News

‘Earth Materials in our Lives’ is the theme for this year’s Earth Science Week.

Check our Member Organisations’ websites to see what activities there may be around you. You can find the links to the websites on our home page www.agc.org.au/

Alternatively create an event of your own.

The Australian Geoscience Council, representing over 8000 geoscientists in Australasia, is excited to announce the opening of the AGC Indigenous Scholarship. The scholarship, providing $5000 per annum, will be available to Indigenous Australians, who have completed at least the first year of their undergraduate geoscience degree at a University in Australia. The scholarship will be available to go towards the cost associated with education fees, books and other costs.

To find out more about the scholarship and links to the online application form visit
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www.agc.org.au/australian-geoscience-council-indigenous-scholarship/

You can also find the listing on the Aurora Education Foundation Indigenous Scholarships website

www.indigenousscholarships.com.au/

The Australian Geoscience Council (AGC) and the Australian Academy of Science (Academy) take great pleasure in announcing the recipients of the 34th International Geological Congress Travel Grant Scheme. This year the travel grant has been awarded to three early career geoscientists who intend to use the grants to attend International Geoscience conferences and conduct field and laboratory work to advance their research Objectives.

All three grant recipients will be actively involved in the conferences they attend, whether it be as presenters, running workshops or organising conference sessions. They aim to present their research findings to international audiences and further their experience by collaborating with leading researchers at Universities in the UK, US and Canada.

A diverse range of applications were received and these three applications were selected, based on merit, to share the funding pool of nearly $15 000. The Travel Grants have been made possible through a trust fund administered by AGC and the Academy, which was set up after the 34th International Geological Congress held in Brisbane in August 2012.

Past recipients of the 34th International Geological Congress Travel Grants have attended conferences, completed field work, carried out ground breaking laboratory work in places like Greenland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Chile, Canada, Croatia and Japan. All recipients are asked to provide a short report on their experiences and achievements they have gained through the travel grants. You can read some of the past reports on the AGC website at www.agc.org.au/resources/geoscience-grants/previously-awarded-travel-grants/

To find out more about the 34th International Geological Congress Travel Grant Scheme for Early-Career Australian and New Zealand Geoscientists and how to apply for a grant go to 34th IGC Travel Grants
Previously awarded travel grants

To find out more about the 34th International Geological Congress Travel Grant Scheme for Early-Career Australian and New Zealand Geoscientists and how to apply for a grant go to 34th IGC Travel Grants

Applications are no longer being accepted for the 2019 round of our 34th International Geological Congress Travel Grant Scheme for Early-Career Australian and New Zealand Geoscientists. This scheme provides funds to support travel by Australian and New Zealand geoscientists in the early stages of their careers.

The application deadline was 16 December 2019. . Check out the details on how to apply and previous grants awarded.

AN INITIATIVE OF THE AUSTRALIAN GEOSCIENCE COUNCIL AND THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE

2015 AGC/AAS Travel Grant recipient Paul Ashwell (at right) during field work in Chile

The December 2019 edition of AGC’s #GeoEdLink GeoEdLink newsletter has been published. This edition includes a wrap of progress with AGC-supported initiatives, what’s on the minds of our Earth and Environmental Science Olympiad candidates, and links to a range of upcoming events in Geoscience and Geoscience education.

The Australian Geoscience Council and the Australian Academy of Science are pleased to announce the latest recipients of a travel grant under our 34th International Geological Congress Travel Grant Scheme for Early-Career Australian and New Zealand Geoscientists. Five geoscientists in the early stages of their careers have received funding to travel internationally to undertake activities that will be of benefit to Geoscience in the Australian region. Read more on their projects here.

As the peak body for Australia’s 8,000 geoscientists, the Australian Geoscience Council (AGC) has strongly welcomed commitments from both the Coalition Government and Australian Labor Party to boost support for the exploration of ‘next generation’ hidden mineral deposits in Australia.

 “While Australia is endowed with significant mineral resources and the resources sector contributes massively to our economy, the ‘easy to find’ minerals of past decades have largely been discovered and exploited” AGC President, Dr Bill Shaw, said today.

