Day 1: Tuesday, 27 October 2009

Research: Building bridges through knowledge translation

14:00 - 14:55
Theatre
National Library of Australia

From the : 2009 HASS on the Hill program

This session will look at where humanities, creative arts and social sciences should be making a major contribution to meeting the policy challenges before Australia. An expert panel will look at effective approaches for the sharing and exchange of knowledge between government and university based researchers, in order to enhance the evidence-base upon which Government policies are designed, implemented and evaluated.

The following people are participating in the Research: Building bridges through knowledge translation discussion.

• Professor Penny D Sackett

Chief Scientist for Australia

• Emeritus Professor Meredith Edwards AM

University of Canberra, CHASS Board

• Dr Jeff Harmer

Secretary of the Department of Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)

Professor Penny D Sackett

Professor Penny D Sackett began her appointment as Chief Scientist for Australia in November 2008. Professor Sackett is an accomplished cross-disciplinary scientist with a record of academic excellence on three continents. She is highly respected in the national and international communities of science and technology, both for her research and her proven experience in research management.

A physicist by training and an astronomer by profession, Professor Sackett was most recently Director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories (2002 - 2007) at the Australian National University. Other previous appointments include the J. Seward Johnson Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study in Princeton (USA), Program Director at the US National Science Foundation, and Chaired Professor at the University of Groningen (NL).

As Chief Scientist for Australia, Professor Sackett provides high-level independent advice to the Prime Minister and other Ministers on matters relating to science, technology and innovation. She is the Executive Officer to the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council, leading foresighting activities to identify long-term challenges and opportunities for Australia that can be addressed, in part, through science. Subsequent gap analysis leads to public reports that conclude with whole-of-government recommendations to assist in equipping the nation to meet uncertain and transformational futures.

Professor Sackett also holds a number of ex-officio roles including being a member of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) Advisory Board and the Rural Research and Development Council.

Professor Sackett is an advocate for Australian science internationally and a visible contributor to science diplomacy. She also focuses national thinking on science across the states and territories through the Forum of Australian Chief Scientists. An equally important part of the Chief Scientist's role is to be a champion of science and research in the community, with a special brief to promote science as a career and help break down the cultural barriers that inhibit collaboration between researchers and industry. Finally, Professor Sackett is a communicator of science to the general public, promoting the understanding of, contribution to and enjoyment of science and evidence-based thinking.

Emeritus Professor Meredith Edwards

Meredith Edwards is Emeritus Professor at the University of Canberra and a Senior Consultant for Courage Partners. She is an economist who has been a lecturer, researcher, policy analyst and administrator through her career.

From 1983 to 1997, she advised on some major social policy, education and labour market issues in the Commonwealth Public Service, including in the role of Deputy Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from 1993. She served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra from 1997 to 2002, and set up the National Institute for Governance in 1999, of which she was Director until 2004.

In 2001, Meredith published a book Social Policy, Public Policy: From Problem to Practice based on case studies she was involved in during her career in the Commonwealth Public Service. Her current major research interests are issues relating to the governance of public sector boards, the research-policy relationship, and community engagement. Meredith was a member of the Wran Committee on Higher Education Funding (1988-1989) and a member of the Australian Statistics Advisory Council (1988-90 and 1994-2001).

She is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), and was President of the Economic Society of Australia and New Zealand (ACT Branch) from 1994-1996. Meredith chaired a review of the research program of ANZSOG in 2007.

Dr Jeff Harmer

Jeff is currently Secretary of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. He began his career in the Federal Public Service in early 1978 following 5 years as a doctoral scholar and tutor at the University of NSW.

After a range of policy analysis and advising positions in the Departments of Housing, Social Security and Finance, Jeff was promoted into the Senior Executive Service in early 1985. Since then Jeff has occupied a range of executive positions across a range of Commonwealth Departments. In 1994, Jeff was promoted to the Deputy Secretary position in the Department of Housing and Regional Development and in 1996 Jeff was recruited to the position of Deputy Secretary of the Department of Social Security. Jeff was appointed Managing Director of the Health Insurance Commission in April 1998. In March 2003, Jeff was appointed Secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training. He was appointed Secretary of the then Department of Family and Community Services in October 2004. Jeff led the Department through the changes arising from the addition of the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination to it in 2006 and the post 2007 election changes resulting in the Department being renamed as Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

In the 2008 Budget Jeff was appointed as a member of the panel, to be chaired by Dr Ken Henry, to review Australia's Future Tax System. The panel will report to Government at the end of 2009.

Jeff has a keen interest in social policy, management, leadership and organisational change and development.