Affiliates & Partners

Western Port is listed under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as habitat for migratory species under the Ramsar Convention. Since 2003, the not-for-profit Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation has worked with the community to create a sustainable future for Western Port – environmentally, socially and economically. We do this through research, education, community engagement, partnerships and on-ground conservation efforts.

As well as being a key destination for tourists and those who love the unique environment, Western Port Biosphere is popular with researchers and scientists. It has numerous sites of geomorphological and historical significance and is a region of great biological diversity due to an unusually wide range of habitat types. Western Port Biosphere hosts many significant indigenous plant species and communities, including rare, threatened and vulnerable species such as the endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot.

STAV provides leadership, support, services, programs and resources for all levels of science education in Victoria.

STAV represents the collective voice of all teachers of science in all matters relating to the teaching of science in Victoria and, through ASTA (the Australian Science Teachers Association), it represents these teachers at a national level. Through collaboration with our STAV colleagues, the Society manages the program for National Science Week and the Inspiring Victoria program.

Geography Victoria is a new not-for-profit bringing together people of all ages, from all walks of life, and with a broad range of interests, to share in a range of geographical experiences to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between community and environment in our State.

Land Covenantors Victoria (LCV) is an independent, not-for-profit, member-driven organisation. We:

• Represent, support and connect landholders in Victoria who have a conservation covenant on their land to protect biodiversity.
• Bring current and future covenantors together to share knowledge and experience.
• Advocate for members and campaign for the removal of barriers to adopting a conservation covenant.
• Encourage more Victorians to protect land for biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Climate Communications Australia (CCA) is a growing not-for-profit charity that works with media industry professionals and experts in climate science and solutions to build audience attention on climate change. We work with media of all kinds, to socially licence public interest engagement with climate change, with the aim to produce deep systemic change in national media industries. Addressing media misinformation at its source, to facilitate the acceptance of climate science and climate solutions nationally, and globally, is an urgent task in avoiding the most dangerous impacts of climate change.

MMHN is a non-political, not-for-profit, member-based ‘umbrella’ organisation that brings together individuals and stakeholder groups from marine, maritime heritage, education, tourism, corporate, and community sectors, committed to greater recognition of, and knowledge about, Melbourne’s maritime heritage and maritime industry sector. MMHN is a catalyst to advocate for the better management of maritime matters.

Public Libraries Victoria takes in the hundreds of organisations acting as grass-roots knowledge hubs for communities across our state. The Society partners with this network to convene science engagement activities for people of all ages and backgrounds, supported by small grants under the Inspiring Victoria program, including activities for National Science Week.

Neighbourhood Houses Victoria is the peak body for the community house sector, representing around 400 community-based organisations across Victoria. Neighbourhood Houses have a significant and meaningful impact on the individual lives of everyday Victorians and hundreds of local communities. The Society works with NHV to deliver grass-roots science literacy and translation initiatives as a part of the Inspiring Victoria program, with a strong focus on climate transitions and sustainability, including activities for National Science Week.

Museums Victoria is Australia’s largest public museum organisation, managing a range of knowledge focussed venues including the Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks, the Immigration Museum and the Royal Exhibition Building. Through collaboration with our Museum colleagues, the Society manages the program for National Science Week and the Inspiring Victoria program.

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria plays a leading role in the conservation of plants through biodiversity research, programs to protect rare and threatened plants, and the study of habitats. This work is supported by education and visitor programs about the importance of plants to life. The organisation encompasses two diverse sites at Melbourne and Cranbourne and the State Botanical Collection housed at the National Herbarium of Victoria. Through collaboration with our RBGV colleagues, the Society manages the program for National Science Week and the Inspiring Victoria program.

Zoos Victoria is a world-leading zoo-based conservation organisation, dedicated to fighting wildlife extinction. Their four zoos are Healesville Sanctuary, Kyabram Fauna Park,Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Each one provides a unique and immersive experience that attracts visitors from around the world, inspiring animal lovers of all ages. By strengthening the connection between people and wildlife, they aim to protect the future of animals and their homes. The important work of Zoos Victoria includes breeding and recovery programs, involving partnerships with local communities, fellow conservationists, and like-minded organisations — close to home and in far-flung corners of the world. Through collaboration with our Zoos colleagues, the Society manages the program for National Science Week and the Inspiring Victoria program.

The Parliament of Victoria represents you when making decisions for our state. Its main roles are to debate issues, pass laws and hold the government to account. The Victorian Parliament offers a range of resources, information and programs for teachers, to support the exploration of civics and citizenship and legal studies in Victorian classrooms, along with a community engagement program to help Victorians access the functions of our democracy and understand the complexity of issues typically under consideration by Members of Parliament. Through collaboration with staff colleagues at Parliament, the Society manages the program for National Science Week and the Inspiring Victoria program.

The BrainSTEM Innovation Challenge offers students the opportunity to work in a research environment and participate in the journey of scientific discovery side by side with their STEM mentor. BrainSTEM builds a program to:

• create an opportunity for high school students
• come up with an idea as a team,
• connect them with a mentor (scientist) in a university and then
• work on that idea with their mentor in a university environment.

A team of 4 students from a school is matched with a mentor from a university. These students then engage in 4 to 5 mentoring sessions at the university (typically once a week) and work on their idea. At the end of that mentoring program, these students are given an opportunity to present and showcase their outcomes. The program will:

• Grow their interest in STEM by working on innovative ideas
• Get them to learn “hands-on” and apply their academic learning with experimental science
• Integrate their overall learning with research and develop their sense of curiosity

BrainSTEM is auspiced by the Royal Society of Victoria for grant management and provision of Deductible Gift Recipient status for philanthropic support.

The Australian Science and Engineering Fair (AUSSEF) assesses student competition projects in the 22 categories offered by the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), sending Australian finalists to the international competition held in the United States each year. Students can submit projects in Animal Sciences, Plant Sciences, Environmental Engineering, technologies than enhance linguistic communication, or address ISEF’s newest category: Technology Enhances the Arts.

The Royal Society of Victoria auspices AUSSEF for grant management and coverage with our Deductible Gift Recipient status for philanthropic support.