Politics

Here’s the good news in the federal government scrapping the Women in STEM Ambassador program

- June 5, 2024 3 MIN READ

Last week, Science and Industry Minister Ed Husic announced with little fanfare that the position of Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador would be discontinued, effective three days later. The role was created in October 2018 “to encourage girls and women to study and work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields”. Astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith… Read more »

Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith
Politics

Science sector waits for government response to diversity review as minister Ed Husic tinkers with its findings

- May 31, 2024 3 MIN READ

Nearly four months after the landmark Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review, handed its final recommendations to industry and science minister Ed Husic and his department, the sector is still waiting for a formal response from the government. But this week, Husic implemented the first change in the wake of the report, calling time on the… Read more »

Diversity

Startup investment still has far to travel on diversity – here’s what we need to think about

- March 8, 2024 6 MIN READ

I’ve written about how, in general, I think the Aussie startup investment industry is doing pretty well following the release of the Cut Through Ventures 2023 State of Startup Funding report, despite all the volatility of recent years. I’ve also written about some of the more interesting revelations of the report which really highlighted how investors and… Read more »

Dr Memoona Anwar
Women in Tech

From Pakistan to the US Patent Office: How former Data Zoo intern Dr Memoona Anwar led the way on diversity in innovation 

- October 25, 2023 3 MIN READ

When she was growing up in rural Pakistan, Dr Memoona Anwar’s father had to fight for his daughter’s right to have an excellent education.    Today, Anwar is a PhD qualified expert in digital identity and a named co-innovator on a US patent awarded in September to Data Zoo, where she is Chief Compliance & Innovation… Read more »

Old Hollywood photo of couple looking at a book
Women in Tech

A new report into STEM equity shows tech still has a massive and ongoing gender diversity problem

- July 27, 2023 2 MIN READ

The technology sector’s gender diversity problem is to continue for the foreseeable future according to this year’s STEM Equality Monitor. However however the tech sector is doing better than other STEM disciplines in offering wage parity between female and male graduates and better prospects for those entering the workforce. Published by the Federal Department of… Read more »

Fleet Space Technologies
Women in Tech

The fact that just 1 in 5 working in the space sector are women is holding back the industry

- May 22, 2023 4 MIN READ

This week, the Australian Space Summit is celebrating some of our nation’s strengths and achievements in the space sector. But it’s taking place under the shadow of significant cuts to space technology investment announced in last week’s federal budget. Space technologies play a critical role in responding to many national priorities, such as climate and… Read more »

team meeting, business
Diversity

Here’s how to achieve diversity in STEM – and why it matters

- November 30, 2022 3 MIN READ

So far over 10 million patients worldwide have benefited from the diagnostic tests for cancer and infectious diseases created by Cicada Innovations incubatee, SpeeDx. In Australia, over 80% of laboratories are also using at least one SpeeDx test to report patient samples. And when COVID-19 hit, the company also manufactured COVID-19 tests and supplied them… Read more »

Sally-Ann Williams
People

Cicada Innovations boss Sally-Ann Williams to lead government review into improving STEM diversity

- November 24, 2022 2 MIN READ

The federal government has asked an independent review panel to find ways to improve diversity and increase the participation of women in Australia’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors. The Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review will be chaired by Cicada Innovations CEO Sally-Ann Williams. Industry and Science minister Ed Husic said the panel… Read more »

team meeting, business
Diversity

ACS Digital Pulse report finds Australia’s IT workforce is growing at double the rate of the general employment rate

- July 20, 2022 2 MIN READ

ACS has released the 2022 edition of ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse, the leading annual report on the state of the IT workforce and digital economy in Australia. The report this year focuses heavily on the issue of diversity in the IT industry as well as the critical demands for IT skills that are driving up wages… Read more »