The E J G Pitman Young Statisticians Prize is awarded for the most outstanding talk by a “young statistician” at an Australian Statistical Conference. The prize is only open to members of SSA or – in the case of ANZSC2021 - to members of SSA or NZSA, and a ‘young statistician’ means a person enrolled for a degree who is studying either full-time or part-time without age limit, or a person who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree within the past five years, or a person awarded a postgraduate degree within the past year.  The prize winner is selected by a committee of members of the Society appointed by Council.

At the closing ceremony of ANZSC2021 today, Adrian Barnett commented on how difficult the selection of the winner had been, as so many deserving presentations had been seen during the course of the conference. After thanking the panel of judges involved in making the decision, he was pleased to announce that the Pitman Prize winner for 2021 is Elizabeth Korevaar, who presented “Evaluation of statistical methods used to meta-analyse results from interrupted time series studies: a simulation study”.

Congratulations, Elizabeth Korevaar!

   

Can artificial intelligence answer important medical questions?

A collaboration between a biostatistician and a data scientist.

$2,000 scholarships available for two successful applicants

The Australian Pharmaceutical Biostatistics Group (APBG) is providing a fantastic opportunity for undergraduates or new graduates in the data science and statistical fields to work together on this important conundrum.

Biostatisticians and data scientists often have different approaches to answering important clinical questions.  Classical statistical regression methods used for prediction modelling are well understood in the statistical sciences and the scientific community that employs them. These methods tend to be transparent and are usually hypothesis driven but can overlook complex associations with limited flexibility when a high number of variables are investigated. In addition, when using classic regression modelling, choosing the ‘right’ model is not straightforward. Non-traditional machine learning algorithms, and machine learning approaches, may overcome some of the limitations of classical regression models in this new era of big data, but are not a complete solution as they must be considered in the context of the limitations of data used in the analysis.

In this project, you will receive a large dataset with an underlying correlation structure.  You will work together with your assigned collaborator to discover the algorithm that best fits the data.

You will be expected to meet with the APBG steering committee to present updates on your project, provide a written report, code, and present your findings at our annual meeting which is to be held in December 2021.

Applications are welcomed from undergraduates or graduates of Data Science or Statistics or related fields who are based in Australia or New Zealand.

Grant amount: $2,000 each for successful applicants (one data scientist, one biostatistician).

How to apply: Send your one-page CV, plus a covering letter explaining why you would be suitable for this opportunity to apbgsteering@gmail.com by 15 August 2021.  Successful applicants will be notified by the end of August 2021.

This scholarship opportunity is provided by APBG, in partnership with the SSA.  The Australian Pharmaceutical Biostatistics Group is a not-for-profit association of pharmaceutical industry statisticians in Australia, whose mission is to ensure high statistical standards within Australia to assist in the decision processes which provide safe, efficacious and cost-effective health care products produced in a regulated environment for the health and quality of life of people.

          

This week’s Intergenerational Report highlights the vast structural challenges ahead for Australia’s society, economy and federal budget. In the coming years, we face a slowing economy, a huge productivity challenge, a dropping birth rate, and a long-term COVID hangover. This sharpens the imperative for clever investments now to put Australia on a path to become a global science and technology superpower. Science and technology are the answer to every one of these challenges. We made this case in STA’s media commentary this week, syndicated nationally and in The Canberra Times and Business Insider. 

STA’s lifeblood is our members. We are always delighted to welcome the leadership of our member organisations to serve in STA’s governance structures. This month, Women in STEMM Australia co-chair Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea joins STA’s Policy Committee. Ecological Society of Australia President Dr Bek Christensen and former Statistical Society of Australia President Professor Adrian Barnett were reappointed for a second term. Joining the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee are Dr Susanna Cramb of the Statistical Society of Australia, Dr Erin McGillick of Reproductive Health Australia, and Dr Tara Roberson of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems. Susannah and Erin are also Superstars of STEM. We warmly welcome them to all their new roles!

Following last year’s excellent virtual event, STA will host the official launch of National Science Week 2021. Register now for this free online event as we explore The Science of Recovery, Resilience & Renewal with an outstanding expert panel.

Next week, we will proudly launch our Reconciliation Action Plan. It sets out a clear path with measurable actions over the coming year. We will soon be inviting you and your members to join us for this important online event. We also congratulate Kamilaroi man Corey Tutt - CEO of STA member organisation Deadly Science - whose new book The First Scientists is now available for pre-order. We can’t wait to read it, Corey!

