The Royal Society of Victoria is our State’s scientific society, founded in 1854. The Society convenes an independent community of science practitioners, educators, industrialists and enthusiasts to promote the understanding and utilisation of scientific knowledge for the benefit of the State of Victoria. Membership is open to any individuals or organisations keen to be involved.
We broker engagement between practitioners of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine (STEMM) and the broader Victorian community, seeking to improve general scientific literacy, evidence-based decision making and the translation of scientific knowledge into purposeful actions in our State.
Headquartered on Wurundjeri land in a heritage-listed building at 8 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, the Society provides a statewide program of outreach, partnerships, lectures, forums, programs and projects. A further overview of who we are and what we do is available at our About Us page.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- Stricter regulation at the state and federal level can reduce the number of illicit vapes available and the associated toxic chemicals inhaled by users. But e-cigarettes still pose a health risk, as nicotine is inherently addictive and increases the risk of serious health conditions. Some single disposable e-cigarettes for sale in Australia contain as much nicotine as 20 packets of cigarettes.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- Often, very good ideas can float around the government sector for a long time without being taken up and enshrined in legislation or policy. One challenge for science policy professionals is how to present these ideas in a way that is compelling and timely for today’s decision-makers. This can be difficult when there is no good reason that an idea was not adopted in the first place, and its political moment has passed.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- A hundred years ago, a worn shirt would get patched, a blunt saw sharpened, a bottle refilled, a nappy washed, a razor blade changed. Now, the market drives us towards disposal. Those who sell products into the economy must have some level of financial or logistical responsibility for their end-of-life management. The potential for private benefit at public cost justifies government intervention.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- The voice of scientific expertise was difficult to establish in this emotionally charged Folbigg case. It required a sustained campaign by a team of friends, philanthropists, scientists and legal professionals. The science team worked tirelessly to amass further genetic evidence that explained her children’s deaths and ensure it was, finally, given adequate consideration.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- Political expediency cannot defeat the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry. If we continue to change the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, the world will continue to warm, extreme weather and fire events will become increasingly normal, and humans and other life forms will suffer, greatly. Professor Euan Ritchie argues that what’s needed, more than anything else, is honesty.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- The great divide between evidence-based research and government policy is complex. Scientists have been calling on governments to address anthropogenic climate change for decades, seeking policies that align with their research findings, but there has been no rush to respond and, unfortunately, climate change is not the only example of this. So why, despite scientific evidence, does so little translate into policy and action?
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- The Australian government recently released a new National Science Statement, aiming to shape “science policy and leadership across governments, in our labs, in research institutions and in boardrooms”. Don Williams critically assesses the Statement, locating positive elements and potential risks, and examining links to the broader policy agenda.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- The intrinsic mismatch between curiosity-led scientific work with a policy agenda focused on reducing financial costs through commercial forces leads to disregard for scientific information, system fragmentation, increased complexity, and the atomisation of accountability as common consequences of introducing competition to previously unified systems.
- Thursday, 31 October, 2024
- Announcing our 2024 prize winners! Every year, final year PhD candidates present their doctoral studies to the Royal Society of Victoria, competing for four prizes across four categories that recognise excellence in Victoria’s early career scientists. Our eight finalists present under the four categories: Biological Sciences, Biomedical & Health Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Physical Sciences.
