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Promoting Understanding of Science
WINNER - The Feral Professor
A Voice of Reason on Feral Peril
Feral animals are a sensitive and controversial topic in Australia.
The issue of how to minimise their harmful environmental, economic and social impact often inspires heated debate and strong opinions among the public, making it a subject that many scientists and academics are reluctant to broach.
It is his willingness to tackle this difficult and emotive issue that makes Professor Tony Peacock so unique and worthy of recognition. Professor Peacock is the CEO of the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre. Passionate about the need to minimise the impact of pest animals on Australia's biodiversity, he devotes great time and energy professionally and personally to raising public awareness of this issue.
To get his message across, Professor Peacock utilises media appearances, an online blog called Feral Thoughts (www.feral.typepad.com) and social media networks such as Twitter. He is also a regular on the speakers' circuit, where he addresses community and business groups.
Professor Peacock is a born communicator. He has a warm, informative and engaging style which makes him a sought-after media performer who is popular with audiences, particularly on radio.
Given its contentious nature and the fierce debate it ignites, many scientists engaged in invasive animal research choose to exchange ideas about it mainly with their peers. It's long been a field about which very little community discussion and debate takes place. However, spreading the word about the need for invasive animal control, and fostering community support and an understanding of current practices, is crucial to the future of research, funding and development in this area. Professor Peacock has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to this cause.
One of the priorities for Professor Peacock is striving to stop the next wave of invasive animals from entering Australia. He has influenced policy-making regarding the importation of potentially harmful species, and has campaigned strongly against the introduction of hybrid pets - animals with a mix of wild and domestic genes. For example, his repeated warnings of the likely devastating impact of Savannah Cats on Australia's environment convinced the Federal Government to ban their importation in 2008.
Sustainability is a focus. Professor Peacock has been instrumental in informing the public about the sound scientific reasoning behind camel culling and for shoring up community support for this control method. He also advocates solutions for the unsustainable number of brumbies in the Australian Alps.
At every turn, Professor Peacock breaks down entrenched communication barriers in the field of invasive animal management through open dialogue that informs people while seeking their feedback and opinions. Radio talkback, print publications and blogs - he uses such forums to gauge public opinion regarding control methods and monitor perceptions about particular pest species and their impacts.
According to the Federal Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 11 of Australia's major pest animals cost Australia at least $720 million annually in economic, environmental and social damage. Professor Peacock's courageous and dedicated communication efforts continue to dispel myths and open the eyes of the public to the harm caused by invasive animals in this country.
The $10,000 Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science is awarded to an individual or group of up to four people for an outstanding and innovative program of science outreach. It is sponsored by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.
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Sponsor
The Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science is sponsored by Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.
Description
The Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science is awarded to an individual or group of up to four people for an outstanding and innovative program of science outreach delivered within the past 2 years, and that is active in the 12 months prior to the closing date for entries.
The Prize is awarded to an individual or group who is performing effective and interactive public science outreach, for example through personal public presentations and on radio talkback. The Prize is intended to recognise and promote the efforts of those people who work to bring science to the general public in understandable, engaging ways, including in cases where these presentations demonstrate the diversity and richness of science-related occupations or careers.
For the purposes of this prize, the term ‘science' includes engineering, new technologies, and mathematics. Nominations for this prize can include outstanding outreach activities in promoting understanding and appreciation of any of these disciplines.
prize
$10,000
Purpose
The Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science is designed to encourage the continuing growth of science outreach in Australia, to recognise the outstanding efforts of individuals or groups who commit their time to science outreach, and to encourage community appreciation of the contribution of science outreach to public interest in science.
Judging Criteria
Entries must address each of the following criteria:
1. Innovation
• In what way is the science outreach program innovative?
• To what extent does it break new ground in the design and/or delivery of science outreach?
2. Impact and effectiveness
• How has the science outreach:
- increased the community's appreciation of the value of scientific knowledge; and/or
- enhanced the public's ability to assimilate information on science and scientific issues in an informed and accurate manner; and/or
- increased students' or the community's appreciation of the value of continuing with science studies in senior secondary school and beyond.
3. Communication
• How has the outreach program raised the profile of science, engineering or technology to target audiences, including through appropriate media coverage?
Conditions of entry
The prize is open to individuals, or groups. Entrants can either enter themselves or be nominated by others.
Activities entered for this prize must have been undertaken:
• in Australia by an Australian citizen(s) or Australian resident(s). Where the entry is by a team, all members of the team must meet this criterion.
• within the two (2) years prior to the closing date for entries.
The following are not eligible for this prize:
- -books and magazines
- -CDs and DVDs (CDs, DVDs and magazine articles may be submitted if they are providing evidence of the outreach effort being entered; however, they cannot be the outreach effort)
- -television or web-based programs or documentaries
- -administrators of outreach activities who themselves are not actually performing outreach
- -activities such as peer tutoring and other in-class educational extension activities associated with teaching of curriculum
- -businesses or organisations that disseminate science news are not eligible for this prize
- -any program or activity that, at the time of entry, is receiving funding support through the Science Connections Program (SCOPE) of the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
- -the agencies of the Innovation, Industry, Science and Research portfolio.
While it is possible that groups entered for this prize may include journalists, these individuals would need to be entered for activity that goes beyond/is additional to their normal day-to-day journalistic responsibilities. The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research sponsors a separate Eureka prize - the Australian Government Eureka Prize for Science Journalism - for journalists who have successfully communicated scientific issues to the public.
Online entry forms with supporting documents must be submitted bymidnight AEST Friday 7 May 2010.
Entries with insufficient sets of documentation will not be considered. Submitted material will not be returned.
Activity entered/nominated for this prize may not be entered/nominated for another Australian Museum Eureka Prize.
The deliberations of the judging panel remain confidential. All recommendations and decisions taken are binding and final and no correspondence will be entered into on such matters.
The judges reserve the right not to award the prize in a given year if, in their view, the quality of entries is insufficiently meritorious.
In addition to considering entered nominations, the judging panel may also consider as candidates for the Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science other individuals, groups or organisations whose activities come within the scope of the prize.
Information provided by the entrant(s) in relation to the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes (including photos), may be used by the Australian Museum for promotional/publicity purposes. This may include, and is not restricted to, the information being used on websites, social media, printed material, advertisements, press releases etc.
Personal information provided in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes will be used only by the Australian Museum and only in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
How to enter
1. You must prepare and attach the following supporting documents to your online entry form. (Please clearly label your attachments as per below.)
a. Activity Summary: a brief description of the activity entered, including objectives and results to date (two page maximum)
b. Judging Criteria: a brief description of how the activity entered addresses each of the judging criteria (two page maximum)
c. Assessor Reports: a maximum of four (4) written reports addressing each of the judging criteria from assessors who are familiar with the entered program (2 page maximum per report). NOTE: Judges rely on assessor's reports to provide additional perspective and informed opinion on the entry. Assessors should not be personally or directly involved in the science outreach program entered in this prize.
Supporting documentation can be uploaded in Microsoft Word (.doc), Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Microsoft Excel (.xls) or JPeg (.jpg). Collectively, attachments can be no larger than 5MB.
2. Submit an online entry form by midnight AEST Friday 7 May 2010.
Complete the online entry form which must include all your supporting documents and submit by midnight AEST Friday 7 May 2010.
If you require further information or help, please call the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes Unit on +61 2 9320 6483 or email eureka@austmus.gov.au
