Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) is an independent, non-governmental organisation devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It has its origins in the Social Science Research Council of Australia, founded in 1942.

The Academy was established in 1971 to recognise and champion excellence in the social sciences and to provide evidence-based advice on a range of social policy issues.

The Academy consists of an elected Fellowship of almost 700 distinguished Australian social science researchers and professionals who work together to:

1942 – Members of the Australian National Research Council propose the establishment of a Social Science Research Council.

1943 – The Australian National Research Council considers the proposal and establishes a Social Science Research Committee.

1952 – Nine years later, the Social Science Research Committee resolves to become an autonomous body. A draft constitution for the new body is accepted by the Australian National Research Council and all members of the Committee are invited to become members of the new Social Science Research Council of Australia.

1953 – The new Council holds its first meeting with a membership of 44.

1957 – The Social Science Research Council becomes an incorporated association.

1970 – The Council adopts a recommendation that it become the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.

1971 – The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia is incorporated on 7 July 1971. The 96 members of the Council become Fellows of the Academy.

ASSA's functions were originally fulfilled through the Social Science Research Council of Australia, which was founded in 1942. A timeline of events leading up to ASSA's formation in 1971 is as follows:

Panel A: , Demography, Geography, Linguistics, Sociology, Management.

Anthropology

Panel B: , Economics, Economic History, Marketing, Statistics.

Accounting

Panel C: , Law, Philosophy, Political Science.

History

Panel D: , Psychology, Social Medicine.

Education

Fellows of the Academy include Australia’s leading researchers and practitioners across the breadth of social science disciplines, as well as a number of honorary Fellows (those who have made significant contributions to the social sciences beyond research), and overseas Fellows working outside of Australia.

To become a Fellow of the Academy individuals must be nominated by three existing Fellows, and have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to one or more fields of social science research or practice in Australia. Nominations are considered by the Academy’s disciplinary Panels, by independent assessors, then by the Membership Committee before being put to a vote of Academy Fellows in a general ballot.

As of 2020, there are over 680 Fellows of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (FASSA). On election, each Fellow is assigned to one of four panels, depending on their discipline:

President (Chair): (2019–2021)

Jane Hall

Immediate Past President: (2019–2020)

Glenn Withers

Treasurer: (2019–2021)

Wai Fong Chua

International Secretary: (2014–2021)

James J. Fox

Chair, Public Forums & Communication Committee: (2018–2020)

Richard Holden

Chair, Policy & Advocacy Committee: (2019–2021)

Sue Richardson

Chair, Workshop Committee: (2014–2020)

J. Michael Innes

Chair, Panel A: (2020–2022)

Neal Ashkanasy

Chair, Panel B: (2019–2021)

Kevin Fox

Chair, Panel C: (2019–2021)

Kate Darian-Smith

Chair, Panel D: (2018–2020)

Kevin McConkey

CEO:

Chris Hatherly

The Academy is an incorporated association and a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. It is governed by an elected President and Executive Committee responsible for strategy and direction, and its National Office is led by a CEO responsible for day to day management.

Sub-Committees of the Executive include the Finance Committee, the Membership Committee, the Policy and Advocacy Committee, the Public Forums and Communications Committee and the Workshops Committee.

The President serves a three-year term with an additional year as President-Elect and two-years as Immediate Past-President.

From 1 January 2020, the Committee is composed of

The Academy’s National Office is located in Canberra on the grounds of the Australian National University. A small team of staff work closely with the Academy’s committees and Fellows to manage all aspects of the Academy’s programs.

Cunningham Lecture — presented by an eminent social scientist as part of the Annual events immediately following the Symposium. The Cunningham Lecture is named in honour of Professor Kenneth Stewart Cunningham, Founding President of the Social Science Research Council.

Fay Gale Lecture — presented each year by a distinguished female social scientist.

Keith Hancock Lecture — presented each year by a distinguished social scientist nominated by the Academy Fellows.

Paul Bourke Lectures — presented each year by each recipient of the Paul Bourke Awards for Early Career Research.

Peter Karmel Forum — held each year to provoke public discussion on a particular policy of Australian government, the policy making process itself, or comparisons of policies or policy processes found in Australia with those found in other jurisdictions.

Other Academies[edit]

There are three other learned Academies in Australia, those of Humanities (Australian Academy of the Humanities), Science (Australian Academy of Science) and Technological Sciences and Engineering (Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering). The four Academies cooperate through the National Academies Forum, formed in 1995.