Director's Message
Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue30 1–31 July 2022
RSAA Strategic Initiatives in 2022
In 2021 RSAA ran a very successful Strategic Initiatives process that provided a total of $250,000 to support projects having goals that advanced the mission, culture or funding of the School. The RSAA Executive reviewed the 29 proposals submitted in 2021 and allocated the full $250,000 available to 14 of these proposals (two other proposals were funded separately from the School’s operating budget); for reference, the successful proposals are listed here.
We are proposing to repeat the Strategic Initiatives process in 2022 with the same broad goals: advancing the mission of the School in research, education or outreach; or supporting the reforms of the RSAA Culture Action Plan; or increasing or diversifying the School’s revenue base. There will again be $250,000 available to support strategic initiatives in 2022. Please consider submitting your ideas in response to this Call for Proposals from RSAA staff and graduate students; the proposal template form can be found here. Proposals must be submitted by the deadline of 5pm on Friday, 29 July 2022.
Care with COVID-19
This month we have seen cases of COVID-19 at RSAA rise significantly, as they have in Canberra and around Australia. The Hobart ASA meeting was a contributing factor, but local spread has also been an issue. Please do take care! Masking is tedious, but it’s also both ANU policy and a very effective measure against getting a disease that is at best unpleasant and at worst potentially fatal, or with long-term health consequences. ANU and RSAA are committed to taking sensible precautions, so people with possible symptoms of COVID are asked to stay home, get tested, and isolate as recommended by ACT/NSW health authorities.
Farewell to Lisa Kewley
RSAA this month farewells Lisa Kewley, who is now in the process of moving to the USA and taking up her new role as Director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics (CfA). We thank Lisa for the outstanding work she has done at RSAA as a world-leading researcher, as Director of the ASTRO 3D Centre of Excellence, and as a champion for gender equity at RSAA, ANU and across science as a whole. All the best, Lisa! We look forward to even closer ties in future between RSAA and CfA, both as partners in the Giant Magellan Telescope and as world-leading astronomical research institutions.
Matthew Colless
