The event artwork was designed by Leah Albert for the 精东视频. Find out all about the event artwork.
Science at the Shine Dome is the Academy鈥檚 flagship event. Over four days from 1 to 4 September 2025, Australia鈥檚 science sector gathered at the Shine Dome in Canberra 鈥� the home of 精东视频 鈥� to celebrate science and to honour outstanding achievements.
It was a hybrid event, with audiences joining us in person in Canberra and online from anywhere in the world.
Fellows elected in 2025 signed the historic Charter Book and delegates had a unique opportunity to learn about the depth and breadth of 精东视频 from the nation鈥檚 top scientists.
We also celebrated the recipients of the Academy鈥檚 prestigious awards, and on Thursday 4 September, the National Symposium explored the Academy鈥檚 landmark report examining the capabilities Australia requires to meet our national ambitions: Australian Science, Australia鈥檚 Future: Science 2035.
We are grateful to our generous 2025 event partners, who made this event possible:
The final day of Science at the Shine Dome 2025 was dedicated to the 2025 National Symposium, in which the Academy launched one of the most ambitious policy efforts in its history: a report systematically assessing Australia鈥檚 science capability against its future needs, titled Australian Science, Australia鈥檚 Future: Science 2035.
Read the full report Read the abridged report
Chair of the advisory panel for the report Professor Ian Chubb AC shared how, about 18 months ago, he and others in the Academy were reflecting on how Australia had built capacity at different stages of its history.
鈥淲e asked whether we still invest in expertise that will give us the capacity should or when we need it. That same expertise is our entry to the global bank of knowledge where we are 3% depositors but where we get to learn from others and influence the big decisions with worldwide significance,鈥� Professor Chubb said.
鈥淲hen we decided on Australian Science, Australia鈥檚 Future, the Academy did not want to add yet another glossy report full of slogans and good intentions. Or, less generously, add yet another way to gather dust on shelves, prop open doors or take up space on laptops. We wanted to use the available data to prepare the most comprehensive analysis of Australia鈥檚 present science capability that we could.
鈥淲e aimed to answer an apparently simple question: does the science we have match the science we need, or might need?鈥�
He said they were inspired by the Intergenerational Report produced by the Commonwealth Government in 2023, which sets out the five pressures Australia will face in the coming decades.
鈥淪o, we refined our question. We asked: what science capability would Australia need to meet those challenges, and build an economy that supports a better future for all Australians? We set out to complete the most comprehensive analysis of Australia鈥檚 science system undertaken to date 鈥� not just to count what we have, but to test whether it is fit for purpose,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e asked: if Australia is to lift its investment in R&D, where should that investment be directed? What capability do we need to strengthen, and what capability do we need to build almost from scratch?鈥�
Professor Chubb was joined by the Academy鈥檚 Head Science Policy and Advice Dr Hayley Teasdale, to discuss the findings of the report.
The report drew on data dashboards, expert workshops, and foresight techniques, to map scientific capability and shortfalls across three major challenge areas:
Based on these challenges, the report identified the following eight science capabilities increasing most in demand over the coming decade:
Read our landmark report:
鈥� 精东视频 (@Science_Academy)
This was followed by two panel discussions.
One, on the practical implications of the findings, featured:
After a short break, the second panel on the implications for the Strategic Examination of Research and Development featured:
The third day of Science at the Shine Dome 2025 began with the final group of 2025 new Fellows presentations, led by Professor Rajeev Varshney, who has made significant advances in developing and applying large-scale genomic resources to crop management.
鈥淚'm an agricultural scientist, and we know that agriculture and food is facing lots of global challenges,鈥� Professor Varshney said, adding that overpopulation, climate change and ongoing geopolitical conflicts were presenting serious threats to food security, particularly in developing countries.