Finally, this week we are delighted to welcome our newest member of the STA family - Cruxes Innovation. Cruxes runs research translation coaching and mentoring programs to help researchers to work with industry to apply brilliant science and research. Their membership of STA is especially timely as momentum grows in the opportunities for Australia on research translation. Please join me and the STA Board in warmly welcoming Cruxes - and its leaders Jonathan Lacey and Emily Chang - to the STA community.

Until next time, 

Misha Schubert 
CEO, Science & Technology Australia 

Science And Technology Will Enable Us To Seize The Future.

Together, they are key to solve humanity’s most complex challenges – and to forge new opportunities for Australia.

To enable them to play this pivotal role, we need to safeguard and strengthen our sovereign science,  technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) capabilities.

Our competitor nations have a clear-eyed strategic understanding about how a strong STEM system unleashes economic growth and creates jobs, seeds new industries, and leads to major breakthroughs to save lives.

Australia should be every bit as ambitious in its STEM capabilities as other nations across the globe.

In this blueprint, we outline a bold policy vision for how Australia can achieve this.

Through clever strategic investments, leveraged global collaboration, and a coordinated national strategy, we can seize advantages for our nation – and keep pace with the world.

And this will enable us to tackle the next big challenges we face at home and abroad.

Science and technology have been at the forefront of Australia’s approach to managing intensifying bushfire seasons and a global pandemic. They are essential in the urgent rebuilding of our economy.

A stronger STEM capability will help to save and improve lives - and translate more of our world-leading research into products, services, jobs and industries in Australia.

This blueprint offers Science & Technology Australia’s policy vision on:

• A national strategy to extend crucial science and technology capabilities;
• An ambitious target of levelling-up R&D investment to 3 per cent of GDP to keep pace and compete with our international rivals;
• A new $2.4 billion research translation and commercialisation fund to turbo-charge more of Australia’s ideas and innovations into products, services, and jobs;
• A major new initiative to inspire school students to grow their skills, knowledge, and love of STEM in order to arrest the alarming slide in maths and science skills among school students;
• Policy deeply informed by research and evidence;
• Increased and deepened internationally collaborative research and engagement; and
• A diverse and inclusive STEM workforce.

The policies are mutually reinforcing, and of equal importance to the STEM sector.

We commend this policy vision to you.

See our vision here.

The Statistical Society of Australia wishes to emphasise our support of trans people and the gender diverse community: within the SSA, and more broadly. The SSA is committed to ensuring the statistical community in Australia is welcoming and inclusive, and will not tolerate anti-transgender bias, including discrimination in any form.

As statisticians, we are often involved with the collection and analysis of data on gender and sex. The SSA encourages all researchers to collect data on gender and sex in an inclusive way, in compliance with the Federal Sex Discrimination Act. We encourage our members to ensure that data collection for gender and sex can accurately and adequately reflect both cis and trans people in studies that they are involved in. We recommend consulting the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, available here.

The SSA wishes to thank Transgender Victoria for their advice in the preparation of this statement.

Science & Technology Australia (STA) has been offering its flagship event, “Science Meets Parliament” since 1999. It’s objectives are

• To stimulate and inform parliamentarians of how science contributes to and informs public policy, and
• To assist in professional development through providing participants with an insight into political, policy, media and parliamentary processes.

Science meets Parliament plays an important part in Science & Technology Australia’s advocacy effort, as it demonstrates, with real examples, how Australia benefits from public and private investment in science. It is also a terrific networking and professional development opportunity for participants.

_{In 2021, “Science Meets Parliament” was delivered virtually from 2 March to 1 April. Two lucky members were chosen to represent SSA at this year’s event. We always ask them for a written report on their experience, and here is the first one, written by Jason Whyte:}

Science Meets Parliament 2021 - Part 1

Unlike you, gentle reader, few of our parliamentarians have a science qualification. So, they may not appreciate the contributions made by statisticians to Australia’s interests. Science Meets Parliament (SMP) provides an opportunity for statisticians to increase their visibility, and to inform parliamentarians of the scope and value of our work. Through this, SMP aims to forge lasting relationships that will allow scientists to contribute to the processes of setting national priorities and policy development. No pressure….

Unlike the pre-coronavirus SMPs held in Canberra over two days, the 2021 instalment featured around a month of Zoom-like information sessions for delegates scattered across Australia. Those with a full registration would also join three or four other delegates for an online meeting with an MP or senator.