Read the Media Release

Read a report by Science and Technology Australia, Australia’s peak body in science and technology – representing about 70,000 Australian scientists and technologists working across all scientific disciplines.

The November/December edition of AGC’s #GeoEdLink GeoEdLink newsletter has been published. This edition includes a wrap of #agcc2018adelaide the successful AGC Convention held during Earth Science Week in October 2018, a synopsis of the new Superstars of STEM with Geoscience links, and an overview of #WeekendGeologyWeekend Geology, a great new initiative to improve the public’s access to Geoscience.#geoscience

In pursuit of its inclusion as a Geoscience advocacy opportunity under the current AGC 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, the Australian Geoscience Council recently appointed Angus M Robinson FAusIMM (CP) to coordinate the process of developing a draft National Geotourism Strategy under the umbrella of the AGC Advocacy Sub-committee.

AGC is pleased to publicly release the Australian Geoscience Tertiary Education Profile 2017. The report summarises data collected in a 15 year longitudinal study of Geoscience departments across Australia, including teaching loads, higher degree completions, staff numbers and other data.

Further information, including links to previous reports, can be found here.

Snapshot of Geoscience in the Australian Tertiary Sector 2003–2017

On 17 October 2018, during the Australian Geoscience Council Convention in Adelaide, we announced two new National Geoscience Champions. Dr Marita Bradshaw and Emeritus Professor David Groves have joined Roy Woodall AO, our inaugural National Geoscience Champion, as leading Australian Geoscientists recognised for their major contributions to our science, craft and art, as evidenced by their technical, leadership, mentoring and collegial endeavours.

Read more about our National Geoscience Champions.

Applications are now being accepted for our 34th International Geological Congress Travel Grant Scheme for Early-Career Australian and New Zealand Geoscientists. This scheme provides funds to support travel by Australian and New Zealand geoscientists in the early stages of their careers.

The application deadline has been extended to 14 December 2018. Check out the details on how to apply and previous grants awarded.

AN INITIATIVE OF THE AUSTRALIAN GEOSCIENCE COUNCIL AND THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE

2015 AGC/AAS Travel Grant recipient Paul Ashwell (at right) during field work in Chile

Earth Science Week 2018 in Australia was dominated by the inaugural AGC Convention “Big Issues and Ideas in Geoscience” (14-18 October in Adelaide).

The Convention program included a stellar line-up of Plenary and Keynote speakers and an innovative Big Issues and Ideas in Geoscience Day that focussed on:

• Our energy trilemma options – security, accessibility and sustainability
• Resource-driven development of Northern and Regional Australia
• Geoscience education and new modes of communication
• Smoothing the impact of boom and bust commodity cycles

There was something for everyone at AGCC 2018, including the comprehensive technical program, events celebrating Diversity in Geoscience, opportunities for Early Career Geoscientists, and the Santos Education Workshop for science teachers.

• We celebrated Geologist’s Day on Sunday 3rd April 2016
• In November 2015, AGC recognised Roy Woodall as our inaugural National Geoscience Champion.
• In August 2015 we released a Position Statement on Recommendations for the General Syllabus for an Undergraduate Degree in the Geosciences.
• The 2015 edition of the VALMIN code is available at www.valmin.org
• In February 2014, AGC became a supporter of the inaugural Australian Earth and Environmental Science Olympiad – read more. Go to the Media Releases to get more information on the inaugural Australian Earth and Environmental Science Olympiad, of which AGC was a sponsor, published in ASEG’s Preview newsletter.
• The National Rock Garden in Canberra was inaugurated in October 2013. A Master Plan for the Garden can be downloaded here (17 Mb file).
• Links to presentations from the UNCOVER Summit held in 2014 are available here. Related presentations from a 2013 session at the ASEG Conference are also available on YouTube.
• Access the AGC’s report AUSTRALIAN GEOSCIENCE TERTIARY EDUCATION PROFILE 2012 is here. This report provides a review of the state of university geoscience education and training and repeats surveys conducted in 2007 and 2010.
• The AGC was the proud sponsor and organiser of the 34th International Geological Congress held in Brisbane from 2-10 August 2012 (www.34igc.org). The 34th IGC General Proceedings report is available for download.