鈥淭he good news is that here in Australia, we play a very key role to contributing towards food and nutrition security around the world ... So, what agricultural scientists in Australia are doing 鈥� when I say agriculture, [I mean] not only the geneticists, but the entire agriculture community, including agronomers, pathologists, etc. 鈥� we are working towards enhancing yield, quality, and production area.鈥�
Professor Varshney explained how he and colleagues have spent the decades working to understand the genetics of different agronomic traits such as drought and disease resistance, and yield.
They recently completed genome sequencing of around 10,000 chickpea lines. Along with organising training courses to boost local genomics and breeding skills, he said several high-yield, climate-resilient, nutritious varieties of chickpea have been released in India and some African countries.
Professor Guoxiu Wang then spoke about their internationally acclaimed work improving the safety and efficiency of lithium batteries, followed by Professor Nicole Webster, whose research on marine microbes has reached from the west coast of Australia to the Great Barrier Reef and down to Antarctica 鈥� delivering transformational insights into coral reef microbiology and pioneering the application of molecular tools.
Before breaking for morning tea, Professor Tony Weiss shared his 鈥渆lastic journey鈥� into the spring-like molecule tropoelastin, which is crucial for most vertebrates.
The audience then heard from the winners of the premier honorific awards: Professor Yuri Kivshar, recipient of the 2025 Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture, and Professor Jane Visvader, recipient of the 2025 Ruby Payne-Scott Medal and Lecture.
Professor Visvader, who began her career in plant virology before ending up researching breast cancer, said her award reflects the hard work of many talented postdoctoral students, collaborators and mentors who she has worked with during the last several decades.
She noted that breast cancer is a 鈥渧ery heterogeneous disease ... and this impacts on clinical behaviour and response.鈥�
鈥淔rom the start, our laboratory has tried to understand mechanisms that lead to breast cancer through the prism of normal breast development,鈥� she said.
Professors Visvader and Kivshar received their medals at the Gala Dinner later on Wednesday night.
Next, the audience was taken on a tour from the diversity of life on Earth through to how Bayesian statistics are being used for planetary protection, by two recipients of the Academy鈥檚 career honorific awards: Professor Steven Chown (awarded the 2025 Suzanne Cory Medal) and Professor Noel Cressie (awarded the 2025 Hannan Medal).
During the lunch break, an invitation-only event was held for all Academy awardees, donors and sponsors.
After the break, we also heard from: 2025 Jaeger Medal winner Professor Hugh O鈥橬eill, 2025 David Craig Medal winner Professor Alison Rodger, 2025 Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal winner Professor George Willis, 2025 Nancy Millis Medal winner Associate Professor Natasha Hurley-Walker, and 2025 Jacques Miller Medal winner Professor James Hudson.
Next up were the medal presentations for winners of the early-career honorific awards:
鈥� Electrochemist Dr 鈥攐ur 2025 Le F猫vre Medal recipient鈥攊s using renewable electricity to help move us all to a circular carbon economy where recycling carbon reduced our reliance on fossil fuels.
鈥� 精东视频 (@Science_Academy)
The 2025 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award was presented to Dr Mitchell Gibbs and Associate Professor Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch. Read more about their work.
The 2025 Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award was then presented to Rebecca Greening and Dr Nina Wootton, for their research investigating ecosystem productivity and microplastics.
On Wednesday evening, Minister for Science and Minister for Industry and Innovation Senator the Hon Tim Ayres delivered the at the Academy鈥檚 Gala Dinner, which was supported by the University of Sydney.
Our thanks to Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Minister for Science and Minister for Industry and Innovation for addressing our Gala Dinner tonight. ().
鈥� 精东视频 (@Science_Academy)
Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC also spoke, remarking that the last few days had reminded him how lucky we are in Australia.
鈥淕ee, we are a lucky country. Not only because of our mineral wealth and democratic stability 鈥� which we must never take for granted,鈥� Professor Jagadish said.