A statistician seeking to engage with SMP for the first time may find the process somewhat daunting (cough!). To help with this, some SMP sessions featured advice from experienced delegates or Canberra insiders on how to approach your scheduled meeting. Some suggestions seem particularly appropriate for statisticians considering SMP participation.

In the session “Preparing to meet a parliamentarian”, I wondered if details of my work might be off-putting, and asked:

“I'm concerned that my meeting might play out like an episode of "First Dates": I want to meet again but the MP is not so keen. Any tips on what materials are likely to best complement my presentation?”

Kylie Walker, CEO Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering, advised: “Sweep right back out for that big picture.” (That is, think beyond than your own specific area of work and its direct implications.)  “I’d be interested to hear about the some of the broader applications of the field rather than your specific area if it’s too conceptual to be able to explain succinctly to a non-technical audience.”

Dr Tien Huynh from RMIT (2017-18 Participant and one of the “Superstars of STEM”) suggested: “The three main areas that I thought were really important for most parliamentarians that you can’t get wrong are Environment, Health, and [the] Economy, and amongst those you’ll find maths and statistics in every single part.” Also, it’s appropriate to connect your work to what your field is trying to achieve: “You have to make that linkage for the parliamentarian so that they can see the relevance of what you are doing.”

An SMP meeting can be interrupted when your parliamentarian is summoned for a vote. However, this may give a delegate the opportunity to talk to the parliamentarian’s political staff.

The SMP programme covered this possibility with the session “How to Engage with Advisors”. The panel included Mr Harry Godber, a former Adviser to the Turnbull & Morrison Governments on “tech, innovation, financial regulation & space policy”, and now Head of Strategy at Flare HR. Godber’s advice included some questions to think about before your meeting: “What is the value you provide to Australia as a whole? What could it add to the government’s policy platform? Can you provide case studies?”

“Be very concise in your pitch. What can you provide? What are you asking for? Don’t talk in the abstract so that the meeting doesn’t address these points.”

In preparation for my meeting, I found my MP’s maiden speech quite instructive. I learned that we grew up in demographically similar areas, and we also had intersecting concerns in education and environmental management.

Following the conclusion of the information sessions, my group of SMP attendees spent around an hour with our MP, zooming in from her home on April 1st. Each delegate gave a short presentation and responded to questions. The MP seemed to show a genuine interest in these contributions.

Immediately following the meeting I sent the MP links to my publications and outreach activities relating to our discussion. After almost three months, I am yet to receive a reply. Perhaps some MPs really don’t have the time for a second meeting, or maybe I had spinach in my teeth? Delegates may wonder what data there is on meetings between scientists and parliamentarians that have led to continuing relationships. If only there was some professional body that had the skills to look into this….

By Jason Whyte

Interested in attending Science Meets Parliament next year? Keep an eye out for of search for expressions of interest in the SSA newsletters from early 2022.

Next week is the final sitting week of Parliament before the mid-winter break. As always, STA will be active on Capital Hill on behalf of you and your members. On Tuesday, we’ll host a Parliamentary Friends of Science event for MPs and Senators on science and evidence informed policy. Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley and CSIRO CEO Dr Larry Marshall will join me on stage for an engaging discussion. We’ll also unveil STA’s refreshed policy vision next week - with our President Jeremy Brownlie doing the honours in Canberra. This blueprint is the result of almost a year of deep consultation with the science and technology sector. We look forward to sharing the final document with you ahead of it being made public.

Our annual survey of the science workforce - a collaboration with Professional Scientists Australia - is in the field. Thank you to those who have already shared the link with your membership, staff and networks - and encouraged them to complete it. This survey is an invaluable source of data in our advocacy for scientists and technologists across the country. Please remind your networks to take the survey before it closes on June 27. 

Don’t forget to register for our exclusive event for STA members next Tuesday on how to access the Global Talent Visa. This is a terrific opportunity to hear directly from the Department of Home Affairs about current eligibility for this visa - and especially valuable if you or your employing institution are seeking to recruit brilliant overseas STEM talent.  

Congratulations from all of us in the STA community to Professor Bronwyn Fox on her appointment as CSIRO’s next Chief Scientist. Bronwyn is a materials and engineering scientist, a Fellow of both RACI and ATSE, and was founding director of Swinburne’s Manufacturing Futures Research Institute. We’re delighted for her and for CSIRO on this excellent decision.  

