Latest News ~ SSA Events ~ Career Centre ~ Member Contributions ~ Other Events

We are pleased to announce an exciting update to the Statistical Society of Australia’s newsletter. As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering timely and valuable information, we are transitioning to a fortnightly distribution. This strategic decision is aimed at enhancing communication and ensuring our members stay informed and engaged with the latest developments in the statistical community.

The refreshed e-newsletter will continue to feature upcoming event highlights, career and accreditation announcements, and important updates relevant to our field. Additionally, we are introducing a new member contributions section, providing you with the opportunity to share your insights, research, and professional experiences with the wider community.

We believe this improved format will foster stronger connections within our Society and offer more relevant, critical content to support your professional growth.

We look forward to your continued engagement and contributions as we launch this new chapter in our communications.

A happy new year to all members and I hope you celebrated the start of 2025 safely and in good spirits. I want to take a moment to look back on 2024 and thank you for your contributions and support over the past months. 2024 has been a transformative year for the SSA in which we strengthened the structure of the SSA team, continued to maintain a steady membership and made progress toward our strategic goals that will help guarantee our continued success in 2025.

The work we are doing is more relevant than ever today ensuring members keep connected, engaged, and informed via our Branches, events, conferences, services, and communication channels. The SSA team is new, driven and committed to supporting you to ensure continued delivery of quality services, experience, and relevant community content.

Join me in welcoming our team. 

Vanaja Thomas

General Manager

Vale Clem Pratt

Clem Pratt died earlier this month, aged 88.

Dr Pratt studied electrical engineering at the University of Queensland and subsequently was awarded a scholarship to pursue postgraduate study at the University of London.  His PhD was supervised by David Cox (“Congestion Problems In Automatic And Semi-automatic Telephone Exchanges”).

After moving to Victoria, he became involved in the Victorian Branch of the Statistical Society, ultimately serving a term as national President (1969-71). He attended the 50th Anniversary of the Victorian Branch, in 2014.  During his career he was Head of the teletraffic section of the PMG Department (subsequently Telecom and then Telstra).  The Society acknowledges his significant contribution and expresses its condolences to his family and friends.

Ian Gordon
Vice-President, SSA

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science are revolutionising the tech industry, dramatically transforming business operations and spurring innovation. Industry estimates show that organisations integrating AI into their processes have seen a 20-30% boost in efficiency.

Statistical significance and scientific importance are distinct, equally valuable aspects of communicating the significance of statistics in scientific research. Communicating the “significance” of statistics in scientific research is often plagued by the traditional understandings of the term.

The varying perceptions of a statistician’s value, from “critical” to “not needed for 99.9% of applications”: A national study of human research ethics committees

Authors

Adrian Barnett, Nicole White, and Taya Collyer

Showcase Your Work in Our New Member Contributions Section

We’re excited to announce a new opportunity for our members to share their expertise, insights, and achievements with the wider Statistical Society of Australia community. The Member Contributions section in our e-newsletter is your platform to:

• Build a Stronger Community: Share your ideas and foster meaningful connections within the SSA network.
• Showcase Your Work: Highlight your research, articles, or professional achievements to inspire and inform fellow members.
• Amplify Your Impact: Gain recognition and visibility for your work among statisticians, data analysts, and industry leaders.

All submissions will be reviewed for potential inclusion in an upcoming edition of the newsletter. Whether you have groundbreaking research, a thought-provoking article, or news about recent accomplishments, we want to hear from you!

Mark your calendars! The Australian Statistical Conference (ASC2025) is coming to Perth, WA, from 1–5 December 2025. This year’s conference promises to be an unmissable event, bringing together leading minds in statistics and data science from across Australia and beyond.

Join us for an exciting week of cutting-edge presentations, engaging workshops, and invaluable networking opportunities with professionals, academics, and industry leaders.

Stay tuned for more details, including keynote speakers, program highlights, and how you can get involved.

Di Cook Award - Promoting Open Source Statistical Software Development

Date: 25 Feb 2025

Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Location: Online

CPD 193-A Roadmap for Your Research Story: Making Communications your Companion for a Smoother Journey

Date: 26 Feb 2025

Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Location: Online

Personal Journey of Len Cook: A Webinar by Early Career & Student Statisticians Network and History Standing Committee of SSA

Date: 11 Mar 2025

Time: 12:30 and 2:30 AEDT

Location: Online

Venables Award Webinar

Date: 18 Mar 2025

Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Location: Online

CPD 192-Using Psychology to Maximise the Accuracy of Your Measurement

Date: 3 Apr 2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: Hybrid (in-person and online) Venue: TBC

You are warmly invited to the first ICOTS to be held in Australia, from 12th to 17th July 2026. The beautiful conference venue is in the heart of Brisbane. 

ICOTS, held every four years in different countries around the world, is a most important event for all interested in the teaching and learning of the statistical and data sciences. As well as internationally renowned speakers, the ICOTS 12 programme has an overall Theme and Main Topics ranging widely over school, tertiary and workplace contexts within and across disciplines, technologies, training and research at all educational levels. ICOTS 12 has 10 named Main Topics and a Contributed and Other Topic.

The first call for abstracts is now open for paper proposals to be featured under Main Topics 1-10.

Bayes Comp 2025 Registration and Contributed Talks/Posters

Dates: June 16-20, 2025

• Venue: UTown, National University of Singapore

We’re Moving – Follow Our Official SSA LinkedIn Page

We’re excited to invite you to follow our official Statistical Society of Australia LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/statsocaus/

This page will be your go-to source for regular updates on SSA events, industry news, career opportunities, member highlights, and important announcements. Whether you're looking to stay informed about upcoming conferences, professional development opportunities, or the latest trends in statistics and data science, our LinkedIn page will keep you connected with the SSA community.

Our SSA Communications LinkedIn account will be deleted on 6 March, so make sure to follow us today to stay engaged with fellow statisticians, data analysts, and industry professionals.

The SSA Career Centre is your go-to platform for connecting statisticians and data scientists with prospective employers.

For Employers:
Advertise job openings to a highly targeted audience of statisticians and data professionals. Once registered, employers can:

• Post and manage job advertisements.
• Search for and manage prospective candidates.
• Create a detailed company profile to enhance visibility.

Advertising fees start at just $130, providing an affordable way to reach top talent.

For Job Seekers:
Boost your career with tools designed to help you stand out:

• Post your résumé anonymously for potential employers to view.
• Set up personalised job alerts to be notified when roles matching your criteria are advertised.
• Take advantage of our free résumé review service to refine your profile before uploading it.

Whether you’re hiring or seeking, the SSA Career Centre makes connecting easy and efficient. Register today to get started!

Whether you’re looking to sponsor an event, support a conference, or explore a long-term partnership, we’re excited to work with you. Collaborate with the Statistical Society of Australia to connect with our vibrant community of statisticians and data professionals.

Reach out to Jodi Phillips at events@statsoc.org.au to start the conversation and explore possibilities.