:
- Ian William Wark Medal and Lecture and the Rees Lecture, for scientists that have made links between science and industry;
- Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal, for research workers in mathematics and physics;
- David Craig Medal, researchers in chemistry;
- Mawson Lecture and Medal, the Jaeger Medal, the Haddon King Medal, and the Dorothy Hill Award, for researchers in earth science;
- Moran Medal and the Hannan Medal, for mathematics.
[edit] The Shine Dome
The Shine Dome (previously known as Becker House) in Canberra is a well known landmark, especially intriguing to people shortly after it was completed in 1959, because of its unusual structure. It was designed by architect Sir Roy Grounds, from the architectural firm Grounds, Romberg and Boyd. When it was built, with a 45.75 metre diameter, the dome was larger than any other dome built in Australia. On 1 December 1956 the Academy's building design committee met in Adelaide to look over plans which had been submitted by six architects. The plan accepted involved a 45 ton reinforced concrete dome, which had to be supported by 16 thin supports. The concrete is approximately 60cm thick at the base supports, and 10cm at the top. The dome supports itself, with no internal wall holding it up. It cost 200,000 pounds to build, and was completed in 1959. There are two floors inside, with the Wark Theatre which seats 156 people. The building was named Becker House in 1962. In 2000, John Shine, a fellow of the Academy, donated one million dollars to renovate the dome. The Academy renamed their headquarters in his honour.
[edit] Other learned Academies
There are three other learned Academies in Australia, those of Humanities (Australian Academy of the Humanities), Social Science (Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia) and Technological Sciences and Engineering (Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering). The four Academies cooperate through the National Academies Forum, formed in 1995.