As part of our commitment to reconciliation, STA plans to make a submission shortly to the review of the Australian school curriculum. As the peak body for Australia’s STEM sector, we support a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, culture, history and contemporary circumstances being taught to Australian school students. We encourage other STA member organisations to offer similar support. You can make a submission by 8 July.

Finally, this week we convened our first training session for our third cohort of STA STEM Ambassadors, and the last formal training session for our second cohort of Superstars of STEM. We wish them all well for their next steps - and are excited to watch their stars continue to rise.

Until next time, 

Misha Schubert 
CEO, Science & Technology Australia 

CONSULTATION BEGINS ON THE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE ROADMAP

As a first step to develop the next research infrastructure roadmap, the Government is asking researchers to participate in a survey about current national research infrastructure use. The questions ask how you currently use or interact with Australia's NRI, what you need from NRI now and in the future, and what you see as the emerging trends, challenges and opportunities for NRI. The survey takes around 30 minutes to complete and is here - it closes Wednesday 30 June. 

NEW REPORTS AND POLICY CHANGES OF INTEREST TO STA MEMBERS

• The Australian Government has released the Review of the Parliamentary Workplace: Responding to Serious Incidents report by the Prime Minister’s Department.  
• Canada’s Public Policy Forum reported on improving linkages between university and work.
• The Digital Commons Policy Council released a report on the co-production of open source software by volunteers and big tech firms.
• The Australian Medical Association released its vision for Australia’s health.
• The first Ocean Decade report was released by Ocean Decade Australia.
• Senate Estimates revealed no funding is planned for the Industry Growth Centres from 2022.
• The CSIRO released a report on the SME enablers and barriers to research. 
• ACOLA released an Australian Energy Transition Research Plan. 
• Bruce Chapman has an article on Understanding recent HECS–HELP price misunderstandings.
• The Australian Research Council released its final report and action plan on the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) and Engagement and Impact (EI) assessment. All 22 recommendations have been accepted. 
• The Academy of Science has released a sustainable oceans and coasts national strategy. 
• Opportunities for submissions:
• • Consultations are open on the Government's Regional Data Hubs – due 2 July.
  • A review of the national school curriculum – due 8 July.
  • The Australian National Audit Office is auditing the management of threatened species and ecological communities - due 31 October. 

Further information: Peter Derbyshire, STA Policy Manager - peter.derbyshire@sta.org.au

SSA Canberra is inviting student members of SSA Canberra branch to apply for financial support to attend the virtual Australia and New Zealand Statistical Conference (ANZSC, 5-9 July 2021) or the Early Career and Student Statisticians Conference (ECSSC, 24 July - 1 August, including pre-conference workshops). The grant will reimburse the fee you pay for the appropriate registration/workshop costs, with the maximum amount being $200 in total. 

To be eligible for the grant, you must either be a student member of SSA Canberra Branch, or have applied to be a student member with SSA Canberra, at the time of submitting your registration grant application. Membership is only $20 for full time students, so it is definitely worth joining just to apply for the grant! 

Application details:

Please prepare the following documents and a submit a single PDF form containing:

1. A brief resume/CV of up to 4 pages.
2. Which costs and amounts you would like SSA Canberra to reimburse; note that you can select any combination of costs from the two conferences.   
3. A short document (max 200 words) describing the anticipated benefits to you that will result from your attendance at the conference/workshop, and declaring any other financial support offered to you for this conference/workshop.
4. (Optional) If you are presenting, your submitted talk/poster abstract for ANZSC2021/ECSSC2021. 

Please send these via email to ssacanberra@gmail.com by 5pm on 28 June 2021, but we will evaluate applications on a rolling basis. 

Outcome and show me the money!

Successful applications will be notified by email no later than 4 July 2021. If you are successful, we will request you to send us relevant registration receipts/invoices, and SSA Canberra will reimburse you the awarded amount.  

Successful applications should:

• Acdgeknowle the financial support of SSA Canberra during their presentation (if you present);
• Contribute a short piece about their experience to the SSA Stats Matters newsletter, to be sent to ssacanberra@gmail.com.

If you have any questions, feel free to send us an email at ssacanberra@gmail.com. 