鈥淲e are lucky that so many Fellows, around half of which were born overseas, call Australia home. Lucky that our research is of the highest quality. So good that it is developed into technologies 鈥� too often by other countries. Lucky that our researchers are such prolific international collaborators enabling Australia to access 97% of the knowledge generated elsewhere, and adapted to the needs of our people.鈥�
He added that our research capability is something we should never take for granted 鈥� and that tomorrow, on the final day of Science at the Shine Dome, the Academy鈥檚 National Symposium would explore the capability gaps that must be addressed now, as part of the report 鈥楢ustralian Science, Australia鈥檚 Future: Science 2035鈥�.
On Tuesday morning, the 2025 Fellows were formally admitted to the Academy and invited to sign their names in the historic Charter Book, which was a gift to the Academy from the UK Royal Society when the 精东视频 was founded in 1954 by Royal Charter.
Their signatures join those of esteemed peers from the 71 years of the Academy鈥檚 history 鈥� including Emeritus Professor Dorothy Hill, Sir David Attenborough and Sir Mark Oliphant, alongside the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Join us LIVE tomorrow morning for Day 2 of Science at the Shine Dome 2025. Beginning at 8:30am AEST, witness the admission of our newest Fellows when they'll sign our historic Charter Book.
鈥� 精东视频 (@Science_Academy)
Did you know that HRH Prince Philip was present at the Shine Dome when Her Majesty the鈥�
The 26 Fellows of the Academy elected in 2025 are:
Nobel laureate Professor Donna Strickland FAA FRS from the University of Waterloo and Professor Hiroaki Suga FAA from the University of Tokyo were also elected as Corresponding Members 鈥� eminent international scientists with strong ties to Australia who have made outstanding contributions to science.
Professors Strickland, Suga, Leinweber and G枚tz were unable to attend the ceremony in Canberra in person this year.
Find out more about each of the 2025 Fellows.
Theoretical cosmologist Professor Tamara Davis said it was 鈥渁 huge honour鈥� to have been elected as a Fellow of the 精东视频.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e joining a group where everybody is trying to improve the world in some way through their science,鈥� Professor Davis said.
She cited being taken outside to see Halley鈥檚 Comet as a child and wondering how humans could know it would reappear in 75 years as her earliest memory of being intrigued by astronomy.
鈥淲hen I look at the vastness of space, it makes me realise just how precious our Earth is here ... [it] makes you think about all of these petty struggles that we鈥檙e having here on Earth. What do they mean compared to the importance of looking after our planet?鈥�
Professor Davis began her presentation by taking the audience back to the discovery of the expansion of the Universe, before sharing her 鈥渁dventures into the dark side鈥�.
The presentations by the new Fellows spanned from the expansion of the Universe to the crucial role of microbes in supporting life on Earth: with Professor Jeffery Errington being introduced to the stage as someone too modest to tell the audience that he has a bacterium named after him.
However, on the flipside of maintaining a healthy planet, Professor Errington shared how much of his career has focused on the terrible infectious diseases that microbes can cause.
After a break for lunch, the new Fellows presentations continued, with immunologist Professor Gabrielle Belz taking a moment to thank the teams she has worked with during her career.
鈥淪cience, for all of us, doesn't occur in a void,鈥� Professor Belz said.
鈥淚t depends on the contributions of extremely talented and committed students, postdoctoral fellows, and those international and national collaborators with which and whom we want to discuss our science.鈥�
The audience also heard how, as a high school student in China, seeing harm caused to fish by fertiliser led Professor Deli Chen to study soil science and aquaculture.
Professor Chen went on to become an internationally recognised authority on the efficiency of nitrogen fertiliser use and its impact on global food security.
Professor Xiaojing Hao鈥檚 presentation, on developing cost-effective thin-film semiconductor materials to harvest sunlight for future photovoltaic products and applications, led to an engaging discussion with an audience member.
After a break for afternoon tea, Chief Defence Scientist at the Department of Defence and Academy Fellow Professor Tanya Monro AC FAA FTSE gave the Platinum Partner Address.
