ACNS Open Letter

The ACNS Executive’s Open Letter to the VCs of the Australian National University and Macquarie University, on the proposed closure and merging of premier neuroscience and cognitive science departments. 

On 31 March 2021, the ACNS Executive released this open letter, addressed to Prof. Brian Schmidt of ANU, Prof. Bruce Dowton of Macquarie University and Australian neuroscientists and cognitive scientists. We encourage our members to read and share this letter widely.

To our fellow Australian neuroscientists and cognitive neuroscientists:

We acknowledge that many of our members and colleagues are facing unemployment.  Many of our students are struggling to see a future in academia in Australia.  And, with fewer supervisors, many students will be unable to undertake a PhD in cognitive neuroscience in the future.  There are major issues across our entire pipeline of Australian cognitive neuroscience research. We know that this is an unsettling time for all Australian cognitive scientists and neuroscientists.  Please reach out to any member on the ACNS Executive if you’d like to talk.  We would like to hear about your experiences and how we can help.

2020 ACNS Mental Health Survey

In 2020, the ACNS ECR Committee surveyed our membership, and the message was clear: many of us are struggling through difficult times. So, the ACNS Executive have put together this important resource for our Society. We hear from our President, A/Prof Tom Carlson, and Gemma Lamp shares her experiences as a cognitive neuroscientist living with mental health challenges. We present the findings from the 2020 ACNS Mental Health Survey, and provide important details on how to seek support if you need it.