Former Queensland Chief Scientists
Read about the key work produced during the tenures of former Queensland Chief Scientists:
Professor Bronwyn Harch
(October 2022 to mid May 2023)
Professor Bronwyn Harch led two invitation-only breakfast events as part of World Science Festival, that saw guests gather from research, start-ups/SMEs, corporates, venture capitalists and government. Panel discussions moderated by Professor Harch, focused on the space and aeronautical industry, and the biomedical industry in Queensland.
With a focus on regional Queensland, she led several roundtables to seek feedback from rural Queensland and presented at a series of Partner Up Queensland Regional Science and Innovation Network Science events, Business growth through research and development in Cairns, Rockhampton and Gladstone.
During Professor Harch’s tenure, she expanded the Queensland Research Leaders Forum, to include members of leaders of universities, medical research institutes, publicly funded research agencies and senior decision-makers within the Queensland Government to facilitate coordinated collaboration to maximise opportunities in Queensland science. This was an expansion of the earlier Deputy Vice Chancellors (Research) Forum commenced under Dr Garrett and continued with successive Chief Scientists for the state.
A further committee was created by Professor Harch, the Research Translation and Commercialisation Forum which had a focus on the state’s research translation and commercialisation effort. Its purpose was to engage leaders from organisations whose key role is on scientific impact through achieving successful translation and commercialisation outcomes.
Professor Harch published the State of science in Queensland in 2022 , as part of the Health of Queensland Science series.
You can learn more about Professor Harch’s insights into her love of science, grown through farm, family and female inspirations, in the article, Celebrating women in STEM with our Chief Scientist.
Professor Hugh Possingham
(September 2020 to August 2022)
Professor Hugh Possingham oversaw the Engaging Queenslanders in science strategy 2021–24, emphasising the contributions of science to Queensland’s economy and society through increased engagement and access to science. He continued to support programs established by former Queensland Chief Scientists including the Engaging Science Grants, Flying Scientists program and Inspiring Australia Queensland.
He was an active participant in World Science Festival Brisbane and regional events.
He visited a number of regional areas and led multiple educational bird walks across Queensland.
Professor Possingham chaired a multi-disciplinary, independent expert committee to evaluate the effectiveness of the Department of Environment and Science’s crocodile management, science and community education programs. The voluntary Crocodile Management Independent Expert Evaluation Committee conducted a thorough evaluation between May and September 2021, and released its report, Findings from an Independent Evaluation of the Queensland Estuarine Crocodile Management Program .
Professor Possingham authored several communication pieces:
- Mathematicians have more fun – a blog by Professor Hugh Possingham, Queensland Chief Scientist
- From counting birds to speaking out: how citizen science leads us to ask crucial questions
- We're just getting started
- My genius mother, Barbara Possingham
- It’s a new year, and time for new ventures
- Like feather, like son: new Queensland Chief Scientist chats about citizen science and birdwatching .
Professor Paul Bertsch
(February 2019 to June 2020)
Professor Paul Bertsch sought to encourage more students into STEM fields and continued to support the Engaging Science Grants and Citizen Science Grants programs. He launched a program, Partner Up Queensland Regional Science and Innovation Network, funding three positions in regional Queensland to support science and innovation engagement.
During his tenure, Professor Bertsch had strong involvement in the Rapid Research Information Forum, where reports were prepared on behalf of the National Science and Technology Council to deliver timely responses on specific questions raised by the Australian Government in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Scientists across Australia met weekly to address emerging concerns with COVID-19 and science evidence obtained.
Professor Bertsch co-authored the paper, Monitoring wastewater to detect COVID-19 (PDF, 504KB) during his tenure as Queensland Chief Scientist.
He was a strong advocate for synthetic biology, having established a cross-government initiative to synchronise Queensland’s response to develop a biofutures strategy. As part of this, he travelled with the Science Minister to attend the BIO International Conference in 2019 to promote Queensland science’s capability to the world. Additionally, he attended the opening of the Trade and Investment Queensland office in San Francisco and engaged with more than 12 synthetic biology start-ups in the area.
Professor Bertsch also led the successful Queensland bid for the inaugural International Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress and incorporated sustainability themes into public engagement events in subsequent years as well as sustainability and science focused events held with schools for two years.
He chaired an independent review – the Review of the Implementation Plan for the ‘K’gari wongari (Fraser Island Dingo) Conservation and Risk Management Strategy' – to consider the safety of both people and wongari (dingo) on K’gari (Fraser Island).