We look forward to your application,
SSA Canberra

The federal Budget had a host of initiatives in science and technology, and a detailed analysis is in STA’s budget breakdown. We were pleased to see so many of you at our STA members-only post-Budget briefing last Friday. Among other commentary, STA welcomed announcements to establish mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability in Australia and a new patent box scheme to incentivise biotech and medtech patents and manufacturing onshore - with a pledge to consult on extending the scheme to clean energy technology. We also backed a pledge to create new scholarships for women in STEM. Our President Jeremy Brownlie and I were quoted in InnovationAus. The launch of the new intake of STA STEM Ambassadors generated good media coverage, with stories about our new Ambassadors in the Canberra Times, West Australian, ABC, and the Border Mail. Campus Morning Mail noted the strong interest from MPs right across the breadth of the Parliament in this terrific program. One of this year’s MPs - NSW Nationals Senator Perin Davey - said she was delighted to join “as we know how important it is for science to inform policy in so many critical areas”. “I congratulate Science & Technology Australia on developing a program that will improve the links between policy and STEM across a wide range of policy areas and across all parties.”  I was also honoured to speak at the opening of the Western National Innovation Games about STA’s Superstars of STEM program which tackles the visibility barrier for diverse women in STEM. And we are gearing up for National Reconciliation Week - and looking forward to seeing the STEM sector sharing Indigenous knowledges during that period. Lastly, after an impressive 16 years in the role, Sam Popovski is moving on from leading the CSIRO Staff Association. Our thanks to Sam for his leadership and dedication to CSIRO staff throughout his time in the role, and we wish him the very best in his new role at the CPSU.  Until next time,  Misha Schubert  CEO, Science & Technology Australia  NOMINATIONS FOR STA’S EDI AND POLICY COMMITTEE NOW OPEN STA invites nominations for our Policy Committee and our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. These are great opportunities to participate in STA’s work in these areas. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people from diverse faith, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ identified STEM professionals. To register your interest or to see the Terms of Reference, head to our website. Applications close midnight 6 June. SORRY DAY & NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK Two important events next week: Sorry Day, and the start of National Reconciliation Week. Sorry Day – Wednesday 26 May - is a national commemoration to remember past policies of forced child removal and the intergenerational damage those policies caused to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities. National Reconciliation Week, which begins on Thursday 27 May (the anniversary of the 1967 referendum to count Indigenous Australians as citizens in their own land), is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements. It's also a time to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. We will be marking Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week on our social media channels and would encourage member organisations to do the same. Social media assets are available on the National Reconciliation Week 2021 website. NEW REPORTS AND POLICY CHANGES OF INTEREST TO STA MEMBERS STA’s budget breakdown has detailed information on Budget measures that affect the science and technology sectors;  Further Budget analysis from the Parliamentary Library is available in briefs uploaded daily;  A report from NCVER shows job rates for VET graduates have fallen due to COVID-19; One of our STA STEM Ambassadors, Dr Tara Roberson, has co-authored a report on an Australian strategy for the quantum revolution;  Swinburne University released a report on Data for Good Collaboration; The Federal Government released its 2030 Digital Economy Strategy;  The inquiry into improving Question Time has been released;  The International Energy Agency has released a global energy roadmap for Net Zero by 2050; There is a new book on Building Better Schools with Evidence-based Policy; Opportunities for submissions: Medical Research Future Fund Audit – due 30 May. A review of the national school curriculum – due 8 July. A review of Initial Teacher Education – No due date set yet. A Therapeutic Goods Administration Advertising Code consultation – due 18 June.  Further information: Peter Derbyshire, STA Policy Manager - peter.derbyshire@sta.org.au

