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An open letter from the Australian Society of Plant Scientists to the ARC

26 August 2021
Dear ASPS members,
Please consider adding your name to this letter from the ASPS executive to the ARC asking for reconsideration of reference to pre-prints within grant applications.

You can add you name to the form at then end of the letter at this link  https://forms.gle/oxqhWLiKZaKiPSBE9

The text of the letter is also included below.
Thank you for your consideration, ASPS executive team.
Dear Professor Thomas

We are writing to you to register our very grave concern regarding the ARC’s implementation of an apparently new policy within the current Discovery Scheme round on the reference to pre-prints within grant applications. We are concerned that this will have serious negative consequences on the funding of high quality research within Australia. We understand this has impacted the recently announced DECRA and Future Fellowships, and hope prompt action can be taken ahead of finalising Discovery Projects for funding in 2022.

The pre-print policy is ambiguous

A very subtle change was made in the Instructions to Applicants in ROPE – Research Outputs which changed the sentence ‘Do not include pre-prints in your research output listing’ to ‘Do not include or refer to pre-prints in your application’. By contrast, the Instructions state that research outputs that are accessible to the research community can be referenced in the Project Description. Given that there was no mention of the change either in the Discovery Scheme Grant Guideline Changes or FAQ documents, it is reasonable for applicants to interpret that pre-prints only need to be excluded from the Research Outputs listing, and that they can be referred to elsewhere. Our understanding is that highly-ranked fellowship applications were ruled ineligible because they referenced a pre-print, but did not list it as an output.

The timing of the eligibility check is inefficient and distressing

The eligibility check with respect to this policy is apparently being conducted specifically for the highly ranked applications after assessments have been completed. This is an unnecessary and avoidable waste of the research community’s efforts invested in the process of assessments and rejoinders. Furthermore, it has undoubtably caused extreme distress to unsuccessful applicants who will have had good reason to feel optimistic about their chances. This is particularly concerning for fellowship applicants, many of whom are already in precarious career situations.

The pre-print policy is inconsistent with international standards

Major funding agencies around the world permit and encourage the reference to pre-prints within grant applications. These include the NIH, UKRI, ERC, Wellcome Trust, HFSP, EMBO and others. The ARC currently accepts various non-peer reviewed research outputs , such as Book Chapters or Editorials, to be listed in grant applications. So we would support inclusion of a pre-print section within the Research Outputs. We are confident the ARC’s assessors are capable of assigning appropriate weight to pre-prints when considering applicants’ track records.

We ask the ARC to immediately reconsider the implementation of this policy to ensure it does not negatively influence the outcomes of the current Discovery Project round for funding commencing in 2022 and prevent the ARC from funding the most promising Australian research. We also encourage the ARC to revisit the current pre-print policy for inclusion as research outputs for funding commencing in 2023 and beyond, so that it is in line with international research funders.

Kind regards,
The ASPS executive

 

Link – https://forms.gle/oxqhWLiKZaKiPSBE9

ASPS 2021 conference and August GPC E-bulletin

23 August 2021

Dear members,

In 2021, the ASPS will run a hybrid conference held concurrently across Australia on the 25th of November. This will involve face-2-face local meetings in most states and include a joint virtual session to celebrate our ASPS award winners. See details in the flyer attached.

In sending this email, we are fully aware that with many states and territories in Australia under lockdown, uncertainty remains. While we are pushing ahead with an optimistic outlook, in the event that F2F meetings cannot be held, online options will be explored. Refunds/registration fee reductions would be available.

Kind regards,

Simon

ASPS Honorary Secretary

The Global Plant Council August E-bulletin can be accessed HERE.

Phytogen out now! GPC e-bulletin available too.

23 July 2021

Hello ASPS members,

The latest  Phytogen is available HERE!

  • National Science Week in coming up. See what ASPS has on offer.
  • Raise your national profile by submitting a 30 sec video

The latest GPC e-bulletin is available HERE!

 

Opportunity to promote your work during National Science Week!

01 July 2021

Dear ASPS Members,

 

We have a unique opportunity to promote your work!  Our President Peter Ryan’s application for funding to support ASPS running National Science Week (14-22 August) activities was successful and many events across Australia are in the process of being organized at QUT, Univ of Newcastle, Southern Cross Univ, Univ of Sydney, ANU, CSIRO, La Trobe Univ, Univ of Melbourne, Monash Univ, Univ of Adelaide and Flinders University).

 

To help engage National Science Week attendees we would like to introduce you and your work to participants – if you are an ASPS member we want to promote you!

 

To achieve this we need you to create a 30 second (mp4) video of yourself delivering four key pieces of information – in the video please tell us (1) your name, (2) your institution, (3) the piece of plant science research that you are most proud of and (4) the most pressing plant science research question you want to resolve in the future.

We need your video files by 25th July. They will be compiled for sharing publicly as part of National Science Week Events, and potentially online in the lead up to the event. Instructions on how to do this are included below.

