Dear {Contact_First_Name},
In a little over nine months many of us will be attending the Australian Statistical Conference in Wollongong (ASC and OZCOTS 2023). We have just opened the conference workshops for registrations. As you can imagine, SSA’s various committees are working hard to present you with an irresistible event. While options for online delivery are being explored, ideally, we’d love for you to attend in person.
As part of the planning discussions, there was a lively debate about options for a conference gala dinner last week. Those of you who have attended an ASC previously know the drill: You dress in your finest attire and make your way to the dinner venue. After the initial welcome drink(s), you head to your table, finding yourself flanked by statisticians from all walks of life, or perhaps by a non-statistician partner or an admin person like me.
You get your alternate drop main course (chicken or salmon anyone?), enjoy a couple of glasses of wine, the choice being red or white, and if you have enough energy at the end of the dinner, you may join a few of your colleagues on a night out on the town.
This is what associations do and have done forever. Does that mean we should keep doing it? What do YOU think? What is your idea of a prefect get-together with colleagues, after a day of listening to talks and chatting during the breaks? Would you indeed be happy to finally sit down in one space for a couple of hours and engage in longer conversations with your table-mates? Or is a stand-up event more your thing – a get-together where you can move from person to person, making the most of an amazing networking opportunity? How would you feel about fish and chips on a beach? A picnic on the university lawn? Perhaps you think that conference dinners are outdated and that you favourite place to be after a long day of learning and exchanging ideas is your hotel room, preferably with room service and your favourite movie on Netflix?
I am very interested in hearing what you think. Please feel free to send me an email with your thoughts on the subject. I can’t promise we’ll be able to implement your suggestion, but I assure you that we will certainly consider every one that comes our way.
Still on the subject of wanting your input, can I please ask that you complete the SSA Strategic Planning Survey we sent out last Friday? You have until 13 March to have your say. Click here .
to help us to gain valuable insights into what our members need and expect from the SSA. Your responses will be confidential, and the results will be used to guide the development of our strategy for the next 3-5 years. Let’s all work together to make SSA the best association it can be!
Your help is much appreciated. Thank you.
Marie-Louise Rankin
SSA Executive Officer
Read newsletter in your browser |
|
|
ABS asks what should be included in the 2026 Census
According to a media release published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on 28 February 2023, the ABS is seeking submissions on what information should be included in the next Census of Population and Housing, which takes place every five years. The ABS is inviting community groups and peak bodies to make submissions about what information they need from the Census, which is one of the largest and most important statistical collections undertaken by the ABS.
Considerations when determining the topics for the 2026 Census will include the need for the data, the number of questions to answer, the cost of processing responses, and whether other data sources could meet these needs. The ABS will review feedback received since the 2021 Census topics were finalised, shortlisted topics, and feedback from recent consultations or reviews.
The first phase of the consultation process is open until 28 April 2023. The ABS will make a recommendation to the Australian Government on the topics that could be included in the next Census in 2024 with the final decision being made by the government. |
|
|
|
|
Mentioned in previous newsletters (click on the relevant heading to find out details) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SSA WA: 2023 AGM followed by talk “High-resolution analysis of the human immune response to pathogens: implications for vaccine design”
Tuesday, 14 March 2023, 5:15PM to 6:00PM AWST (AGM), 6:00PM to 7:00PM AWST (Guest Lecture).
Cheryl Praeger Lecture Room, The University of Western Australia and online via Zoom.
Non-members of the SSA WA Branch may be present but cannot vote on AGM matters. Following the AGM, at 6:00PM, we shall hear from Associate Professor Silvana Gaudieri who will deliver the guest lecture.
High-resolution analysis of the human immune response to pathogens: implications for vaccine design
Dr Silvana Gaudieri - Associate Professor, The University of Western Australia.
Our group utilises next generation sequencing technologies to examine how variation in the host and viral genome impacts specific anti-viral immune responses at the single cell level. Such analyses have identified signatures of an effective immune response to specific viruses and following sequential vaccinations. Overall, our high-resolution approach can help understand the differential outcomes following viral infection and inform vaccine design. Learn more and register here. |
|
|
|
|
SSA NSW: 2023 AGM + Lancaster Lecture
16 Mar 2023, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (AEDT)
We are happy to announce the 75th (2023) Annual General Meeting (AGM), to be followed by the Lancaster Lecture given by Professor Samuel Muller “Ctrl-Alt-Delete & Repeat: Learning more from Complex Data”.