During Professor Bertsch’s tenure, the Heartbeat of Queensland science 2019 was released, highlighting the need to grow our STEM-knowledgeable community, build our workforce and be well-prepared to transition to Industry 4.0.
Professor Bertsch expanded the Partner Up Queensland program from communications training and linking researchers with industry to taking this to regional Queensland through the Partner Up Queensland Regional Science and Innovation Network which saw the establishment of three nodes in regional Queensland and employment of engagement officers in those centres.
Dr Christine Williams
(July 2017 to December 2018)
As part of her commitment to STEM engagement and education, Dr Christine Williams launched the Queensland Citizen Science strategy and the Queensland Citizen Science Grants to encourage more Queenslanders to participate in citizen science, providing them with opportunities to contribute to scientific research, and learn about science through engaging with scientists.
Dr Williams continued to support programs established by former Queensland Chief Scientists including the Engaging Science Grants, Flying Scientists program and support for Inspiring Australia Queensland.
You can also read her opinions on science in Queensland in two articles:
Professor Suzanne Miller
(mid December 2016 to July 2017)
A strong supporter of STEM education, Professor Miller continued Dr Garrett’s work related to STEM education.
She was a member of the Advance Queensland Innovation Council, the key advisory body established by the Queensland Government to guide the state’s innovation agenda under the Advance Queensland initiative, providing strategic advice to the government on fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth across Queensland.
Professor Miller also led work on acid mine remediation and chaired the Sustainable Fisheries Expert Panel.
She was commissioned by the former Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply, to undertake an assessment of the flooding that occurred in the Sandy Creek Catchment (Mackay), following Tropical Cyclone Debbie.
Dr Geoff Garrett AO
(January 2011 to December 2016)
Dr Garrett introduced the Engaging Queenslanders in science strategy, highlighting the need for a science literate community.
To support engagement between scientists and the community, and to build awareness of science and STEM careers, the Engaging Science Grants program was launched. This also coincided with commissioning of research into Queenslanders’ perceptions and attitudes to science. In reinforcing the need for effective science engagement, Dr Garrett supported investment in World Science Festival Brisbane, Inspiring Australia initiative through Inspiring Australia Queensland, and established the Partner Up Queensland program to link industry with scientists. Dr Garrett also established the Flying Scientists program to address the lack of science events in rural and regional Queensland as identified through the Queenslanders’ perceptions and attitudes to science survey.
To improve collaboration between science research in universities and government, Dr Garret established the Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Research) Forum. Representatives met throughout the year to discuss joint challenges and opportunities in Queensland science, and research and development investment.
Dr Garrett convened a Queensland Floods Science, Engineering and Technology Panel and published a report, Understanding floods: questions and answers to explain clearly the fundamental concepts of floods, including flood causes, impacts, forecasting and flood risk management. You can download the accompanying fact sheet .
Dr Garrett led the following independent reviews:
- Science Capability Audit – Water
- Assessment of Health and Biomedical Science in Queensland
- Science Capability Audit: Geological Survey of Queensland and Safety in Mines Testing and Research Station – Follow-up November 2014
- Science Capability Audit: Geological Survey of Queensland and Safety in Mines Testing and Research Station
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Science Delivery Audit – Follow-up November 2014
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Science Delivery Audit
- Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts (DSITIA) Science Delivery Audit
- Audit of Science Investment and Funding Programs (Innovation and Science Development, DSITIA)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads Applied Science, Engineering and R&D Audit – Follow-up November 2014
- Final Report - Great Barrier Reef Water Science Taskforce May 2016 (PDF, 3.9MB).
Dr Garrett introduced a series of publications providing a snapshot of Queensland science, its strengths and innovation opportunities, titled the Health of Queensland Science, with publications in 2013 , 2014 and 2016 .
He also produced the REDS decision rules , which were guidelines to ensure Queensland’s R&D investments were targeted and impactful.
You can also read his opinion piece, On ‘Bricks to Brains to Business’ … Collaboration – our Achilles heel .
Emeritus Professor Peter Andrews AO
(January 2004 to December 2010)
The inaugural Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Peter Andrews established the Smart State Council to provide high level advice to the Queensland Government on fostering innovation and economic growth. As a result, he oversaw numerous Smart State reports and Smart State council reports.
He was responsible for initiating the Queensland Government R&D expenditure report, which examined research and development expenditure across the Queensland Government.
Professor Andrews was an advocate for science engagement and promotion of Queensland science. He supported the annual Queensland delegation to the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry and the Young Tall Poppy Science Awards, delivered in partnership with the Australian Institute of Policy and Science, to recognise Queensland’s excellent researchers.