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Promoting Understanding of Science
WINNER - Professor Richard Kingsford
Australia's ‘Dr Duck' Takes a Bow
The man credited with saving the last free-flowing river of the Murray Darling Basin has been awarded the Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science.
Environmental scientist and aquatic ecologist Professor Richard Kingsford has spearheaded water management for Australia's rivers and wetlands. Affectionately nicknamed Dr Duck, Professor Kingsford has ‘adopted' major water resources, such as the Murray-Darling basin, as if they were his own.
This prize is part of the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, the Oscars of Australian science. Coveted among science prizes, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes were announced at a glittering event in Sydney on 19 August attended by a ‘who's who' of Australian science, government, academia and industry.
Kingsford's approach to raising awareness of Australia's inland rivers, wetlands and their dependent communities has added profoundly to the promotion and understanding of science in Australia. His events, research and teaching are renowned. His less conventional work includes government lobbying and on-site science activities and conferences at rivers and wetlands.
Australian Museum Director, Frank Howarth says, "Professor Kingsford is a scientist willing to go far beyond the usual boundaries of scientific research, teaching and publishing. His activities take the science and issues of Australia's waters to the public, especially people living around inland Australian rivers."
Professor Kingsford works across all levels, from landholders to politicians. He recently organised conferences on the river banks of the Macquarie River and Cooper Creek, creating wide community interest and participation. As a result, there has been a flourishing of local interest in river health.
At a legislative level, Professor Kingsford has had significant wins with policy changes, improvements in river health and economically viable solutions to environmental problems. In 2007, he identified deficiencies in the management of the Murray Darling Basin. Key breeding sites for birds were being destroyed. As a result of his lobbying, funding was given to alleviate the problem and new policies are now being developed. A major outcome of his work is the $105 million River Bank Program, the first national program to systematically buy back irrigation water licences for the benefit of the environment.
His commitment and dedication saved the Paroo River, the last free-flowing river of the Murray-Darling Basin. The river is now a National Park and has been named a Wetland of International Importance.
"We live on the driest inhabited continent. We can show our sophistication in looking after the planet, by valuing water as the new conservation currency," says Professor Kingsford.
Professor Kingsford created the Australian Flood Plain Association, chairs the Scientific Advisory Panel on the Nature Conservation Council's Environmental Water Trust and is a member of the NSW Ministerial Water Advisory Council and the scientific sub-committee of the Taronga Zoological Board.
The $10,000 Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science is awarded to an individual, group or organisation for an outstanding and innovative program of science outreach delivered within the past 3 years. The prize is sponsored by the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research through the Science Connections Program (SCOPE) of his Department.
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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, group or organisation for an outstanding and innovative program of science outreach delivered within the past 3 years.
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, 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?
NOTE: In assessing entries, Judges will give preference to science outreach programs that are ongoing during the 12 months prior to the closing date for entries.
Conditions of entry
The prize is open to individuals, groups or organisations. 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 three (3) 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
- -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 close 5pm AEST Friday 2 May 2008. Hard copy entries will not be considered until and unless an online entry form has been completed.
Completed entries must be received by the Australian Museum no later than 5pm AEST on Friday 9 May 2008. Entries delivered to the Australian Museum after this time will not be considered.
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.
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. Complete an online entry form
Complete the online entry form by 5pm AEST on Friday 2 May 2008. Make sure you print a copy.
2. Prepare five (5) sets of the entry, with each set consisting of:
1. a printed copy of the online entry form as submitted
2. a brief description of the activity entered, including objectives and results to date (two page maximum)
3. a brief description of how the activity entered addresses each of the judging criteria (two page maximum)
4. a maximum of four (4) written reports addressing each of the judging criteria from assessors who are familiar with the entered program. 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.
3. Submit the entry
Submit five (5) complete and separate sets of the entry clipped together (not bound). Please do NOT bother with elaborate presentation when submitting the entry. This will be removed before material is sent to judges. The five (5) sets of the entry should be sent to:
Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science
Australian Museum
6 College Street
SYDNEY NSW 2010
4. DEADLINE for submission of entries
The five (5) sets of the entry must be received at the Australian Museum by 5pm AEST on Friday 9 May 2008. Entries received after this time will not be considered.