In this lecture, motivated by popular work from Henry Oliver Lancaster from the 1950s, we will explore how we can learn more from complex data. A premise is that all data are more complex than what they may seem to be at first sight: no matter their shape and structure, modality and messiness, their correlation and cohesion.
To register and to access the materials for the AGM, click here. |
|
|
|
|
SSA SA Branch - 2023 Annual General Meeting
22 Mar 2023, 5:45 PM – 7:00 PM (ACDT), held at Victoria Square, Flinders University and online.
The Zoom link is available here.
Dinner will be held following the meeting. Details to follow.
RSVP to Aarti Gulyani (aartigulyani@gmail.com) |
|
|
|
|
Mathematical Engineering of Deep Learning - Part One Foundations
20 Apr 2023, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (AEST) held at Room 163, 14 Sir Christopher Ondaatje Ave Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
This workshop is presented by the NSW Branch and School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Macquarie University. It is targeted at people interested in engineering, signal processing, statistics, physics, econometrics, operations research, quantitative management, pure mathematics, bioinformatics, applied machine learning, or even applied deep learning.
For more details and to register click here. |
|
|
|
|
Item Nonresponse And
Imputation Course
20 Jun 2023, 5:00 PM (AEST) – 11 Jul 2023, 6:00 PM (AEST), held online - weekly 1 hour live discussions with Professor Dr Jörg Drechlser
The Social Research Centre (SRC) and the Statistical Society of Australia (SSA) are very proud to offer theory-based and practice-oriented learning from faculty from world’s top ranked universities, statistical agencies and businesses via the International Program in Survey and Data Science (IPSDS), a joint program of the University of Mannheim and the Joint Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Maryland.
The program involves asynchronous learning experience (pre-recorded lectures, readings) and synchronous learning experience (virtual classroom, weekly live discussions led by the instructor)
Course objectives:
1.Introduction& Missing Data Mechanisms
2.Default Strategies of (Not) Dealing with Missing Data and Their Implications
3.Common Misconceptions Regarding Imputation & Basic Imputation Methods
4.More Advanced Imputation Methods & Multiple Imputation
There are only 15 spots left so click here for more information and to register. |
|
|
|
|
The ASC2023 workshops are now open:
10 December 2023
ASC 2023 Workshops- Essential Skills for Statistical Communication
Communication is an essential skill for statisticians who commonly need to explain complex concepts in a digestible manner to people from different disciplines. Unfortunately, few statisticians receive formal training in this area. The COVID-19 pandemic helped highlight just how important statistics is and raised the importance of clear communication. This workshop, delivered by leading figures in communication and statistical communication, will help attendees gain confidence in communicating their work and provide attendees with tips for good statistical communication.
To register click here.
ASC 2023 Workshops-Statistical Consultancy – The Essentials for Getting Started and Ongoing Success
This workshop is designed to provide participants with an understanding and tips of some of the key considerations involved in setting up and running a statistical consultancy from within a university environment: covering a range of topics including funding and operational models, reaching and securing clients, building and funding a team, how to run consultancy projects from start to finish, managing projects and communication skills.
Click here to register.
ASC 2023 Workshops-Deep Statistics for More Rigorous and Efficient Data Science
This course introduces a trinity of deep statistics of, for and by multi-source, multi-phase, and multi-resolution statistical learning, and invites research participations on their implications and implementations in the context of AI and Earth Observations (EO) for sustainable development (e.g., global poverty and health). Theoretically, the course contemplates many trade-offs for ‘data science for science’: data quality vs. quantity, data privacy vs. utility, statistical vs computational efficiencies, inferential robustness vs relevance, etc.
For more information and to register click here.
Space is limited so don't miss out and register today. |
|
|
|
|
Save the date: ASC and OZCOTS 2023
10-15 December 2023, University of Wollongong, NSW |
|
|
|
|
|
|
IWSM 2023 The 37th edition of the International Workshop on Statistical Modelling conference will be held in Dortmund – Germany in July 16-21, 2023.
Details are available here. |
|
|
If you have news from the Australian statistical community to share in Stats Matters and Events, please get in touch with us! We love getting feedback too. |
|
|
|
