The Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council – Eighteenth Meeting

The Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) met at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday 23 April 2008. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister, the Hon Kevin Rudd MP.

The report backs were provided to the Council on follow-up to reports presented at the 22 June 2007 Council meeting. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Tony Burke MP reported back on the report Climate Change in Australia. The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator the Hon Kim Carr, reported back on the report Water for Our Cities.

Two PMSEIC working groups presented reports: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health focusing on maternal, fetal and post-natal health and Science and Technology-led Innovation in Services for Australia Industries. The reports and associated presentations can be accessed below. The views expressed are those of members of the working groups and not necessarily of the Australian Government.

The working group presentations were followed by presentations from two early-career researchers - Dr Yin Paradies and Dr Simon Dunstall. Dr Paradies is a Research Fellow at the Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University and the Centre for Health and Society, University of Melbourne. His research focuses on the impact of racism on Indigenous health as well as anti-racism policy and practice. Dr Dunstall is Leader for Adaptive Supply Networks at the CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences. His research focuses on adaptive supply networks particularly in the wine, dairy and steel industries. Their presentations highlighted their respective career paths and fields of research and can be accessed below.