Professor Monro said the Fellows represented the pinnacle of our R&D system.
鈥淚 thank you for everything you do to make our nation stronger and cleverer through science,鈥� Professor Monro said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my mission and my passion to make sure that more of government鈥檚 decisions are informed by data and evidence, and I thank you for your contribution to that.鈥�
In the next segment of new Fellows presentations, Professor Jessica Purcell took the audience back to the time of Euclid of Alexandria, the Greek mathematician often referred to as 鈥榯he father of modern geometry鈥�, and his five fundamental postulates.
However, Professor Purcell noted that hyperbolic geometry was not discovered for another roughly 2,000 years after Euclid, illustrating that 鈥淛ust because something is overlooked does not mean that it is unimportant,鈥� she said.
The day was capped by the Spring Soiree Networking Function, presented by GSK, including the presentation of the GSK 2025 Award for Research Excellence. was made to world-leading virologist and Academy Fellow Professor Eddie Holmes for his work on AI-based disease detection.
The first day of Science at the Shine Dome 2025 kicked off with the mentee meet and greet for the Asia-Pacific Academic Mentoring Program.
This program, now in its second year, connects early-career researchers with senior science mentors, to guide young scientists from developing nations within the region to become future leaders in academia.
The Asia-Pacific Academic Mentoring Program is facilitated by the International Science Council (ISC) (RFP-AP) hosted by the 精东视频.
On Monday, 21 mentees attended, along with five ISC RFP-AP staff members.
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Next up, there were multiple professional development opportunities for early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs): 75 EMCRs participated in workshops on grant writing, science in international affairs and diplomacy, and Future Earth Australia鈥檚 national strategy.
At the same time, the ISC held its Advisory Council Meeting, which was by invitation only.
The EMCR Forum also held its Executive Meeting today.
After a break for lunch, the Shine Dome was host to the 10th Falling Walls Lab Australia Finale, where the winners from each of the five state labs gave a three-minute presentation on their research or innovative idea. They were competing for the chance to represent Australia at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin on 7 November 2025.
The 精东视频 has been hosting the Falling Walls Lab Australia competition since 2016 in partnership with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Canberra.
Ms Sigrid Sommer, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy Canberra, congratulated all finalists for making it this far, given there is such a 鈥渃ompetitive and highly skilled research landscape across Australia.鈥�
"Your talent, dedication, and independent thinking are an inspiration, and could help us to solve the complex challenges we face today." 鈥� Ms Sigrid Sommer, Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy Canberra
鈥� 精东视频 (@Science_Academy)
This year鈥檚 finale was hosted by Dr Emma-Anne Karlsen, the 2023 Falling Walls Lab Australia winner, and Academy Fellow Professor Hans Bachor AM FAA.
The event drew a large crowd, with 177 people filling the Shine Dome鈥檚 Ian Wark theatre and many more watching online.
The crowd heard from 11 finalists:
After a break for refreshments while the jury deliberated, Dr Emma-Anne Karlsen shared how attending the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin in 2023 felt like a truly unique experience.
鈥淎s scientists, we so often exist in these silos, where we go to our oncology conference and speak to our oncology friends,鈥� Dr Karlsen said.
鈥淲hereas this was just an amazing adult science fair, where you got to interact with so many different people from so many different backgrounds, and get exceptionally fresh perspectives on your work, and how you can scale it up, but also apply it to different areas.鈥�
All finalists were presented with a certificate of participation in the finale.
Australia鈥檚 Chief Scientist Professor Tony Haymet, who chaired the jury, then announced the winners.
Mabel Day of the University of Adelaide was awarded first place by the jury, as well as winning the People鈥檚 Choice Award.
Dr Auriane Drack of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute / University of Melbourne took second place, while Khoi Nguyen of Burnet Institute was awarded third place.
The three winners will now represent Australia at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin on 7 November 2025.
Congratulations to all finalists!
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