BRIEFING ON THE GLOBAL TALENT VISA PROGRAM FOR STA MEMBERS STA has been exploring opportunities with the Department of Home Affairs to share updated information with STA members about accessing the Global Talent Visa Program for brilliant global STEM talent. Some of the criteria have evolved, and there is a strong opportunity globally to recruit outstanding STEM talent. If you would find it valuable to attend an information session organised by STA and presented by the Department, please get in touch with STA Membership Manager Lucy Guest at lucy.guest@sta.org.au. TELL US YOUR RESEARCH TRANSLATION/COMMERCIALISATION SUCCESS STORIES!   Do you have a STEM idea, technology, innovation, product or program that could become a reality if you could just source some financial support or even just some key introductions? Then we want to hear from you. STA is launching a new project where we’ll aim to highlight activities and ideas that need some level of extra support to get them to the next stage, whether that is government funding, industry collaboration, or commercialisation. Get in contact with our Communications Manager, Martyn Pearce. STA MEMBER EVENTS OF INTEREST The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) is supporting a terrific series of events and scientific workshops. Check them out here. The Early Career & Student Statisticians Conference 2021 is accepting abstracts until 31 May.   The next seminar in the Australian Society for Parasitology will be held on Friday 28 May. Register now to learn about flukes in Southern Bluefin Tuna.  Cicada Innovations has an event on 2 June exploring what would happen if we rebuilt the world using biotech. Register here.  Early and mid-career researchers can get involved with an initiative to Reboot STEMM. The half-day virtual think tank aims to co-design a strategy for a more inclusive and diverse way of defining, recognising and rewarding ‘success’. Apply to be a part of it by 28 May. To add a conference or event: contact STA Events & Membership Manager Lucy Guest – lucy.guest@sta.org.au GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES      Entrepreneurs' Programme - Accelerating Commercialisation – Ongoing. The annual Australian Academy of Science awards are now open. The awards shine a light on researchers who are making outstanding contributions to science in Australia. There is also conference funding available. The Academy also recently expanded its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientists award, which now covers research funding as well as travel up to $20,000. Apply by 1 June. STEM Executive Experience day gives ambitious leaders aged between 22 and 35 the chance to see what it takes to be an executive. You can win a place at the event including return flights to Sydney and two nights in a five-star hotel. Enter by 29 May. Applications are open for ABC’s 2021 Top 5 Science Residency program. The scheme aims to equip emerging science scholars with media and communication skills, and will give you the chance to work alongside some of Australia’s leading journalists. Applications are open to PhD-qualified early career academics in all STEM fields. Applications close Tuesday 1 June. STA MEMBER STORIES  The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are open for application! This year there are 16 prizes across the categories of Research and Innovation, Leadership, Science Engagement, and School Science. Prizes cover a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines and recognise the work of scientists, researchers, and science communicators at all career stages. There is a prize pool of $160,000 to be shared between winners. Entries close at 7pm AEST on Friday 28 May. Australian Science Innovations (ASI) is seeking expression of interest for board directors with broad governance and business skills, particularly with qualifications or extensive experience in government relations, digital marketing and communications, and/or fundraising. Find out more here. Are you following Science & Technology Australia on Instagram? If you’re a member organisation using Insta as one of your communication channels please follow us and we’ll follow you back!

Conference Scholarship Queensland Branch

The Statistical Society of Australia QLD Branch is offering an award to fund participation at the Australian and New Zealand Statistical Conference 2021.  The ANZSC is being held Online on the 5-9^th of July 2021, conference details can be found here. The focus of the conference will be Modeling data for a brighter future.  The aim of this Conference is to bring together a broad range of researchers and practitioners across a variety of statistical disciplines to facilitate the exchange of theory, methods, and applications.  The scholarship will cover conference registration. The recipient/s will be required to provide an article on personal conference highlights within two weeks of the end of the conference for publication in the SSA Newsletter.

ELIGIBILITY

Open to all Honours, Masters and PhD research students enrolled at a Queensland university (full-time or part-time), who are SSA members and will be presenting a talk at the conference, either as a formal presentation or poster (note abstract submissions are closed). Award recipients are required to submit to the SSA Queensland Branch Secretary a short summary (of approximately 250 to 500 words) of their presentation and their personal conference highlights within two weeks of the conclusion of the conference for publication in the SSA Newsletter.  You need not be a current member of the SSA at the time of application but will be expected to join before reimbursement. The cost of SSA student membership is $20 per year.

AWARD AMOUNT

The maximum award is $250 per person. The award can only be used for conference registration.  Awards will be paid directly to the award recipients unless otherwise requested. The award monies will be distributed after receipt of paid invoices.  Up to five scholarships will be awarded.

DETERMINITION OF AWARD RECIPIENTS

Award recipients will be selected by the SSAI Queensland Branch Council and will be notified by email on 7^th June 2021.

HOW TO APPLY

E-mail the following to the Queensland Branch Secretary:

• ·         Personal details: name, email address and phone number and a short paragraph introducing yourself, your current degree and qualifications and/or career experience.
• ·         Evidence of enrolment at a Queensland university (e.g., picture of student ID card).
• ·         Evidence of acceptance of talk or poster
• ·         Abstract of talk or poster.

The closing date for applications is 5PM Monday 31^st  May 2021. Late applications will not be considered.

Applications and requests for further information should be directed to the Branch Secretary, Adrian Barnett.