Thank you in advance,

ASPS WCSC

 

Instructions:

  1. Log into Zoom and create a new meeting
  2. Select ‘record’ and record the meeting to your computer
  3. Record yourself explaining: (1) your name, (2) your institution, (3) the plant science research break through you are most proud of and (4) the most pressing plant science research question you want to resolve in the future. Then stop the recording and stop the meeting (file should be available on your computer). Open the file location and make sure it is 30 seconds or less (re-record if you go over time to keep it to 30 seconds or less).
  4. Check the size and clarity – 30 sec video files should be approximately less than 4000KB, small enough to send via email; also, in Zoom settings you can chose to select a background image relevant to your work (your favorite plant, field site, lab equipment, figure file) – this will make your content more engaging.  30 seconds is about 50-60 spoken words – you can plan your words to ensure clear and simple messages, which are best for engaging all age groups.
  5. Email ausplantsci@gmail.com with your video attached. Thank you!

 

 

____________________________________

Dr Peter R Ryan

President, Australian Society of Plant Scientists

Honorary Fellow, CSIRO Agriculture and Food

PO Box 1700

Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

 

Email: Peter.Ryan@csiro.au

Mob: 0468671565

Your National Science Week event, June Phytogen and GPC e-bulletin

16 June 2021

Dear ASPS Members,

June Phytogen can be accessed HERE.

GPC May e-bulletin can be accessed HERE.

Our Society is organising activities during Science Week (14-22 August) to highlight Australian plant science. The theme of our activities is around “Plant Science Safeguarding our Future Food Security”. A series of short, fun and engaging talks and tours will be organised around the country to explain the pivotal role plant scientists and agriculturists play in feeding and clothing us all. We will present some of our research and explain how it will help meet the challenges posed by a growing world population and a changing climate. We’ll emphasise the diversity of plant science. The fact that some of us wear lab coats and rarely grow a plant in soil, while others conduct field trials or predict yields by satellite. The aim of these sessions is to explain what we do, to highlight its importance to society and hopefully to inspire more young people to consider plant science as an exciting career.

 

The purpose of this email is two-fold:

  1. to prompt members from universities not listed below to consider organising an event. Contact me for details if you’re tempted.
  2. to encourage ASPS members to contact the Science Week coordinators at their own university (below) and offer your assistance. Helpers and speakers do not need to be ASPS members.

 

Contact me if you have questions. Thanks, Peter Ryan

 

Once you have your National Science Week event organised please email Phytogen editor Georgia Koerber  (georgia.koerber@adelaide.edu.au) with a link to your event, a picture and dates  for inclusion in the July issue of Phytogen. June Phytogen can be accessed HERE.

 

Queensland University of Technology – Brett Williams

University of Newcastle – Joseph Pegler (hopefully)

University of Sydney (separate events at the Camperdown and Camden campuses) – Mary Byrne, Brent Kaiser, Robert Park, Marcus Heisler, Claudia Keitel

Australian National University/CSIRO Agriculture and Food – Peter Ryan, Caitlin Byrt, Uli Mathesius

La Trobe University – Kim Johnson, Janet Wheeler

University of Melbourne – Mike Haydon, Michelle Watt

Monash University – Ros Gleadow

University of Adelaide – Megan Sheldon, Beth Loveys, Georgia Koerber, Steve Tyerman, Rachel Burton

Flinders University – Kathy Soole

 

 

 

____________________________________

Dr Peter R Ryan

President, Australian Society of Plant Scientists

Honorary Fellow, CSIRO Agriculture and Food

PO Box 1700

Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

 

Email: Peter.Ryan@csiro.au

Mob: 0468671565

ASPS 2021 conference and AGM.

27 April 2021

Dear ASPS members past and present,

 

Due to the ongoing issues with travel and the pandemic in 2021 the ASPS will run coordinated local face-to-face meetings in states and territories across Australia.

 

We ask members to “Save the Date”

 

ASPS 2021 conference

When: Thursday 25th of November (joint awards session 2-4pm AEDT)

Where: Local state/territory meetings (TBA soon)

 

ASPS AGM

When: Friday 26th of November, 12pm (AEDT)

Where: Online meeting

 

More details will come regarding local venues and registration in May.

 

Cheers,

Simon

 

Honorary Secretary ASPS.

April Phytogen, out now!

23 April 2021

Hello ASPS members.

The April edition of Phytogen is out now and can be accessed HERE.

April Phytogen, out now!

23 April 2021

Hello ASPS members.

The April edition of Phytogen is out now and can be accessed HERE.

Scam warning and GPC April e-bulletin

19 April 2021

Hi ASPS members,

It appears that ASPS Honorary President, Peter Ryan’s email has been compromised and people involved in ASPS are receiving an email from someone impersonating Peter (as the ASPS chair) that ends up in a request for money to help him out. It actually looks very legitimate as it appears to come from an @csiro address.

I’m sending this email because multiple people have got this email. Under no circumstances would Peter request money from any members.

Thanks,

Simon Williams, ASPS Honorary Secretary.

 

The April Global Plant Council E-bulletin can be accessed HERE.

Earth Hour! and March edition of Phytogen

27 March 2021

Hello ASPS members,

Earth Hour is this weekend. More information in the March edition of Phytogen.

The March edition of Phytogen is available HERE.

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